Meet the Executive Board!

Christina Ellis (she/her)

Hello! I am Christina Ellis. I am mom to a JAMS alumnus, an 8th grader here at JAMS and a 5th  grader at Sacajawea Elementary. I joined the board three years ago as Vice-President with a focus on helping to recruit a board that better represents the diverse community here at JAMS and I hope to see that reflected in our PTSA members as well. As we continue to find our “new normal”, we will need to be flexible in navigating changes to the way things are done here at JAMS. As you may have seen in Principal Montgomery’s last smore, JAMS is instituting an “Away for the Day” policy. In order to have a smooth transition regarding this change, we will need family support. Community voice is very important to us as a PTSA and this change was in direct response to the feedback received from the technology survey sent out last spring. We are hopeful that there will be more opportunities this school year for in-person events including in-person and online PTSA meetings and more. I look forward to working with all of you this year and continuing to make our PTSA and school community a welcoming and inclusive space for everyone! Please join us at our PTSA meetings and email me ([email protected]) with questions, suggestions or concerns.

Sheilah Nath (she/her)

I am Sheilah Nath, mother of 3, including a 7th grader at Jane Addams Middle School. I have always enjoyed being hands-on and part of raising up the community I live in and work in. When the opportunity to serve in the JAMS PTSA came, I was thrilled to join this team so we can collaborate and work to achieve our common goals including inclusivity, equity, excellence and everything in between.

Richard Newman (he/him)

I am Richard Newman, the parent of a 6th grader entering Jane Addams Middle School in the fall of 2022. I have a professional background in public health and clinical research, along with a strong interest in environmental issues and urban horticulture. After serving on the PTA Board at my child’s elementary school for the past several years as the volunteer coordinator and co-secretary, I am excited to help out at JAMS for the next several years. As the parent of a student with special needs, and as an LGBTQ+ parent, I will forever strive to support and advocate for students & families navigating related issues.

Jane Tunks Demel (she/her)

I am Jane Tunks Demel and I have a 6th grader at JAMS and a 3rd grader at Sacajawea. We moved to Seattle in the early days of the pandemic to be near our extended family. Now we have three generations living in Maple Leaf and Victory Heights. I believe that time and effort spent building community is everything, so I wanted to join the PTSA Board to help do that important work. I am looking forward to collaborating with everyone to make JAMS a supporting and welcoming environment for all of our families.