Consultants

Mark is an international keynote speaker and consultant specializing in strategic  communication, legislative strategy, and the art and science of influence-building. Mark formerly worked as Chief of Staff in the U.S. Senate and House of Representatives during a 20-year career working in Congress, including for U.S. Senator Ed Markey. From these experiences, Mark created the RISE | System™️ (Raising the Influence of Scientists and Engineers), a unique formula of proven rhetorical tools, influence principles, and strategic communication techniques to help scientists, engineers, and executives get funding, advance their careers, and build key professional relationships. The RISE | System™️ is based on Mark’s academic training in rhetoric and persuasion and his real-world experience working in Congress to rapidly distill complex policies, craft strategies to advance high-profile initiatives, and concisely explain them to the stakeholders who could advance or derail their progress.

Kaylee has spent the last decade serving her community at all levels of government. She has worked for the U.S. Senate, U.S. House of Representatives, Washington State House of Representatives, and currently serves as an elected official on the Whatcom County Council. Kaylee has extensive policy and outreach experience engaging government officials, stakeholders, and members of the community on a diverse range of topics. Her policy interests include economic and workforce development, climate change, land use planning, housing, sustainable development, local food systems and agriculture, transportation and infrastructure, public safety, and criminal justice reform. Kaylee graduated from the University of Washington Bothell with her Master of Arts in Policy Studies, and earned her Bachelor of Arts from Western Washington University majoring in Politics, Philosophy, and Economics with minors in Energy Policy and Law, Diversity & Justice.

Bridget is a consultant working in health, education, and the arts with experience in policy analysis, research and evaluation, process facilitation, and strategic planning. Bridget provides professional development coaching to WSAS staff and assists with other projects as needed.

Debra Lekanoff runs a consultancy focusing on tribal relations, and also represents the 40th legislative district of Washington state, including parts of Whatcom, Skagit, and San Juan counties. Representative Lekanoff is the only Native American woman to currently serve in the Legislature. In addition to serving in the Legislature, Representative Lekanoff served as Governmental Affairs Director for the Swinomish Tribe. With over 20 years of government relations experience, she engages on a variety of issues at the international, federal, tribal, state, and local levels. Representative Lekanoff leads on a wide range of policy issues, including but not limited to environment, natural resources, climate change, education, housing, and agriculture. Representative Lekanoff is Vice Chair of the House State Government & Tribal Relations Committee. She also sits on the Appropriations Committee and the Rural Development, Agriculture & Natural Resources Committee.

Nikkia is a materials scientist with a background in the properties of materials for use in energy conversion applications. Her prior research includes fellowships with the American Association for the Advancement of Science and the Inter-American Institute for Global Change Research. In addition to her current role as Senior Engineer at the U.S. Department of Energy, she is serving as a consultant on the WSAS Clean Energy Research, Development & Demonstration Review Panel project for the Washington State Department of Commerce.

Steve is a Seattle-based writer who has written the summary proceedings of the Washington State Academy of Sciences symposia since 2017. His most recent book is The Apocalypse Factory: Plutonium and the Making of the Atomic Age, a new history of the nuclear era told from the perspective of the Hanford nuclear reservation. More of Steve’s work can be found at his website. Since 1979, he has been a consultant writer for the National Academy of Sciences, the President’s Council of Advisors on Science and Technology, and other national scientific organizations.

Hallie has a broad set of experiences spanning topic areas and sectors, with particular experience founding new programs. She has studied biochemistry, plant biology, and more recently, biophysics and microbiology, which has given her the ability to bridge diverse areas of scientific expertise. She co-founded the Missouri Science and Technology Fellowship (MOST) Policy Initiative, which places cohorts of scientifically trained fellows as resources for the Missouri State Legislature. Hallie also ran for Congress in 2018, she leveraged this experience to learn more about the real and perceived divide between science and policy and to work with and learn from an adaptable and creative team. Her work in scientific research and then science and society has led to a passion for building bridges between science policy and organizational development and sustainability. Currently, she works as an independent consultant in the science policy and change management spaces with clients across the country and in the public and private sector.

Lynda Zambrano is the Executive Director & Founder of the National Tribal Emergency Management Council, a consortium of Tribal Nations across the country that have networked for the purpose of sharing information and promoting emergency management best practices in Indian Country. The Council participates in all levels of planning, preparedness, mitigation, response, and recovery to build stronger, more resilient communities within our Tribal Nations. Lynda Zambrano is also the Executive Director for the Northwest Tribal Emergency Management Council, which provides free consultative services in homeland security and emergency management as it pertains to the areas of planning, mitigation, response and recovery for the member Tribes of Washington, Idaho, Oregon, and Alaska.