Board of Trustees

Diann Shope grew up in Bremerton, WA, and received her degrees in International Relations from Lewis and Clark College and the Graduate School of International Studies at the University of Denver. She and husband Ed discovered Anthroposophy through her brother Steve, who moved to Aberdeen, Scotland, the home of the Camphill Movement, in the early 70's. Ed was a member of Suzanne Szekely's study group and a founder of the Seattle Waldorf School. Both Shopes served SWS as President of the Board of Trustees and in many other capacities over the years. SWS got underway too late for the Shopes' eldest son, Scott, but their younger son, Michael, attended preschool through eighth grade and graduated with Tyler McGrath and Amy Hoff Aylward in the class of 1996, Diann retired in 2005 after almost 30 years with the City of Seattle, having worked for the City Council, the Budget Office, the Arts Commission and Seattle Public Utilities. She was involved in budgeting, strategic planning, performance measurement and work process redesign, and served in a variety of management positions. In addition to her SCC work, Diann spends her time rowing, writing fiction, meditating and traveling. Diann currently serves as the SCC Board Chair. 

Cathy Buller was born in San Francisco, raised in the SF Bay Area, and has called Seattle home for many decades. Her daughter Hannah V was a member of Bright Water Waldorf School's first graduating class (2007), where Cathy's family was part of a strong community building the school. While in high school, Cathy discovered Rudolf Steiner's work through meetings with biodynamic/French Intensive gardener Alan Chadwick. Cathy's extended family includes 3 generations of SF Bay Area Waldorf school participants. Cathy studied Environmental Planning at UC Santa Cruz and worked for years on environmental impact, permitting and pollution prevention projects. Her current work with the Whidbey Institute supports donor and community relations at a nonprofit transformational learning center. Cathy recharges through a little farming, a little dancing, and rowing on the Duwamish River. Cathy chairs Sound Circle's Development Committee and was a Foundation Year member of Sound Circle's Sapphire class. Cathy currently serves as the SCC board vice-president. 

Dave Wakeley was born in Texas and celebrated his third birthday the day before his family arrived in Washington. He was raised in Bellevue, earned his Mechanical Engineering degree at Washington State University and has worked at Boeing for over 30 years Dave's three children all attended the Seattle Waldorf School from Kindergarten through eighth grade. Dave served on the SWS Budget/Finance Committee for four years before beginning five years on the SWS Board including three years as Board Treasurer. When Dave's oldest child attended Hazel Wolf High School, Dave spent more than three years on the Hazel Wolf Board, serving as Board Treasurer for most of that time. Dave left the Hazel Wolf Board shortly before Hazel Wolf merged with SWS and became the Seattle Waldorf High School, which Dave's youngest child attended Dave's wife, Debora, is in her seventh year as the SWS Rosemary Kindergarten Assistant. Dave enjoys reading, traveling and scuba diving. Dave currently serves as the SCC board treasurer. 

Martha Collins was born in 1944 in Chicago, Illinois. In 1970, she received her BFA from the University of California Santa Cruz where she was introduced to Anthroposophy by Alan Chadwick who was teaching a course in bio-dynamic agriculture there. She married in 1973 and she and her husband, Greg, added two children to their family - Rosalie and Ian. For several years Martha studied Early Childhood Education at Rudolf Steiner College with, among others, Eva Kudar, Nancy Poer, and Margaret Meyerkort. During this time, she and her husband engaged Rene Querido and Betty Staley among others to help start a Waldorf school in the Nevada City area, an endeavor which eventually grew to become what is now the very successful Yuba River Charter School. In 1983, Martha was offered employment at Haleakala Waldorf School and her family moved to Maui where she taught in the early childhood program for 10 years. Both of her children graduated from HWS and eventually moved to the mainland to attend college. During a sabbatical, Martha earned her MA in Art Education from the University of New Mexico. After three more years at HWS as School Administrator, Martha was hired to serve as Administrator for the Seattle Waldorf School. During her tenure at SWS, she earned certification in Waldorf School Administration from Sunbridge College, served as an SWS delegate to AWSNA, served as liaison to NW developing schools in Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and British Columbia on behalf of AWSNA, convened regional DANA meetings, and participated in accreditation for a few established schools. Some other initiatives she undertook while at SWS included fundraising for oversight for completion of a new classroom wing at the grades campus, participation in the drafting of a major strategic plan (SWS 2020), and advisory contributions toward the establishment of Bright Water School and Hazel Wolf High School (which eventually merged with SWS High School). Most recently, Martha was the Principal of the Village School in Eugene, OR - a charter school inspired by Waldorf education principles. While leading the Village School, Martha renewed the school’s charter, earned a degree in public school administration from the U of O, and was an active representative in APWE (Alliance for Public Waldorf Education). Martha lives in Federal Way, WA where she volunteers for a local charity that provides food and monetary aid to indigent elders and struggling families, is a regular caregiver for one of her three grandsons, and pursues her passions for gardening, hiking, reading, playing music, and painting. 

Skye Chamberlain was born and raised within the sound of the waves on the shores of Lake Michigan. She earned her undergraduate degree at University of Michigan, and in University of Wisconsin’s year abroad program through which she studied story-telling traditions in the Himalayas and met her husband Ramesh, an Indian national, in Kathmandu, Nepal. Their two grown daughters are also Waldorf graduates. Ms Chamberlain loves swimming, yoga, walking and wild places. She also loves telling stories to children and watching  their eyes light up. Ms Chamberlain is a graduate of Sound Circle Teacher Training and one of the founding teachers of Bright Water Waldorf School.