Board Members

Rissa Sanchez – Co-President

Rissa Sanchez is a transplanted Californian who resides in Shoreline. She is grateful to be able to find respite under the canopy of the conifers at the Kruckeberg Botanical Garden or on the shores of Puget Sound. Over the years, her gardening interests have shifted from intensive vegetable gardening to a more relaxed approach with native and xeriscape landscaping. With retirement as a Research Project Manager from Fred Hutchinson Cancer Research Center around the corner, she is thrilled to have joined the Kruckeberg board to help shape and support the future of this Shoreline refuge.

Heidi Loewen – Co-President

Heidi was born in Seattle and has lived in the PNW her entire life. Her first experience with public and botanic gardens was visiting the nearby Kubota Gardens, and her love of Kruckeberg was kindled while exploring the Woodwave sculpture and hidden garden areas with her children. She graduated from UW in 1997 with a BS in Oceanography, and has since added an ATA in Landscape Design and Horticulture from Edmonds Community College, and a certificate in Permaculture Design from Toby Hemenway. Heidi has worked in accounting, IT, office management and landscape design and management. In recent years Heidi’s extensive volunteer commitments to her kids’ PTSA used all of those skills and allowed her to develop outdoor education areas on the campus. Her current work includes garden consulting and creating landscape designs and permitting applications using SketchUp. Serving on the Kruckeberg Botanic Garden Foundation Board allows her to use her background in native plants and gardens while making a difference by supporting educational outreach and beauty in the Shoreline community.

John Hushagen – Treasurer

John was raised on a small farm in southwest Washington state by transplanted Minnesota dairy farmers. Following a Lutheran upbringing, he graduated from Pacific Lutheran University in 1973 with a degree in American history. After many years of vocational trial and error, he trained to be an arborist and received a master’s degree in Urban Horticulture from the UW. In 1985, after grad school, he started a tree care company, Seattle Tree Preservation, Inc., which he sold in 2018. He now works part-time as a consulting arborist. He and his wife, Jan, have many trees and shrubs in their Innis Arden garden purchased at the KBG nursery.

Julia Cox – Secretary

Julia graduated from UC Davis with a BS in Landscape Architecture and minors in landscape restoration and horticulture. After a decade working for public parks in her native California, she moved to Shoreline with her family in 2018. With two young kids at home, Julia has been looking for ways to contribute to the community and is excited to be a part of the Kruckeberg Garden. Julia brings professional experience in public land planning, management, and design. She is currently interested in how our local landscapes can be more resilient to climate change.

Christina Arcidy

Christina is originally from the Boston area and moved to the PWN over 20 years ago, with 10 of those years being here in Shoreline. Growing up, she enjoyed playing outside all four seasons of the year in both her mother’s vegetable garden and the woody wetlands near her parents’ home. She comes to Kruckeberg with a background in nonprofit management and youth recreation programming. Christina currently works for the City of Shoreline doing policy analysis and program management in the City Manager’s Office. She believes there is a place for everyone in Shoreline and is excited to bring new people of all backgrounds to the Kruckeberg Garden for contemplation, education, and inspiration. In her free time she enjoys tending her own small edible and ornamental gardens, adventuring with her school-age child, and knitting for her friends and family.

Chip Kennaugh

Noéll Bernard-Kingsley (she/her)

Noéll is a life-long Pacific Northwesterner who first discovered Kruckeberg Botanic Garden in 2016 when she moved to Shoreline and was searching for meaningful public spaces to share with her small family. Visits to the garden, events like the Solstice Stroll, and summer camp programs for her child became cornerstones in her family traditions and inspired her own gardening adventures. Noéll holds bachelors degrees in English and History as well as a Masters degree in Education in Curriculum and Instruction from the University of Washington – Seattle. She brings to the board her 15 years experience working in higher education, cultivating community for field scientists, and fostering STEM student learning spaces as a Student Services Director for the UW’s College of the Environment. Noéll is grateful to be a part of such a beautiful place and excited to engage in this important work.

Kelsey Nicholson (she/her)

Kelsey has lived in the Pacific Northwest her entire life, she currently resides in Bothell with her husband, son and too many pets. With more than 15 years experience at local nonprofit organizations, she is eager to bring her experience in development, marketing, program and process improvement to the Kruckeberg Garden board. She believes that access to green space is vital to our community and is excited to support the Foundation so everyone can benefit from this beautiful space.