Staff
Kathy Washatka, Manager
Kathy has over 30 years of training and organizational development experience working with individuals, businesses and organizations throughout Washington State.
Her experience includes 22 years at Whatcom Educational Credit Union where she was vice-president for operations, human resource specialist, trainer and organizational developer.
Most recently, Kathy has worked as an independent consultant providing management training, facilitation, and professional development. Many of her clients have been non profit organizations and she has worked with both staff and boards helping them capitalize on their strengths as they strive to turn their vision into reality.
Kathy has been recognized locally by the Bellingham Chamber of Commerce for her ongoing contributions to the business community. She holds a master’s degree in Applied Behavioral Science with a focus on Management and Consulting from Bastyr University’s Leadership Institute of Seattle.
Instructors
Andrew Cline, Cline Consulting, LLC
Andrew is a solutions-based consultant specializing in results that work for people and their organizations. Focusing on the well being of his clients, his work in collaborative and straightforward interventions has helped organizations improve productivity, accountability, and decrease turnover. Andrew specializes in helping people manage conflict and function effectively within diverse work groups. Senior leaders and teams working in dynamic environment use Andrew to help them become clear about strategic choices and their implementation. Areas of expertise are organizational effectiveness, executive coaching, team effectiveness, board governance, and organizational change management. Click here to view Cline Consulting’s Website.
Dr. John Korsmo
John is Assistant Professor of Human Services at Western Washington University. With 20 years of experience as a human service practitioner and educator, John’s principal area of interest focuses on human and family development and culture, relating to circumstances of generational poverty. John has worked extensively to support youth and family efforts to depart from cycles of poverty and violence, having served roles ranging from grade school teacher, counselor, mentor, and coach to Executive Director of a youth drug and violence organization, Founding Director of the Northwest Training Institute, and university faculty member. John has taught a number of courses on working with at-risk youth, family development, and working with youth and families in poverty. His writing has been published in such periodicals as Qualitative Inquiry; Washington State Kappan: Journal for Research, Leadership, and Practice; Relational Child and Youth Care Practice; Journal of Child and Youth Care Work;, International Child and Youth Care and; the Journal of Educational Controversy. John has presented at conferences throughout the US, in Austria, Canada, and Finland and regularly consults with human service organizations throughout northwestern Washington State.
Kara Turner, PHR
Kara has 22 years of experience developing and managing a full range of Human Resources programs in both the private and public sector. Over the last 10 years, Ms. Turner has owned her own consulting firm, Turner HR Services, Inc. in Whatcom County providing assistance to companies in the areas of recruitment and selection, policy development and administration, compensation and benefits design and administration, market pay surveys, employee and supervisory training, employee and labor relations, workplace investigations, workplace satisfaction surveys, and the design and implementation of various Human Resources systems.
Ms. Turner has served as an adjunct faculty member at the Bellingham Technical College, developing and instructing classes in the Human Resources field. Serving in various positions on the Mt. Baker Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) Board of Directors for six years, Ms. Turner was the Board President in 2003. Ms. Turner has been a Certified Professional in Human Resources (PHR) since 1993 and has received an Advanced Certification in Conducting Workplace Investigations. Click here to view the Turner HR Services website.
Mary Dumas
Mary Dumas, Dumas & Associates, Inc., is a mediator, facilitator, and trainer specializing in the productive use of conflict and change. Mary's passion for helping individuals improve their capacity for innovative thinking in the face of complex and contentious issues, has assisted public and private sector organizations to advance objectives and build relationships. Dumas & Associates, Inc. specializes in conducting stakeholder processes that engage diverse perspectives in policy, research, and community-action initiatives. Nonprofits, private businesses, public agencies, universities, and foundations select Mary to help them clarify core goals, identify essential partnerships, and develop near and long-term strategies to advance directives and seize emerging opportunities. Mary's training experience spans professional, academic and community-based education settings. She is a guest lecturer at the University of Washington's Program on the Environment, Western Washington University, and regularly presents on productive approaches to conflict in the home, workplace, and community. For more information see her website.