Our Staff
We have a small staff that supports day-to-day operations, engages with donors, connects with community partners, and manages the vocational calling and scholarship programs.
Ryan Ingersoll, M.Ed.
Interim Executive Director
Ryan Ingersoll (he/him) is a relational, innovative, and compassionate leader with extensive experience in higher education administration, including at several universities across Oregon and Washington. Ryan is a strategic collaborator and encourages thinking outside the box. As an inquiry-based, constructivist, and learner-centric educator at heart, he is passionate about education and helping others uncover and integrate their vocational discernment. Ryan is a committed advocate for equitable environments that promote access, diversity, and inclusion. He is familiar with the LBIS/TLC/TEF community. While attending TLC in Issaquah, he served as the student body president, was a resident assistant, and graduated with a B.A. in Youth and Family Ministry. More recently, he served on the TEF Board of Trustees. Ryan has a M.Ed. in Digital Education Leadership from Seattle Pacific University and lives in Portland, Oregon.
ryan [at] trinityeducationfoundation.org
Maren Diamond
CRM Administrator
Maren oversees day-to-day office operations, database systems, and donor managment.
Our Coaches
The Trinity Scholars Program pairs each scholar with a coach to support the student in their academic journey during their undergraduate program. The coaching relationship provides opportunities for the student to engage in conversations to support them, including discerning their vocational calling and potential major and career interests.
Shannon Wallis, MBA, PCC
TEF Coach
Shannon Wallis is a business acceleration consultant and coach who works with leaders to create strategies and build capabilities that achieve results. Prior to founding Cascade Leadership, Shannon was the global director of high-potential leadership development at Microsoft and the chief architect of an award-winning international leadership program. Shannon believes anything is possible, and change is a series of baby steps taken along a path to transformation. In her new book, WE the Change: Launching Big Ideas and Creating New Realities, Shannon chronicles her adventure of having walked 500 miles across Spain without any prior hiking experience. WE the Change provides a road map for anyone yearning to transform their life, organization, or community.
Erik Samuelson, MDiv, MA, PCC
TEF Coach
Erik Samuelson is a leadership, vocation, and transformation coach who works with individuals, teams, companies, churches, non-profits, and educational institutions. Erik holds the Professional Certified Coach (PCC) credential from the International Coaching Federation and is a certified Church Planter Coach through Fuller Seminary. He is the founder of "Come Alive Coaching," which offers coaching, workshops, practices, and resources to individuals and communities looking to deepen their impact, renew their organization, and develop leaders. As a former college professor and campus pastor, Erik delights in helping young adults (and not-so-young adults) discover their calling and live into their vocational potential. He is a pastor in the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA) and has led, consulted, or coached several new ministry starts, networks, and congregational renewal efforts. He also does coaching through Vibrant Faith.
Dawn Williams, MA, LMFTA
TEF Coach
Dawn Williams has over 30-years of business experience in the non-profit sector working with the global humanitarian organization, World Vision. Dawn had been working at World Vision since she was nineteen, started her family while working, and focused on raising her kids and supporting her husband while he served in the Navy. Once her husband was retired, the children were in college, and she began to think about retiring from World Vision, Dawn reimagined her future and her passion for helping couples and families in crisis. During her final years at World Vision, Dawn decided to go to school and get her Bachelors's degree. In the summer of 2021, she graduated from Pacific Lutheran University with her Masters and now works at Integrated Therapy Services, University Place, WA. Dawn is a living example the dynamic journey of vocation and the unique path of finding joy and fulfillment in a career while serving the world to create positive impact.
Rosemary Macauley, MEd, PCC
TEF Coach
Rosemary Macauley has over 30 years of experience working with students as a school counselor/intervention specialist with the Everett, WA School District. She has also worked for many years with special education students. Rosemary focuses on identifying one’s own personal strengths and knowing themselves at the core of their being.
Tammy Sargent
TEF Coach
Tammy Sargent is an HR executive and expert with more than 20-years of experience. While actively working as the Director of Human Resources for a top marketing agency, Tammy also provides consulting work with FiredUp! Culture, an organizational and leadership consulting company.
Patty Miller, CPHR
TEF Coach (interview/LinkedIn coaching)
Patty Miller has 20+ years is a Senior HR Executive and Leadership Coach. Patty's experience is perfect for scholars, especially as they approach college's junior and senior years. She helps them create a noticeable resume and LinkedIn profile while providing mock interviews to ensure interview readiness.
Our Board of Trustees
TEF is governed by a Board of Trustees, supported by an Executive Director and an investment adviser. Our trustees come from a range of professional backgrounds, but all share a passion to see students thrive in their vocations through a life of service mindedness—honoring the tradition of Trinity Lutheran College and Lutheran Bible Institute Seattle.
Heather Goff, CPA CIA
Trustee, President
Heather lives in Little Rock, Arkansas where she is a senior manager of the Global Technology Audit Department of Walmart, Inc. She graduated from Central Washington University with a Bachelor of Science in accounting as well as business administration with an emphasis on organizational change management. When faced with challenges and improving processes, Heather isn’t afraid to think outside of the box to create and implement nontraditional solutions and strategies.
Aubrey Thonvold
Trustee, Vice President
Aubrey Thonvold (she/her) is a lifelong Lutheran who is committed to work centered on justice and equity for LGBTQIA+ people and their families within religious and faith communities. With a bachelor's from Trinity Lutheran College and a master's in Transforming Spirituality from The School of Theology and Ministry at Seattle University, she strives to bring people in and invite all to the table. She is the executive director at Reconciling Works, a national non-profit working for the welcome, inclusion, celebration, and advocacy of LGBTQIA+ people and their families in the Lutheran church. Aubrey has worked on marriage campaigns in Washington, Hawaii, and Oregon, organizing outreach, education, and advocacy and encouraging faith communities to support the freedom to marry for LGBTQIA+ couples. Aubrey and her spouse Heather both have a call to ministry, a love of adventures, and enjoy time with family and friends.
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Robby Larson, Ed.D.
Trustee, Secretary
Robby Larson lives in Portland, Oregon. Most recently he served as vice president of advancement at Multnomah University. With 21 years experience in Christian and faith-based higher education, he brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to the board. Robby holds a doctorate from George Fox University in Higher Education Leadership, and a Master of Business Administration (MBA) from California Lutheran University, and a bachelor's degree from Pacific Lutheran University.
Patrick Brady
Trustee, Treasurer
Patrick is an alumnus of Seattle Pacific University. Six years ago, Patrick was elected by the union membership as the financial secretary/treasurer of Amalgamated Transit Union Local 587, where he serves as the chief financial officer and labor negotiator. Patrick has answered God’s call to service by taking on many different roles at his church over the years, including youth ministry, interim pastor, business manager, and various committee roles. He currently serves on the board of Compass Housing Alliance.
Joan Thorson
Trustee
Joan loves to see people light up with their passions and gifts in life. Helping students to find their voice and a sense of belonging is her greatest joy. Joan is a 2013 graduate of Trinity Lutheran College. She is currently enjoying being a professional coach empowering individuals to discover and live out God’s calling. Joan and her husband Dave have two adult children and spend their spare time gardening in Stanwood.
David Swartling
Trustee
David is a retired attorney, actively engaged in a number of nonprofit and community activities, including currently serving on the boards of Compass Housing Alliance in Seattle; Lutheran Services in America, headquartered in Washington DC; and here with the Trinity Education Foundation. He attended the University of Washington School of Law, where he was executive editor of the Washington Law Review, then practiced law in Seattle for more than 30 years, including 15 years as a named partner in the firm Mills Meyers Swartling. During this time, he was elected a Fellow of the American College of Trial Lawyers. He also received the President’s Award from the Washington State Bar Association and the Harrison-Tweed Award from the American Bar Association for his professional activities. David is a life-long Lutheran and has served the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America in many capacities and with Bethany Lutheran Church on Bainbridge Island, WA where he and his wife Barbara reside.
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Raveendran Gopal Rao (Ravi)
Trustee
Ravi lives in Overland Park, Kansas where he is the executive director of the American Bible Society. After earning a bachelor's in Theology, Ravi went on to receive his doctorate in Leadership and Management from Trinity College of Indiana. He also holds a Master of Business Administration (MBA) and a Master of Divinity (MDiv) in major world religions. Ravi is a strong believer in the value of an education and has experience working and traveling to over 50 different countries. He brings a diverse background and strong organizational skills to the Foundation.
Tom Lucas
Trustee
Tom has been a trustee with the foundation since 2009 and has served as president and board chairman since May, 2015. Tom was very active with Trinity Lutheran College with his wife Twyla (she attended Luthern Bible Institute Seattle in the ’70s). He is a retired marine engineer from the Washington State Department of Ferries and is actively serving on the board with Village Theater and Josephine Caring Community as the chairman of the board.
Rev. Dr. Rick Rouse
Trustee
Rev. Dr. Richard W. Rouse is a parish consultant working with congregations in the areas of strategic planning, spiritual discernment, and leadership. A certified Spiritual Director and ordained pastor of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America (ELCA), he has served congregations in Arizona, California, Oregon, and Washington. Rouse is currently a member of the Advisory Board for Pacific Lutheran Theological Seminary in Berkeley and Vice President for the Association of Leaders in Lifelong Learning for Ministry (ALLLM). He continues to teach as adjunct faculty for Luther Seminary