By Meg Crow, EPS Board of Trustees

We welcomed three new members to the Eastside Prep Board of Trustees this academic year. Each brings a unique skill set, background, and viewpoint to the school’s governing body.

Jason Barnwell, JD

Jason Barnwell (the parent of a member of the EPS Class of 2030) has a simple but heartfelt reason for wanting to join the Eastside Prep Board of Trustees. “I want to join… because I want to help our children succeed.” He continues, “Our children are inheriting an increasingly complicated world. We can position them to create opportunities, thrive, and bring others along. This necessarily builds upon great educational experiences.”

Barnwell has a BS in Mechanical Engineering from MIT and a JD from the USC Gould School of Law. That mix of legal and technology knowledge has led to a long and varied career, the last thirteen of which has been spent at Microsoft. Barnwell currently serves as Associate General Counsel – Monetization and Business Planning. “My professional focus is evolving legal work with machine intelligence to deliver meaningful work for humans and produce scalable, sustainable business impact.” He notes that he is a technology attorney who is passionate about developing and commercializing technology. That sounds complicated, but Barnwell adds, “I get to laugh a lot because what we do is important and challenging, but not overly serious.”

Jill Jackson

Jill Jackson, the mother of three EPS students (members of the Classes of 2028, 2030, and 2032), counts her greatest accomplishment over the past fifteen years as spending her time and energy raising her children. “I am deeply passionate about mental health and neurodiversity, specifically autism in girls.” Jackson has served on boards of several nonprofits where she has enjoyed collaborating with people from various backgrounds and skill sets.

Jackson is excited to bring her experience to Eastside Prep, which she sees as a genuine, authentic learning environment; one where partnerships between families, students, and the school are valued. Part of that authentic learning environment is the opportunity to make mistakes. “Students are able to make mistakes and use them as learning opportunities.” She adds, “I see that at EPS each individual is valued for who they are. A community where listening to, working to understand, empathizing with, and supporting others is the norm.”

Lisa Simonyi

Swedish-born Lisa Simonyi holds a BA in Corporate Communication from Queen Margaret University in Scotland, where she completed an exchange program at Ithaca College. She finished her bachelor’s degree in London. She also holds an MSc in International Management and a minor in organizational Psychology from BI Norwegian Business School, Oslo, Norway. Simonyi worked for a few years in London as a marketing manager and as a manager in Asset Management before returning to Sweden. Since meeting her husband and moving to Seattle, Simonyi has been very active in the community, serving on the Seattle Symphony Board and currently serving as Vice Chair of the University of Washington Foundation Board, among others.

Simonyi looks forward to offering her experience from other boards, large construction projects, and international background to the Board. “My own personal belief is that we live in an ever-evolving world that aligns perfectly with the foundational principles of what EPS stands for.” Simonyi is the parent of two EPS students, members of the Classes of 2029 and 2031. When not spending time with her daughters, Simonyi can be found walking in her neighborhood with friends.