Helen Kathryn Sernett serves as the Senior Philanthropy Officer at Landesa, a global organization based in Seattle. She has been a member of AFP since 2001 and has served multiple times as a Board of Directors member of her local chapter.

Throughout her career, Helen has been involved with over $35 million in donations. Working primarily in individual giving, Sernett has a broad range of fundraising experience, from intimate dinners to gala affairs, from $10 donations to million-dollar commitments, and from memorial gifts to estate bequests.

Along the way, much of her success has been owed to the generosity of her mentors—formal and inform—and the insights she’s picked up from her mentees along the way.

Mary Bristow is a seasoned nonprofit leader and fundraising professional with a career spanning nearly 40 years, encompassing work at three community-based organizations—Children’s Home Society of Washington, YMCA of Greater Seattle, and Rainier Scholars. Mary thrives in mission-driven organizations with diverse teams, excels at storytelling and building relationships, and leads with creativity and heart.

B. Michelle Johnson is the Director of Ultimate Rainbow Consulting, a consultancy specializing in fundraising planning, management and leadership. Prior to this new venture, she spent 20+ years as a fundraiser advocating for women’s and LGBTQ+ rights, working for the environment and healthcare at organizations such as Cascade Bicycle Club, Legal Voice, Planned Parenthood, and the Free Clinic of Greater Cleveland.

Michelle served for five years on the AFP Advancement Northwest Board of Directors, where she held a variety of roles, including twice co-chairing the Annual Conference Committee. She is a Certified Fundraising Executive and taught in the UW Nonprofit Management Certificate program for eight years.

Her volunteer experiences include serving in the Peace Corps, chairing the Community Advisory Board for HIV/AIDS Trail Unit at The Fred Hutch, captaining teams with the Jet City Rollergirls, and working with the boards of various organizations.

She enjoys fundraising so much that she teaches in the Certificate Program at the University of Washington. When she’s not passionately advocating for racial and social justice, she’s biking for social change, hiking or running our incredible mountains, reading everything, sewing colorful costumes, traveling with her wife, and enjoying the incredible microbrew scene in her neighborhood.

Before joining Bellevue college, Javier Womeldorff served in various non-profit and public positions, including teaching, human resources, administration, and now fundraising primarily in education. He’s been in development the past seven years, starting as a one-person shop before moving into major gifts.

Equity and identity are important to Javier and he’s led/facilitated various workshops. His interests include making the work of development more equitable, and he’s co-led policy work and workshops on race, and harassment.

He’s a former AFP Advancement Northwest mentee, learning under the Holy Unicorn, Michelle Johnson. Now he’s a mentor trying not to disillusion fundraisers about troublesome funders, events, and the Seahawks. At home, Javier tries to avoid eating fast food with his family and dog in Renton.

Javier holds a bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Western Washington University and a master’s degree in International Relations from the University of Denver.