Trustee Listing

Barry Horn is Senior Vice President and National Sales Manager of Guild Mortgage Company. He has more than twenty years of executive leadership and management with IBM, Wall Data, Attachmate Corporation, New Link Corporation, Saltmine LLC, and Liberty Financial Group. Barry has been the CEO of three companies and serves on the board of several organizations, including Liberty Road Foundation and C3 Leaders Forum. He is passionate about helping business people find a way to serve others whether locally or internationally, and founded Liberty Road Foundation to help businesses fulfill that purpose.

Barry and his wife Joan live in Clyde Hill, WA.

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Talia Hastie has over 25 years of experience in marketing, development and public relations. She has worked for companies such as the Washington State Apple Commission, the Olympic Fur Breeders Association, The Bon Marché; and for the past 15 years, at Evergreen Christian School in Olympia, Washington. She has raised hundreds of thousands of dollars in her career and enjoys the opportunity to connect, empower and mentor people she comes into contact with. For fun, she has also spent over 30 years doing television and radio spots in Portland and Seattle. Notable clients include TIAA CREFF, Princess Cruise Lines, Westfield Shopping Mall, Fred Meyer, Hewlett Packard, Macy’s, and Nordstrom.

In the community: Talia comes from a rich family heritage in the Assembly of God denomination. Her family has been a part of Gateway (Christ Memorial) Church in Poulsbo for over 100 years. Because of her upbringing she has a strong drive to give back to her community. She does this by volunteering as a board member of Olympia’s Washington Center for the Performing Arts, President of the Washington Scholarship Foundation, and director of the Tumwater High SOAR Auction. She also serves at Evergreen Christian Community as a leader in the Women’s Ministry department.

Family: Talia has been married to Ronald Hastie Jr. for over 23 years. While she was working at Life Center church in Tacoma, Fulton and Lorraine Buntain took Ron and Janice Hastie, Sr. (who were pastoring at Evergreen Christian in Olympia) for lunch one afternoon and Fulton put his match making skills to work. The rest is history. Ron and Talia have two sons, Ronnie and Cole, both graduates of NU. They sing together, work and volunteer together.

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Arlyn Nelson has been a financial services professional for over 30 years. He has held the professional designation of CERTIFIED FINANCIAL PLANNER® since 1984. His company, Nelson Financial Management, LLC, is a Registered Investment Advisory firm located in Kirkland, Washington. Arlyn is a Northwest University alumnus and serves on their Foundation Board as chairman of the Investment Committee since early in its inception. Arlyn and his wife Sharon are deacons at Bellevue Presbyterian Church.

Arlyn and Sharon have been married for over 45 years, enjoy golf, traveling and spending time in their vacation home in Palm Desert, California. Their children, Kimberly Dow and Philip Nelson, live locally and have provided five terrific grandsons.

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A relationship professional with expertise in identifying, delivering and promoting client objectives in public relations, communications and fundraising, Justin Kawabori was brought on board the Advancement team at Northwest University in September of 2012 to serve as Director of Development. In that capacity, Justin has helped to achieve University fundraising goals through major gift acquisition, corporate sponsorship of annual events, as well as bringing in new estate and endowment gifts. Justin has since been appointed by the Board of Directors to the position of Executive Director of the NU Foundation. As Executive Director, and as a Trustee, Justin continues to be focused on major donor fundraising as a means of helping increase annual giving through The Opportunity Fund, along with additional responsibilities for Foundation Board development and management, and working with fellow Trustees on the growth of scholarship and endowment funds.

Justin comes to Northwest University with a broad background in major donor fundraising, having done development work for Seattle Pacific University during their highly successful capital campaign, Crista Ministries on behalf of Seattle Urban Academy, and for various political and non-profit clients through Kawabori Communication. Justin is known for creating and implementing new ideas, and bringing people together to achieve desired results. He also has experience and talent for developing programs, creating a message, and packaging that program and message to appeal to a target audience. In the political arena, Justin has elected candidates to office at all levels, from local municipal elections to statewide campaigns for higher office, and has researched and written legislation introduced in both the Washington State Legislature and the United States Senate. In the business arena, he has run his own communications and marketing consulting firm both full time and part time since 1990, and has worked in government relations for a local Fortune-500 company. And in the non-profit sector, Justin has experience not only in major donor fundraising, but in the program side as well, having developed and implemented special projects for national and regional non-profit organizations, including initiatives in faith-based welfare reform, family friendly business, and resources for low-income seniors regarding supplemental security income. Having worked in all three sectors, Justin has a unique understanding of how each intertwines with the other, with business being the economic engine that drives society, electoral and legislative politics being the institution that shapes the laws that govern our society (directly affecting both business and individuals), and the non-profit and faith-based sectors, as the flip side of business and politics, fulfilling the grass-roots work (beyond corporate contribution or government administration) that needs to be done to shape and influence culture, and directly help people in need. From that experience and perspective, Justin believes that contribution is the prerequisite to acquisition, and that leadership comes by example, through service. His involvement in various community service roles—serving on the King County Civil Rights Commission, working with incarcerated juvenile felons at Echo Glen Children’s Center, teaching economics and free market principles to kids through Junior Achievement, coaching Little League baseball, advising college students in their exploration of faith and politics, and serving his peers as a Substitute Teaching Leader at Bible Study Fellowship International—has given him a first-hand understanding of the issues impacting our culture and the strategies that are most effective at making a positive, lasting difference.

Justin Kawabori earned a bachelor’s degree in Public Policy from Occidental College in 1990.

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Semmelle Abraham has worked in both the financial services and software industries for over 15 years. Her career began at Russell Investments in the Alternative Investment group. After her time there, Ms. Abraham worked as a Product/Account Manager for SS&C Technologies, Inc. managing client relationships for the hedge fund and private equity platforms.

Ms. Abraham has a Bachelor of Arts in English from Pacific Lutheran University and earned an MBA from the University of Washington. She was also Miss Washington 2000 – a preliminary to the Miss America Pageant.

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Zach Abraham has been in the financial services industry for over a decade. He began his career at Russell Investments working with the retirement distribution team. He went on to get his Series 7 and 66 while working for Wells Fargo as a Financial Advisor. Before starting Bulwark, Mr. Abraham served as Chief Investment Officer for Abraham & Co., Inc. – a boutique broker/dealer and wealth management firm in Gig Harbor.

Mr. Abraham holds a Bachelor of Science in Finance from Pacific Lutheran University. He is also the host of “Know Your Risk Radio” which airs Saturdays at 3pm on AM 770 KTTH.

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For over three decades, Jerry Brown has grown businesses from unfunded startups into regional and national players. He is a past Founder and Director of Financial Network Investment Corporation (now Cetera Advisor Networks), one of the largest independent investment firms in the US. Today, Jerry is a trusted advisor who leads private peer advisory boards for CEOs, executives and business owners. In his capacity as a CEO Group Chair with Vistage International, he helps CEOs, executives and business owners become better leaders, make better decisions and achieve better results. Mr. Brown is also a founding board member and vice chair of C3 Leaders Forum, a Seattle area nonprofit organization working with over 300 high capacity business leaders for the purpose of growing their authentic leadership capabilities in every dimension of life.

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Mr. John Butterfield graduated from Northwest Bible College with a degree in theology. After graduation, John and Jan spent the next 13 years in ministry, including seven years planting a church in Lakewood, WA, which continues to thrive to this day. Next came a season in which John worked with local youth ministries; Youth for Christ and Young Life, which included the construction of a youth center near Tillicum, WA. God also placed a passion for foreign missions on John’s heart, which manifested in missions trips to Korea, Peru and Paraguay, and the ongoing financial support of missionaries around the world. During this time, God blessed John and Jan through investment opportunities, including business ventures and real estate investments, which allowed them to continually bless others, and NU, financially.

Throughout his lifetime, John has remained a part of Northwest University through volunteering and being active in campus life. Currently, John provides leadership to the Alumni Association Board as one of its key members, while also serving on the Campus Planning Committee. He and Jan have also given generously to NU and our students over the years, providing ongoing scholarship support, as well as helping fund NU’s growth and expansion via capital campaigns. John’s father was Dr. Charles Butterfield, the second President of Northwest University, and his brother, Paul, is the architect responsible for designing several of our buildings around campus. Continuing the legacy, several of John and Jan’s children and grandchildren have also attended and graduated from Northwest University. With such an outstanding legacy of support and involvement, John was recently awarded the Honorary Sigma Chi Pi award.

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Eric Drivdahl has been married to Dr. Sarah Drivdahl for 17 years and is the proud father of their two boys Noah (age 13) and Ezra (age 10). Growing up in Covington, WA, Eric began attending church with his parents at Kent First Presbyterian as a boy and was involved in the church’s children’s ministry and youth group up until he left for college. Eric graduated Washington State University in 1995 with a Bachelor or Architecture, Cum Laude and a BS in Architectural Studies, Cum Laude. It was also at WSU that Eric had a transformative experience in his faith through involvement in Campus Christian Fellowship and Living Faith Fellowship church, including being baptized. Upon graduation from WSU and marrying Sarah, Eric and Sarah moved to Kent, OH, where Sarah earned her PhD at Kent State University. While in Ohio, Eric & Sarah attended Christian Life Center, an Assemblies of God church in Kent, OH, where Eric served on the church board. Eric began his career as an architect in Ohio working for several architects in the region.

After the birth of their first son in 2000, Eric and Sarah moved back to the Seattle area. Eric began working for Gelotte Hommas Architecture and Sarah began teaching at NU. Additionally, they began attending Kirkland Assembly of God church until in early 2004 they joined in the launch of Canyon Creek Church in Mill Creek. At Canyon Creek Church, Eric and Sarah served in several areas of ministry, culminating with Eric serving as a board member from 2008 to 2012. Currently, Eric is a Principal at Gelotte Hommas Architecture in Bellevue, WA, and Sarah continues to teach at NU as well as serving as Faculty Council Chair. They reside in Bothell, WA with their boys and are members at Shoreline Community Church.

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Ms. Girard is a servant leader with a heart for Christ and an insatiable desire to “get stuff done.”  Her core values are service, purpose and excellence which fuel her passion in the boardroom, one-on-one mentoring, or volunteering in the community.

With a 30-year eclectic career in the delivery of client and corporate services to public, private, profit and non-profit organizations, Ms. Girard’s industry experience includes financial institutions, healthcare, manufacturing, insurance, retail, airlines and technology.  She has extensive knowledge in program development, project management, technology enablement, corporate governance and compliance, enterprise risk management, business continuity, records and information management, medical accreditation and business operations.

Ms. Girard strives daily to uphold a reputation of ethical leadership while facilitating business and community organizations through complex projects and change management. She has served in various volunteer roles including school board member, philanthropic events, mentor, business plan competition judge and advisory board member.

Ms. Girard earned a Master of Arts in Computer and Information Resources Management from Webster University, and a Bachelor of Arts in Business Administration from Colorado College.

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John was born and has spent his entire life in the greater Seattle area. During John’s senior year of high school he took an Accounting course and it became very evident that God had directed and led him to his life’s calling. John graduated from Central Washington’s extended degree program in Edmonds, Washington where he received a BS degree in Accounting. After graduation John studied for and passed the CPA exam on his first attempt. John maintains his CPA license by completing the required continuing education on a tri-annual basis. John is also a Chartered Global Management Accountant, (CGMA). This global designation was established in 2012 for management accountants working in education, business, and government.

John married his wife Patty in March 1979, they have two boys David and Mark, a daughter-in-law Lauren and a granddaughter Cecilia. John has attended Shoreline Community Church his entire life. During that time John has been involved on the Board as a Deacon, Secretary and Treasurer. He has also been involved in the children’s ministry and nursery areas. Currently John and Patty work in the marriage ministry and in this capacity they have become honorary grandparents for about 20 kids in the marriage group.

John began his career at CRISTA Ministries, a diverse not-for-profit organization in the Shoreline, Washington area in January 1983. John worked as a Finance Assistant for World Concern, one of the ministries of CRISTA for four years. During this four year period John also had the opportunity to work part time in a public accounting firm where he gained the necessary public accounting experience for his CPA license. In November 1987 John was promoted to Controller of CRISTA, where he was responsible for all the day to day accounting for the organization. In May 2004 John was promoted to a Vice President of CRISTA. John left CRISTA in December 2011 to become the CFO at Northwest University.

Jeremiah 29:11
“For I know the plans I have for you, declares the Lord, plans to prosper you and not to harm you, plans to give you hope and a future.”

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Timothy R. Knapp, CFP® is the President/CEO of Asset Management Strategies, Inc. A graduate from Montclair State University, located in New Jersey, Timothy earned a B.S. in accounting in 1983. In 1986, he graduated from Northwest University with a B.A. in Pastoral Ministries. After securing his securities and insurance licenses in 1988, he launched a financial planning business and will soon be celebrating 25 years. He is married and has two beautiful girls. Timothy has served as Chairman of the Board for Northwest Family Life, a domestic violence counseling organization; the Kiros Business Hour, a radio program encouraging leadership, the CEO Group, an organization promoting quality leadership; the School of Psychology at Seattle Pacific University, a faith-based collegiate program that seeks to prepare students for success; and the Advisory Board for Operation Military Family as Chairman, a for-profit enterprise that endeavors to support our military families. He also served on the Advisory Council for Children of the Nations, a Seattle-based charity that is devoted to raising international children out of poverty to transform their nation. Timothy currently serves the Board of Trustees for the Foundation of Northwest University. He also serves on the Advisory Board for the School of Business and Management at Northwest University, a faith-based collegiate program that seeks to prepare students for business success; the Board for Dave Irish Ministries, a non-profit that seeks to bring faith-based music to the hearts of many, and; as a Partner and Ambassador for C3 Leaders, a faith-based non-profit organization devoted to inspiring America’s leaders in their spheres of influence. Timothy believes that with success comes a responsibility to care for those less fortunate. Taking this belief seriously, Asset Management Strategies, Inc. supports local charities in several forms, including acting as a corporate sponsor for annual events and providing hours of investment advice at no cost. Our annual contribution to the community extends to over 125 charities in the Northwest. Our contribution to the community reflects our caring nature.

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After graduating from South Salem High, I attended Oregon State University and graduated in Electrical Engineering. I married my wife, Sharon in 1966, during my senior year and then moved to Baltimore, Maryland in 1967. There I worked for Westinghouse Defense Systems on military aircraft systems. I received my Masters in Electrical Engineering from John’s Hopkins University in 1972. Our two children were born in Maryland, and in 1974 we moved to San Jose, California where I worked for Kaiser Electronics on cockpit display systems. In 1979, we finally made it back to the northwest when I went to work for Eldec Corporation in Seattle, where I was General Manager of their Power Systems Division. Eldec supplies power systems for aircraft avionics throughout the free world. In 1991 I changed careers and became Sr. Vice President for Finance and CFO at Northwest University in Kirkland, Washington, where I retired in 2012. I currently serve on the Finance Committee of Shoreline Community Church, Northwest Ministry Network, and Northwest University Foundation Board and Board of Trustees. We have two children, Mischelle and Mark, and his wife Brennan, all who live less than an hour from us, and two grandchildren, Parker and Lauren Schimelpfenig that we get to see quite often. Since retirement, Sharon and I have traveled, fished and enjoyed grandchildren in this start of our retirement. We plan to do more travel, both driving and cruising, and volunteer work.

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Jon serves as the President and a founding board member of C3 Leaders where business leaders are challenged to pursue their calling and to become change agents for transformation. Prior to his work with business leaders, Jon founded The Center for Global Urban Leadership, serving leaders by providing learning communities in major cities of the world. Belfast, Vancouver B.C., Hyderabad, Delhi, and Tucson were the targeted cities. Jon was instrumental in the development of Bakke Graduate University in Seattle, WA. Jon also founded and led Serve Seattle, an initiative facilitating city leadership consultations, city summits, and city field experiences. In 2006 Jon co-authored Street Signs: A New Look at Urban Ministry, with Dr. Ray Bakke, addressing the work of consulting the city for transformation.

Jon is married to Laila, a native of Norway and they have three grown children, Jonathan, Katrina, and Christopher and incredible grandchildren.

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I am a Kansas City girl; born and raised. I attended Oklahoma Christian University (OC) in Edmond Oklahoma, and graduated with a B.A. in 2004, with an emphasis in Bible, Psychology, and Communications. I started on the women’s soccer team all four years, and was an active member of a sorority club on campus for the duration of my time at OC.

I am currently living my ultimate dream of raising my three teenagers with my husband of 18 years. I am daily praying and pushing them into a life of excellence, godliness, independence, and confidence in the Lord Jesus Christ. Apart from my family, I have dedicated my life and time to Evergreen Christian School (ECS) in Olympia, Washington. My experience serving at ECS spans over 12 years. I served on the Visions Auction team, the Parent-Teacher-Ministry (PTM), and chaired the annual “Fun Run” for Preschool through Middle School, which raised upwards of $25,000 for ECS annually.

Personally, I am working on my Private Pilot’s License, which has been a huge challenge, and an absolute driving force for the last 6 months. I belong to a long heritage of pilots, and I am honored to be the first female pilot in my family. I also enjoy a strong cup of coffee, spending quality time with friends and family, and playing with my two Nigerian Dwarf goats.

My ultimate goal is that God is my guide and my compass. He is the driving force for all the choices in my life and continues to lead me to places that I can serve for eternal purposes. I am excited for what is ahead as I continue to follow God’s leading with obedience and excitement.

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