Board of Directors
Howard Choder | Treasurer
Howard spent 15 years serving in the IRS in the Seattle office. He owns his own accounting business at Taxman.cc where he provides tax accounting, IRS problem solving, and other general tax solutions, as well as financial planning. When not in the office, he enjoys family and good non-profit causes like Blue Earth Alliance and like Paws.
Howard Choder | Treasurer
Howard spent 15 years serving in the IRS in the Seattle office. He owns his own accounting business at Taxman.cc where he provides tax accounting, IRS problem solving, and other general tax solutions, as well as financial planning. When not in the office, he enjoys family and good non-profit causes like Blue Earth Alliance and like Paws.
Wintana Dawit | Board Member
Wintana is an undergraduate student at the University of Washington, pursuing double degrees in Marketing and Sociology. She intends to use her degree to educate and aid small businesses in underserved communities by offering professional support resources. From 2015 to 2017, she was a Youth Participant in Global Visionaries Leadership Program and went on to become a Junior Trip Leader in the Summer of 2017. She is passionate about cultivating social change and empowering and advocating for others, which was sparked by her time in Global Visionaries. On her campus, Wintana has taken on positions at her university to aid and mentor underclassmen and strives to learn more so that she can be an even better resource to others. She enjoys traveling, finding new and unique food spots, and spending time with friends and family.
Wintana Dawit | Board Member
Wintana is an undergraduate student at the University of Washington, pursuing double degrees in Marketing and Sociology. She intends to use her degree to educate and aid small businesses in underserved communities by offering professional support resources. From 2015 to 2017, she was a Youth Participant in Global Visionaries Leadership Program and went on to become a Junior Trip Leader in the Summer of 2017. She is passionate about cultivating social change and empowering and advocating for others, which was sparked by her time in Global Visionaries. On her campus, Wintana has taken on positions at her university to aid and mentor underclassmen and strives to learn more so that she can be an even better resource to others. She enjoys traveling, finding new and unique food spots, and spending time with friends and family.
Christopher Fontana, M.A. | President
Christopher is an educator and facilitator, and serves as Founder/Executive Director of Full Circle Leadership Center. He has facilitated professional development workshops for adults and youth on democratic classroom foundations and diversity, equity and inclusion since 2006. Christopher has 34 years of experience in public school classroom teaching and experiential education including 17 years teaching Spanish and Global Leadership in public middle and high schools. Christopher created and piloted from 2003-05 the Global Leadership class which expanded to four of Seattle Public Schools. He taught a year of college level Spanish and a summer of K-5 Reading.
Christopher holds an A.B. degree from Washington University, St. Louis in Spanish Literature and Education with a minor in Art and an M.A. in Whole Systems Design from Antioch University, Seattle. He was honored in 2007 as the Antioch Alum of the year. He has been an adjunct professor at SCCC (Seattle Central Community College) and Antioch University, Seattle. Christopher received 3.5 years of executive coaching from Valeo Consulting.
In 1992 – 1995, he served as the co-adult organizer of YES, the youth-organized global Youth Environmental Summits, sponsored by the United Nations Environmental Program and the University of Peace in Costa Rica, which brought 600 high school students from 32 countries and 40 States together and was awarded the 1995 Colorado Partners in Education Award. One highlight illustrated: a rally/march, coordinated by the AFL-CIO, the Sierra Club and the YES students in Denver outside the GATT talks to push the world’s trade ministers to include social and environmental protections in their negotiations.
In 1998, Christopher co-founded and was Executive Director of One Earth Revolution, which served youth by getting them involved in environmental and social justice issues through the arts. In 1999, he began working with Global Visionaries (GV), a for-profit corporation at the time based in Colorado. He soon began integrating the work of One Earth Revolution and Global Visionaries, and in 2003, co-founded and became Executive Director of Global Visionaries, a non-profit organization based in Seattle, WA. With his leadership, Global Visionaries brought together racially and economically diverse youth to experientially consider ways to address systematic oppression and imperialism while exploring global leadership from a solidarity perspective. He designed and led multi-year leadership programs for high school youth in Guatemala and the U.S. In 2004, he initiated Guatemala based operations and programming for youth run by and for Guatemalans.
GV served over 5,000 youth in in-school and out-of-school leadership programs due to the partnerships Christopher created with scores of schools, NGOs and municipalities both in the U.S. and Guatemala. One such partnership linked Seattle Public Schools, youth in foster care, donors, Treehouse, which serves youth in foster care, and Seattle University’s Fostering Scholarships Program. Through this partnership, youth in foster care were able to secure four-year scholarships from SU due to their experience in GV.
Christopher was an honoree of The Thomas C. Wales Passionate Citizen Award in 2008 and received Seattle University’s Albers School of Business Redwinged Leadership Award in 2011 for social justice leadership and business acumen to a non-profit leader.
He has extensive cross-cultural experience having resided in Spain for one year, one cumulative year in Guatemala, and has traveled extensively in Central & South America, Europe, Asia and Egypt. He is fluent in Spanish.
Christopher grew up in a family which was rooted in Adlerian democratic parenting principals; this informed his belief that children can become global leaders at any age given the opportunity and guidance. He is the father of two with his partner, Lisa.
He is grateful to have had inspirational mentors in his life including Sadie “Tee” Dreikurs, innovator of art therapy and wife of Dr. Rudolf Dreikurs, Robert Muller, former Under-Secretary General of the U.N. and Co-Founder of the University for Peace in Costa Rica, Lenny Kohm, activist/protector of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Hazel Wolf, Seattle environmental and civil rights activist, and his mother, Mary Dalton, parent educator and author.
Christopher Fontana, M.A. | President
Christopher is an educator and facilitator, and serves as Founder/Executive Director of Full Circle Leadership Center. He has facilitated professional development workshops for adults and youth on democratic classroom foundations and diversity, equity and inclusion since 2006. Christopher has 34 years of experience in public school classroom teaching and experiential education including 17 years teaching Spanish and Global Leadership in public middle and high schools. Christopher created and piloted from 2003-05 the Global Leadership class which expanded to four of Seattle Public Schools. He taught a year of college level Spanish and a summer of K-5 Reading.
Christopher holds an A.B. degree from Washington University, St. Louis in Spanish Literature and Education with a minor in Art and an M.A. in Whole Systems Design from Antioch University, Seattle. He was honored in 2007 as the Antioch Alum of the year. He has been an adjunct professor at SCCC (Seattle Central Community College) and Antioch University, Seattle. Christopher received 3.5 years of executive coaching from Valeo Consulting.
In 1992 – 1995, he served as the co-adult organizer of YES, the youth-organized global Youth Environmental Summits, sponsored by the United Nations Environmental Program and the University of Peace in Costa Rica, which brought 600 high school students from 32 countries and 40 States together and was awarded the 1995 Colorado Partners in Education Award. One highlight illustrated: a rally/march, coordinated by the AFL-CIO, the Sierra Club and the YES students in Denver outside the GATT talks to push the world’s trade ministers to include social and environmental protections in their negotiations.
In 1998, Christopher co-founded and was Executive Director of One Earth Revolution, which served youth by getting them involved in environmental and social justice issues through the arts. In 1999, he began working with Global Visionaries (GV), a for-profit corporation at the time based in Colorado. He soon began integrating the work of One Earth Revolution and Global Visionaries, and in 2003, co-founded and became Executive Director of Global Visionaries, a non-profit organization based in Seattle, WA. With his leadership, Global Visionaries brought together racially and economically diverse youth to experientially consider ways to address systematic oppression and imperialism while exploring global leadership from a solidarity perspective. He designed and led multi-year leadership programs for high school youth in Guatemala and the U.S. In 2004, he initiated Guatemala based operations and programming for youth run by and for Guatemalans.
GV served over 5,000 youth in in-school and out-of-school leadership programs due to the partnerships Christopher created with scores of schools, NGOs and municipalities both in the U.S. and Guatemala. One such partnership linked Seattle Public Schools, youth in foster care, donors, Treehouse, which serves youth in foster care, and Seattle University’s Fostering Scholarships Program. Through this partnership, youth in foster care were able to secure four-year scholarships from SU due to their experience in GV.
Christopher was an honoree of The Thomas C. Wales Passionate Citizen Award in 2008 and received Seattle University’s Albers School of Business Redwinged Leadership Award in 2011 for social justice leadership and business acumen to a non-profit leader.
He has extensive cross-cultural experience having resided in Spain for one year, one cumulative year in Guatemala, and has traveled extensively in Central & South America, Europe, Asia and Egypt. He is fluent in Spanish.
Christopher grew up in a family which was rooted in Adlerian democratic parenting principals; this informed his belief that children can become global leaders at any age given the opportunity and guidance. He is the father of two with his partner, Lisa.
He is grateful to have had inspirational mentors in his life including Sadie “Tee” Dreikurs, innovator of art therapy and wife of Dr. Rudolf Dreikurs, Robert Muller, former Under-Secretary General of the U.N. and Co-Founder of the University for Peace in Costa Rica, Lenny Kohm, activist/protector of the Arctic National Wildlife Refuge, Hazel Wolf, Seattle environmental and civil rights activist, and his mother, Mary Dalton, parent educator and author.
Teshika Hatch | Board Secretary
Teshika Hatch has been an advocate for educational equity and justice since her time in high school when she participated in Global Visionaries. After graduating from Skidmore College, Teshika worked as an admissions counselor and multicultural recruiter for her alma mater, connecting with students across the country to increase access to private liberal arts schools like Skidmore. Her desire to work with students directly led her to Juma Ventures, where she worked as an advisor and case manager, then program director for the high school and college programs in the Bay Area. The challenges that her first-generation college-bound students faced in school and in life led her to pursue a master’s degree to better understand the complexities of our education system and to interrogate why it continues to marginalize students of color. She earned her M.Ed through University of Washington’s Educational Policy, Organizations, and Leadership program, while also receiving a Nonprofit Management certificate. She currently works at Equal Opportunity Schools, advocating for Black and Brown students to have equitable access to advanced coursework.
Teshika Hatch | Board Secretary
Teshika Hatch has been an advocate for educational equity and justice since her time in high school when she participated in Global Visionaries. After graduating from Skidmore College, Teshika worked as an admissions counselor and multicultural recruiter for her alma mater, connecting with students across the country to increase access to private liberal arts schools like Skidmore. Her desire to work with students directly led her to Juma Ventures, where she worked as an advisor and case manager, then program director for the high school and college programs in the Bay Area. The challenges that her first-generation college-bound students faced in school and in life led her to pursue a master’s degree to better understand the complexities of our education system and to interrogate why it continues to marginalize students of color. She earned her M.Ed through University of Washington’s Educational Policy, Organizations, and Leadership program, while also receiving a Nonprofit Management certificate. She currently works at Equal Opportunity Schools, advocating for Black and Brown students to have equitable access to advanced coursework.
BreAnna S. Jones | Board Member
BreAnna S. Jones is native to the beautiful city of Seattle, Washington. She is a proud alumna of Chief Sealth International High School and Western Washington University, where she studied Political Science, Communications, and Liberal Studies. At WWU, she was the primary leader of the Black Student Union (BSU) and Movimiento Estudiantil Chican@ de Aztlán (MEChA).
In 2011, BreAnna joined Teach For America’s Memphis corps and served as a teacher at South Park Elementary. While teaching, she earned her Master of Education from Christian Brothers University. At the end of her Teach For America assignment, her love for students and her commitment to social justice encouraged her to remain a teacher at South Park Elementary.
Over the past five years, BreAnna has supported the instructional and leadership development of nearly 65 teachers from Memphis to the urban and rural regions of Washington State. In 2014, BreAnna joined Teach For America-Memphis staff as a Manager of Teacher Leadership Development, where she coached teachers at ten schools from Orange Mound to South Memphis. Later, she served as the Operations Director of Data Management & Information Technology for TFA’s Memphis 2015 Regional Summer Institute. After cultivating a culture of student-centered data use, she decided to support Teach For America’s mission in her home state by becoming the first Manager of the Educational Continuum for the Greater Washington region.
After managing the Educational Leadership Continuum in Washington, she made the trek back to Memphis, TN to join Freedom Preparatory as an Upper Elementary Dean of Academics. In 2018, BreAnna joined KIPP Memphis Collegiate Schools, where she currently serves as the region’s English Language Arts Academic Program Manager. BreAnna has a deep love for social justice, equity, literacy, and good food!
BreAnna S. Jones | Board Member
BreAnna S. Jones is native to the beautiful city of Seattle, Washington. She is a proud alumna of Chief Sealth International High School and Western Washington University, where she studied Political Science, Communications, and Liberal Studies. At WWU, she was the primary leader of the Black Student Union (BSU) and Movimiento Estudiantil Chican@ de Aztlán (MEChA).
In 2011, BreAnna joined Teach For America’s Memphis corps and served as a teacher at South Park Elementary. While teaching, she earned her Master of Education from Christian Brothers University. At the end of her Teach For America assignment, her love for students and her commitment to social justice encouraged her to remain a teacher at South Park Elementary.
Over the past five years, BreAnna has supported the instructional and leadership development of nearly 65 teachers from Memphis to the urban and rural regions of Washington State. In 2014, BreAnna joined Teach For America-Memphis staff as a Manager of Teacher Leadership Development, where she coached teachers at ten schools from Orange Mound to South Memphis. Later, she served as the Operations Director of Data Management & Information Technology for TFA’s Memphis 2015 Regional Summer Institute. After cultivating a culture of student-centered data use, she decided to support Teach For America’s mission in her home state by becoming the first Manager of the Educational Continuum for the Greater Washington region.
After managing the Educational Leadership Continuum in Washington, she made the trek back to Memphis, TN to join Freedom Preparatory as an Upper Elementary Dean of Academics. In 2018, BreAnna joined KIPP Memphis Collegiate Schools, where she currently serves as the region’s English Language Arts Academic Program Manager. BreAnna has a deep love for social justice, equity, literacy, and good food!
Jessica Langmaid | Vice- President
In her role at Full Circle Leadership, Jessica is excited to build a strong community and inspire others to get involved. She is passionate about developing and connecting people of all ages, backgrounds, and cultures. Jessica first got her hands in nonprofit work 15 years ago when she established an advanced leadership program for high school youth to continue their journey to become global citizens. Today, she is a certified human resource professional for a digital tech team in Seattle. Jessica is forward-thinking, adept at problem-solving, building relationships, and resolving conflict—with an understanding of the values, perspectives, and experiences of all parties in a global workplace.
Jessica was born and raised in Seattle. She earned a BA in Communication Studies with a focus on leadership and psychology at the University of Denver. She has a love for the Pacific Northwest. Jessica enjoys the outdoors, exploring the city, and never misses a moment to socialize.
Jessica Langmaid | Vice- President
In her role at Full Circle Leadership, Jessica is excited to build a strong community and inspire others to get involved. She is passionate about developing and connecting people of all ages, backgrounds, and cultures. Jessica first got her hands in nonprofit work 15 years ago when she established an advanced leadership program for high school youth to continue their journey to become global citizens. Today, she is a certified human resource professional for a digital tech team in Seattle. Jessica is forward-thinking, adept at problem-solving, building relationships, and resolving conflict—with an understanding of the values, perspectives, and experiences of all parties in a global workplace.
Jessica was born and raised in Seattle. She earned a BA in Communication Studies with a focus on leadership and psychology at the University of Denver. She has a love for the Pacific Northwest. Jessica enjoys the outdoors, exploring the city, and never misses a moment to socialize.
Andrea W. Smith | Board Member
Andrea has worked at the intersections of community building, cross cultural engagement, public service, and leadership development for over 15 years. As a Global Visionaries participant and Youth Board member, she experienced the positive impact of anti-oppression training, youth leadership development, global education, and inter-generational collaboration. Andrea navigates the history of race, place, and opportunity in the U.S. and abroad through her lived experiences as an African American woman. Her interests have led her to learn, lead, and serve in varying spaces such as faith-based institutions, the White House Obama Administration, Congressional Civil Rights pilgrimages, intensive language learning in the Middle East, community groups and youth mentorship nonprofits. No matter the setting, she leads with active listening, curiosity, keen observation, and compassion.
Andrea is grounded in her cultural heritage and holds a deep reverence for the prayers, sacrifices, beauty, pain, and glory of her predecessors who lived lives of enduring faith in their fight for freedom and justice. She received her graduate degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Georgetown University and her B.A. in Black Studies and Political Science with a concentration in Middle East Politics from Amherst College. Andrea works in affordable housing finance and loves singing, laughing, the outdoors, and authentic Mexican tacos. She resides in Washington, DC with her husband Maurice.
Andrea W. Smith | Board Member
Andrea has worked at the intersections of community building, cross cultural engagement, public service, and leadership development for over 15 years. As a Global Visionaries participant and Youth Board member, she experienced the positive impact of anti-oppression training, youth leadership development, global education, and inter-generational collaboration. Andrea navigates the history of race, place, and opportunity in the U.S. and abroad through her lived experiences as an African American woman. Her interests have led her to learn, lead, and serve in varying spaces such as faith-based institutions, the White House Obama Administration, Congressional Civil Rights pilgrimages, intensive language learning in the Middle East, community groups and youth mentorship nonprofits. No matter the setting, she leads with active listening, curiosity, keen observation, and compassion.
Andrea is grounded in her cultural heritage and holds a deep reverence for the prayers, sacrifices, beauty, pain, and glory of her predecessors who lived lives of enduring faith in their fight for freedom and justice. She received her graduate degree in Urban and Regional Planning from Georgetown University and her B.A. in Black Studies and Political Science with a concentration in Middle East Politics from Amherst College. Andrea works in affordable housing finance and loves singing, laughing, the outdoors, and authentic Mexican tacos. She resides in Washington, DC with her husband Maurice.
Partners of Full Circle Leadership
