2027 Chapter Elections

The following PRSA Puget Sound members are candidates for election to open positions on the 2027 PRSA Puget Sound Board of Directors. Members will have an opportunity to vote on the slate through the membership portal until Monday, October 5, 2026 at 8:00 AM. Members have been sent a link to the ballots via email. For questions contact us at [email protected]. 

Many thanks to the Nominations Committee: Eric Moss, Jacque Coe, APR, Fellow PRSA, Toby Nelson, APR, Jaire Winesberry and Katherine Boury.

Officers and Delegate Nominees

PRESIDENT-ELECT NOMINEE
Curtis Rogers
Director of Communications and Storytelling at foundry10

Curtis Rogers is the Director of Communications and Storytelling at foundry10, a Seattle-based education research organization with a philanthropic focus on expanding ideas about learning and creating direct value for youth. In his role, Curtis leads foundry10’s organization-wide communications strategy, shaping how foundry10 tells its story, engages external audiences, and positions its work within broader conversations. During his tenure, he has helped grow and develop foundry10’s multidisciplinary Communications team, expanding its capabilities across writing, design, multimedia, web development, and public relations.

Curtis brings more than a decade of experience in strategic public relations and communications. Before joining foundry10, he served as Director of Communications for the Urban Libraries Council, an international think tank and membership organization representing leading public library systems in major metropolitan areas across the U.S. and Canada. There, he led efforts to raise the organization’s national profile through media relations and spokesperson work, securing coverage in prominent outlets including The Wall Street Journal and The Atlantic. Earlier in his career, he held progressively senior communications roles with the National Club Association.

Curtis has served on the PRSA Puget Sound Chapter board since 2023 and currently serves as Board Liaison to the Scholarship Committee. He previously served on the board of AAF DC as Communications Co-Chair, where he supported chapter programming, events, and its annual awards program.

SECRETARY NOMINEE
Mariesa Bus 
Public Information Officer, Tacoma Public Library

Mariesa Bus (she/her) is a public relations professional living in Tacoma, Washington. She is currently the Public Information Officer for Tacoma Public Library and in the past four years her team has earned two John Cotton Dana Awards for excellence in library public relations. Mariesa’s vocational focus is community empowerment and her background includes communications, grant writing, and marketing roles in the nonprofit and public education sectors. Interests include reading, music, theater, and adventures with her husband and three children. 

TREASURER-ELECT NOMINEE
Kati Sills
Senior Manager, Global Public and Media Relations, AGC Biologics

Kati Sills is an experienced communications professional leading global public relations for AGC Biologics.

Kati has more than 15 years of experience in corporate storytelling, public affairs, and media relations. As the senior communications aide to former U.S. Representative Denny Heck, Kati staffed hundreds of local and national media interviews, including more than 65 live television interviews. In his memoir, the Congressman identified Kati as “an outstanding speechwriter and uncanny at finding some obscure but inspiring and totally interesting story from history that would make my larger point.” Kati also held communications roles at the American Bar Association and Edelman Public Relations in Washington, D.C.
 
After more than a decade in the nation's capital, Kati returned to the Pacific Northwest, where she joined Microsoft's global public affairs division. There, she played a pivotal role championing the tech giant's dedication to data privacy and advanced the company's policy endeavors at both state and local levels, assisting numerous leaders in the Corporate, External, and Legal Affairs group.

Kati earned her Bachelor of Arts from Northwestern University and completed the Executive Development Program at the University of Washington Foster School of Business in 2025. She stays active in her community by serving on the City of Bothell Planning Commission.

BOARD POSITION 
DIRECTOR NOMINEE (1-year term) *Confirming following Board approval in January 2026
Lauren Penning
Senior Communications Associate, PRR

Lauren has nearly 20 years of experience in the public relations industry working mainly in transportation, aviation, and leadership. Through her various roles working for government and a global aviation company, Lauren developed a passion for communicating complex information to a broad group of stakeholders including internal and external audiences. She has led teams that executed large-scale events including a 20,000-employee event and global webcast that garnered extensive positive media coverage worldwide. Recently she successfully shifted to the role of consultant, bringing her wealth of communications knowledge to help clients effectively tell their story at PRR. As a passionate and effective public speaker and spokesperson, she is driven to help others find their voices through coaching a middle school speech team. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in communications and in philosophy from Western Washington University and a Master of Arts degree in communications and leadership from Gonzaga University.

BOARD POSITION
DIRECTOR NOMINEE (3-year term)
Rashaad O'Neal
Digital Communications Specialist, King County Department of Local Services

Rashaad O'Neal is a communications and digital strategy professional and has been a PRSA member since 2025, serving as the Puget Sound Chapter’s Communications Committee Chair for 2026.
Currently, Rashaad is the digital communications specialist for the King County Department of Local Services and has previously worked in other public-sector organizations, including the Puyallup, Orting, and Clover Park School Districts, and the Washington House Democratic Caucus.

His expertise includes crisis communication management and overseeing digital ecosystems and storytelling. Deeply committed to community leadership and digital equity, Rashaad also serves as a Commissioner for the City of Seattle Disability Commission. Rashaad frequently advocates for digital accessibility standards, championing Web Content Accessibility Guidelines and ADA Title II compliance to ensure public-facing digital channels remain fully inclusive and accessible to all audiences.

He holds a BA in Communications from Angelo State University and an MA in Integrated Marketing Communications from the University of West Alabama. 

BOARD POSITION
DIRECTOR NOMINEE (2-year term)
Lance Kissler
Executive Director of Marketing & Communications, UW College of Arts & Sciences

Lance Kissler is the Executive Director of Marketing & Communications for the College of Arts & Sciences at the University of Washington. Lance is responsible for the College's marketing and communications functions and works closely with College and University leadership to achieve strategic marketing & communications goals. He leads the College’s marketing and communications teams, which includes communications and outreach, visual design and brand consultation, and web strategy and services.

Lance brings more than 20 years of experience to this role, including prior experience at Eastern Washington University, STCU, and Pacific University. He earned his Master of Science in Communications and a BA in Graphic Communications from Eastern in 2010 and 2004, respectively. He has also taught classes on social media, digital marketing, communications, and public relations at EWU and Whitworth University as an adjunct instructor.
Lance is committed to diversity, equity, inclusion, and social justice work, including past roles serving on the City of Spokane’s Human Rights Commission and various multicultural advisory councils. And as a member of PRSA since 2005, his work in the public relations profession includes serving as chair-elect of the Counselors to Higher Education section, co-professional advisor to the UW PRSSA chapter, and former officer roles with the Greater Spokane and Portland chapters of PRSA. He also serves on the Gesa Community Foundation board of directors and the North American Fintech Coalition’s Ecosystem Development Committee.

BOARD POSITION
DIRECTOR NOMINEE (3-year term)
May Wildman
Account Director, C+C

May Wildman is a Greater Seattle-based public relations professional with more than a decade of agency experience helping organizations find and tell stories. As an Account Director at C+C, May leads strategic communications and earned media programs for clients spanning travel and tourism, technology, homebuilding, and member services.

A media relations enthusiast at heart, May thrives when she can ideate campaigns that resonate, and see them through to execution. Nothing gets her more excited than seeing her clients land their messages, get a stellar headline, or flex their media training skills. Her specialties include integrated campaigns, major announcements, and experiential activations. She has supported organizations including Visit Seattle, AAA Washington, and Tri Pointe Homes.

An active member of PRSA Puget Sound, May has served on various committees including programs, communications, and membership. She looks forward to bringing her can-do attitude to the PRSA Puget Sound board.

May is a graduate of the University of Maryland's journalism program, and lives in North Bend. Her hobbies include ceramics, hiking, Pilates/yoga, and learning Japanese.

ASSEMBLY DELEGATE POSITION #1
DELEGATE NOMINEE
Jason Hagey
Director of Communications, Association of Washington Business

Jason Hagey joined the Association of Washington Business communications staff in 2009 following a career in journalism. In September, 2014, he became the Director of Communications.

Prior to joining AWB, he was a reporter at The News Tribune in Tacoma where he covered local government, state politics, courts and breaking news, among other assignments. Before that, he was a reporter at the Tri-City Herald in Kennewick. He began his newspaper career at the East Oregonian, in Pendleton, Ore.

Hagey is a native of Portland, Ore., and a graduate of Portland State University. He lives in Gig Harbor with his wife and two children.

ASSEMBLY DELEGATE POSITION #2
DELEGATE NOMINEE
Whitney Chiang, APR
Director of Communications, Washington Realtors

Whitney Chiang, APR has been a member of PRSA since 2021 and is currently serving as the PRSA Puget Sound APR Chair. Whitney spent about 10 years in education focused communication roles, first at the University of South Florida, then Federal Way Public Schools. In 2025, she ventured into the nonprofit/association world and took on the role of Communications Director for Washington REALTORS. She lives in Tacoma with her family and enjoys investing her skills in roles that benefit the local community. In her spare time, she volunteers as PR Manager for GeekGirlCon, a non-profit focused on creating community experiences that celebrate underrepresented groups in geek culture.