Nichelle Hilton

Executive Director

Nichelle felt the call to start the program after being moved by the documentary "A Place at the Table". She and several volunteers started by delivering eight bags to a local school and since then have grown the program into what it is now. She has always worked for the benefit of children and always at non-profit. She has five daughters, runs a farm, and loves books and animals.

Sara Call

Vice President

Sara Call is a teacher in Seattle Public Schools and has been working with students from diverse backgrounds for over 20 years.

Marcy MacAdam

Nutritionist

Marcy MacAdam moved to Seattle in 2018. She received her BS in Nutrition from Central Washington University and has been an active member of multiple youth organizations. Although her education is in nutrition, she worked as a dental professional for 15 years before relocating to Seattle. Her interests are anything food and anything outdoors.

Mary Ellen Osthus

Secretary

Mary Ellen Osthus began volunteering with Backpack Brigade during the Covid-19 lockdown. She feels an urgency to address food insecurity in our school communities and is honored to be part of the Backpack Brigade mission.
Mary Ellen grew up in Seattle, has a degree in English from the University of Washington and enjoyed a long career with home-town retailer Nordstrom. She is currently Director of Planning for Men's and Women's Sportswear at Eddie Bauer.
Mary Ellen has two college aged sons and lives in Seattle with her husband Scott. In her free time she keeps busy sailing, gardening, cooking, reading and taking urban hikes with Scott.

Mike Humphreys

President

Mike has been helping Backpack Brigade since its early days based out of the YWCA East Cherry location in Seattle. Mike enjoys supporting Nichelle and the BB team as it makes a difference in as many kids’ lives as possible.

Professionally, Mike was with Microsoft until January 2020, having spent almost 20 years in a variety of roles. Most recently, he built & ran the finance & business development teams in Turn 10 Studios, part of Xbox, through a period of substantial business & franchise growth. Among his previous Microsoft roles, Mike worked in Business Development in Microsoft Dynamics, and was a instrumental player in the founding team of Microsoft Capital in the early 2000s. Prior to Microsoft, Mike enjoyed a long career in banking, with his most recent positions including serving as President of UPS Capital Global Trade Finance and, before that, as Vice President of a BankAmerica portfolio company in New Delhi, India. Mike’s education is in Finance, with a BA in Finance from Florida Atlantic University, and he grew up in Vienna, Austria and Spring Valley, NY.

On the personal side, Mike lives in Seattle with his wife Barbara, and travels extensively. Personal pursuits include open water endurance swimming, bicycling, and writing.

Shane Parris

Treasurer

After being born and raised in Kirkland, Shane went to California to go to college and ultimately started his career in Finance in Investment Banking in 2003. After a stint in Private Equity, and a return to Investment Banking, Shane found his way back to the Pacific Northwest to get an MBA from the University of Washington. Upon graduation in 2012, Shane began working at Intellectual Ventures in the Finance department holding a variety of roles and responsibilities, where he remained until joining Donuts in 2020 as Senior Director of FP&A, where he currently works.
Shane currently lives in Kirkland with his wife and two young kids. In his free time I enjoy spending time with my family outdoors, watching Seattle and UW sports, playing golf and travelling (when possible).

Bryan Chu

Marketing

Born and raised in the Northern California's Central Valley, Bryan is an innovative senior marketer who has launched groundbreaking global campaigns that have firmly established successful brands and elevated them to even greater heights. He is a veteran of the gaming industry with extensive experience at such world-class companies as Microsoft, ArenaNet, CCP, Wizards of the Coast, LeapFrog Enterprises, and THQ. Bryan enjoys combining creative, original ideas with a disciplined, analytical approach to business strategy that forges the foundation for exceptional brands and creates repeatable, measurable success.

Aga Scheurich

Board Member

Aga Scheurich was introduced to Nichelle and Backpack Brigade through her employer, Homestreet Bank, in 2014. Shortly after, inspired by the organization’s involvement in the local community, she and her colleagues started delivering bags of food to local schools. Aga was born in Poland and moved to Seattle in 2011. She received her MA in International Relations from Wroclaw University of Economics in Poland and has since worked in the marketing and banking fields. In her free time she enjoys taking long walks, traveling and reading.

Members at Large

click for details

We are looking for members at large to join our board. Click below to contact us to apply.

Lawyer

click for details

We are looking for a lawyer to join our board. As a member of Backpack Brigade, you will serve as a liaison between the board of directors and the rest of the organization. You will apply and offer specialized legal knowledge, skills, and perspectives. Click below to contact us to apply.

Fundraiser

click for details

We are looking for a fundraiser to join our board. The main role and responsibilities are to provide leadership, financial support, and connection to donors and potential donors. The ideal candidate needs to be prepared to effectively pursue the fundraising goals the board establishes. Click below to contact us to apply.