We are headquartered in beautiful Whatcom County, Washington, the Salish Sea to the west, the North Cascades and Mt Baker  to the east, Vancouver, BC 50 miles to the north, and Seattle 90 minutes to the south. Local school districts include Bellingham, Blaine, Ferndale, Lynden, Meridian, Mount Baker, and Nooksack, 

Matt Beck, M. Ed., Founding Director

Matt's passion is teaching children and young adults. He has worked as a teacher and coach during his 34 years as a professional educator. Matt currently teaches elementary school in the Meridian School District and is a doctoral candidate at Northeastern University. He has the hands-on experience of creating and implementing education programs, including the Real Hero Mentoring Program, which elevated relationships between children, the school, and the community.  

Stephen Trinkaus, Executive Director

Stephen brings thirty years of business and non-profit experience to the table. He owned a natural foods store in Bellingham for 21 years, and has worked for or been on the board of five local and regional non-profits, including multi-year stints as board president at three of them. Stephen's teaching experience includes teaching Spanish in elementary and middle schools in Whatcom County, and survival skills in the wilds of the North Cascades Mountains. 
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Tom Luehmann, M. Ed., Advisory Board

Tom spent 23 years in education as a teacher, coach, and principal. He directed a national leadership program to develop outstanding high school leaders. During his tenure as High School Athletic Director in Blaine, the school won several state championships. Tom was selected to chair local district, league, and community committees and also served on several Washington State school administration legislative committees.

Jerry Finkbonner, Advisory Board

Jerry is as local as they come. He's a lifelong resident of Whatcom County and traces his lineage to Lummi Nation Chief Kwina’s daughter. Jerry taught elementary school for 35 years in the Ferndale School District, and taught English in China in the Washington State Teacher Exchange Program. He is retired and spends his time gardening, cooking, reading, biking, traveling, watching classic movies, and sharing his insights and wisdom on the SCN Advisory Board.