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 60 miles to the north, and Seattle 90 miles to the south. Local school districts include Bellingham, Blaine, Ferndale, Lynden, Meridian, Mount Baker, and Nooksack.

Staff

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. 

Board of Directors

Satpal Sidhu
Satpal is a Fulbright Scholar, and holds a BSc, BSEE, and MBA. He has professional experience in education, government, and the private sector. He was Dean of Engineering at Bellingham Technical College, was president of a solar company, owns a small business, and served five years on the Whatcom County Council before becoming County Executive in 2020. Satpal was a founding member of the Meridian Public Schools Foundation, and currently sits on the board of the Whatcom Community College Foundation.

We are currently in the process of recruiting more amazing board members. Interested? Contact us here. 

Advisory Board

​Tom Luehmann, M. Ed.
​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   
​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. ​

Kerry Emerson 
​Kerry is a Universal Banker at First Federal and has lived in Whatcom County for all but 4 years of her life. She's a graduate of Bellingham High School, as are her three children. She was drawn to School Change Now based on her strong desire for public education to bring out the true potential and innate talents of each child. 

​

George Couros 
​George is a worldwide leader in the area of innovative teaching, learning, and leading. In his 20 plus years in the field of education, he has worked at all levels of school, from K-12 as a teacher, technology facilitator, and school and district administrator, and is currently an Adjunct Instructor with the Graduate School of Education at the University of Pennsylvania. George is also the author of the book, The Innovator’s Mindset; Empower Learning, Unleash Talent, and Lead a Culture of Creativity and his latest book, Innovate Inside the Box. 

Herbert Porter, M. Ed. 
​With a background in education, the US military, US Customs and Border Protection, elected office, and owning a small business, Herb brings a wide range of perspectives to the Advisory Board. He is a graduate of Western Washington University and the US Air Force Air War College. Highlights from his illustrious career include 28 years in the Washington Air National Guard, 38 years of teaching in the Ferndale School District, 14 years as a Customs and Border Protection Officer in Blaine, and a stint on the Ferndale City Council. 

Dr. Chris Unger 
​Chris is faculty in the Graduate School of Education at Northeastern University and co-leads the university's NExT initiative, a global experiential learning educator network. He was a former Principal Investigator at Harvard University's Project Zero, an educational think tank creating and investigating ground-breaking educational programs and research. Chris was also a high school redesign coach in the Seattle Public Schools from 2001-2004 and then at Brown University from 2004-2009.