About Us

Futurewise works throughout Washington state to encourage healthy, equitable and opportunity-rich communities. and to protect our most valuable farmlands, forests, and water resources through wise land use policies and practices.

For three decades, Futurewise has been your steward of the GMA, helping rural and urban communities across Washington plan for a just, sustainable future. Futurewise is your voice for forward-looking land use policy across Washington, with offices in Seattle, Spokane and Port Angeles.

Climate Change

  • Reducing greenhouse gas pollution
  • Protecting communities from sea level rise, drought and wildfires

Housing

  • Ensuring access to affordable homes in all neighborhoods
  • Undoing the legacy of racist zoning that segregated our cities

Wildlife Habitat

  • Conserving forests, streams and wetlands for native species
  • Preventing pollution and habitat degradation

Transportation

  • Making it easier to walk, bike and roll
  • Connecting jobs and homes through public transit

Food Systems

  • Saving family farms and investing in local agriculture
  • Supporting the next generation of Washington farmers

Economic development

  • Promoting fiscally responsible growth
  • Promoting healthy, opportunity-rich communities, no matter where you live

How We Work

Futurewise works at every level of government in Washington. We bring a broad range of tools to advocate for healthy environments and equitable communities.

  • Legal Appeals
  • Research and Data Analysis
  • Community Engagement
  • Legislative Advocacy
  • Grassroots Organizing
  • Education and Technical Assistance

Our Staff

Alex Brennan (he/him)

Executive Director

[email protected]

Kate Brunette Kreuzer (she/her)

Director of External Affairs

[email protected]

Marcella Buser (she/her)

State Organizer

[email protected]

Brooke Frickleton (she/they)

Deputy Legal Director

[email protected]

Michelle Pappas

Spokane Program Manager

[email protected]

Millicent Rhoades

Bookkeeper

[email protected]

Jazmine Smith

Director of Local Advocacy

[email protected]

Susannah Spock

Water, Fish, and Wildlife Program Manager

[email protected]

Tim Trohimovich (he/him)

Director of Planning and Law

[email protected]

Bryce Yadon

Government Affairs (Contract)

Our Board Members

Angela Compton (Pierce County)

President

On the board since 2020, she currently serves as President (2025) and previously Vice President (2023-2024) and External Affairs Committee Chair (2020–2021). A former Futurewise staff member (2017-2019), Angela led advocacy initiatives advancing affordable housing, transit, and environmental justice. In her current role with King County Metro Transit, Angela focuses on healthy culture change as part of the Organizational Health and Development team; and Angela has been a member of the Elections Committee for The Urbanist since 2024.  With a background in Peace Education, Public Policy, and Public Service, Angela is passionate about creating programs that build livable, inclusive communities. She believes real change happens when people tackle tough questions together to create meaningful solutions. Outside of work, Angela loves wilderness backpacking, baking treats, and taking transit. Whether at work or out exploring, she brings energy, creativity, and a love for connection to everything she does!

Alex Shannon (King County)

Vice President

Alex has been attending Futurewise events since 2016 and became involved in the Board in 2021. Alex’s passion is in protecting the natural environment and stewarding water resources, particularly making sure that communities have access to clean and safe drinking water and wastewater. Alex is an SVP and WSP’s water business line lead for its 31-state West Region. In this role he oversees a team of 200 professional engineers, a $50M revenue budget, and $60M in sales. In this role, he is responsible for driving growth, profitability, overseeing project delivery and delivering innovative client solutions, supporting team members, and managing operations in the water practice. His technical background is in water economics, finance, and capital projects. Fun fact, Alex met his husband at a Futurewise event!

Janae Huber (Thurston County)

Secretary

Janae has served on the Futurewise Board since 2021 and has been the board secretary since April 2024.

She is the co-founder of Olympians for People-Oriented Places (O-POP), an organization dedicated to making Olympia, Washington a vibrant, well-planned city. Janae has coordinated successful advocacy campaigns, community forums, and positive public discourse on challenging civic issues, including “missing middle” housing and the event series Olympia Design Month. In 2017, she served on the City of Olympia’s Downtown Strategy Stakeholders Group. She has been the chair of her neighborhood association, and was a two-term Council-appointee to the Olympia Arts Commission.

Janae is also a seasoned arts administrator. She oversees the care and conservation of the State Art Collection for the Washington State Arts Commission (ArtsWA), where she has been the collections manager since 2005.

Veronika Meiers (Columbia County)

Treasurer

Veronika is the founder and CEO of Strategy Northwest, a strategic marketing agency that helps connect local farmers with their community to strengthen our fresh food network in the PNW. Also founder of Mountain Man Sourdough, a sourdough bakery located in Eastern Washington that sources all ingredients for their sourdough products from Washington, Veronika spends a majority of time working alongside farmers and those in the local food community in this beautiful place we call home. A longtime advocate and volunteer with Futurewise, Veronika had the honor to begin to serve on our Board in 2024. An urban density and farmland preservation enthusiast, Veronika is excited by the impactful work Futurewise is doing and knows this important work will continue to improve the quality of life for all who reside in Washington for generations to come!

Maricela Sanchez (Benton County)

Past President

Maricela Sanchez, MD was born to a Mexican immigrant family in the Yakima Valley. Growing up, she worked together with her family as migrant farm laborers picking crops throughout Washington State.

After graduating from the University of Washington, she worked as a middle school teacher with the Teach for America program.

Dr. Sanchez went on to receive her degree in medicine from Stanford University and completed residency and fellowship in anesthesiology at Columbia University. She has returned to live in Eastern Washington where she practices medicine and serves on the Prosser City Council. She is passionate about safe, walkable neighborhoods and improving active transportation. Maricela served as Futurewise’s Board President 2023-2024.

Andrew Houston (King County)

Legislative Committee Chair

Ace is an architect and urban designer who is passionate about changing the way people live in cities and is focused on creating places where individuals thrive together and culture is celebrated. A mixed-race and queer individual, his appreciation of culture also expands to his interests: he loves eating all types of cuisine, enjoys foreign music and films, and speaks five languages. You can usually find him around Seattle listening to new music, coming up with a new design idea, or trying a new restaurant. Ace is a resident of Seattle, however as a 6th generation Texan also spends time in his adopted hometown of Austin.

Mark Wainwright (King County)

External Affairs Committee Chair

Mark has been engaged with land use in and out of work for over 20 years starting with neighborhood planning in his West Seattle neighborhood in the early 2000s. As a fundraising and business development professional, Mark’s focus with Futurewise is to build a sustainable and successful culture of support, generosity, and gratitude throughout the staff, board, and community of donors.

Anthony Gill (Spokane County)

Legal Committee Chair

Anthony is a Spokane native and economic development professional. In 2014, he started Spokane Rising, an urbanist blog about ways to make his hometown a better place to live, inspiring conversations around housing, transportation, and arts and culture. Over the past few years, his writing has been featured in The Urbanist, Range, The Inlander, and Spokane-Coeur d’Alene Living. While he now splits his time between Spokane and Seattle, his heart will always be in the inland Northwest. In his off time, you’re likely to find him exploring quirky neighborhood districts or skiing at Schweitzer or Crystal Mountain.

Charmila Ajmera (King County)

Ron Davis (King County)

Randy Lewis (Pierce County)

Tianna Martinez (Pierce County)

Rian Watt (King County)

Ginger Wireman (Benton County)