Leadership

Photo: Olson Kundig
Photo: Olson Kundig

UW College of Arts & Sciences

The Burke Museum is governed by the University of Washington Board of Regents and administered by the College of Arts and Sciences.

Executive Director

portrait of julie steinJulie K. Stein

Dr. Julie K. Stein was appointed Executive Director of the Burke Museum of Natural History and Culture in 2005. Previously she served as the Museum’s Curator of Archaeology. She also maintains a professor position in the Department of Anthropology at the University of Washington, and was Divisional Dean of Research, Computing, and Facilities for the College of Arts and Sciences. 
 
Dr. Stein received her M.A and Ph.D. degrees from the University of Minnesota and her B.A degree from Western Michigan University. Her research interests are in geoarchaeology, especially studies involving Northwest Coast shell middens. She has excavated archaeological sites on Washington’s San Juan Islands since 1983, and continues to collaborate on research projects involving geoarchaeology. 

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Executive Staff

  • Kate Fernandez, Director of Interpretation
  • Alaina Fuld, Director of External Affairs
  • Tara McCauley, Director of Education
  • Anna O’Donnell, Director of Development
  • Polly Olsen, Tribal Liaison
  • Christian Sidor, Associate Director of Research & Curator of Vertebrate Paleontology
  • Hally Swift, Director of Finance & Operations
  • Eldon Tam, New Burke Project Director

Curators

  • Holly Barker, Oceanic & Asian Culture
  • Kathryn Bunn-Marcuse, Native American Art
  • Sven Haakanson, Native American Anthropology
  • John Klicka, Ornithology
  • Peter Lape, Archaeology
  • Adam Leaché, Genetic Resources & Herpetology
  • Richard Olmstead, Herbarium (WTU)
  • Sharlene Santana, Mammalogy
  • Christian Sidor, Vertebrate Paleontology
  • Caroline Strömberg, Paleobotany
  • Luke Tornabene, Ichthyology
  • Greg Wilson, Vertebrate Paleontology

Fundraising Board

Burke Museum Association

The Burke Museum Association (BMA) actively supports the museum by increasing public visibility, raising funds, and providing strong ties to the community. The BMA is a separate 501(c)(3). For more information about the BMA, email burkeadm@uw.edu. 

Executive Committee

person's portrait

Rebecca Wilson
President
Physio Foundation

person's portrait

Elise Hebb
Vice President
Maveron

person's portrait

Edgar Marcuse
Secretary
Community Volunteer

person's portrait

Sydnie Heberling
Treasurer
Frazier Healthcare

person's portrait

John Howell
Past President
Cedar River Group

Burke Museum Association

Greg Blume

Blume Company Real Estate

Mike Bruemmer

VMware

Rex Buck, Jr.

Wanapum Heritage Center, Wanapum Tribe

Dwane Chappelle

Seattle Department of Education and Early Learning

George W. Counts

Community Volunteer

Anne Delaney

Columbia Pacific Wealth Management 

Mary Dunnam

Community Volunteer

Ellen Ferguson

Co-Chair, Campaign for the New Burke
Community Volunteer

Alicechandra Fritz

Deloitte Consulting

Cezanne Garcia

Community Volunteer

Indira Gillingham

VMware

Elise Hebb

Maveron

Sydnie Heberling

Frazier Healthcare

John Howell

Cedar River Group

Chris Hurley

University of Washington

Ron Irving

University of Washington

Hunter Jeffers

Stoel Rives, LLP

John Kincaid

Community Volunteer

Janine Ledford

Makah Cultural and Research Center, Makah Tribe

Ellen Look

Community Volunteer

Kristin Luttinen

Community Volunteer

Edgar Marcuse

Community Volunteer

Joe McKinstry

Joseph McKinstry Construction Company

Doug McTavish

Community Volunteer

Kisha Xiomara Palmer

The Institute for Inclusive Leadership

Lisa Plath

Community Volunteer

John Pohl

Triple Creek Development

Brent Reys

Pistol Creek Company

Jennifer Schubert

University of Washington

Brian Screnar

New Profit

Spencer G. Smith

Community Volunteer

William Urschel

Accord Partners, LLC

Brian Vautour

Amazon Web Services

Rebecca Wilson

Physio Foundation

Melissa Yeager

Breath Therapeutics Inc.

Erin Younger

Smithsonian Center for Folklife and Cultural Heritage

Ex-Officio

State of Washington

The Hon. Jay R. Inslee
Governor, State of Washington

University of Washington

Ana Mari Cauce
President, University of Washington

Constance W. Rice
Chair, Board of Regents, University of Washington

Robert Stacey
Dean, College of Arts & Sciences, University of Washington

Burke Museum Association Advisory Council

Patricia Baillargeon

Allyson Brooks

Janet Creighton

Leonard Forsman

Mike Garvey

Bernie Hall, Jr.

Marie Halverson

Mark Hewitt

Joyce McCallum

Heather Nason

Eleanor Nolan

Darcy Paschino

John Price

Virginia Schafer

Spencer F.F. Smith

Bill Stafford

Susie Stoller

David Towne

Steve Whiston

Bob Wiley

Advisory Board

Native American Advisory Board

The Native American Advisory Board (NAAB) members provide advice and direction within Indigenous efforts that focus on a number of important areas, including cultural practices (or experiences), exhibits, collections policy, outreach, repatriation and collaborative Tribal and museum research and programs. Its advisors focus on Native American Tribes in the Pacific Northwest; are involved with museums and cultural center experiences; and/or are cultural heritage specialists.

The NAAB is led by an Executive Committee who are elected by Tribal governments to guide the board. For more information, contact Polly Olsen (Yakama), Tribal Liaison, at polly@uw.edu.

a group of people pose for a photograph on the stairs of the new burke museum
Photo: Rachel Ormiston/Burke Museum
Photo: Rachel Ormiston/Burke Museum

NAAB members and Burke staff.

Executive Committee

portrait of a man

Rex Buck Jr., Chairman

Wanapum

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Yellowash Washines

Yakama

portrait of connie mcloud

Connie McCloud

Puyallup

portrait of a woman

Marilyn Wandry

Suquamish

Warren KingGeorge

Muckleshoot

Native American Advisory Board

lisaaksiichaa Ross Braine

Apsaalooke Nation

Jacqueline Cook

Colville

Rodney & Colleen Cawston

Colville

Arlene Wheeler

Lower Elwha Klallam

Roger Fernandes

Lower Elwha Klallam

Lena Tso

Lummi Nation

Janine Ledford

Makah

Warren KingGeorge

Muckleshoot

Annette "Nettsie" Bullchild

Nisqually Indian Tribe

Dr. Charlotte Coté

Nuu-chah-nulth

Brandon Reynon

Puyallup Tribe of Indians

Connie McCloud

Puyallup Tribe of Indians

Jan Flagg

Samish Nation

Charlene Krise

Squaxin Island Tribe

Marilyn Jones

Suquamish

Marilyn Wandry

Suquamish

Larry Campbell

Swinomish Indian Tribal Community

Josephine Jefferson

Swinomish Indian Tribal Community

Cecilia Gobin

Tulalip

Bobbie Conner

Umatilla

Teara Farrow Ferman

Umatilla

Adam Osbekoff

Unangan (Aleut) (Employed at Snoqualmie Indian Tribe)

Rex Buck Jr.

Wanapum

Davis "Yellowash" Washines

Yakama Nation

Patricia Whitefoot

Yakama Nation

Dr. Miranda Belarde-Lewis

Zuni/Tlingit

a woman and man point out details in a cloth in the collection

Our Work

At the Burke, we bring together people, objects and the stories that make them meaningful.

Learn More

Photo: Mark Stone/University of Washington
Photo: Mark Stone/University of Washington