Centennial Gala Recap
The Seattle Classic Centennial Gala was a smashing success! Thanks to the generous support of our members, family, friends, donors, and sponsors, we were able to raise $263,000 and counting!
The funds raised this year will help us to fulfill our mission of training the next generation of women civic leaders in the Seattle community as well as our Northwest Art Project, called “the best art education program in our region,” by the Museum of History and Industry.
With sincerest gratitude,
Anisa Ishida and Rebecca Wilson, Centennial Gala Co-Chairs
Jennifer Siems, 2023-2024 President
2023-2024 Junior League of Seattle Board of Directors
Thank you to our generous sponsors!
Diamond: Immortal Perfumes
Gold: Key to the World Travel, Koh Gen Do, Two Mountain Winery, AE Events & Design, Amy & Andrew Farrier, Dogtopia Bellevue, Fortuity Cellars
Bronze: Andrea Mann of Windermere Real Estate, Armoire, Ashley Baerwaldt of RBC Wealth Management
In Kind: Best Day Brewing, Doctor Rogers, Fonte Coffee Roaster, Kendra Scott, Nordstrom, Skin Spirit, J. Rankin Jewelers, Tito’s Handmade Vodka
Thank you for celebrating with us! View our photobooth gallery here. The 360 videos are also available.
November 2023 Recap
November started off with a blast as hundreds of Junior League of Seattle members celebrated a century of serving our community with our Seattle Classic gala at the Fairmont Hotel. Our first formal affair since before the pandemic raised an incredible $263,000 to fund our next one hundred years of volunteerism.
Sustainer Night at Seattle Rep for Little Women
November started off with a blast as hundreds of Junior League of Seattle members celebrated a century of serving our community with our Seattle Classic gala at the Fairmont Hotel. Our first formal affair since before the pandemic raised an incredible $263,000 to fund our next one hundred years of volunteerism. Guests dined, danced and even played the night away, and what a time was had by all. Special thanks to our Gala co-chairs Anisa Ishida and Rebecca Wilson and their committee for an unforgettable evening. What a perfect way to kick off our second century and debut our Northwest Art emphasis.
But November wasn’t all fun and games! Members rolled up their sleeves and had a number of productive Done-In-A-Day shifts judging at the DECA Fall Leadership Conference, sorting and packing nutritious food with Food Lifeline, preparing medically tailored meals and groceries for LifeLong, and making Thanksgiving turkeys with Mary’s Place for a fun arts and crafts project.
Our collaborative Trainings this month spanned a fireside chat about inclusion with Gia Parr and Leslie Fisher; Strategic Planning with a DEIB Lens with Shalini Suryanarayana; and Seasonal Shifts and Self-Care with Recipes for Holiday Happiness, led by Dr. Danielle Maack.
Our Community Partners Training was a follow-up from this year's Skills Month, where our Community Wing Manager, Kristen Leenerman, walked us through our Community Partners and how we can work together this League year.
We had so much fun at our Member Connections event cheering on the Seahawks at the Queen Anne Beerhall, and practiced our French pronunciation over brunch at Le Coin in Fremont.
League members again turned their eyes toward our future at this month’s Unit Meetings, where we had discussions about potential changes to our org chart and determining how our members want to impact the community.
This year has more fun in store with our first in-person General Meeting at the downtown Nordstrom since 2019, plus a trip to see the beautiful holiday lights at the Bellevue Botanical Garden and a service shirt gift-wrapping for the Forgotten Children’s Fund.
However you’re spending these last few weeks of the year, we wish you happiness and health. We are so grateful to everyone for their hard work and enthusiasm. Happy Thanksgiving!
October 2023 Recap
Between Oktoberfest, Halloween Happy Hours, Community Impact Meetings, and Bubbles and Ballots, October was so fun, it was scary!
The final month leading up to JLS’ Centennial celebration was eventful, to say the least! From gala-planning to trainings and fun gatherings, October was memorable in many ways. Here are some of our favorite highlights:
On October 14th, we gathered for Oktoberfest at Reuben's Brews.
Armoire, a generous Centennial event sponsor, hosted JLS for a styling party where we tried on dresses for the Gala.
We welcomed speakers from Cascadia Art Museum and ArtsFund at our Community Impact Meetings.
Members connected at Halloween Happy Hour at Black Lagoon and at a festive pumpkin carving get-together.
We kicked off the first Training Collaborative sessions where we collaborated with Junior Leagues across the country.
Julie Wise, King County Director of Elections, joined us for our Annual Bubbles and Ballots where she educated members about about the election process.
The next time we post, the Junior League of Seattle will officially be 100 years old. We can’t wait to share pictures and highlights from the Gala and launch into the next century with all of our incredible members, donors, community partners and friends.
Centennial Spotlight: Gala Committee
In celebration of our Centennial Gala, we had the pleasure of speaking with three influential women with pivotal roles in orchestrating the milestone event. Below, Sarah Bruemmer, Amy Gorton, and Caitlin Echelbarger share their experiences as members of the Gala Committee.
In celebration of our Centennial Gala, we had the pleasure of speaking with three influential women with pivotal roles in orchestrating the milestone event. Below, Sarah Bruemmer, Amy Gorton, and Caitlin Echelbarger share their experiences as members of the Gala Committee.
Why Join the Centennial Gala Committee?
For Sarah, the call to be a part of the Centennial Gala Committee was enticing. She is deeply passionate about the Junior League's century-long commitment to supporting, honoring, and training women. She shares, "I couldn’t resist the opportunity to celebrate all the Junior League is, has been, and continues to be. One hundred years of supporting, honoring, and training women. A century of helping the greater Seattle community. I can’t think of a better thing to celebrate!"
Amy, an event planner, jumped at the opportunity to use her expertise for a meaningful cause. She says, "I’ll never turn down the chance to plan or help plan an event. It’s my favorite thing in the whole world. And the chance to celebrate JLS? I’m in love with what the Junior League stands for, everything our chapter has done, and I am inspired about what we’ll do next. Rebecca Wilson and I have worked together professionally before. Once I heard she was co-chairing the committee, I knew I wanted to be a part of the process. And last, although I’m an event planner, I’ve never planned an auction or gala. Being on the Centennial Gala Committee has given me a small window into what goes into these types of events. I only wish I had joined the committee earlier and/or been able to play a larger part."
We asked Caitlin to explain her motivation for being part of the committee, and her response was a delight: “A martini. KIDDING! I have had so many wonderful experiences with the League and credit it with giving me much of my confidence as I moved from a 20something into my 30s and now early 40s. I wanted to help celebrate the JLS and all its accomplishments but also make sure it is strongly launched into the next 100 years.”
Teamwork Makes the Dream Work
When asked about the role of collaboration and teamwork in the planning and execution of the gala, both Sarah and Amy highlighted the "choose your own adventure" structure of the Centennial Committee. This unique approach allowed members to select areas of interest and leverage their individual strengths.
Amy notes, “You can assist with what interests you, what you have time for, and/or what your skill set thrives on. I believe this has led the committee to be not only fun, but also strong. Committee members are here because they want to be, and the Centennial Gala is going to be amazing because of it.”
Sarah enjoyed the process, saying, "I loved Anisa and Rebecca’s approach. They did a lot of preplanning that allowed us to choose the areas we were most interested in and let our teams run with it."
Caitlin adds, “Collaboration and teamwork are integral to the league. On the procurement workstream, we're able to brainstorm ideas about amazing items and who in our networks to reach out to. Without teamwork, there would be no items, and quite frankly, I would be beyond stressed out. Sharing the load of the work helps make for a successful event rather than silo in one individual.”
A Legacy for the Future
The Junior League of Seattle's century-long journey marks a legacy of impact, change, and hope. For Amy, JLS represents one thing in particular: “Hope. In a world where women still have to fight for so much, to me, JLS is a safe place where we can bond, grow, and thrive. Women supporting women is so important. We leave a legacy of countless examples of what we can accomplish, both individually and as a group, when it happens.”
Sarah shares, “I appreciate how the League has changed and grown with the times and adapted to women’s needs. Although much of the purpose (training and community service) has remained the same, how we do it has changed dramatically. I have no doubt that as women’s lives, schedules, needs and available time continue to change, the Junior League of Seattle will continue to adapt and be there to support women in all stages of their lives.”
A Personal Touch
We asked Sarah about her strategy for securing Gala donations, and it’s clear she was the perfect woman for the job. She says, “For the Swag Bags, Sherry Viray and I discussed what JLS branded items the League planned to provide and built a loose list of the types of items we wanted to procure to bring it all together and make everything seem purposeful and planned. While making this list, we also decided that our approach would be fewer, but higher quality items. One complicating factor was the sheer number of swag bags needed. With 360 bags needed, we knew the best way to procure the large number of items we needed was to reach out to the awesome JLS network through the newsletter, social media, and to our personal JLS contacts with specific asks. The ‘ask’ was for help connecting us to specific items or connecting us to specific companies. Without a connection, 360 quality items is an unlikely yes!”
For Amy, her professional experience proved extremely helpful. She explains, “I have a large network from working in the event industry, for both social and corporate events. As such, I was able to recommend vendors for the gala including our event photographer and our photo booth. My business is also the Event Manager for the gala, my staff will be onsite ensuring the event runs smoothly. This way all committee members can enjoy the evening and don’t have to work. We’re also fortunate to be sponsoring the event with the floral centerpieces and decor. I’m having fun with my team designing the centerpieces and hope everyone enjoys them!”
Caitlin's decision to join the Gala Committee after some time away from JLS was driven by her deep connection with our members: “My dearest friends are JLS friends. There is something so gratifying about working hard together to create an incredible event/shift/product/impact. I have missed the collaboration and the conversations and then continuing the meeting to other Madison Park venues. The committee experience is like putting on comfy pants. Just got right back into it. It has been such a reminder of why I love the League and the ladies who make it happen.”
The Centennial Gala is not just a celebration of the Junior League of Seattle's achievements but also a testament to the dedication, passion, and hard work of our members. As the League steps into its next century, we carry forward a legacy of empowerment, community service, and unwavering support for women.
Provisional Spotlight: Dessert Dash
Provisionals took the lead on the Gala’s dessert dash and procured 40 desserts! Learn more about the team!
Introducing the Dessert Dash, a Provisional project and part of our Centennial Gala celebrations! Many thanks to the following new members for stepping up to the (treat-laden) plate and making the Dessert Dash such a sweet success already:
Andrea Speeter
Maggie O’Meara
Tujuana Simon
Jocelyn Kamp
Elizabeth Thomas
Tamara Jacobs
Shannon Wieck
Kelsey Eubank
Payton Schenck
McKenna Collins
This talented team of women took on a multitude of Dessert Dash responsibilities in recent months. Their tasks have included:
Procuring a whopping 40 desserts for the event
Managing and fostering donor relationships
Overseeing the logistics of dessert pickup and drop-off
Designing and producing print materials
Expressing gratitude to our generous donors
What has the process been like?
Project leaders Meghan Hardy and Kate Gonsalves have glowing reviews. Meghan says, “I’ve been so impressed by how quickly and enthusiastically the team has jumped into the project! Despite a short timeline, the project has gone very smoothly. I can’t wait to see where these members go in their League careers — I know they’ll continue to contribute in incredible ways.”
Kate chimes in, “The team has done such an incredible job! I’m impressed with their ability to take on a big challenge for such an important event, procure donations as new members, creative and proactive thinking, and fantastic teamwork and participation by each member!”
What can we look forward to next?
It’s no surprise that the dessert lineup promises to be diverse and delectable. Noteworthy mentions include gluten-free options and timely seasonal treats. So far, the talk of the town is the special "mystery cake," donated by our gala chairs, Rebecca Wilson and Anisa Ishida. We have no idea what this cake is all about, and anticipation is high!
While there isn't a set financial target for the Dessert Dash, the broader vision is clear. Meghan and Kate agree that they want to provide new members with a memorable first committee experience in JLS. They also hope to lay a strong foundation for lifelong membership.
Why the Dessert Dash?
We talked with Meghan and Kate about why leading this project is important to them. Meghan shares, "Having been involved in numerous JLS auctions and galas over the years, and leading a few Provisional projects that have always been energizing, this seemed like a great way to play a role in our Centennial celebration."
Kate adds, "I love working with new members and introducing them to fundraisers and opportunities to get involved in JLS. Since the Centennial year is so special, it feels like a fun way to participate and support the gala."
We can’t wait to see the 40 amazing desserts this group has procured. Join us in celebrating the Dessert Dash committee and applauding their dedication to the Centennial Gala!
September 2023 Recap
While the new League year kicks off in June, September is the month when things move into high gear. Junior League of Seattle members gathered at the National Nordic Museum for the first General Membership Meeting of our Centennial year. More than 90 members gathered for League updates and an inspiring panel that included sustainers, Mary Herche, Anisa Ishida, Minda Brusse, and Jenna Boitano.
September was also a huge month for our Northwest Art Project! On September 14, 120 members attended Northwest Art Gallery Night at Cascadia Art Museum, including program founder Dee Dickinson. We shared stories and community with each other as we viewed pieces from Northwest masters, Kenneth Callahan, Guy Anderson, and Morris Graves among others.
The following week, on September 23, we had a family art service shift at Cascadia. Renowned artist Kenneth Callahan's grandchildren and great-grandchildren (pictured in the gallery above) attended.
While the new League year kicks off in June, September is the month when things move into high gear. Junior League of Seattle members gathered at the National Nordic Museum for the first General Membership Meeting of our Centennial year. More than 90 members gathered for League updates and an inspiring panel that included sustainers, Mary Herche, Anisa Ishida, Minda Brusse, and Jenna Boitano.
September was also a huge month for our Northwest Art Project! On September 14, 120 members attended Northwest Art Gallery Night at Cascadia Art Museum, including program founder Dee Dickinson. We shared stories and community with each other as we viewed pieces from Northwest masters, Kenneth Callahan, Guy Anderson, and Morris Graves among others.
The following week, on September 23, we had a family art service shift at Cascadia. Renowned artist Kenneth Callahan's grandchildren and great-grandchildren (pictured in the gallery above) attended. JLS volunteers docented Callahan's painting Crystalline World, the Northwest Art Project’s very first piece, donated to our collection in 1960. Families in attendance created their own art with a theme of imaginary worlds.
Stay tuned for more events to come in October including Community Impact Meetings as well as member favorite, Oktoberfest!
Donor Spotlight: Lisa Lindstrom, JLS Director at Large
“I’m loving working with younger women. Most of the actives are 15-20 years younger than me. But every day I’m inspired by them, by their ideas and their willingness to try new things. I hope I’m a bit of a bridge between our past and our future.”
“I’m loving working with younger women. Most of the actives are 15-20 years younger than me. But every day I’m inspired by them, by their ideas and their willingness to try new things. I hope I’m a bit of a bridge between our past and our future.”
Lisa Lindstrom, Director at Large for the Junior League of Seattle (JLS), is a lifelong Seattleite who has been part of JLS for 25 years. Today, we celebrate her dedication as a member, guidance as a leader, and support as a generous donor by sharing her story with you. Get to know our resilient, passionate, and multi-faceted friend below.
What inspired you to join the Junior League of Seattle? “It’s funny, and this is a total retro story, but I was drinking my coffee and reading the morning paper (Seattle Post-Intelligencer) back in 1998, and there was an article about the League’s 75th anniversary. I was interested, went to a meeting, and signed up that night! At the time, I owned a china shop in Bellevue, and I didn’t spend a lot of time around people my own age. I made a lot of new friends in our huge provisional class!”
What accomplishments are you most proud of during your time with the organization so far? “I had the opportunity to sort through our archives while I worked on our Centennial Committee and I got so inspired and excited seeing everything the League had done: CASA program, victims’ rights, work in hospitals, immunization, you name it. We have had an amazing history, and we are just getting started.”
What legacy do you hope to leave behind as a member of the Junior League's leadership team? “I hope I can show that you can make a comeback! I was an Active for six years then became a Sustainer after my husband’s sudden death. I had cancer four times, dealt with autoimmune illness, and decided to get involved again to work on Centennial. Then, a board position opened up, and I’m back! I love the flexibility of the League.’
Can you share an initiative the Junior League has for the upcoming year that excites you? “I love that we are fully embracing Northwest Art as our signature project!”
What specific aspect of the Junior League's mission resonates with you the most? “Training! Our training is amazing, and I’ve learned so much about serving on boards. I’ve served on three other boards before being on JLS’s, and I learned everything from our trainings.”
Can you share a story that exemplifies the transformative power of the Junior League in your own life? “Right now I’m loving working with younger women. Most of the actives are 15-20 years younger than me. But every day I’m inspired by them, by their ideas and their willingness to try new things. I hope I’m a bit of a bridge between our past and our future.”
What insights do you have for prospective members of the Junior League of Seattle? “Try a bit of everything! You will learn and grow, and you will love every minute of it.”
Lisa’s vibrant presence in our community is a gift. She’s played a pivotal role in our evolution over the last few decades and continues to push JLS to be the best we can be.
Meet the President, an Interview with Jen Siems
“A huge goal of mine is to get us back to the idea of “one League, one membership.” Sometimes we create islands for Provisionals, Actives, and Sustainers and I want all members to feel welcome and included at all events.”
“A huge goal of mine is to get us back to the idea of “one League, one membership.” Sometimes we create islands for Provisionals, Actives, and Sustainers and I want all members to feel welcome and included at all events.”
The Junior League of Seattle (JLS) is celebrating a remarkable milestone – our Centennial year! This significant moment has us cherishing our rich history while also embracing the present, and looking forward with excitement to the future of JLS.
A key factor driving JLS into another century of impact is our leadership. With this in mind, we're excited to launch a blog series highlighting the inspiring women leading us into the next 100 years, starting with Jen Siems.
Introducing Jen, President of JLS 2023-2024. Originally from New York City, she grew up in Los Angeles and lived in both Reno and San Francisco before landing in Seattle when her husband got a new job.
Jen’s transplant story resonates with many of us: when she first moved, she didn’t have personal or professional connections in her new home. She was in a career transition and happened to get pregnant in that time period as well.
Jen remembers, “During my pregnancy, I started a business making perfumes on Etsy and thought it was a fun thing to tide myself over professionally while my child was young. It was very solitary and, when my daughter was 1, I decided I needed to meet like-minded people. I was in volunteer clubs in high school and college so I looked for something like that and found JLS in 2014.”
The rest is history, but it might be a history you haven’t heard before. We recently sat down with Jen to talk about how JLS has impacted her life and her dreams for this organization going forward.
As the Junior League of Seattle celebrates its 100th year, what accomplishments or milestones are you most proud of during your time with the organization so far? “When I was chair of Done in a Day (DIAD) I wanted us to have a huge Impact Day. We organized a day of service at two Mary’s Place locations simultaneously. At the location where I volunteered, we built a community garden for residents complete with an irrigation system. Afterward, we all went to a local restaurant for drinks and food, and the proceeds were donated to JLS. I loved that because it was a chance to think outside the box of what the community committees normally do (we included fundraising in this case), and I love the lasting power of a community garden.”
What legacy do you hope to leave behind as a member of the Junior League's leadership team? “I hope to be remembered as someone who is welcoming to all members and models that it is okay to be open and vulnerable.”
Can you share some specific goals or initiatives the Junior League has for the upcoming year that excite you? “Our organization has changed a lot since I joined in 2014 but we haven’t really adapted our programs and structure along with those changes. I’m really excited to work with members and the Board of Directors on getting clear about what impact means to us so that we can adjust our programming and streamline the League. That would help us more effectively use resources and ensure members have a good experience without getting burned out. Another huge goal of mine is to get us back to the idea of “one League, one membership.” Sometimes we create islands for Provisionals, Actives, and Sustainers and I want all members to feel welcome and included at all events.”
What aspect of the Junior League's mission resonates with you the most? “When I joined, it was all about the voluntarism aspect of our mission. But what I’ve learned in my time in the League is that I can volunteer anywhere at any time. The secret sauce of the JLS is the training. I held positions on PTA boards and have put together business projects that felt easy to me because of all the outstanding training I’ve had in the League — as well as all the experiences of event planning and public speaking (which I still hate, but I do it!). ”
Can you share a personal story that exemplifies the transformative power of the Junior League in your own life? “This story starts as a downer but has a happy ending, so come with me on this journey. When I was in treatment for breast cancer in 2020, I was convinced that I was going to be asked to resign from my position on the Management Council and that I would be a burden on the League. Not only did that not happen, but within 2 hours of getting my diagnosis, my JLS friend Tiffany Clark brought me treats and a card. Kim French, the President at the time, sent me a cozy blanket for chemo. Then, Jordan Louie (who was President-Elect at the time) asked if I would consider applying for EVP. She believed not only in my leadership ability, but she also believed I would live. That sounds melodramatic but I really needed that. I needed to know that someone else thought I was going to live and that I could do it, and I felt seen and valued. I finished cancer treatment about two months before my term as EVP began, and honestly, those were some of the happiest, most peaceful, joyful moments of my life. Moving into the EVP position at that time really helped me focus on something else and move on from cancer.
Another example is my career. My perfume business has also grown in the time I’ve been in JLS. A lot of that I credit to JLS friends taking it seriously. I had a chip on my shoulder that it was just a twee little side hustle, but my JLS friends have always pushed me to think toward expansion and the business has grown more than 700% since 2020!”
What insights do you have for prospective members about the significance of their impact as part of the Junior League of Seattle? “Junior League is an organization where you don’t have to have the answers about what you might want to do in the future when you come to us. We provide opportunities to volunteer at a variety of places in the community so you can find one that speaks to you. I fell in love with Westside Baby thanks to DIAD shifts and was a lead volunteer there for 5 years. I’ve always been a worker bee and thrived as a chair and a manager. I never saw myself as President or even a board member - and I’m definitely not perfect at either of those roles. But what I value most is the leadership and training opportunities I’ve received because I can take those with me wherever I go in life. I have now been at the helm of a nonprofit and can transfer those skills to any nonprofit I want to get involved with in the future. I think new members should keep in mind that they will be both serving the community on short-term projects and being trained specifically to take those skills with them when they become Sustainers or transfer to other Leagues. It’s truly a ‘help yourself to help others’ situation.”