board members
John King, Board President
John is a Washington native and a retired lawyer. Prior to becoming WPC’s President, John chaired its Policy Committee, which is primarily concerned with the group’s legislative affairs. In addition to having engaged in private law practice, he has been a naval officer, counsel to a U.S. Senate committee, a law school adjunct professor, and a board or committee member of various civic groups. He is a former president of the Western Washington Chapter of the Arthritis Foundations and a recipient of the national Arthritis Foundation’s distinguished service award. John is the author of Captive Notions, a book of original aphorisms, and is a recreational basketball player. He has three grown children and four grandchildren.
Roger Erskine, Vice-President
Teacher, education activist and leader, Roger has worked for over 40 years in every state; managed political campaigns for candidates for Congress, Governors, and State Legislators. He co-founded the Teacher Union Reform Network and the League of Education Voters.
2012 Warren G. Magnuson State Committeeman of the Year, Roger chairs the Washington State Democratic Central Committee’s Elections Committee.
Former Seattle School Superintendent John Stanford said, “Erskine is not just a good union leader, he is the most progressive and foresighted leader of any union in America.”
Roger has 6 children, 13 grandsons, and 1 great grandson.
He serves as Vice President of Washington Public Campaigns.
John F. Howes, Treasurer
John is a Certified Public Accountant who manages a tax and business consulting practice in Vancouver, WA. In addition to WPC, he serves as treasurer for both a nonprofit and a political action group in Vancouver. He holds a B.A. degree from New York University. He is a former Chair of the 17th Legislative District Democrats and has been involved in various capacities with political campaigns at the local,state and federal levels.
Jean Carlson, Secretary
Jean has been a civic activist since the early ’70′s, for Seattle Public Schools and state funding of education, with the League of Women Voters on statewide and national issues, and now with Washington Public Campaigns, determined to “form a more perfect Union.” She is Board Secretary and Communications chair and publicist for WPC.
Ken Dammand
Ken is a retired Everett firefighter, paramedic and fire captain. He’s been active in Firefighter’s Local 46 and various community groups. In his previous lives he was the drummer in the 60’s era rock band Fragile Lime, a reluctant soldier, a scholar (Ph.D. in developmental psychology), an adjunct professor, dish washer, and just about everything in between. He serves on the administration committee and chairs the resource development and field organizing committees.
Dan Grey
Dan is a retired Air Force Captain married to Suk, his Korean born wife of 34 years.They have a son and daughter, both married, and have one 2 year old grandson. Dan’s brother, Tom, is past executive director of the National Coalition Against Legalized Gambling. Dan’s sister, Laurel, is former grant evaluator at the Fox River Valley Community Foundation in Appleton, WI. Dan is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker at Madigan Army Medical Center.
Evelyn McChesney
As Chief Counsel, Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS), Office of General Counsel, Region X, Evelyn managed an office of eleven people. She represented agencies within DHHS in administrative hearings, Federal Court Litigation, and counseled the agencies within DHHS – particularly focusing on Medicare and fraud and abuse in the health care programs.
She served as a Board Member of the Group Health Foundation , and as a participant in Public Citizen’s campaign to overturn Citizens United v. FEC. Evelyn chairs the WPC volunteer and board development Committee.
Bill Nerin
Bill joined WPC in 2002. He is a graduate MA from Columbia 
University- Teachers College; author of three books; retired Adjunct Assistant Professor, University of Oklahoma and former Catholic priest 1951-1975. He moved to Washington State in 1990 with his wife Anne (now deceased); He has been involved in social justice activity his entire life and sees how public funding of campaigns is just as important a government agency as are police departments, schools and medical emergency assistance.
Martin Nyberg
Martin has spent the last 15 years as an activist for local sustainability in various roles. He was founder of a community-supported agricultural project – feeding families locally-grown organic produce. He was leader of a local growers’ association and member of the King County Agriculture Extension. With 18 years of executive experience in interactive online sales and marketing, Martin has developed, negotiated and opened dozens of internet-based distribution agreements and joint ventures with U.S. and foreign firms. He is WPC Pierce County Chapter Chairperson and chairs WPC’s Social Media committee
Betty Ogden
Betty is former chair of the Pierce County WPC Chapter. After teaching in the Puyallup School District for 19 years where she chaired the Committee for 
Mission Development of the Puyallup School District Music Department, she retired to devote her time to community activism. She has been editor and writer for numerous activist and community journals. Passionate interests include: horses, music and progeny. Betty was awarded Washington Public Campaigns Volunteer of the Year in 2009.
Staff – executive director
Alice Woldt
Alice recently retired as co-director of Faith Action Network. She has served as Executive Director of the Washington Association of Churches, the Church Council of Greater Seattle and Seattle Alliance for Good jobs and housing for Everyone (SAGE.) A former teacher in Illinois, she did graduate work in education at Northern Illinois University and after moving to Seattle, received her MPA from Seattle University.
She is known in the larger community for her activism on many peace and justice issues. As a former candidate for the legislature she experienced first-hand the need for campaign funding reform.
She has coordinated WPC’s new website and database work.
