TCSRA Elected Officers, 2024-2025
Left to right, top row: Patty Gee, Karen Keller, and Paula Hughart.
Second row: Will Gentz, ZiNita Carrell, and Pat Slosson.
Patty Gee, President: Patty served as our secretary and as president-elect before taking on the job of TCSRA President. After 20 years with North Thurston Public Schools, Patty went on sabbatical to earn her master’s degree at Central Washington University (CWU). Meanwhile, her husband was called to Tokyo, Japan, as a Christian missionary. Patty followed and was able to do research comparing Japan’s early childhood programs to ours for her master’s degree thesis. After three years in Japan as ministers of a Christian Mission Church, they returned, and Patty finished her Master’s in School Administration at CWU and then worked in several districts—Toppenish, Shelton, Steilacoom, and Griffin—as a speech language pathologist. At this point, she retired and realized a life goal by opening her “Open Door Autism Clinic” in Olympia. She directly provided the therapy for autism communication and social skills, and her husband, Jerome, was the Executive Director. As a volunteer, Patty has been President/Executive Director of the Autism Society of Washington, secretary for the North Thurston Education Association, secretary for several church boards and councils, and secretary/board member of the Regional Women of the Lutheran Church of America.
Karen Keller, Vice President: Born and raised in Tacoma, Karen is a graduate of Wilson High School and of Central Washington University. She enjoyed 28 years with the Yakima School District, teaching elementary grades K-4. Nearing retirement, she returned to Western Washington and spent the last three years of her career in the Clover Park School District. Karen was then hired as an office assistant at the WSSRA office and worked there for 12 years, the last several as the Membership Coordinator. A member of TCSRA since 1998, she is currently our historian and Facebook administrator. In past years, she has served as retirement planning chair, secretary, membership chair, vice president, and president. Karen also quilts and plays bridge, and she is passionate about preserving steam railroading.
Paula Hughart, Secretary: Paula is a Washingtonian, born and bred. She was born in Aberdeen but moved to Olympia in time to enter first grade. After completing her entire elementary, junior high, and high school education in the Olympia School District, she went on to graduate from the University of the Pacific (BA Inter-American Studies and Spanish), University of Northern Iowa (MA Spanish), and University of Texas at Austin (MLIS). Her professional experience has been as an ESL instructor in Honduras and Olympia, Spanish teacher at Timberline High School in Lacey, children’s librarian with the Harris County Library System in Houston, substitute librarian for the Timberland Regional Library, and district librarian/Spanish teacher for the Onalaska School District in Onalaska, Washington. Her interests in retirement are genealogy, crafts, maintaining and improving her Spanish and Czech language skills, reading, and most important, staying connected with friends and family near and far.
Will Gentz, Fiscal Treasurer: Will is now serving his fifth term as TCSRA fiscal treasurer. He is also co-chair of the finance committee and serves on the secondary mini-grant committee. He was born in and did his early years’ learning, playing, and working in Illinois. He attended Illinois State University after which he played in the dirt, doing landscaping and working union construction jobs. After nearly a year of traveling, he settled in Boulder, Colorado, cooking in restaurants for seven years. He earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado Boulder and spent two years substitute teaching and coaching in the high school where he had student taught. He then taught for seven years in Spokane, WA, teaching middle school physical education and coaching. He earned his master’s degree from Gonzaga University, and then moved to Olympia, teaching high school math for the next 23 years in North Thurston Public Schools. Will loves traveling with his wife, hiking, sports—mostly watching these days—and being outdoors.
ZiNita Carrell, Membership Treasurer: ZiNita, now in her twelfth year as membership treasurer, is in charge of email notifications for luncheon reservations and legislative announcements. She was the education committee co-chair and wrote articles for Bits & Pieces for many years before retiring from that job this year. ZiNita was born in Yakima, WA, and lived in Wapato for most of her childhood. Her father, Lorence Heikell, was principal of Wapato Intermediate School, and her mother taught in various elementary schools around the lower Yakima Valley. ZiNita graduated from East Valley High School in Moxee and later received her BA and MA from Central Washington University. She taught Title 1 and Chapter 1 reading and math for nearly all of her career in Eastern and Western Washington and retired from Tacoma Public Schools. In retirement ZiNita enjoys reading novels, watching movies, traveling, and playing board games with her grandchildren.
Pat Slosson, Immediate Past President: Currently in her third year as editor of Bits & Pieces, Pat has been co-editor of the directory for several years. She is also chair of the hospitality/luncheon committee and co-chair of the finance committee. She served three terms as TCSRA president, one year as our vice president/president-elect, and three years as our secretary. She has also been chair of the membership committee. As an “Army Brat,” Pat attended seven schools before graduating from high school in Dallas, Texas. She graduated from Pacific Lutheran University with a BA in Education and later earned an MA from Lesley University. After working for Phoenix newspapers, she returned to Washington and taught for North Thurston Public Schools for 30 years. Pat taught English as well as acting as Dean of Students for 12 years. Pat enjoys reading, traveling with her husband, and spending time with her children and grandchildren.
