Taylor Beal, director of client & community outreach at Bellingham Real Estate Co., has a true love for our corner of the state and the team she works with.

“There are three main things I focus on for the firm,” she says. “I’m part of our marketing department — so, managing all social media our brokers have, creating content community projects, and our event coordination. Then, I help run two community platforms that we have with Live Bellingham Now, as well as What’s Up in Whatcom. I’m also a co-producer on Building Bellingham, our business podcast, which is something I get to take on this fall.”

Background

Beal’s career path in Whatcom was a little kismet and a lot of hard work. “I was part of a junior sorority from the time I was 11 through 20, and it was the year after I aged out, after my year as state president, that I was kind of looking for my big kid job and I started at a different real estate firm, which is how I met the group I’m with today,” she says. “I worked there for about two and a half years in an agent advisory role with different communications for brokers and staff. Then, in the middle of lockdown, with a lot of different shifts happening in my life, I got a job offer from this group, and they were just some of the most phenomenal people — I always looked up to them when I was working in tandem with them and now, I got this opportunity to actually work with them. I’ve been with them for almost four years.”

Why Real Estate

Real estate was not always on Beal’s radar for a career choice, but the integrity of the people drew her in to the path she is on now. “If you had asked me five or six years ago, the industry that I would end up in, I don’t think I could have guessed real estate,” she says. “I connected with Bellingham Real Estate through my previous job, but I think it was the way that Leo and Chris and Tiffany operated as a group in tandem with the vision of this company to really showcase Bellingham and serve Bellingham to the best of their ability that did it for me.”

Beal is particularly passionate in her drive to continue to help Bellingham flourish and evolve while enjoying everything that makes the city so unique. “I’ve been able to really curate my job around meeting Bellingham, getting to know Bellingham, and getting to showcase that on our platforms, like with Live Bellingham Now,” she says.

Outside of Work

As a child, Beal was introduced to several different communities, and she notes the value of what those experiences gave her. “I was born in Tucson, Arizona, and we moved around a lot as a kid, just different job transfers my family experienced,” she says. “I went from Arizona to Nova Scotia, then Utah to Tennessee, and finally ended up in Washington, so I’ve been in Bellingham since I was 13.”

From 11 to 20, Beal was part of a junior sorority called Rainbow for Girls, a youth leadership organization geared toward helping girls learn leadership, public speaking skills, gaining confidence, feeling empowerment, and experiencing the opportunity to volunteer in the community. “I would not be the same person if it hadn’t been for Rainbow,” she says. “Now I get to advise and be a really good mentor to a lot of really phenomenal girls on the local and state level.”

Outside of Rainbow for Girls, directing community outreach within her firm and other community involvement, Beal enjoys comic books, movies, comic cons, and cosplay — particularly for Marvel.

Beal is a member of Whatcom Young Professionals and volunteers as events committee chair for the organization.

Top 7 Under 40

In her everyday life, Beal maintains a constant level of helping and empowering others. After being named one of the Top 7 Under 40, Beal views the nomination as an opportunity to continue her passion and outreach. “I know some people who have won these types of things before, and they’re all people I really look up to and admire,” she says. “I’m hoping I can also be one of those examples of just really awesome people who make a difference in our community.”

An event held at the Hotel Bellwether on Thursday, October 3rd from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. will celebrate all seven honorees and award the Young Professional of the Year. Click here for more details and to purchase tickets. Registration closes September 27, 2024.

Sponsored

Sean Lawrence is no stranger to community work, professional success, and passionate drive for his home. He artfully balances life as a tribal program manager at Säzän Group Inc., Gaming Commission chair at Lummi, Secretary/Treasurer of the Lummi Development Holding Company, and small business owner.

Gaming Commission

Lawrence has been a chair with the Gaming Commission for the Lummi Tribe on and off since he was old enough to gamble, at the age of 21.

“I’ve been the chair of the commission, responsible for being what’s called an agent of service for the National Indian Gaming Commission, ensuring compliance and delivery of documents and communication between the Federal Agency and the tribe,” he says. “I’m also responsible for guiding the Commission as we make decisions regarding license activities, contracts, regulations, and quite frankly, when we propose amendments to our Class III gaming compact with the State of Washington.”

Before Gaming Commission

When Lawrence was 21, he had just graduated from Northwest Indian College with a Bachelor of Arts in tribal governance and business management, as part of their first cohort.

“When I was going to Northwest Indian College, we were always instilled to give back to the community,” he says. “I felt that being a member on the Gaming Commission at such a young age, that I could give back to my community in that way.

Lawrence’s hunch turned out to be right. “We use different operating systems and communicate to Tribal, State, and Federal stakeholders to carry out our duties and responsibilities,” he says. “Shortly after I got on the Commission, within a year and a half, I became the chair. It’s been eight years on the Gaming Commission since.”

Engineering

Lawrence started his role at Säzän in July, focusing on mechanical, electrical, plumbing and clean energy projects for tribes. His interest in engineering began in high school. “I was a J.O.M. tutor, and in that role, I would tutor students that were in elementary school,” he says. “In high school, we’re required to do a job shadow for career development, and I decided to job shadow two engineers at two local engineering firms.”

The day after his second job shadow, Lawrence was offered a job, so when he wasn’t spending time as a J.O.M. tutor, he was an engineering intern at a firm in Ferndale. “That was a great opportunity to get exposed to, at that time, civil engineering,” he says. “I love numbers. I still do, but being analytical, and being able to see the built environment and those concept designs, to going out in the field and seeing them built, inspected, and running, was exciting.”

At Säzän, as a tribal program manager, Lawrence is able to meet and work with tribes throughout the region in Washington, Oregon, and Arizona.  

Secretary Treasurer of Lummi Development Holding Company

“I’m the secretary treasurer because, like I mentioned, I love numbers,” Lawrence says. “When I was working at the Lummi Indian Business Council, I was also able to study and get my Master of Business Administration. We’re seeking business opportunities that’s not only on the reservation, but off the reservation; we’re looking at building up our capabilities for government contracting.” As Secretary/Treasurer of the board for the Lummi Development Holding Company, Lawrence is directly responsible for maintaining all company records, financial and non-financial, including its overall financial position.

Outside of work

Lawrence enjoys the simple, peaceful aspects of life in the Pacific Northwest when he isn’t working. “I got back on the canoe this year with the Merisa Mae Canoe Club, and that’s been healing,” he says. “It’s a way of life that we have out here on the reservation. I like to go fishing with my dad and my uncle. With my wife and son, we like to go hiking and catch the sunrise or chase sunsets. At Artist Point, we caught the meteor shower in 2023. We like to explore the outdoors.”

Last year on their wedding anniversary, Lawrence and his wife hiked up a trail on Mt. Rainer and took in a gorgeous sunrise, came down and had lunch, then trekked back up a different peak to watch the sunset together.

Top 7 Under 40

Proud to be named a Top 7 Under 40 nominee, Lawrence remains focused on giving back. “This process probably started when I was working at the tribe full time; I was the interim general manager and the director for the Office of Economic Policy,” he says. “I feel like that’s just a way of giving back and making sure that our future generation has a better future than we have.”

An event held at the Hotel Bellwether on Thursday, October 3rd from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. will celebrate all seven honorees and award the Young Professional of the Year. Click here for more details and to purchase tickets. Registration closes September 27, 2024.

Nia Imani Forché Gipson is, at 27 years old, the inaugural coordinator of the Black Student Coalition at Western Washington University. “I share my full name because the first two are principles of Kwanzaa, in the Swahili language, which mean purpose and faith, respectively,” says Gipson. “These two principals have been a part of my core values for as long as I can remember.”

Gipson is no stranger to accomplishment and leading by example.

“I was born and raised in Chicago and attended the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign where I received my B.S. in agricultural and consumer economics,” she says. “While at Illinois I served in many leadership roles, two of the most influential being innovative programming chair for the Central Black Student Union and a resident advisor for three years. It was because of my role as an RA, and my involvement in student organizations, that I decided to go into student affairs.”

After completing her undergraduate degree in Illinois, Gipson received her master’s in education leadership studies with an emphasis on college student development at Oklahoma State University. “There I served as an Assistant Residential Community Educator and continued on the career path in Residential Life when I arrived at Western in 2021,” she says. “I served as the Resident Director of Beta Gamma and COVID housing from 2021-2022 before I transitioned into my current role.”

Community Work

Gipson is often immersed in volunteerism, in one way or another.

“In my first year, I volunteered at Bunanza Bunny Rescue in Lynden,” she says. “I’ve since expanded my volunteering to include speaking engagements for local events, serving on a committee of wonderful community leaders working to bring a NAACP Chapter to Bellingham, volunteer in several capacities for Christ the King Community Church, and lend a helping hand anywhere I can. I have also given meals and made winter kits for those facing houselessness. I have the honor of continuing to engage in community work through my role at Western by hosting community celebrations for MLK Day, Juneteenth, and Black History month. Additionally, I participated in Northwest Youth Services’ first annual Healing Centered Engagement Gathering by co-presenting on navigating spaces that prolong trauma. This particular topic is important to me because I know firsthand how trauma can impact your daily life, but restorative practices can help to build resiliency and create opportunities for healing and joy.”

Outside of Work

Gipson loves bringing out her creative nature, building her skillset and making new things.

“I love to sing, hike, garden and craft,” she says. “On a sunny Saturday morning, you might find me at the farmers market or at Zumba. Sometimes I can be spotted at the random festivals and block parties we have in town…or even karaoke. I love anything that involves sharing music or dances with others.”

Her affinity for dance has been a constant source of joy, even when Gipson was attending college. “My love for dance is the reason I’m a member of Delta Phi Delta Dance Fraternity, Inc., Chi Chapter,” she says. “I love spending time outdoors; you can catch me lost in thought, staring at the bay or star gazing.”

Across the board, Gipson loves to try new experiences and see new things.  

“I’m extremely close with everyone in my family, especially my mom and grandmother,” says Gipson, who is a middle child. “I’ve always had a strong matriarchal presence in my family, going back to my great grandmother. Because of them and the values they instilled in me, I’m a strong leader that leads with my heart.”

She describes her mother and grandmother as “powerful pillars” in their community who lead with love and kindness. “I’ve always aspired to be like them and hope I’m making them proud. Before I was even born, they spoke life and purpose into the woman I was going to become. The intentionality behind my name alone shows just how much they believed in me. Their love and their light is at the core of who I am and what motivates me to pour into those around me.”

Gipson adds that because her mother and grandmother instilled in her that everyone is family, she also surrounds herself with a lot of chosen family.

“I have some chosen family here in Bellingham whom I love dearly, especially my sweet little nephew,” she says. “I also love to spend quality time with my friends, colleagues, and fellow community members. Spending time with the people I love is where I am at my happiest.”

Future Endeavors

When it comes to the horizon, Gipson views it like she does most things in her life: with a wide-open heart.

“I have a plan for my future, but I’m also open to the unexpected,” she says. “Right now, I see myself getting my Ph.D. and J.D. in the next 5 to 7 years and on the road to becoming president of a university.”

As a young Black woman from the South Side of Chicago, becoming president of a university goes far beyond just seeing herself in a leadership position.

“It’s a way for me to break barriers and show the world that people who look like me belong in these positions. It will also be a way for me to uncover the challenges that exist and dismantle them to create more access for generations to come.”

When Gipson heard stories of how women in her family were trailblazers, she knew she wanted to continue that legacy.

“With that being said, if I decide to change career paths down the road, I see myself continuing social justice work; advocating for those who are marginalized and historically unrepresented, dismantling systems of oppression and engaging fully in whatever community I may find myself in,” she says. “The beautiful thing about the future is not knowing what’s to come but having faith that I will fulfill my purpose and make a positive impact on those around me.”

An event held at the Hotel Bellwether on Thursday, October 3rd from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. will celebrate all seven honorees and award the Young Professional of the Year. Click here for more details and to purchase tickets. Registration closes September 27, 2024.

Executive Director of Downtown Bellingham Partnership Lindsey Payne Johnstone has been with the organization for 16 years, evolving from an intern in college to now leading the nonprofit to new heights.

“I was recently appointed in May of this year,” says Johnstone. “I’m not new to the work, but new to the executive director position.”

The last few months have seen Downtown Bellingham Partnership put together a spectacular 20^th anniversary of the beloved musical festival Downtown Sounds. “Since then, we’ve switched gears to other seasonal events and programming and are looking ahead at our 2025 work plan,” says Johnstone. “We’re also eagerly preparing for our upcoming strategic plan.”

Background and Career

Johnstone views her appointment as executive director as a full circle moment for her career.

“In my final quarter at Western I was an event planning intern with a sole focus on Downtown Sounds,” she says. “That was the last year, in 2008, that the concerts were still in the alley. I had so much fun with the organization. We were, at that time, called the Downtown Renaissance Network.”

Johnstone then mentions they rebranded Downtown Bellingham Partnership in 2009. When the organization started, it was focused on bringing commerce back into the heart of Bellingham. “The construction of the mall at the time drew much of the economic vitality out of downtown,” she says, “which created the genesis for the organization.”

As an intern, Johnstone fell head over heels for the mission. “I loved the work so much,” she says. “Three months just didn’t feel like enough. It was a quarter-long internship, and it was summer, and I wanted to see Downtown Sounds through — experience the event coming to fruition after helping plan it for months.”

Eventually, Johnstone picked up other events for the nonprofit, securing a part-time position. “At that time, I was also a bartender at Bayou on Bay,” she says. “For several years, I was part time at the partnership and part time at Bayou, and I also lived downtown.”

Payne lived on Railroad Avenue above what is now Matthew’s Honest Cocktails but was then a Starbucks. “It was my little scene,” says Johnstone. “I would walk to the office — that’s when we were on Cornwall — and then I walked to my shift at Bayou. Downtown really felt like home.”

Throughout her DBP tenure — being promoted into various event planning roles, followed by program director before becoming interim executive director and now the permanent executive director — Johnstone has helped to build vibrant growth in downtown Bellingham. In addition to Downtown Sounds, she’s also helped establish programs like the Storefront Improvement Grant, which provides funding for businesses to improve their facades, public realm activation projects, seasonal programming on Commercial Street and in the Plaza, engaging with businesses through the City Block Program and hearing firsthand how she can help advocate for them, and cultivating relationships with economic partners.

“I love connecting with people in our community and collaborating on projects and ideas,” Johnstone says. “I have a collaborative leadership style and value working with my team. Relationships are key, and I try my best to lead with positivity and joy.”

Hobbies and Home

Community, human connection, and helping Bellingham flourish are all key tenets for Johnstone. “People are important to me — friends, family, peers,” she says. “I think I carry that through my relationships with my staff, board of directors, businesses, city partners, and community colleagues.”

Johnstone lives at home with her husband and dog, spending time with their extended family as much as possible and recently, remodeling their house. “We’ve been investing a lot of love, time and energy and hard work into our home, which feels really good,” says Johnstone. “We also have property out on Eliza Island that we acquired a few years ago, going out there is like a soul refresh — it’s so beautiful, just being outside and unplugging.”

With one of her main events being Downtown Sounds, it’s no surprise Johnstone loves music, attending festivals and spending quality time with her friends. “There’s usually a large group of us,” Johnstone says. “We love to go to music festivals together, and we like dressing up, having fun, getting silly — seeing live music definitely fills my soul.”

Johnstone’s twin sister also resides in Bellingham, and she has family in Vancouver, Washington, as well. With a community-driven heart and lively spirit, Johnstone seeks new adventures whenever she can. “I love going to Mexico with my husband and friends every winter,” she says. “My family just traveled to Ireland this last spring. I love downtown and Bellingham, but I also love getting out of the country and experiencing and exploring.”

Top 7 Under 40

Being named one of Bellingham’s Top 7 Under 40 has been a rewarding experience for Johnstone. “We have so much talent in this community, it’s truly, really fascinating to me that we have so many nonprofits with so many different teams,” says Johnstone. “I feel really honored. Being recognized for the work in the community that I’ve done is an honor.”

An event held at the Hotel Bellwether on Thursday, October 3rd from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. will celebrate all seven honorees and award the Young Professional of the Year. Click here for more details and to purchase tickets. Registration closes September 27, 2024.

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Top 7 Under 40 nominee Ashtyn Mott is a registered nurse with Whatcom County Health and Community Services in the Response System Division for Street Medicine. Mott provides medical care for unhoused and housed individuals with various mental and medical healthcare needs.

Career and Community Work

“I am part of the Response System Division (RSD), an umbrella for a couple of different programs. My group is a nurse practitioner, Lacey McCarley, and me,” she says. RSD includes the GRACE program, LEAD program, Mental Health Court, Alternative Response Team (ART), and Street Medicine. Mott and her team meet people — wherever they are in Whatcom County — and help fulfill their medical needs. “No matter if someone is housed or they live outside: We help them.”

Mott is a Certified Wound Care Nurse. She provides wound care to those in need and helps patients get referrals to the Wound Healing Center in Bellingham. She also accompanies patients to medical appointments or emergency room visits as an advocate. “I help them ask for their needs and make sure they understand everything being told to them. I like being able to spend that extra time with folks.”

Originally, Mott worked as a hospice nurse in another state before Washington. “Then, I worked with Whatcom Hospice for many years,” she says. “I joined the inpatient palliative care team at the hospital, and we started a pilot program, Palliative Care in the Emergency Department (ED), which I was embedded in the ED here at St. Joe’s.”

The In-patient Palliative Care team sees people admitted to the hospital, but Mott worked in the ED to identify Palliative Care patients earlier. She read a research article that suggested connecting with local EMS to identify patients that frequently call 911, that may not present to the Emergency Department. After meeting with EMS, she met Capt. Joe Frank, then one of the Community Paramedics with the GRACE Program. Mott shadowed the GRACE team every month for two years before being offered a position with Response System Division Street Medicine Team. She has been with this program since last November. “I am providing medical care and assistance to folks that need it in Whatcom County no matter where they live and give them the tools to advocate for themselves and help guide them through the healthcare system.”

For Mott, her love of other humans and helping them find better outcomes or giving individuals more accessibility to healthcare is paramount to her work. “I am a firm believer that everybody has a story,” she says. “What’s important to you, who’s important to you, and what defines a good day for you are my favorite things to ask.”

Outside of Healthcare

Before she was a superhero in the healthcare system, Mott was born in Montana, moved to Louisiana, and was raised there. “I went to college [in Louisiana], worked there for a bit and met my husband right before I was going to move,” she says. “We both moved out to this area and fell in love with the ocean and the mountains. The personalities of everyone up here is just more relaxed, a little bit slower.”

Outside of her nursing work, Mott loves to run and adores the ducks on her farm. “I love my family life, and then I love my work life, but I’ve always had to have that third life,” she says. “It’s got to be something extra. So, I started Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner school and will graduate in 2027.”

Top 7 Under 40

When it comes to being named one of the Top 7 Under 40, Mott displays her humble nature.

“I prefer to be in the shadows and try to do good work,” she says. “It does feel good, though. These are all my friends and the people I’ve known since I moved here; they’re my family and have been with me through having a kid, bringing in life, and then losing a few people in my life. They were there for that. The Whatcom hospice and the Palliative Care team — they’re all my family. It’s really nice of them to nominate me.”

An event held at the Hotel Bellwether on Thursday, October 3rd from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. will celebrate all seven honorees and award the Young Professional of the Year. Click here for more details and to purchase tickets. Registration closes September 27, 2024.

Remy Styrkowicz, chief radical intervention officer at Northwest Youth Services, oversees services in Whatcom and Skagit Counties, including art-based and non-clinical therapeutic services, data, and research. He also works part-time in New York with the likes of HBO Travel Channel and Microsoft.

When Styrkowicz was younger, music developed into an intrinsic part of his everyday life and passion.

“I kind of grew up working and studying with Matchbox 20, Fallout Boy, Seven Dust, and some other Grammy artists,” he says. “In 2013, the Grammy Museum held a camp called the Grammy Music Revolution Project.” The three-month camp included a curriculum that brought in Grammy-winning artists and others in the music business mentor campers. Styrkowicz led a cohort of 50 kids.

One of his projects there involved a writing exercise based on what campers would compose if they were to write a song for Katy Perry. “Her manager had us imagine what it would be like if we were pitching song ideas to people,” he says.

Arriving in Whatcom

Styrkowicz’s cousin, who worked for Ferndale at the time, invited Remy to Whatcom with the opportunity to direct a documentary on Juneteenth.

“I came out here in May of 2022 and directed this documentary that had [people such as] Sheriff Tank and Jason McGill, who’s my now boss, and some other community leaders,” says Styrkowicz. “I was interviewing Sheriff Tank, and he was talking about living in Ferguson, living through that murder. He remembers interviewing Tank and realizing how far his experience had been from that of an older Black man.

For Styrkowicz, it was a wake-up call.

“In that moment, it was all brand new for me,” he says. “I called my dad to explain how I was feeling, that a lot of stuff was coming up for me.” It created a rough patch in their relationship and Styrkowicz’s father cut him off financially. “The only logical, mentally stable, and emotional option for me at that time was to move here and live with my cousin for a year.”

Styrkowicz moved to Whatcom in the fall of 2022, living with his cousin and working on the second part of the Juneteenth documentary. “That’s how I got reconnected to Jason, and he was like, ‘Do you want to work at Northwest Youth Services?”

Youth Services for Skagit and Whatcom

Northwest Youth Services aids young people in Whatcom and Skagit in a variety of different ways. “We kind of break it into three categories,” says Styrkowicz. “There’s upstream services, outreach, and housing. The outreach and housing are pretty parallel between the two counties, but the upstream is really where Whatcom is different than Skagit. Our upstream services really encompass all the stuff that prevents folks from ever entering or reentering the cycle of homelessness.

Teen court is an example of one such service, a breakaway from the criminal legal system.

“It’s through the high schools, so folks can get experience being judges, being part of the jury — they are real cases, peer-to-peer,” Styrkowicz says. “Young people take on cases that involve their friends or not their friends, but the same age, and deciding. We know that hard punishments don’t work. So, how can we holistically come up with outcomes to things that have happened?”

Their queer youth services provide gender-affirming clothing, assist with name changes, financially, as well as gender changes or gender marker changes.

“On the community facing side we have social meetups, queer specific groups, affinity groups, and the YAB, which stands for Youth Action Board,” says Styrkowicz. “Any young person in Whatcom County can help us shape our services, how we can uplift our voice, and really center and address the needs they have.”

Omni Center

Styrkowicz created and wrote Northwest Youth Services’ the Omni Center.

“It is visual media, really any sort of art, for Black, Indigenous and Brown young people,” he says. “We just finished the pilot year of a photojournalism course, and it’s all about using photography to reframe trauma and study and look at how trauma gets passed down generation to generation. We know when you take a photo of something, you cement a very specific moment of time forever.”

Styrkowicz often ponders how art relates to social betterment. “How can we use photography to create that catalyst of saying this is the world I want to live in? This is the way I see the world, and not how the world sees me…how can we reduce the barriers to self-expression? How can we create something that’s educational but not restrictive in the sense of institutional education, or something that’s behind a paywall?”

Hobbies & The Next Project

With so much of his career steeped in his passions, the personal side of Styrkowicz’s life often intersects with the professional.

“It’s a little funny, because my personal life and professional life has kind of merged into one,” he says. “I’m currently in an artist residency through North Sound ACH. CEO Liz Baxter reached out to me last year wanting to collaborate on ways to uplift and elevate young artists of color in Whatcom and the North Sound region. It was an important moment in my career and in moving here, a moment of everything coming full circle.”

An event held at the Hotel Bellwether on Thursday, October 3rd from 5:30 to 7:30 p.m. will celebrate all seven honorees and award the Young Professional of the Year. Click here for more details and to purchase tickets. Registration closes September 27, 2024.

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