Seattle, WA – In June, 2024, Northwest Film Forum Executive Director, Derek Edamura, along with Board President, Becky Bruhn, and Board Members Louise Maxwell and Owen Davies entered The Hilton in Vancouver, Washington for a two-day retreat that was part of the Murdock Charitable Trust’s Board Leadership Training Program.  

“The experience in this program transformed our board, and really built a resilient foundation for us to build on this past year,” said Derek. 

The Board Leadership Training Program is a 6-month program focused on in-person training and dedicated coaching on the four key pillars of a high-functioning board, clarifying the role of an Executive Director, and creating an action plan for Northwest Film Forum.  

“The Board Leadership Training Program gave us space to reflect, reset, and get real about where we were and what we needed. Working closely as a board team—with guidance from experienced facilitators—was incredibly helpful. And hearing what other nonprofits were tackling gave us useful insight into the broader challenges organizations like ours are facing,” says Louise Maxwell, Board Member of Northwest Film Forum. 

After completing the trainings, the board developed four key action Items that would guide the work of the board over the next 12 months:

• Develop a Strategic Framework – Northwest Film Forum will create a plan to update its FY20-FY24 Strategic Plan.  
• Build Governance Capacity – Northwest Film Forum’s Board of Directors will create new policies and procedures to increase the board’s governance capacity.
• Create More Effective Agendas – The Executive Leadership Committee will create new meeting agendas that prioritize decision making and strategic planning.
• Define our Why – Northwest Film Forum will take a community centered approach to updating its mission, vision, and values statement.   

“It gave us clarity and momentum during a pivotal year for the Forum,” says Louise.

One year later, Northwest Film Forum has nearly completed all four action items, and is set to finish its final task by the end of the year.  The Board of Directors has also welcomed five new board members over the past year.  

• LexScope (Lawrence Alexander III) is a creative director, filmmaker, and community builder based in Seattle. He is the founder of Scope Screenings, Seattle’s premier underground film festival, and was recently appointed as a Seattle Film Commissioner. Lex is passionate about uplifting underrepresented voices and creating inclusive spaces for artists to thrive. With a background in directing, marketing, and content strategy, he brings a dynamic, forward-thinking lens to the Northwest Film Forum board. Lex is committed to using film, culture, and collaboration to move communities forward.
• Angela Moorer is a writer and producer at Cascade PBS, where she develops multimedia content for digital and broadcast platforms. She serves as the host of Northwest Explorer, a travel and culture series highlighting stories across the Pacific Northwest, and lends her voice to a range of documentary and educational projects as a voiceover artist.
• Kathy Fennessy serves as Planned Giving Coordinator at Cascade PBS. She has a degree in studio art from Whitman College, and has lived in Seattle since 1988. Kathy is a former music director, DJ, and/or specialty host at KWHL in Anchorage and KCMU (now KEXP) and KNDD in Seattle. She is a proud member of IBEW Local 46 and SAG-AFTRA, and provided voice work for Microsoft for nearly 10 years. She has also worked at Cellophane Square, Nordstrom, and Amazon, and writes or has written about film and music for Book and Film Globe, Seattle Film Blog, Seattle International Film Festival, The Stranger, and Video Librarian. She is a Tomatometer-approved critic, Cucalorus judging member, and current President of Seattle Film Critics Society.
• Emilie Kurth is an intellectual property attorney in Seattle with a focus on arts & entertainment law. She provides legal services and trademark and copyright counseling for artists and creators, as well as for production companies and studios.  In addition to the arts and entertainment industries, Emilie provides legal services for clients in the aerospace, food and beverage, fashion, and cosmetic industries. Emilie is invested in promoting the arts and firmly believes that the arts can (and should!) be used to foster kinder, more creative, and stronger communities.
• Austin Wilson grew up in the South, but he’s been part of the NW film community for over 20 years. His films frequently highlight the lives of artists and musicians, balancing compelling narratives with poetic visual detail. His short documentaries have premiered at SXSW, the Seattle Int’l Film Fest and others. Austin’s storytelling elevates the familiar to the extraordinary, revealing that how and why we work is as compelling as what we produce. He is a member of the Directors Guild of America, an alumni of the USC Cinematic Arts program and proud to have volunteered at the Northwest Film Forum back in the early 2000s.

“Finding community members who believe in the mission and are willing to serve on the board is a vital part of an organization’s health. The Board Leadership training helped us identify who we were looking for which helped us attract great candidates. We feel very lucky to be welcoming these new board members,” says Becky Bruhn, Northwest Film Forum Board President.