Seattle Public Schools Foundation Leadership and Board Of Directors

In 2019, Dick Lee was named the recipient of the Frank Inslee Service Award.

The award was created by the Seattle Public Schools Athletic Hall of Fame to recognize individuals who have made significant contributions to positively impact student-athletes.

Dick Lee was an All-City and All-State basketball player at Ballard High School. In 1961, his senior year, his team finished second in the state — the highest finish ever for a Ballard basketball team. He went on to be a three-year letterman at the University of Washington.

After 30 years in the restaurant and hospitality industry, Dick turned his focus to raising funds for Seattle Public Schools, particularly Ballard High School, to provide students with the opportunities he had in high school. He also worked with Seattle Public Schools to create public–private partnerships that benefit students and schools across the district.

He has promoted events supporting Seattle Public Schools, local schools, and school support groups, and has collaborated with school foundations and other nonprofit organizations to host events and raise funds. Dick has worked extensively with Ballard and numerous other Seattle schools, helping organize community celebrations for more than 20 schools, including Garfield, Cleveland, Roosevelt, and West Seattle High Schools.

He was also the co-founder of Music4Life, a group dedicated to providing musical instruments for underserved students. Through his efforts, Dick has helped raise more than $10 million in support of Seattle Public Schools, with a strong focus on athletics and underserved students.

He was the driving force behind the creation of the SPS Athletic Hall of Fame, and the gym at Ballard High School is named in his honor. A first-generation college graduate, Dick credits athletics and his teachers for guiding him through college and beyond.

Phil worked for the Seattle Public Schools for 30 years, beginning his career in education as a math teacher and coach at Rainier Beach High School. Phil advanced through his career as a middle and high school principal, including becoming the Ballard High School Principal in 2004. Phil also held the position of Interim High School Director, Executive Director of Schools, and Executive
Director of PK-12 School Operations.

In 2013, Phil became the Superintendent of the Sedro-Woolley School District and, after 38 years in the world of education, retired in 2021. In addition, Phil was active in the state school associations serving in leadership positions as well as non-profits such as the United Way.

Phil, a 1976 graduate of Ballard High School, grew up in Ballard and has four brothers that graduated from Ballard High. There have been 12 family members who have graduated from Ballard, with the most recent in 2020. Phil’s parents, Frank and Elenore, were well known
in the Ballard community, and his very active 93-year young mother, still lives in the family home. Phil has been married for 39 years to his beautiful bride Tamera and has two daughters, Tera and Jill, and two grandkids, Izaiah and Lauren.

For the past few years, Phil has served as co-president in support of programs for the Ballard High School Foundation.

As both an athlete and advocate, Tara Davis has set a precedent in Seattle athletics that have stood since the mid-1980s. As an athlete, she dominated the scene, propelling her teams to victory on the soccer field, basketball court and track. From the moment she entered Rainier Beach High School in 1986, Davis became a leader to the school community as a three sport All-Metro student-athlete and team captain. Davis earned both state records and titles in basketball and track and league honors in soccer.

Davis continued her athletic achievements at the University of Washington. To the surprise of no one, she exceled earning All-American honors on the basketball court in 1994 and the track and field team in 1995. As a fifth-year senior she won a Pac-10 title in the long jump and took third place in triple jump as well and broke the school record with a jump of 41’ 7 3/4”.

Professionally, Davis is a part of Seattle history. She played for the first women’s professional basketball franchise (ABL) in the city, the Seattle Reign in 1996. Tara was elected to the Professional Leadership Committee, established to provide ABL athletes with a seat at the leadership table. She then continued her basketball career internationally in Jerusalem, Israel
before returning to Seattle to start a family in 2000. Developing a new lens to athletics, Tara
earned her M. Ed in Intercollegiate Athletic Leadership from the University of Washington in 2012.

She currently serves in the role of the Director of Athletics for Seattle Public Schools, is a Board Member of McERA (Multicultural Education Rights Alliance), and on the Executive Board for the WIAA, as well as serving on many WIAA committees.

Davis has been integral in developing Seattle School District’s Unified program, even coaching her women’s basketball team to a silver medal in 2018 Summer Special Olympic Games. She continues to be a pioneer and advocate for women in sports and lead the school district (Seattle Public Schools) to partner with the Seattle Seahawks to establish one of the first high school girls flag football program. Across the 22 middle schools and 11 high schools in Washington’s largest school district, Davis’s liveliness is a pillar of positivity and equity for student-athletes and their families. Current and former colleagues within Seattle Public Schools point to her humility, integrity, and unselfishness as crucial components for her success as a strong role model for female athletes and athletic directors alike, who always prioritizes student-athletes’ wellbeing above all else.

A lifelong educator and leader, Ted Howard serves as the Assistant Superintendent of Strategy and Climate for Seattle Public Schools. Born and raised in Seattle, he is a proud graduate of Seattle Public Schools and comes from a long line of educators.

Ted spent more than 16 years as Principal of Garfield High School, where the school earned multiple honors, including two consecutive designations as a School of Distinction, state recognition for school improvement, and the Golden Apple Award for academic excellence. Under his leadership, Garfield was also ranked among the top high schools in the nation and achieved numerous district and state athletic championships.

With over 25 years of experience in education, Ted has served in many roles—teacher, assistant principal, principal, district leader, and president of the Seattle Public Schools Principals Association. Before returning to SPS, he was the Chief Academic Officer for the Tukwila School District and earned his Executive Leadership–Superintendent Certification from City University.

Ted is deeply committed to educational equity and student success, striving to create inclusive environments that support academic, social, and emotional growth. As a Black male role model and mentor, he continues to inspire educators and students across Seattle through his leadership, compassion, and vision for excellence.