SUA has a highly qualified staff with a strong commitment to educate and equip high-risk youth:

• The staff of 7 members holds 4 graduate degrees (3 Masters and 1 Ph.D.)
• The principal, history teacher, transitions coordinator and office coordinator have served a combined 27 years, leading to program stability and a reputation that dedication and sustained relationships create long-term impact.
• South Seattle is home to 4 staff members.
• The student-to-teacher classroom ratio is a low 10:1.

Sharon Okamoto, SUA Executive Director and Principal. Sharon earned a Master of Education in 1979 at Seattle Pacific University. She was certified as a State of WA teacher (K-12) in 1976 and as Principal in 2000. She is in her 12th year at SUA, 7th year as principal and 5^th year as Executive Director and lives in SE Seattle. She has previously served in large private Christian schools in Washington and California as elementary and secondary teachers and vice principal.

Sharon was appointed by Governor Locke and Governor Gregoire to serve as the private school representative on the Washington State Professional Educator Standards Board. The PESB has responsibility and authority for policy and oversight of Washington's system of educator preparation, certification, continuing education and assignment and works in conjunction with the state Board of Education and Superintendent of Public Instruction.

Rebecca Collier, Office Coordinator. Becky recently joined SUA in May, 2008, in the position of office coordinator.

Becky was born in Colorado and moved to Raleigh, NC with her family at an early age. In Raleigh, she developed a passion for gardening, cooking and hospitality! Becky graduated from the University of Delaware with a Bachelor of Arts in Liberal Studies, focusing on Historic Preservation and Historic Landscaping.

Currently, Becky is working toward a Master of Science in Agriculture, with a focus on youth education. She originally came to Seattle to take part in a national program instituted by the Presbyterian Church, in which volunteers live and work in the urban areas where they are volunteering. After her experiences in Rainier Beach, she returned home to Winston-Salem, North Carolina for a short time before returning to Seattle, where she is overjoyed to support God's work at SUA among the dedicated staff, students and volunteers there.

Becky is actively involved at Mt. View Presbyterian Church in White Center.

Amy Timoll, Transition Coordinator, Language Arts. Amy began teaching language arts at SeattleUrbanAcademy in 2003. She comes to our community from the Seattle Public Schools, where she taught all core subjects to 6th through 12th graders for five years in the re-entry program at JohnMarshall High School. Amy has taught summer school and evening programs in Edmonds and Seattle, and has coached softball in Shoreline for three years. In 2007, in her additional role as Transition Coordinator, Amy began working individually with each student to fulfill their state-mandated "High School & Beyond" graduation plans.

Amy has a heart for youth and a passion to see students succeed in all areas of life. She is thrilled to be a part of SUA students' academic, social, and spiritual growth. It was at PepperdineUniversity in California, while she was earning a B.A. in English with a minor in Education, that Amy unexpectedly felt led by God to pursue working in urban, alternative educational settings. Amy also earned her Masters in Educational Technology from Pepperdine in 2003, and currently holds teaching certifications in English, social studies and history.

In July 2008, Amy married Gordon Timoll. Amy and Gordon are involved at NorthwestChurch in Shoreline.

Chris Bhang, Science, Video Production. After spending the last 2 years in Chicago and Philadelphia doing urban ministry, Chris returned in 2008 to his home in Seattle. He is a graduate of Chief Sealth High School, earned his B.S. in Microbiology from the University of Washington, and just completed his M.A. in International Development at Eastern University in St. Davids, PA.

Chris loves working with youth and exploring their potential to be great contributors to society. He has served as the co-director of the Japanese Evangelical Missionary Society’s annual youth summer camp in Stanwood, WA the past 4 years, and was actively involved with the high school youth at Japanese Presbyterian Church in Seattle. Over the last two years he worked as a disease educator and financial consultant to low-income families with Lawndale Christian Health Center in Chicago and the Philadelphia Campaign for Working Families, respectively. Chris is excited and very grateful to be a part of this ministry, and is eager to put his life experiences, knowledge, and awkward “nerdisms” to use here at SUA.

Michael Friedland, History. Michael has been at Seattle Urban Academy since the 1999-2000 academic year. He enjoys teaching at SUA because of the opportunity it gives him to develop relationships with students, and to help them develop confidence in their own worth as students, young adults, and Christians. He received his Ph.D. in American history from Boston College and has been teaching since 1992. A published author, Michael worked in New Orleans developing workshops for high-school teachers in the Mississippi Delta, and taught at Nankai University in Tianjin, China as a Fulbright Senior Lecturer in 1998-99.

Now living in the Seattle area, he is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at Highline Community College. Also, as a member of St. James Episcopal Church in Kent, Michael has served on the vestry and the Christian Education Commission. His wife Julie is a 4th grade teacher at Brooklake Christian School in Federal Way (and winner of the Principals’ Association of Christian Schools’ Teacher of the Year Award for 2004). They are the proud parents of Benjamin and Rachel.

Christalyn Grantier, Math, American Sign Language. Christalyn began teaching at SUA in 2005. Born in Seattle, she grew up in Central Oregon and has been working with youth groups since she was in high school herself. She has been actively involved with the Rainier Avenue Church since moving to Seattle.

Christalyn earned a two-year degree from Central Oregon Community College and attended Seattle Pacific University where she earned a Bachelor of Arts in Mathematics and graduated from their School of Education. As part of her SPU program, she gained experience teaching in urban schools.

Christalyn enjoys helping students become successful socially and spiritually, as well as academically. She knows the value of developing positive relationships with students to help them achieve this success.

Christie Johnston, Christie has a passion for empowering young people and is grateful for the chance to work with students at SUA. Christie graduated from Seattle Pacific University in 2004 with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature and Creative Writing, and again in 2010 with a Master of Arts in Teaching Language Arts and Reading. She is currently studying to add her Special Education endorsement.

Christie has worked with a broad spectrum of learners in multiple schools and organizations in Seattle, Renton, and Kent communities.

Outside of teaching, Christie enjoys spending time with her husband of 13 years, and two children, ages four and six. Her family is happily planted in the Beacon Hill neighborhood, though they remain an active part of their church family in north Seattle.