Pierce County Library System
Information & Imagination

Jamilyn Penn, EdD, a Steilacoom resident, has extensive K-12 and higher education experience. Currently, Penn is the interim vice president of student services with Highline College. Penn was the director of transfer education at the State Board for Community and Technical Colleges, and prior to that position held posts as a dean of instruction at Clover Park Technical College and Lake Washington Institute of Technology.

Penn volunteers with local agencies to help individuals with low literacy learn to read. Penn also volunteers as a change facilitator for Guided Pathways, equity-focused work to close opportunity gaps, particularly for students of color and other historically underrepresented groups.

Term expires: Aug. 13, 2024

Pat Jenkins, a Puyallup resident, is the program director and editor of Senior Media Services, a Lutheran Community Services Northwest program which publishes news and information resources for older adults. Jenkins also has served on numerous boards and committees for school districts, food banks and other organizations, and has volunteered as a reading tutor with several school districts.

Term expires: Mar. 31, 2022

Daren Jones, an Orting resident, is the president of Pacific Investing, Inc., a management group for real estate. Jones has extensive residential and commercial real estate experience. Jones' professional experience and community knowledge will be of great value to our Board in its service to the nearly 600,000 residents the Library System serves. Jones' professional experiences and genuine compassion for public service will complement our strong Board of Trustees.

Term expires: Feb. 14, 2024

Neesha Patel, an Edgewood resident, volunteers with Tacoma Community House and works with underrepresented and marginalized populations to help them develop career skills and complete educational certifications. After completing a degree in England, Patel’s early career began as a developer, but after volunteering on a GED program, Patel was inspired to make a dramatic career change from IT to teaching. Patel taught math in the Kent School District to students navigating ADHD, created a mathematics tutoring business and worked part-time as a librarian page. Later, as an instructor at Green River College, Patel realized her passion for teaching math, and completed a masters in mathematics education from the University of Washington to become a tenured mathematics professor at South Puget Sound Community College for many years. In 2017, the Evergreen State College awarded Patel the Teacher Excellence Award.

Abby Sloan, a University Place resident, is an elementary school principal with the Tacoma Public Schools. Sloan is a Pierce College Education Program board member, a co-project manager for community food banks and a volunteer with University Place Community Events Collaboration. Trustee Sloan’s other community leadership activities include being a guest speaker and alumni contributor for the University of Washington Tacoma’s Education Leadership program and serving as co-project manager with the Trust for Public Land Playground Renewal.

Term expires: Aug. 5, 2026