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; Trustee Penn is one of Highline College’s four vice presidents. 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. Trustee Penn holds a doctorate in Higher Education Leadership from Northeastern University.

Penn volunteers with local agencies to help individuals with low literacy learn to read. Trustee Penn is a mentor for students enrolled in the Doctorate in Community College Leadership program at New Jersey City University, New Jersey. 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. Trustee Penn is a voracious reader, and enjoys dancing, taking walks and playing several musical instruments including the flute, clarinet and mandolin.

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, 2027

Pamela Duncan, a Lakewood resident, is the founder and Chief Executive Officer (CEO) of Tierra Sólida Enterprises, which is dedicated to building and sustaining businesses and economies and helping people who are economically disadvantaged discover lives that are more purposeful. Trustee Duncan’s career also includes overseeing the renovation and development of buildings and teaching high school and higher education students.

Previously Duncan worked as the President and CEO of the Metropolitan Development Council and the Human Services Manager with the City of Tacoma. Duncan also serves on the Washington Low-Income Housing Alliance and serves as the Chair of its Equity and Racial Justice Committee. Trustee Duncan is a tremendous community volunteer and was a long-time tutor with Tacoma Community House’s Read2Me Program and an elementary school volunteer.

Duncan is the Board Chair of the Tacoma-Pierce County Affordable Housing Consortium, Board Chair of the Washington State Community Action Partnership, and a member of the American Red Cross, South Puget Sound and Olympics Chapter.

Trustee Duncan has worked for more than 30 years in community building and economic development, education and grant-making for nonprofit and public sector organizations. 

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