Leadership Biographies — Make-A-Wish Alaska and Washington

Trina Cottingham

President & CEO
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Trina Cottingham serves as the President and CEO of Make-A-Wish Alaska & Washington, bringing decades of experience in philanthropy and program leadership to her role. Throughout her long tenure, she has guided all facets of program delivery — from medical outreach and volunteer services to the heart of our mission: wish granting. Under her program leadership, the chapter has granted nearly 7,750 wishes, more than 1,400 of which she has personally coordinated. She is a well-respected thought leader in the Make-A-Wish enterprise, valued for her deep knowledge, experience and unwavering commitment to program delivery and our mission. Other program accomplishments include cross-chapter mentorship and service on National Committees & Task Forces. Known for her empathetic leadership style, Trina has a unique gift for listening deeply and meeting people where they are. Trina holds a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Washington.

Bre Brennan

Senior Director of Data & Information Services
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With more than 18 years at Make‑A‑Wish Alaska & Washington, Bre Brennan serves as Senior Director of Data & Information Services. During her tenure, she has built and scaled the chapter’s data infrastructure across three offices — overseeing system administration for various CRMs, managing IT operations and producing analytics that power fundraising, mission delivery and financial reporting. Known for the belief that “strong, reliable data is the backbone of every wish we fulfill,” Bre leads team training, help‑desk support and end‑to‑end data flow for campaigns and events. She holds a Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt certification and earned a Bachelor of Arts and Master of Arts in International Studies from the University of Washington.

Lauren Davies

Bilingual Senior Director, Wishes
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With a decade on staff at Make‑A‑Wish Alaska and Washington, Lauren Davies serves as the Bilingual Senior Director of Wishes, leading both the referral and medical outreach team, and the talented team responsible for bringing life‑changing wishes to children across Alaska and Washington. A fluent Spanish speaker, Lauren plays a key role in ensuring that Spanish‑speaking children and families experience the wish journey with comfort, clarity and joy. Lauren began at Make‑A‑Wish in 2016 as a Wish and Administrative Coordinator and gained hands‑on experience in various roles that now inform her leadership of the wish team. Lauren is a graduate of Whitworth University and holds dual Bachelor of Arts in Communications and Spanish, as well as an MBA in Healthcare Management.

Janine Lee

Director of People & Culture
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With more than 16 years of experience at Make-A-Wish Alaska & Washington, Janine Lee has grown from wish intern to Director of People & Culture, shaping HR strategy, staff development, organizational wellness, and diversity, equity, and inclusion across the chapter’s three offices. Her career includes progressive roles spanning operations, HR management, and administrative leadership, all grounded in empathy and a belief that supporting staff leads to life-changing experiences for wish families. Janine is a proud University of Washington alumna with a Bachelor of Arts in Communications and a minor in Japanese, and she credits her cross-cultural background — along with her community advisory work with the InspirASIAN+ Employee Network — for fostering belonging, cohesion, and an inclusive culture.

Lauren Martin

Vice President of Advancement
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Lauren Martin brings more than 18 years of fundraising experience to her role as Vice President of Advancement at Make-A-Wish Alaska & Washington, where she leads a high-performing team focused on revenue growth and donor engagement. She enjoys developing teams and building relationships with donors. Since joining the chapter in 2019, both revenue and relationships with donors have grown significantly, and she feels lucky to work with some of the best colleagues in fundraising. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in English and a Master of Business Administration from Stetson University in DeLand, FL. In her free time, she loves being with her daughter, reading, skiing, hiking, cooking and can be found at her local Barre studio several days a week.

Angela Miller

Vice President, Regional & Volunteer Programs
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Angela Miller brings more than two decades of dedication to Make-A-Wish Alaska & Washington, where she currently serves as Vice President of Regional & Volunteer Programs. Since beginning her journey as a Wish-Granting volunteer in 2002, she has grown into a seasoned nonprofit leader known for strengthening regional engagement, cultivating volunteer networks and building strong community partnerships that ensure every child’s wish is delivered with compassion and connection. Angela has been deeply involved in community service roles throughout her career, including mentoring, classroom volunteering, PTA and longstanding support of local nonprofits. Her leadership is rooted in the belief that participating in a child’s wish fosters true community connection — a philosophy reflected in the impact of the programs she leads. She is a graduate of Gonzaga University with a Bachelor of Arts in English and Secondary Education and is a Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP).

Jeannette Tarcha

Vice President of Communications & Marketing
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Jeannette Tarcha thrives at the intersection of creativity and strategy, bringing more than 30 years of experience building high-impact marketing, media and public relations initiatives across nonprofit, corporate and higher education sectors. As Vice President of Communications and Marketing at Make-A-Wish Alaska & Washington, she has spent nearly 25 years transforming bold ideas into measurable results — leading mass marketing campaigns, forging enduring media and community partnerships, strengthening and protecting brand reputation and driving revenue through compelling, mission-centered storytelling. A dynamic communicator and natural connector, Jeannette is known for crafting narratives that spark action and get results. She’s passionate about helping others to achieve success. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism with an external specialty in Marketing from Michigan State University, is a Certified Nonprofit Professional (CNP) and is a Lean Six Sigma Yellow Belt graduate.

Make-A-Wish^® Alaska & Washington

Leadership