BGRC is governed by a Board of Directors made up of experienced professionals and emergent leaders from the Bellingham community!
Board members collaborate to find the most effective lane for the organization in fighting to dismantle white supremacy and racist systems. We are in conversation about what it means to be a part of the Nonprofit Industrial Complex, and how to better support community leaders already doing the work in the fight for justice.
Board meetings focus on generative conversations about why we do the work, strategy for how to get it done, and fiduciary "house keeping" to keep us operational (the money stuff). The Board and Staff are made up of diverse individuals with different identities, experiences, and perspectives.
Meet The Staff
Mickey Wells-Teich (They/Them) is the Executive Director at Bellingham Girls Rock Camp. She began volunteering for Rock Camp in 2015 while a student at Fairhaven College; Mickey graduated with an Interdisciplinary Concentration titled “Identity Development through Music & Audio Technology”, as well as a minor in Audio Technology, Music, & Society, and a minor in Psychology. Starting camp as an instrument instructor, and growing to become a co-director has been such an inspiring experience for Mickey; being a part of camp culture continues to move and change her every day. Mickey is a bassist in a psychedelic band called I Love You Alive, Girl, bassist in indie rock band The Lettered Streets, and has an acoustic pop-punk solo project. She has a huge passion for helping people, especially youth, to discover new parts of their identities and to learn about themselves and their strengths - Mickey believes that music is an important tool to help this process, and the international Rock Camp movement is a reflection of that.
Stephanie Huss (She/Her) is the Program Director of Bellingham Girls Rock Camp. She first volunteered for camp in 2016 and looks forward to it each year since; Beyond supporting the growth of the incredible young rock stars in the community, the culture the camp creates, and the human connections it fosters, “truly feeds my soul,” says Stephanie. She graduated from Western Washington University in 2019 with a BA in English and a Secondary Education endorsement and a minor in Psychology, with prospects to return to studying education in the future. The culture of camp has not only continuously inspired Stephanie’s development as a leader and educator, but has given her the courage to explore her own inner rock star and evolve her abilities as a musician as well. Through being a part of this camp, Stephanie is able to support the youth in our community in having the same opportunity to feel empowered by chasing their own creative curiosities. She is so excited to be more involved in camp this year and looks forward to working with such a hardworking and compassionate group of community leaders.
Stephanie Huss
Program Director
Mickey Wells-Teich
Executive Director
Meet The
Board
Mark Miyake
President
Riley Currie
Vice President
Riley Currie is the Vice President of Bellingham Girls Rock Camp. She received her BA in journalism and public relations from Western Washington University with minors in philosophy and Holocaust/genocide studies in 2021, and has worked in grassroots media (in some shape or form!) since moving to Bellingham in 2018. She's currently the outreach coordinator at Make.Shift Art Space, a DIY gallery and venue in downtown Bellingham. Riley is especially passionate about grassroots media, food and food sovereignty, and empowering young folks.
Ash Nickolaychuk
Treasurer
Ash Nickolaychuk (She/They) is the Treasurer of Bellingham Girls Rock Camp. She has been a part of the Bellingham music scene since 2015 when she started studying at Western Washington University. Her love of music production and audio engineering was fostered through Fairhaven College’s audio program and KUGS radio station where she learned how to turn her love of music into a career. Through working as an audio engineer, volunteering at music venues, and recording local musicians, Ash has learned how to share their passions and help others discover new things about themselves. Through Bellingham Girls Rock Camp, she hopes to continue helping others learn and use music as a tool for personal growth.
Mark Miyake has been teaching and advising students at Fairhaven College of Interdisciplinary Studies at Western Washington University in his capacity as Assistant Professor of Music and Society and leading their program in Audio Technology, Music, and Society since 2015. In this time, he has served on the Board of Trustees for Humanities Washington, on the Board of the Center for Washington Cultural Traditions, and on the Boards of several local organizations including Make.Shift Art Space. He has also served as President of the Northwest Chapter of the Society for Ethnomusicology and on national and regional award and funding panels for the National Endowment for the Arts and the Washington State Arts Commission. He also serves on several committees focused on equity issues in state and national organizations including the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Committee of Humanities Washington, and the Cultural Diversity Committee and the Committee on Contingent Workforce Concerns of the American Folklore Society. Prior to joining Western Washington University’s faculty, Mark served as Assistant Professor of The Arts and Social Sciences at Empire State College of the State University of New York and as the college-wide faculty convener for their Arts programs. During his time on the East Coast, Mark also served as the Chair of the Folk Arts Panel of the New York State Council for the Arts as well as on other boards and panels for NYSCA and the New York Foundation for the Arts, and as the President of the Middle Atlantic Folklife Association. He holds a MA and PhD in Folklore and Ethnomusicology from Indiana University, and has played in dozens of punk, heavy metal, bluegrass, jazz, country, Shona, rock, and salsa bands in Chicago, New York, San Francisco, Indiana, and Bellingham since 1990. Mark’s family immigrated to the U.S. when he was two years old; this has greatly influenced his approach to understanding the arts in their cultural contexts.
Ezra Anisman
Secretary
Ezra Anisman (they/them) is a sound designer and composer originally from Berkeley, California. They completed their bachelors at Western Washington University, where they studied theatre, audio recording, and storytelling. They received their MFA in sound design from UC Irvine in 2021. Since then Ezra has returned to Western Washington University to teach classes in the Audio Technology, Music, and Society Minor
Ezra is a sound designer because they love telling stories. They are inspired by the power stories have to move people and bring people together. They are especially interested in nonlinear stories and other alternative story structures. They add their quirky flair to various freelance projects.
Olivia Theilemann
Outreach Director
Olivia has served as an arts educator in the Bellingham community for the last 9 years and is currently very stoked to be the Artistic Director of the Bellingham Arts Academy for Youth. Olivia received her BA in Theatre Arts and Secondary Education from Western Washington University and began teaching for Bellingham Public Schools after graduating. Last year, Olivia completed graduate school and received her Masters in Education in Instructional Design. Olivia is thrilled to join the board of the Bellingham Girls Rock Camp and cannot wait to foster more arts education opportunities for the youth of Bellingham.