Board of Directors
Are you interested in serving on Skagit Legal Aid’s Board of Directors? Or do you know someone else who is passionate about our mission?
Submit a nomination today! Information provided will be reviewed by our Board Development Committee.
Gail Smith
Co-Chairperson
Gail R. Smith (he/him) is retired from the active practice of law since May 2022. He most recently served as a staff attorney at Northwest Justice Project (NJP) in the Bellingham field office where his practice was focused on representing seniors. He is a graduate of Stanford University and the University of Washington Law School. He was admitted to the Washington State Bar and the Federal Court for the Western District of Washington in 1976.
Gail’s work history from 1972 until 1981 includes serving as a community organizer for the Central Seattle Community Council Federation, a legal intern for the Central Area Office of Seattle Legal Services, a contributor to the Law Students Civil Rights Research Council (LSCRRC) project on mortgage redlining practices by lenders is Seattle, a staff attorney for the Puyallup Tribe of Indians, and Co-Director of the Seattle Indian Center Legal Services Program.
In 1981 he established a private general law practice in Mount Vernon; subsequently, he and Gary T. Jones established the law firm of Jones and Smith in 1988. The practice included domestic relations, Indian Child Welfare Act, estate planning, guardianships, real estate, housing, small business, Social Security disability, and bankruptcy law. In 2015 he closed his private practice and was hired by NJP to design and implement a pilot project to assist Volunteer Lawyer Programs increase the level of pro bono attorney participation through mentoring.
Gail has a deep commitment to Access to Justice and racial equity. Gail was one of the co-founders of the Skagit Volunteer Lawyer Program in 1986 (the predecessor of Skagit Legal Aid) and was an active volunteer as well as serving as the chairperson of the Steering Committee of that organization. He is currently a Board member of LAW Advocates in Bellingham and the Padilla Bay Foundation. He is also a member of the Washington Pro Bono Council, the Campaign for Equal Justice Board, and the Community Action of Skagit County Planning and Engagement Committee.
Gail received the Skagit County Bar Association’s Professionalism Award in 2003, the Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) Pro Bono Award in 2008, and the WSBA Local Hero Award in 2015 in recognition of his activities and commitment to pro bono legal representation. In 2019 he received the NJP Power of Community award. In 2022 the WSBA presented him with the Lifetime Service Award in recognition of his contributions during his legal career.
Gail has previously served as chairperson and vice-chairperson of the Skagit County Bar Association as well as an officer or member of other organizations like the Legal Aid Committee, the Pro Bono and Legal Aid Committee and the Legislative Committee of the WSBA. He served on the Skagit Valley College Paralegal Advisory Committee. He has served as a Precinct Committee Officer and chair of the Administrative Council of his church and while his children were on various sports teams he coached youth basketball, soccer, and baseball.
Heather Webb
Vice Chairperson
Heather D. Webb (she/her) is the Managing Shareholder of the Burlington, Bellingham, and Wenatchee offices of GLP Attorneys. Heather has worked in the legal field since 1990, beginning as a paralegal and ultimately becoming an attorney through the Washington State Bar Association’s Rule 6 Law Clerk program in 2007. The law clerk program, which provides an alternative to the traditional law school route, combines a theoretical, scholastic, and clinical experience. She now leads the Burlington, Bellingham, and Wenatchee offices of GLP Attorneys and practices in Skagit, Whatcom, Island, Chelan, Douglas, San Juan, and Okanogan Counties. She is an integral part of the firm’s Trucking Injury practice group, and is also a member of the Academy of Truck Accident Attorneys.
Heather is fluent in Spanish, having majored in the language at the University of Washington. She now provides representation to all GLP Attorneys’ Spanish-speaking clients across the state. She is passionate about representing her clients, which has resulted in winning favorable verdicts for them in trial. She enjoys understanding her clients’ stories and conveying them in her representation and advocacy.
When Heather is not working, she spends as much time as she can with her husband and two children.
Laurence Blakely
Secretary
Laurence Blakely (she/her) has worked for the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community since February 2020. She served as the Director of the Swionomish Defense Services from 2020 to 2023. She is currently an Attorney with the Office of Tribal Attorney.
In her role as a public defender , she provided rigorous representation to individuals accused of crimes in Swinomish Tribal Court and advised tribal leadership on criminal legal system policies and expanded tribal criminal jurisdiction under federal acts. Her efforts aim to reduce the impact of the criminal legal system on individuals and the community, building partnerships with various service providers to improve client outcomes.
Before her positions with the Swinomish Indian Tribal Community, Laurence served as an Assistant Public Defender in the Appellate Section of the Alaska Public Defender Agency, representing indigent Alaskans in a variety of appeals. She also has experience as an Associate Attorney at Mendel & Associates, Inc., and as a Law Clerk to the Chief Judge of the Alaska Court of Appeals.
Laurence holds a Juris Doctor from the University of Washington School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts in Portuguese and Brazilian Studies and International Relations from Brown University. She is admitted to practice law in Alaska, Washington, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the Swinomish Tribal Court.
Laurence's commitment to legal advocacy is further demonstrated through her continuing legal education and active membership in various professional associations. Fluent in French and Portuguese, she brings a wealth of experience and a passion for justice to the board of Skagit Legal Aid..
Kat Lohman
Treasurer
Kat Lohman is a dedicated social services professional with extensive experience in nonprofit leadership and advocacy for marginalized populations, particularly youth. Kat is committed to fostering healing and healthy communities and brings a well-rounded perspective to Skagit Legal Aid’s mission through her professional and personal experiences.
As the Executive Director of Social Impact at the Skagit Valley Family YMCA, she oversees programs like the Oasis Teen Shelter and leads strategic initiatives to support the community. Kat has a deep connection to Skagit Legal Aid, having first learned about civil legal services in the Skagit Valley during her time as an AmeriCorps VISTA member.
Kat Lohman holds a Bachelor of Science in Marketing Communications with a Minor in Sociology from Emerson College.
Nathaniel Block
Coming Soon!
Marta Martinez Olivera
Marta Martinez Olivera (she/her) is a dedicated Supervisor at Catholic Community Services Farmworker Center with eight years of experience in her field. Marta has a deep commitment to serving the Indigenous, Hispanic, and Latino farmworker community. Through her work, she connects families to essential resources, including Skagit Legal Aid.
Marta's background as a member of an Indigenous farmworker family gives her a unique perspective on the challenges faced by underserved communities in the Skagit Valley. In her personal and professonal background, she has witnessed firsthand the positive impact of empowering individuals to overcome barriers.
She holds an AA Degree in Human Services. Marta is passionate about advocating for equitable and just support for the Indigenous farmworker community.
Josefina Ramirez
Josefina Cerrillo-Ramirez (she/her) is the Managing Attorney with Northwest Justice Project’s Bellingham office. She has been with NJP since 2007. She practices family law and public housing eviction defense.
Prior to working at NJP, she was with the Skagit County Volunteer Lawyer Program for five years where she represented domestic violence victims in family law litigation. Josefina is a graduate of Skagit Valley College, Western Washington University and the University of Washington School of Law.
Advisory Board
Annalise Martucci
Annalise Martucci (she/her) is an attorney employed by the Washington State Office of Civil Legal Aid. As the Domestic Violence and Victims of Crime Program Manager, Annalise oversees funds appropriated by the state legislature to legal service programs across the state. Previously she has been an Assistant Managing Attorney at Northwest Justice Project, Owner of Martucci Law PLLC, and Paralegal Studies Instructor at Whatcom Community College.
As a Northwest native, former small business owner, and with a deep commitment to serving her community, Annalise brings a unique viewpoint and enthusiasm to Skagit Legal Aid (SLA). In October 2022, she received the Local Hero Award for her work with SLA, which she has been involved with since 2017 (formerly Skagit Volunteer Lawyer Program). In 2018 she was honored by the Washington State Bar Association as an Outstanding Young Lawyer, awarded to an attorney for significant contributions to the professional community, especially the community of young lawyers, within their initial years of practice.
Annalise has a Bachelor’s degree from the the University of Washington and a J.D. from New England School of Law, where she graduated magna cum laude. She lives in Mount Vernon with her husband and son.
Eva Wescott
Eva Wescott (she/her) is the Senior Managing Attorney for Client Access at the Northwest Justice Project (NJP). She works with the teams that focus on coordinated intake through CLEAR and that provide public legal information on www.washingtonlawhelp.org. Before coming to NJP, Eva was the Skagit Legal Aid program manager from 2011-2016.
Eva serves as an Advisory Member of the Skagit Legal Aid Board of Directors.
Eva grew up just south of Skagit County, graduating from Marysville Pilchuck High School. She is a graduate of Everett Community College, the University of Washington, and Seattle University School of Law.