STAFF
ALEX PETERSON
Communications Manager
Alex (she/her) joined Coyote Central in the summer of 2019 as Engagement Manager for the new Lake City location. She moved to Seattle from Virginia in 2018, spending a year as an AmeriCorps VISTA with the Hunger Intervention Program. During that year, she discovered that Lake City is an incredibly diverse neighborhood bustling with engaged community members - which is why she’s excited to work there again! Before moving to Seattle, Alex spent 2.5 years as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Benin, teaching English and facilitating girls and boys camps. Working with youth in a community is something that she finds very important and deeply enjoyable, and she can’t wait to continue promoting equity and creative problem solving through the arts. While Coyote Central’s Lake City location is in hibernation, Alex is working as Communications Manager and having a blast collaborating with other artists and running Coyote’s website, newsletter, and social media. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Music and English from the University of Virginia, as well as an enormous sweet tooth.
Fun fact: Alex was Music Director from 2012-2014 for an all-female a cappella group at UVA called the Virginia Sil’hooettes. Check them out!
alex@coyotecentral.org
ASHANTI DAVIS
Program Director
Ashanti (she/her) joined Coyote Central as Programs Director in August 2023. She is an Artist, Critical Thinker, Social Justice Advocate, and Arts and Culture Firestarter who believes in the power of art and creativity to create meaningful change in the world. Originally from San Diego, CA, Ashanti received her received a BA in Creative Arts and Communications from Richmond American International University in London in 2009, and an MA in Museum Studies and Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Johns Hopkins University in 2021. She is a diligent plant mom and a lover of outdoor adventures.
Fun Fact: Ashanti is presently reconnecting and reimagining her creative practice through mixed-media painting inspired by her new home in the Pacific Northwest.
ashanti@coyotecentral.org
ASHLEY FORD
Development Director
Ashley (she/they) joined Coyote Central as Director of Development in August of 2023. Originally from NC, where they received their Bachelors of Science in Public Health from NC State University (Go Pack!), Ashley moved to Seattle in July 2019 and has been living in the Lake City neighborhood with their partner and two cats, Prim & Rue, ever since. They have been a musician for over 15 years and have a passion for serving the arts community, currently performing as a flautist with the Rainbow City Band. Additionally, Ashley is a fierce advocate for equity and inclusion, currently chairing the board for the Young Nonprofit Professionals Network (YNPN) of Seattle and serving as a member of the Seattle City LGBTQ+ Commission. In their free time, you can find Ashley on a local hiking trail or trying to find the best lavender latte in town. They enjoy connecting over coffee and love meeting people who want to explore and disrupt inequitable systems.
Fun Fact: Ashley loves rocks and likes to spend their time rockhounding!
ashley@coyotecentral.org
JEN SMOOSE
Director of Finance and Administration
Jen (she/her) has been a part of the Coyote Central community since 2017 teaching Digital Photography. In September of that year, she joined the Coyote team as Operations Manager. She earned her MFA in Visual Arts from University of Chicago in 2013 and holds degrees from American University and the School of the Art Institute of Chicago. Jen has held a variety of media design and content development positions, and is an experienced photographer and photo editor, having worked for the Washingtonian Magazine and Encyclopedia Britannica. She has been a Seattle-area Teaching Artist since 2016, and was a member of the 2016-17 TAT Lab cohort. Her artistic practice, which encompasses photography, sculpture, and sound installation, focuses on the human relationship to the universe and our (in)ability to know. Originally from the Philadelphia area, Jen enjoys coffee, art, and space.
Fun fact: Jen loves puzzles and is an amateur astrologer. She loves doing star charts on her friends and colleagues.
jen@coyotecentral.org
MARIJKE KEYSER
Facilities Manager
Marijke (she/her) joined Coyote Central as a Teaching Artist in 2019, working with students on a Hit the Streets public art project. She loves to try new things, so since then, she has taught design, comics, stop motion, printmaking, and woodshop. Her favorite part of working at Coyote Central is getting to see young artists mastering new tools, methods, and ways of thinking. Originally from Wenatchee, WA, Marijke got her BFA from UW in Seattle, and her MFA from the Slade School of Fine Art in London.
Fun facts: Marijke loves to play music and find weird sources of sound. Her ongoing project for the last few years: building a marimba from a bunch of different PNW wood species.
marijke@coyotecentral.org
MARLETTE BUCHANAN
Executive Director
Marlette (she/her) joined Coyote Central as Executive Director in the Fall of 2023. She previously served as Director of Program Services with Launch, and prior to that she was the Executive Director of Seattle Music Partners. She also served as the Arts & Community Development Manager for Pierce County government, leading two Community Services Department divisions. Marlette currently sits on the Board of Trustees at Inspire Washington and is a faculty member at Pacific Lutheran University, where she shares her love of the arts by teaching in the music and theater departments.
As a performing artist, Marlette has recorded with a broad range of recording artists and has been seen on stages in the Northwest, including the 5th Avenue Theatre, Seattle Opera, and Village Theatre. Additionally, she can be heard as the soloist in the film documentary Freedom Riders (2010) and seen in the feature movie The Details (2011). Marlette holds a Master's degree from Boston University and a Bachelor of Arts from Fisk University, and she is currently completing her Doctorate in Educational Leadership from the University of the Cumberlands.
Fun fact: In middle school, Marlette qualified for the Junior Olympics in swimming.
marlette@coyotecentral.org
MEGAN CASTILLO
Program Manager
Megan (she/her) joined Coyote Central as Program Manager the summer of 2023. Before working at Coyote Central, Megan was the Program Manager for Town Hall Seattle, where she booked author talks, musical performances, and other events. Born and raised in Hawai’i, Megan moved to Seattle in 2011 to pursue Digital Design and Art History at Seattle University. While at Seattle U, Megan found a passion for working with youth through volunteering with K-5 tutoring programs at Bailey Gatzert Elementary. Outside of her work at Coyote Central, Megan spends her time gardening, crocheting, and making miniatures. Megan enjoys working in mediums that allow her to use unconventional materials, try new techniques, and be messy.
Fun fact: Megan recently won 1st place for a handmade dollhouse at the Puyallup State Fair. Go Megan!
megan@coyotecentral.org
MEGHAN GARFINK
Engagement Manager
Meghan (she/her) joined the Coyote Central team as the Engagement Manager in January 2022. From a young age, Meghan has loved performing, whether it was for family, friends, or anyone who would listen. When she was 5, she enrolled in Irish dance lessons at her local community center and fell in love. She went on to dance at the elite level: competing in competitions all around the world. She eventually went on to compete at the World Championships! Today, she gets her performing fix as a DJ, playing all kinds of her favorite music for her friends. When not at Coyote Central, Meghan can be found exploring new coffee shops, going for walks, paddleboarding, and singing too loudly in the car.
Fun Fact: Meghan loves all things ocean: tidepooling, sea slugs, sea breeze, etc., and tries to go to the beach at least once a week.
meghan@coyotecentral.org
KARA TOVES
Engagement Intern
Kara (she/her) joined Coyote Central in October 2023 as the Engagement Intern. She was raised in Mukilteo, Washington and is now attending the University of Washington where she will earn her degree in Education, Communities, and Organizations. Kara has spent many summers at Associated Washington Student Leader (AWSL) leadership camps as both a camper and counselor. Through her time there, she developed a passion for working alongside students and educators. She is stoked to have the chance to experience others grow as individuals and creatives here at Coyote Central. Outside of Coyote Central, Kara can be found baking bread, playing volleyball, or exploring jewelry making.
Fun Fact: Kara loves journaling and scrapbooking. She has kept all of her journals and some even go as far back as third grade.
intern-central@coyotecentral.org