Staff

John R. Burbank, Executive Director

John Burbank has a Master of Public Administration from the Graduate School of Public Affairs at the University of Washington and a B.A. from Evergreen State College. Before founding EOI, John was project manager of the Sand Point Community Housing Association, political director of the Washington State Labor Council, staff coordinator for the Washington State Senate, and director for the Community Labor Coalition in Rhode Island. He speaks Finnish and has published in the Journal of Finnish Studies. | Contact John

Marilyn Watkins, Ph.D., Policy Director

Marilyn Watkins joined EOI in 1999. Her areas of expertise include work/family balance, Social Security, the state economy, and state revenue policy. She has been appointed to the Governor’s Commission on Transforming Washington’s Budget (2010), the Joint Legislative Taskforce on Family Leave Insurance (2007), the Seattle Public Library Strategic Advisory Committee (2010), and serves on the executive committee of Family Values @ Work Multi-State Consortium. Before joining EOI, Marilyn worked as a historical consultant for Northwest tribes and taught courses in Pacific Northwest and American women's history. She earned a B.A. in Social Studies at Harvard and Ph.D. in History at the University of Michigan, specializing in U.S. social and political history. | Contact Marilyn

Kathleen Barry, Development Director

Kathleen Barry is a nonprofit fundraising and development professional. Born and raised in suburban Chicago, Kathleen moved to Seattle to attend graduate school. She holds a BA from Bradley University in Peoria, Illinois, a JD from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, and an LLM from the University of Washington. Kathleen practiced law, focusing on criminal appellate defense, before turning her energy to programs that might help prevent someone from becoming part of the criminal justice system. She has worked to raise support and build the capacity of programs that help children with disabilities, homeless teens, families and veterans, and people living in poverty. | Contact Kathleen

Gary Burris, Senior Policy Associate

Gary Burris earned a Master of Public Policy from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government and a BA from The Evergreen State College. Prior to joining EOI, Gary was the Assistant Director for Quality in the Department of Early Learning. He also worked for the Department of Social and Health Services, Division of Child Care and Early Learning, the Oregon Commission on Children and Families, The Evergreen State College's Center for Educational Improvement and the Washington legislature. | Contact Gary

Aaron Keating, Communications Director

Aaron Keating holds a Master of Public Administration from the Evans School of Public Affairs at the University of Washington, and a B.A. in Music from Lewis and Clark College in Portland, OR. Before joining EOI, Aaron worked as Communications and Technology Manager for Port Jobs, Outreach Coordinator for the Center for Environmental Law and Policy, and Program Director at the YMCA of Tacoma-Kitsap County. | Contact Aaron

Alex Stone, Communications and Technology Manager

Alex earned his BA in Political Science from Seattle University in 2008. He began as a Summer Intern for EOI, and became a full-time staff member in June of 2010. Prior to joining EOI, Alex worked as an intern for Save Our Wild Salmon and was the President of the Seattle University Rugby Club. | Contact Alex

Tatsuko go Hollo, Policy Associate

Tatsuko earned a Master of Social Work degree at the University of Washington and a BA in Biology and Psychology from the University of Colorado. Before joining EOI, Tatsuko served in AmeriCorps, working with homeless and low-income families. She also worked with the Public Policy and Government Relations team at United Way of King County, where she assisted with policy advocacy efforts to support at-risk communities. | Contact Tatsuko