Our Team

Executive Director of Readiness To Learn + the South Whidbey Community Center

Gail holds a B.A. in Human Services & Education from Western Washington University.

Recognized for her work on rural homelessness and family support, she's a frequent speaker at conferences and a recipient of "Best Administrator" from the National Association for the Education of Homeless Children.

With 28 years of marriage and two adult children, Gail resides in South Whidbey.

Co-Executive Director, Readiness To Learn

Cailyn, a graduate of South Whidbey High School and Western Washington University's Human Services Program, joined Readiness To Learn in 2017.

Prior to working her magic at Readiness To Learn, she supported adults and youth with intellectual disabilities, helping them achieve their goals.

Active in her community, Cailyn is a secretary of the SW CARES Coalition, a founding member of RTL’s R.A.C.E. group, a leader in Girl Scouts and the Whidbey Children’s Theatre board. Cailyn is driven by a desire to foster belonging and acceptance in her community.

Along with her husband Ken and two children, Tevrin and June, she enjoys traveling and caring for their pets and home in Clinton.

Family Support Specialist + South Whidbey School District's Homeless Liaison

Mary's start with Readiness To Learn began in 2011, following her graduation from Washington State University's online program in Human Development.

Connecting and supporting families is her passion. She loves walking alongside people in order to try to help make their lives a little easier.

Having moved to South Whidbey in 1989, she cherishes the community and can't imagine living anywhere else. She lives with her wonderful husband, bossy elderly dog and floofy orange (one time fair grand champion) cat.

Administrative Support Specialist + Print Production

A graduate of Skagit Valley College, Crystal has been a part of Readiness To Learn for over a decade. Initially an Office Assistant, she now greets visitors at the front desk since returning to RTL in June 2021.

Her unique insight, as a former recipient of services, shapes key programs like Back to School and Holiday House.

Raised on Whidbey Island, she has two adult children who attended South Whidbey Schools.

Academic Coach for SWES and SWMS + Communications Lead for Readiness To Learn

Nic grew up mostly in Honolulu, part time in Oak Harbor and graduated from University of Washington with a dual B.A. in Anthropology and Medical Anthropology/Global Health. She headed to New York City after graduation, moved to Austin from there and finally landed in San Francisco where she and her family spent nearly 20 years. One last move brought them back to Whidbey when they moved to Langley in early 2020.

Nic worked in special education at South Whidbey Elementary and transitioned to a position with Readiness To Learn when she took over as Academic Coach for McKinney-Vento students in TK-8th grades. Nic comes to us with 20+ years of executive level marketing and communications experience and is also our communications lead.

When she’s not listening to incredibly loud music, she can be found barefoot at the beach, hiking with her kids, reading all the books and loving up every dog she comes across.

Academic Coach for SWMS and SWHS + Youth Engagement Specialist

Jenny grew up on Whidbey Island and graduated from the University of Washington in 2006 with a degree in History. After graduating from college Jenny started a business training horses and riders for the sport of three-day eventing which she successfully ran for 14 years, producing many top performing horse and rider pairs. In 2021, Jenny completed a yearlong program in Social and Human Services at Seattle Central College and found herself back on Whidbey, reconnecting to her roots.

Jenny has always had a passion for working with and mentoring youth and a strong desire to give back to the community she grew up in. She believes firmly in equity and inclusion as paramount to creating strong communities for both families and individuals of all ages. She was a volunteer for Readiness To Learn's Tutor Time program before stepping into the role of Youth Engagement Specialist as well the Academic Coach for McKinney-Vento students in 6th-12th grade. Jenny is inspired by working with and listening to students and enthusiastic about finding the best ways to advocate for them.

In her free time, she loves spending as much time as possible with all her animals on her and her mom’s farm in Clinton, seeing live music, skiing in the winter, hiking year-round and paddleboarding in the summer!

Office Administrator

Em grew up in the Los Angeles area with a family of artists and “movie biz folks'' and has lived on Whidbey Island for almost a decade.

Em previously worked for U.S. Bank as a teller, banker and dual branch manager, receiving the Legends of Possible Award in 2017. Em served for two years on the Whidbey Homeless Coalition’s Board of Directors which awakened their love for community service and led them to Readiness To Learn. They are thrilled to be RTL's Office Administrator and the Office Manager for the South Whidbey Community Center, where they can be active in the community and work to make it a better place with connection and creativity.

Em graduated from Skagit Valley College’s 2023 Leadership Whidbey cohort and currently serves as Treasurer for South Whidbey Pride, an organization promoting LGBTQIA+ joy which serves to plan the South Whidbey Pride Parade and create connection and community through celebration. Em is passionate about community, inclusion, equity, and creating joy and belonging for all.

Organizational Effectiveness Project Manager

A native Northwesterner, Rebecca has traveled around the world and back to call South Whidbey her home.

Having recently completed an MBA with a concentration in Leadership and Teams, Rebecca is excited to serve as an Americorps VISTA this year, utilizing her love of big picture thinking to give RTL a boost in organizational effectiveness and impact.

Rebecca’s biggest dream is for all people to thrive. She is overjoyed to launch a phase of her career where she gets to focus her energies on helping transform workplaces as agents of positive social and environmental change.

As a former international flight attendant and global social impact entrepreneur, Rebecca still takes joy in learning about world cultures, appreciating world cuisines and learning languages. She is currently close to having a one year daily Duolingo learning streak where she challenges her brain to learn multiple languages.

Her biggest joys are her family and friends, especially her daughter and mom who she is so blessed to live with and experience life together.