Jenn has an 8th grader at Mercer and her daughter, now a junior at Franklin, also attended. This year is a growing year for the PTSA and her vision is to bring more involvement, opportunity and enthusiasm to our school community. She would like to see many diverse voices represented among our parent group and be a place where we foster creative ideas and bring them to life. This is an exciting year for Mercer and our beautiful new surroundings will uplift and encourage us to dream big! 

Gina Englund is the parent of an incoming 6th grader and a former Mercer Mustang who is now attending Garfield HS. She will be leading communications for the PTSA this year and supporting 8th grade promotion.

Serve as liaison with the school racial equity team and organize any relevant workshops or trainings. 

A rare Seattle native, Erin lives just two blocks from Mercer with her husband and their three children, a sixth grader, second grader, and  preschooler. Erin was on the board at King Street Co-operative Preschool for seven years, six of those as Co-Chair. Last year she was a member of the PTSA at Thurgood Marshall Elementary, where she edited their weekly newsletter, the Pup Press, and served on the Building Leadership Team. Currently, she is serving as the Volunteer Coordinator for Maple Elementary’s PTSA.

When she isn’t chasing after children, Erin is a Senior Associate Faculty at University of Phoenix, where she teaches critical thinking and general studies, works in assessment, and serves on the Faculty Council. Erin’s other passion is writing, and she is working on a memoir about IVF and mental health from a neurodivergent perspective. She also runs an editing service called Three Black Cats Editing.

Erin Okuno is a two-time parent of Mercer students. She's been involved in several PTAs and many other community projects. She represents parent voices as our member of the Building Leadership Team (BLT).

Maria a is mom an 8th grader. She’s a corporate attorney by day and does staff appreciation for PTSA.

Katy is the mom of an 8th grader and a 5th grader at Rising Star Elementary. In her day job, she’s an author and newsletter writer. She also volunteers as a chapter leader for Integrated Schools.

Stephanie Gruss is the parent of a 6th grader at Mercer and a 3rd grader at Thurgood Marshall. Her family consists of the two kiddos and my spouse, they have a Clifford-sized dog, and a floofy Maine Coon cat. We live in North Beacon Hill and spend their summers camping as much as possible. She’s a PNW native and has a deeply ingrained love for jumping in puddles and playing in the cold Pacific Ocean. You'll see her crocheting at meetings to keep her hands busy and my mind focused. She’s excited to continue my involvement with SESSFA as the Mercer Middle School site lead.

Summer Gallagher is the parent of a 6th grader at Mercer and also has a son recently promoted from Mercer who is now a Freshman in high school.  She has over 25 years experience in the field of Social Services.  Summer is excited to bring her experience and enthusiasm to the PTSA in the role of Volunteer coordinator to help support the Mustang community.

Beth is a mother of two children in SPS: an 8th grader at Mercer and 5th grader at Maple Elementary. She is passionate about supporting public schools, both as a mom and as a professional. (She works remotely as an assistant professor of applied behavior analysis at a private university in California where she teaches behavior specialists and teachers how to best support students with behavior challenges.) Beth volunteered for the PTSA because she wants to give back to the Beacon Hill community that has supported her children for over a decade. 

Anna works on recruitment and tracking of PTSA members and collaborates with the volunteer coordinator. 

Katie Kennedy is a parent of a 7th grader at Mercer and a 10th grader at Cleveland High School. She has served on the Mercer PTSA and Dearborn Park Elementary PTAs in various capacities over the years of having her kids enrolled at these schools. She works for the City of Seattle on waste and recycling and lives in Beacon Hill.