The Friends of Uncorked i
The mission of the Friends of Uncorked is to gather together proponates of Kirkland’s summer festival, Kirkland Uncorked, to advise and provide information for major decisions made by the production company, Bold Hat Productions, in order to ensure that Kirkland Uncorked stays meaningful, creative and fun to the Kirkland community. A very special thank you to our Friends of Uncorked for providing us a great amount of community input and guidance throughout the planning stages:
Fianna Dickson is the Director of Public Relations for local non-profit Hope Heart Institute, the beneficiary of Kirkland Uncorked, and has been with the organization for over five years. The Hope serves the Kirkland community with research (at Evergreen Hospital) and education programs to fight heart disease, the #1 cause of death in America. Fianna joined the Friends of Uncorked to further build The Hope’s relationship with the Kirkland community it serves. Fianna’s Favorite Thing About Kirkland: Running along the waterfront – it’s my favorite place to workout.
After a post-graduation sabbatical to Thailand, Katie Grimes got her start in radio as a promotions coordinator for Fisher Communication’s Radio Group: STAR 101.5 FM, KOMO 1000 AM and 570 KVI AM. In 2006 Katie moved from Fisher to take the position of New Development Promotions and Marketing Director for 98.1 Classical KING FM. As director of the “fun and games department” Katie spends her days juggling a multitude of marketing balls including event planning, station branding, contest creation, media partnerships and public relations. As of recent, her role has also come to include additional responsibly for station revenue and membership. Katie received her degree in Journalism and Public relations from Western Washington University and in her free time enjoys traveling, outdoor recreation and attending Bold Hat events.
Leah Kliger is the Chair of the Kirkland Cultural Council, a City based commission whose vision is to integrate diverse art, culture and heritage in order to enrich the quality of daily life in our dynamic, waterfront community. A 20 year resident of Kirkland, a published author, and longtime healthcare executive and consultant, Leah is an avid volunteer with a number of local organizations including Hopelink, The Lake Washington School District, Eastside Audubon, and the Friends of Uncorked. Leah knows that festivals such as Uncorked are a delightful way of bringing our community together and providing family entertainment, while helping to promote the Arts.
John MacGillivray is the City of Kirkland’s Solid Waste Coordinator and has been with the City for 2 ½ years where he manages Kirkland’s solid waste contract and its recycling programs. John administers the Kirkland Green Business Program and has served on the Kirkland Wednesday Market Board of Directors. Before coming to Kirkland, John spent almost 15 years in surface water management with the City of Federal Way. John’s Favorite Thing About Kirkland: The City of Kirkland is an absolutely wonderful place to work with a relaxed atmosphere and an outstanding group of employees with a solid commitment to providing only the best in service to their customers.
Ryan Noel is a graduate of Washington State University with a degree in Hotel and Restaurant Administration. He began his career with InnVentures in 2004, as the Front Office Manager at the Residence Inn on Lake Union in Seattle, Washington. He was promoted to General Manager of the TownePlace Suites in Kent, Washington in 2006. In 2008, Ryan was promoted to his current position of General Manager of the Courtyard by Marriott in Kirkland, Washington. Ryan’s Favorite Thing About Kirkland: Taking my daughter to shows for kids at the Kirkland Performance Center.