Board of Directors 2023
Joseph Todd
President | Vice-President, WA State Commission on African American Affairs
Joseph Todd is the Vice-Chair of the Washington State Commission on African American Affairs. Joe also serves on the executive board of the 11th distinct King County Democrats. Joseph is currently a technology executive at Marqeta, a financial technology company, leading efforts to scale the organization's global cloud and datacenter footprint to meet customer demand and business expansion in Europe, Asia, South America, and Australia.
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Before his tenure at Marqeta Joseph served as Deputy CTO of King County, CIO of the
City of Tukwila, Head of Application Development and Collaboration at Alaska Airlines, and Senior Manager of Enterprise Collaboration and Application Integration at The Boeing Company.
Joseph Todd is a dedicated member of the community, with a strong commitment to serving others and making a positive difference. He has served on the board of directors for several non-profit organizations, leveraging his expertise in finance, technology, and public service to help advance their missions.
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In addition to his work on non-profit boards, Joseph is also an active volunteer and donor, supporting a range of causes and organizations that align with his values and priorities. He is committed to using his skills and resources to make a meaningful difference in the world. From guiding underserved middle school and high school students to careers in STEM to volunteering in schools, homeless shelters, and advocating for digital equity, he has made it his goal to help everyone in our community go and thrive.
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Joe has 20 years of experience as a technology innovator and leader, including a background in accelerating the modernization and delivery of IT services in aerospace, software development, systems integration, enterprise collaboration, local government, and technology innovation. Joe is a runner and hiker and enjoys spending time doing these activities with his wife Laretha and his son Tyler.
Email: Joseph.c.todd@gmail.com | Phone: (250) 850-9656
Reverend Dr. Leslie D. Braxton
Executive Director | Sr. Pastor, New Beginnings Christian Fellowship (Kent)
Reverend Dr. Leslie D. Braxton is the Visionary and Founder of Songs of Black Folk. He is the son of a church pianist and Choir Director, from whom he inherited an eclectic musical appetite inclusive of both sacred and secular musical genres. As an historian of African American history and culture, he has understood how music has served as a weapon of political resistance and as a source of hope for people of the African Diaspora living in white supremacist and anti-black societies. His lifelong aspiration has been to bring world-class fine arts productions that feature African American talent to the Puget Sound
Reverend Dr. Leslie D. Braxton is the Visionary and Founder of Songs of Black Folk. He is the son of a church pianist and Choir Director, from whom he inherited an eclectic musical appetite inclusive of both sacred and secular musical genres. As an historian of African American history and culture, he has understood how music has served as a weapon of political resistance and as a source of hope for people of the African Diaspora living in white supremacist and anti-black societies. His lifelong aspiration has been to bring world-class fine arts productions that feature African American talent to the Puget Sound audience. Doctor Braxton is a native of Tacoma and a graduate of the University of Puget Sound. He has also earned a Master of Divinity Degree from the Colgate Rochester Divinity School in Rochester, NY and a Doctor of Ministry Degree from the United Theological Seminary in Dayton, Ohio. He is the Founder and Senior Pastor of the New Beginnings Christian Fellowship in Kent.
Email: lbraxton@thenbcf.org | Phone: (206) 799-4526