Meet Our Board
GRIT Commons Board MemberCleveland Harris II
Raised in Seattle, Cleveland moved to Bellingham in 2004 to study at Western Washington University, graduating with a BA in Political Science. After a decade in Portland working in education and IT, he returned to Bellingham in 2018 where he continues his career in systems administration. As the current Chair of Community First Whatcom, he leads community-driven initiatives to build collective power for tenants, workers, and all residents.
Ebony Arunga is an arts manager, advocate, and entrepreneur. She was born in Kisumu, Kenya, and raised in the historically Black Central District of Seattle, Washington. In 2008, she graduated from Virginia Commonwealth University with a BFA in Theatre, with an emphasis on Stage Management. As part of a multi-faceted artistic family, Ebony has managed artists, projects, and events both nationally and internationally.
Ebony’s presence in the Seattle arts scene grew prevalent through her work as an event producer at the legendary Faire Gallery Cafe. In 2020, she teamed up with Ijeoma Oluo, Gabriel Teodros, and LANGSTON to manage the Seattle Artist Relief Fund (SARF), the largest COVID-19 relief effort geared towards directly supporting artists in Washington State. In 2022, she joined The Cultural Space Agency as the Interim Community Liaison. She recently served on the Seattle Arts Commission (SAC) and co-chaired the Facilities and Equitable Development committee (FED). She served as the board chair at LANGSTON, and in 2023, she transitioned to become the Interim and now Executive Director of LANGSTON.
GRIT Commons Board MemberEbony Arunga
Heather Flaherty (she/her) is the Executive Director of Chuckanut Health Foundation, a public charity and health legacy foundation that has served Whatcom County, Washington since 1983.
Heather came up through community health and nonprofit leadership with a conviction that has only deepened over time: the most important thing a foundation can do is stay. Stay in relationship. Stay in the room. Stay in the fight even when the fight gets uncomfortable, even when the outcome isn't guaranteed. That we keep building bridges by giving the opposition our cell phone number
Over seven years, she has grown CHF from two staff and $100,000 in annual fundraising to a ten-person team raising more than $1.7 million — not by chasing trends, but by going deeper into the community she calls home. She co-chaired the 2022 Yes for Whatcom Kids campaign, a sprint that crowned a decade of public health coalition work and secured $100 million in locally controlled public dollars for early learning and family homelessness prevention. When a repeal initiative came for it, CHF filed the lawsuit to protect it. That case is still on appeal. They're still in it.
She also holds an MBA and a B.S. in community health from Western Washington University, which she'll mention if you ask but what she'd rather talk about is what it took to get here, and what it might take for your foundation to go deeper too.
GRIT Commons Board MemberHeather Flaherty
Lance Jones
Coming soon…
GRIT Commons Board Member
Reverend TeeJay Morris
Terrance was born in Barbados to a Kenyan immigrant father, embodying a rich heritage that spans the Caribbean and East Africa. This multicultural foundation has deeply influenced his global perspective and lifelong commitment to faith, justice, and community empowerment.
In 2005, Terrance earned his degree in Religious Studies from Howard University, where he cultivated both theological depth and a passion for service-driven leadership. Following graduation, he began his work with UCOGIC World Missions, participating in mission efforts throughout African and Caribbean nations. His ministry has centered on holistic evangelism—addressing spiritual, social, and economic needs—while discipling leaders and building kingdom partnerships across generations.
Terrance’s dedication extends beyond international missions into impactful civic engagement within Washington State. He has played an active role in numerous Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion initiatives, contributing to the Whatcom Immigrations, and the Whatcom County Housing Commission Initiative. He is also a founding member of the Whatcom Racial Equity Commission. Breaking historic barriers, Terrance became the first Black individual to run for local office in Whatcom, demonstrating his commitment to representation, justice, and transformational leadership within his community. Through faith-based service and civic leadership, Terrance continues to champion holistic transformation—spiritually, socially, and systemically.
GRIT Commons Board Member
Riannon Bardsley
Riannon Bardsley, (she/her) was born and raised in Seattle, WA. She’s spent 30 years learning from and working with young people, women, children, and adults who experience crisis due to inequitable and ineffective systems designed to uphold white supremacy.
In 2007, she moved to Bellingham, WA, where she’s continued to explore ways to interrupt oppressive culture both professionally and personally. Joy and connection through adventure, dancing, playing, and being on the water feeds her deep love for justice, humans, and Mother Earth.
GRIT Commons Board MemberMeet Our Founders
Kristina Michele Martens
Kristina (she/her) is a community builder, problem solver, and advocate who believes big change starts with small conversations. In 2021, she made history as the first Black woman elected to Bellingham's at-large City Council seat, championing affordable housing, racial equity, and environmental justice. One of her proudest moments was helping lead a community march that moved local governments to declare racism a public health crisis — and then turning that momentum into the Whatcom Racial Equity Commission. At the heart of her work is a simple conviction: those most impacted deserve a seat at the table and the power to lead.
As Chuckanut Health Foundation's Special Projects Manager, Kristina leads the Health Equity Zone in East Whatcom, working alongside neighbors to tackle food access, transportation barriers, mental health, and local leadership development. Her approach is rooted in grassroots solutions that reflect the community's own vision for its future. She also co-founded GRIT Commons, a community power-building organization advancing racial justice and health equity through grassroots leadership, voter activation, and policy transformation.
A San Diego native, Kristina moved to Bellingham in 2016, drawn by the city's vibrant energy and commitment to positive change. Her mission is simple: turn local voices into local power — because change works best when it starts at home. When she's not organizing or strategizing, she's exploring the community, connecting with friends, and dreaming up new ways to bring people together.
GRIT Commons Co-Founder
Shu-Ling Zhao
Shu-Ling Zhao (she/her) is an organizer, artist activist, policy wonk, and Community Advancement Director at Chuckanut Health Foundation. Born and raised in Whatcom County, she has deep roots in the communities this work is meant to serve.
Six years in, Shu-Ling has made a practice of holding space for community voice and translating that voice into structures that last. She brings more than 20 years of experience using theater to build empathy and hold space for truth. Prioritizing that authentic human connection runs through everything she does at CHF, where she leads and supports multiple initiatives focused on public health and civic belonging work rooted in the belief that the people closest to the problems are closest to the solutions.
Shu-Ling designs and holds processes that center real voice — not extracted input, not checkbox participation, but the kind of slow, relational, multilingual, barrier-removing engagement that actually changes what gets built and who gets to build it. She meets people where they are, earns trust over time, and believes that joy and justice belong in the same room. Whether through public health, theater, or policy, she is committed to building systems rooted in community power.
GRIT Commons Co-Founder