OUR BOARD
Get to know the dedicated board members and passionate staff behind The Willett Foundation. We come from all walks of life and are united in our passion to make a difference and lasting change in the lives of those in need in the San Francisco area. Our team is made up of highly trained experts in a variety of fields. Read on to learn more about who we are and what we do.
CHRISTOPHER WILLETT
President
For Christopher Willett, the valuable skill sets he’s gained and the relationships he’s built throughout academia have been well worth the investment. Raised in Kitsap County, Chris had aspirations to travel the world and learn how to give back to the community that raised him. One of the biggest advantages to traveling was that Chris learned about the laws disproportionately effecting civilians of low socioeconomic status and has seen solutions to aiding the struggles of homelessness. Chris plans to use his knowledge to support those effected by homelessness in Washington and in his hometown Port Orchard in particular.
But it’s not only the skills he’s gained that have been most important to him; it’s the people he’s connected with, too. The Willett Foundation has been created to be a safe haven for the collective ideas towards combatting homelessness. The founding ties to this non-profit were drawn from experiences inside Kitsap County and all across the world. Chris is an attorney who serves the United States government overseas and has witnessed homelessness comes in all shapes and sizes. During his time as an attorney and academic, Chris was dedicated to providing assistance to those who have experienced tragic life occurrences like the loss of loved ones, employment, domestic violence, divorce and family disputes. In addition to his experience, charitable vision and ties to Kitsap County, Chris has created a non-profit to bring people together and improve our communities with enthusiasm.
DYLAN UMEDIB
Secretary
Born and raised right here in Washington, Dylan has spent his life maturing in the Evergreen state with his younger twin brothers. Seeing his fare shares of struggles coming from an immigrant family, he’s never been one to shy away from lending a helping hand when needed. During the summer of 2020, amidst the Covid Pandemic, Dylan found himself with an excess amount of time on his hands. That’s when he started the Willett Foundation, a non-profit organization dedicated to combat a pandemic that has been plaguing Washington for years now. The Willett Foundation was founded in order to combat the homeless crisis affecting Washington as a whole. A firm believer that the level of homelessness in a community directly reflects it’s economic prosperity, Dylan grew up seeing the absolute beauty of Washington. But today. the once green forests are filled with trash and needles. The streets are lined with tents, encampments, and shanty-towns. And the problem can’t be fixed by just turning a blind eye, it takes effort to make a change. Dylan wants to put in that effort and show the world just how prosperous his State can be. Everyone deserves a chance, whether it be your third, fourth or fifth. We’re here to give them that chance.
BRANDON WOODRUM
Treasurer
Personable and detail-oriented, Brandon is an essential member in the operations of the organization. Residing in Ohio, Brandon became involved with Christopher through military endeavors, his position being the management of finances for his stationed base. His abilities are essential for the function of his base, and are a testament to his knowledge and understanding of financial matters.
Atop an already demanding work schedule, Brandon still manages to donate a good portion of his time to charity. Originally lending his assistance to non-profits in Ohio, Brandon has agreed to assist the Willett Foundation as well on financial matters as the Treasurer. We could not ask for a better, committed member for the team, and just further shows how far he will go in the pursuit of bettering the lives of our fellow Americans.
HERBERT WILLETT
Board Member
Born in Calvert County, Southern Maryland, in a little town named Adelina. I worked for Westinghouse Electric as an Electronic engineer. I volunteered in the adopt a school program, where we taught Intro to computers, at Harlem Park Middle School, in Baltimore City, and coached little league baseball in my neighborhood in Pasadena, MD.
Relocated to Port Orchard, Washington working at Bangor, supporting the US Navy, and still reside there. Therefore, Port Orchard became my home. I became an active Parent with the SK Pee Wee football community, Coached SK boys’ basketball, and worked with the Jaguars track and field club. Two children active in the school system they both were involved with the high school track team where I volunteered and one played High School Football this is why I feel the need to give back to my community and follow My life dream of helping people to move from homelessness to becoming a sound person in society. (Humanity)
SHANNON TAIJERON
Board Member
Shannon has had the opportunity of living in Kitsap County for over twenty amazing years. His background comes from that of a typical American household that has seen both its hardships and amazing growth events. His father taught him the value in fixing things, rather than getting rid of them and was a Master Diesel Mechanic for over 25 years. His mother taught him to always have a strong handshake and to think things through before acting on them. She was a paralegal secretary in the Navy for 13 years and later continued to work at a major law-firm in Seattle ,WA before retiring. Shannon himself, having had the chance to learn about environmental issues while attending Western Washington University and make some amazing connections with people. While either traveling around Europe or visiting family in different states, this opened up new views about the world and how so many people are fighting these silent battles within themselves.
While living here in Kitsap county, he’s been able to witness a lot of the issues that could use some additional support and foster new opportunities for many people. One of the changes that he thought would be beneficial to this county, would be what the Willett Foundation is trying to bring to the people. We have all been there at some point in our lives, where we needed an extra hand or maybe somebody to just seek out for advice. I believe that this non-profit organization will be that extra hand to grab onto. Which is why, “I am extremely prideful in being a part of this organization and completely stand behind our mission of combating homelessness in Washington”. - Shannon Taijeron