Make.Shift Directory

Jessyca has been a part of the Make.Shift community as a volunteer, performer, and collaborator since the organization began in 2008. She worked as Make.Shift’s Gallery Director from 2017 to 2019, earning the organization multiple awards and increasing the gallery’s recognition throughout the region.

Jessyca comes to the organization with over five years experience in nonprofit management and administration, as well as a long-standing dedication to Bellingham’s arts and music community. As a teenager, she fell in love with the local DIY scene at all-ages venues like WhAMM and Jinx. After graduating from Western with a degree in English & Film Studies, she went on to co-found Ladyfest Bellingham (with a group of extremely talented friends), sing in bands like Party Thighs and Scumeating, and exhibit her art in galleries throughout the country. She received her Master’s Degree in Media Studies from the New School of Public Engagement and worked for numerous organizations advocating for survivors of intimate violence and people experiencing homelessness. She also really really really loves cats.

Kelly Sorbel is a visual artist and musician. A longstanding touring DIY musician in his band Kurly Somthing, Kelly returned to Bellingham in 2019 to complete his academic studies in the fields of Cultural Anthropology and Media Production. Now serving as the Venue Director at Make.Shift, Kelly is making great strides to continue to foster an inclusive performance space that benefits both emerging and established performers.

Beth has spent most of their career working in non-profit and schools serving unhoused people, tenants, and young folks. While her work has a focus on housing services, Beth has seen the power that arts bring to these areas and she has had the immense privilege of organizing music, poetry, and art events with folks she has worked with. Beth’s experience organizing events in the Seattle Art scene was also a driving factor in their love for Make.Shift and all it provides.

As the Education Director, Beth hopes to amplify community-based learning to build connection, engagement, and understanding.

In their downtime, Beth organizes meal distribution with friends. Community-based work is Beth’s passion and has taught them the importance of building systems of care from the ground up. Beth also adores reading and learning about sustainable wear through knitting, crocheting, and sewing.

Hattie grew up in the small town of Nederland, Colorado and moved to Bellingham to pursue a degree in Environmental Science and Audio Engineering. During this time, Hattie volunteered for the student operated radio station, KUGS, and hosted a variety of themed shows. She immediately fell in love with radio and is now eager to bring new ideas to KZAX programming. In her free time, you can find Hattie making groovy electronic tunes or identifying plants in the woods.

Make.Shift Board of Directors

Erik Takuichi Wallace (Board Chair) — Audio Engineer, Producer, Live Sound Technician, Instructor of Audio Engineering, Western Washington University

Erik Takuichi Wallace (he/them) is a local musician, recording engineer, and music producer, as well as an instructor at Western Washington University. Erik moved to Bellingham over 20 years ago as a pre-teen and has been active in the local music scene since attending Bellingham High School in the mid-2000s.

Riley Currie (Secretary) — Graphic Designer

Riley Currie (she/her) is a graphic designer, illustrator, & educator from Pittsburgh, PA. She graduated from Western Washington University in 2021 with her BA in journalism/public relations and minors in philosophy and Holocaust/genocide studies. Riley has been involved with Make.Shift since 2019, when she started volunteering as a gallery attendant and KZAX trainee. She held a series of internship and staff roles at Make.Shift from 2019 to 2023 and is now proud to serve on the Board of Directors.

Jimena Berzal de Dios — Art Historian

Jimena Berzal de Dios (she/her) is a professor of Art History at Western Washington University, and an alumna of OSU and CUNY. Before academia, she was a sound engineer and designer in LA and NYC. Outside of work, she especially enjoys older TV like the Mary Tyler Moore Show, music from 60s girl groups to queer hispanic rap and reggaeton, cooking stews, boardgames, DIY home and beauty products, and making music (most recently as Hex Kist, her one-woman experimental ambient/noise project).

Emery Hull — Student

Born and raised in Bellingham, Emery is a local musician and producer, focusing on hip-hop and electronic music. Emery is a frequent goer of punk and metal shows in and out of town, also taking interest in fashion and activism. They started the audio internship at Make.Shift in the Spring of 2023, running shows every month. They later joined the advisory board for Make.Shift, due to a want to get more involved with the venue beyond the technical side of running sound.

Sarah Kindl — Artist

Sarah Kindl (she/her) is mixed-media installation artist, and received her BFA in Fine & Performing Arts from Western Washington University in 2020.

Rosie Lockie — Artist, writer

Rosie Lockie Everson (she/her) is an artist and writer who makes drawings, paintings, and comics. She received her BA in Studio Art and MA in History from Western Washington University and currently works for the Whatcom County Library System. She has been involved with Make.Shift since 2018 as a volunteer, gallery artist, and as the host of The Rose Tint, a music history show on KZAX. 

Janelle Nardone — Bio coming soon!

Mike Nardone — Project Manager

Originally from Monterey, California, Mike Nardone (he/him) spent the last 35 years in Los Angeles working in the entertainment industry. His love for music carried over into his professional life working for various record labels, producing music, and hosting the longest running hip hop show in Los Angeles, We Came from Beyond. Since moving to Bellingham in 2020, Mike works as a project manager for a production company, and hosts Essentials with Mike Nardone weekly on KZAX 94.9 FM. In his spare time, Mike enjoys bringing people together through a shared love of music and food, spending time with his family, and of course shopping for vinyl. He’s never seen a stack of records he didn’t dig through.

Roland Olayvar — Musician & Sound Engineer

Roland Olayvar (he/him) is a budding musician and livesound engineer from Alaska. After moving to Bellingham in pursuit of music, he has settled here and hopes to enhance his influence in the industry and improve his reach in the community through Make.Shift.

Trevor Westerlund — Business Consultant

Originally from Vancouver, BC, Trevor Westerlund (he/him) is a business consultant for CleanTech and digital product agencies. He has worked with several sports teams like the Vancouver Canucks, New York Knicks, and Chicago Blackhawks, along with entertainment groups like HBO, Participant Media, and platforms Apple, and Google. In the last 10 years, he has moved to a consultancy role working with CleanTech start-ups, B-Corp certified (or wishing to be) companies assisting in their business growth. Trevor is an avid record collector and concertgoer, working as an A&R rep in his early days. His background is Cree and his family hails from central Canada.

ADVISORY BOARD MEMBERS

Anna Arvan — Musician

Anna Arvan (she/her) is a songwriter and artist living in Ferndale. She has been playing music and booking shows and tours in a mostly DIY capacity since 2002, with a couple stints as official booker for bars or coffeeshops in the PNW.

Robert Kaye —  Attorney, musician

Robert Kaye (he/him) is a semi-retired attorney and a budding musician/drummer.

Wanna join the Make.Shift Board?

We’re currently accepting applications! We're looking for folks with a background or interest in:

• Philanthropy and fundraising

• Visual arts industries

• Broadcasting and public radio

• Youth empowerment

• Intergenerational learning

• Non-profit finances