Who is sktl? meet our staff & board
executive director
amanda miller
Growing up in Hampton Roads, Virginia, my family and I were always involved in volunteering - from church luncheons, to Thanksgiving servings, to Special Olympics events, and environmental cleanups. When my own family set down their roots in Federal Way, I decided to find a community project I could really support. I could not have found a better fit than the passionate group of volunteers that formed and run the South King Tool Library. I never thought that my passion could turn a journey into a career.
I have been the Executive Director of the South King Tool Library in Federal Way since 2019, and proud of our growth, expansion, and adaptability. We bring a great service and message to the region, and fulfill a need within our community. We opened our second branch in Auburn in October 2023, with an innovative approach to lending in the Outlet Mall for the region. We hold repair cafes, recycling events, classes, workshops, swaps, and other partnership events to increase our reach with the goals of waste reduction at the center.
I studied International Business, Chinese Archaeology, Japanese Architecture and Gardens at Old Dominion University in Norfolk, Virginia before moving to Seattle in 2008. I spent 11 years in the field of Warehousing, Distribution and Supply Chain Logistics.
City of Residence: Federal Way
Time lived in the SKTL service region: 7 years (15 years on the Left Coast)
Contact: director@southkingtools.org
program specialist
ket buchholz
After graduating from the University of Virginia, I packed up my car and moved across the country to the greater Seattle area. As I sought to establish myself fresh out of college and in the middle of the pandemic, I wanted to pursue a life and career that aligned with both my personal interests and my passion for people. I wanted to be further involved with my community and put my efforts into something that could tangible help people during such a tumultuous time. I have always been handy and loved giving new life to old things. The South King Tool Library has been a perfect opportunity to blend my professional skills and personal interests in order to work to make the world a better place.
Professional stats: I studied English Literature at the University of Virginia in Charlottesville, Virginia and I am a published poet. I’ve also been working at the Home Depot for the past two years expanding my knowledge of tools and home improvement.
City of Residence: Seattle, WA
Contact: ket@southkingtools.org
business manager
kathryn dunn
I was introduced to the needs and opportunities of Federal Way and surrounding communities through the Advancing Leadership program, Class of 2010. Since then, I've volunteered on the Federal Way Community Gardens Foundation board and now am on SKTL's board. I am not what I would call "handy," but being involved with SKTL has made me more inclined to take on repair projects rather than throw things away or to save money over hiring someone else. Plus, I love libraries of any kind and know the potential they bring to their communities.
Professional stats: I have a Master's in Library & Information Science from San Jose State University.
City of Residence: Federal Way
Time lived in the SKTL service region: 18 years
Contact: business@southkingtools.org
tool library coordinator
jennifer kienlen
City of Residence: Renton
Time lived in the SKTL service region: 11 years
Contact: jennifer@southkingtools.org
South King Tool Library is led by a volunteer board dedicated to equity, empowerment, resource sharing and environmental stewardship. We work diligently to fulfill our mission and serve our communities. We are actively seeking residents of South King or North Pierce Counties who share these values to join our board. For more information, contact us.
Board of directors
Craig Woods, President
I spent my career in technology, but have always had a passion for understanding the bigger picture. I found out about the tool library, and their commitment not just to helping reduce waste, but to making the community more resilient and more caring really struck a chord. I am excited to contribute to the success of this fantastic organization!
Adelia Boyar, Vice President
I work as a professional Mariner, mostly in Alaska but also enjoy spending my spare time giving back to my community and hiking Dash Point with my dog. I’ve been in the Federal Way community for just over 10 years, volunteer as a chef for the Community Caregivers, as well as spend time at SKTL. I’ve also started my own non-profit to help educate people about restoring historic vessels and give them an opportunity to work on the water which also uses skills and safety measures around tools.
Why SKTL? I joined SKTL when my husband and I began remodeling our bathroom. It baffled me that there was a very specific tool for every part and piece in the process. I didn’t like the idea of buying a brand new tool that we would probably never use again and voila! SKTL was my answer! It’s a great way to help and give back to our community.
Professional stats: Mariner
Educational stats: “through the hawse pipe” I support trades skills education
City of Residence: Federal Way
Time lived in the SKTL service region: 10+ years, previously Seattle and grew up near Boston
Mark Strong, Treasurer
I moved to Federal Way in 2018 and started borrowing from SKTL in 2020 to finish my flooring. After a few months, I joined the board in early 2021 and started writing the monthly blog. I currently work in a university registrar's office and I am taking MBA courses at City University to keep my mind sharp. I used to travel a lot and have taught in Korea, Japan and Thailand.
Educational/Professional stats: I completed my M. Ed at the same school in 2020 after teaching ESL both overseas and in Seattle for 10 years, but haven't had luck finding my way back to the classroom. My professional history has been pretty average, and I haven't been all that enthused to work for another 30 years. Some might say that means I'm not passionate, but I think it's just that there are too many strings attached to traditional 9-5 office work.
Professional expertise: I am a BEAST at teaching grammar, yet my university professors still insist on telling me my papers have errors. How about that?
Interests: When we had a better economy, I studied languages and traveled or worked overseas. I speak conversational Japanese and used to be able to read and write at the elementary school level. I can read and write Korean Hangeul, but I don't have much of a vocabulary. I once spoke really broken Italian with an old lady on a train ride to Venice, and I can direct taxis around Bangkok in Thai. I am trying to retire early in life so that I can spend time helping organizations that are worth the energy, like SKTL. To accomplish this, I have a small footprint, and urge as many people as possible to live a smaller life where possible. I'm not all that interested in chasing a salary, big family and a life of possessions. That is how I live richly and under the median income!
Shannon Molina, Secretary
What led me to joining the board of SKTL? I wanted to be part of a dynamic change for the better in my community.
Professional Stats: Harborstone Credit Union
Educational Stats: Master of Education, certified credit union financial counselor (CCUFC)
City of residence: Federal Way
Years lived in the SKTL service region: 16 years
Fun fact: Award-winning competitive amateur baker in state and county fairs
Nicole Cannon
I joined the South King Tool Library (SKTL) because of my interest in woodworking and food preservation. The staff was very friendly and the SKTL was an invaluable resource to try new tools that can be quite expensive and sometimes a hassle to store. After utilizing SKTL for a
while, I knew that I wanted to become involved in the organization…and the rest is history! I would encourage anyone who is industrious, wants to learn a new skill, and/or is interested in protecting the environment to drop by SKTL and become engaged in volunteering!
Kayla Daly
I’ve always been a volunteer and sought ways to get involved in my community. I’ve worked in non-profits and also as a union organizer. I love farmer’s markets, parks, and community events. When I moved back to the area in 2019, I joined the Kiwanis Club of Auburn and started volunteering at the Auburn Food Bank as a way to meet people and get involved.
What drew me to SKTL? I was a Peace Corps volunteer in Guinea, my favorite country in West Africa. While I was there, I learned a thing or two about waste, the life cycle of things, and community. When I met Amanda and she introduced me to SKTL, I saw immediately that it was a place that reflected my values and offered solace from our consumer culture. Plus, my husband is a carpenter, so it’s a cause and community group we can volunteer for together.
Professional Stats: Accounting adjacent data analysis for the federal government
Educational Stats: BA in Political Science
City of Residence: Auburn
Years lived in the SKTL service region: 19 (minus some gaps spent living in New York, Istanbul, Guinea, and Seattle)
Hobbies: Travel, crochet, organizing photos, gardening, overambitious DIY projects, sewing, skiing, running, and whatever new thing I find on Pinterest this week
David Johannes
My background in non-profit management lends itself to supporting such a worthy community focused cause. I am passionate about strategic decisions that empower the work of a community resource that supports a more sustainable lifestyle.
City of residence: Federal Way
Years lived in the SKTL service region: 6 years
Triss Lilly
Seattle Art Museum
Jen Treese
I grew up in central Pennsylvania and spent time in Boston, Los Angeles, and NJ before finding my way out to Kent. My husband and I helped lay decking for the Federal Way location back in 2019 and after a few years (and two kids!) I had the opportunity to join the board. I'm a spacecraft mechanical engineer but also love building projects in my own house. I'm excited to be part of the group bringing tool library access to South King County!
Educational/Professional Stats: Licensed Professional Mechanical Engineer in WA, MS in Astronautical Engineering, and have served as a construction volunteer for various Habitat for Humanity groups (including Alaska, Los Angeles, Thailand, and Guatemala).
City of Residence: Kent
Time lived in the SKTL service region: 10 years
OUR LEADERSHIP:
As a leadership team, we are dedicated to equity, inclusion, empowerment, resource sharing and environmental stewardship. We work diligently to fulfill our mission and serve our communities.
We are actively seeking residents of South King or North Pierce Counties who share these values and can equitably represent our racially and socio-economically diverse communities to join our board. Here's the job description. There are also opportunities to serve on a board-led committee or volunteer in another way that fits your interests, skills and availability without joining the board.