About Charles
Charles is a proud member of the Yurok Tribe and spent his childhood on the Yurok Indian Reservation in Northern California and on military bases throughout the country. He attended Chemawa Indian School, one of the few remaining boarding schools run by the federal government originally intended to assimilate Native Americans and take away their language and culture. Charles became homeless when he was a teenager and found refuge at Cocoon House, here in Everett. It was there he attended Everett High and developed a passion for advocating for the community that welcomed him when he had nowhere else to go.
His passion and dedication to serve has led to Charles’ involvement in many roles in the community.
Charles is the Vice Chair of the Everett Planning Commission and was appointed by the governor to the Washington State Advisory Council on Homelessness. He is also a member of the Snohomish County Children’s Commission, the Health Coalition for Children and Youth, and he is currently the Interim Executive Director of the Blue-Collar Fund, an organization that helps fund materials and fees for union apprenticeships and training programs.
Charles was a founding member of Best Schools Marysville, an organization that ensured the passage of the 2023 Marysville School District Levy, after several successive failures. He is also a Board Member of Cocoon House, making him the only former resident serving on the Board.
Charles is currently working for The Tulalip Tribes as a policy analyst specializing in Child Welfare, Education, Housing, and Transportation. In the past, he worked for the Children’s Alliance as the Director of Health Policy, and the Mockingbird Society as the Northwest Regional Engagement Coordinator where he mentored homeless and foster youth on how to advocate for policies on the state and local level.