MEET THE BOARD

James Alberson, Jr. – City of Renton Councilmember

James has been a resident of Renton since he moved to the Pacific Northwest from Ohio in 1997. He and his wife, Jessica, live in the Renton Highlands and have three daughters – Hannah, Olivia, and Sofia.

James initially began his involvement in the Renton community as a member of the Renton Chamber of Commerce, where he eventually served as Board President, and currently remains as a Board Member.  He also served as a Planning Commissioner for the city for two years.  He has served as the HOA President of his neighborhood’s homeowners’ association for 13+ years.

James has a passion to see Renton reach its highest potential and to ensure Renton residents feel proud to call Renton their home.  He believes that Renton can and should be the envy of all cities in the region, and is dedicated to creating that vision.

James graduated at the top of his class with a M.B.A. in Marketing from the Purdue University and a B.S. in Computer Technology from Purdue as well.  James currently owns and operates a Sandler Training Franchise, where he works with company leaders and their teams to put structures, processes, and skills in place to create greater company growth and success.  Having been a business owner for twelve years, and in various corporate leadership positions previous to that, James will bring his experience in strategic planning and tactical execution to the Renton RFA Governance Board.

Sean Cook – Fire District 25 Commissioner

Sean grew up in Aptos, a small beach town in Northern California. His family relocated to Renton in 1999. Sean graduated from Liberty High School, excelling as a leader on and off the football & rugby fields. Sean received his degree in Communications from Central Washington University.

Sean lives in the East Renton Highlands with his wife, three children & two dogs. In his free time he enjoys coaching his daughters soccer & basketball teams as well as cooking and hosting family & friends.

Sean has worked in the High Tech industry selling analytics & artificial intelligence software to some of the biggest corporations in the world. He feels fortunate to be able to constantly work with a diverse global footprint of people to strategically partner with them to help solve key business issues.

Throughout his career Sean has had the opportunity to volunteer with various foundations. Currently tly Sean is a mentor for an “Equality in High Tech” program, a student mentor for Central Washington University and is his neighborhood HOA President. Giving back to community is a key passion of his and he feels that serving the R.F.A. will give him the chance to extend his reach in making our community a better place.

Marcus Morrell – Fire District 25 Commissioner 

Marcus was born and raised in Washington state, growing up in Auburn.  He graduated from Auburn High School and then received his BS degree in Mathematics from Pacific Lutheran University in Tacoma.  After getting married in 2001, he and his wife, Kristin, settled in the Renton area.

Marcus began his career in the Health Insurance industry, first as an Underwriter for the local BlueShield affiliate in Seattle.  Later he moved to a national consulting firm still within the healthcare industry.  Ultimately, in 2009, he began work for a small consulting firm based in Seattle with a special emphasis on Labor and Union healthcare benefits, with a particular niche of working with Fire Fighters.  Working with first responders has become the focus and has forged the direction of his career, his working relationships, and his personal friendships.

Marcus, Kristin and their six children live in the East Renton Highlands, close to Apollo Elementary, Maywood Middle School, and Liberty High School.  In 2018, they will have children attending all three schools.

When he learned of the upcoming retirement of longtime Renton Fire Fighter, and Commissioner, Ray Barilleaux, Marcus saw an opportunity to serve his community as part of the newly formed Renton RFA by running for Commissioner in 2018.  He was elected and looks forward to bringing his experience and vision to the Board, seeing the RFA into the next decade.

Ryan McIrvin – City of Renton Councilmember

Ryan McIrvin has served on the Renton City Council since 2015, as well as the Renton Human Services Advisory Committee, which reviews and recommends the allocation of funding to local agencies providing vital services to the most vulnerable members of our community.

Ryan attended Western Washington University, where he earned his Bachelor’s Degree in Politics/Philosophy/Economics and Communication. Presently, he is the Assistant Director of Government and Community Relations at the University of Washington Bothell.

Board Member McIrvin is an avid marathon runner and encourages everyone to be active and involved, both physically and in their community. He is a member of the Renton Community Foundation’s “The Next Curve” and volunteers as a marathon coach for the Leukemia & Lymphoma Society’s Team in Training.

Ryan and his wife Stefanie own a home in the Cascade Neighborhood and live there with their daughters, Molly and Lena.

Andrew Schneider – Fire District 40 Commissioner

Andrew has lived in Renton for the last 16 years and currently lives in Fairwood Greens.  In 2020, he was elected to serve a 6-year term as a Fire Commissioner for KCFD40.

After graduating from the UW with a degree in Social Science, he became a volunteer firefighter for KCFD 20, located in Skyway.  Andrew worked for 3 years in the emergency department at Valley Medical Center before starting his professional firefighting career with the Bellevue Fire Department.  Andrew has a passion for helping others and hopes to use his experience to strengthen the leadership and direction of the Renton RFA Governance Board.

When not working, he enjoys spending time with his wife and 2 young daughters.

Ed Prince – City of Renton Councilmember

Ed believes our government’s strength comes from collaborating with our residents and community partners. He is the Executive Director of the Washington State Commission on African American Affairs and previously worked for the Washington State House of Representatives.

Ed is a board member of the Association of Washington Cities (AWC) and Sound Transit. He also serves on the Governing Board of the King County Regional Homeless Authority and as Chair of the Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC) Growth Management Policy Board (GMPB).

Ed lives with his wife Meegan, son Alex, daughter Carrington and two pugs, Will and Kennedy.

Linda Sartnurak – Fire District 40 Commissioner

Linda has been a resident of Fairwood Greens for more than 30 years and enjoys being involved in local community affairs. She graduated with a B.S. degree in Business Administration. She has also been an airline pilot for TWA and American Airlines for 15 years.

Linda has served the Fairwood community as a King County Fire District 40 Fire Commissioner for over a decade and counting.