The Celtic Arts Foundation (CAF) was founded in 1997 and received its 501(c)(3) status from the IRS in March of 1998. Our mission is to “sponsor, encourage and promote Celtic culture through events and educational activities.”
Walter is a UC Berkeley graduate with a Master’s degree in Wildland Resource. He joined the Celtic Arts Foundation (CAF) Board in March of 2012. He and wife Linda (an accomplished violinist and aspiring Scottish fiddler) live in Olalla, Washington and have been longtime supporters and participants in CAF programs. Walter has spent considerable time cattle ranching in Nevada and the High Sierra, and served in the U.S. Army. From 1983 to 2013, he served as the U.S. Navy’s forester for the entire west coast, administering the Navy’s forest management program from Alaska to Arizona. Walter served as Board President in 2015.
Jim is a proud and active member of the Clan Munro society of North America and has been a tireless volunteer for the Skagit Valley Highland Games since attending his first event in 1995. Retired from the faculty of Skagit Valley College, he is an active member of the Skagit Valley Chorale. In 2004, Jim was selected as President of the Skagit Performing Arts Council.
David is a Financial Advisor with Baird. He joined the board in 2004 but was active with the CAF long before. He has served as Board Secretary since 2015. While Dean of Students at Skagit Valley College in the early 1990s, he was instrumental in the creation of the Robert Burns Scottish Evening event as well as the first Skagit Valley Highland Games. Dave has been directly involved with a number of arts organizations in Skagit County.
An original board member, Marilyn is an attorney for the Lummi Tribal Nation and an original Board Member of the Celtic Arts Foundation. She has strong Celtic ancestry; the Scottish side of her family immigrated to Prince Edward Island from Scotland and the Irish portion of her family were Northwest pioneers. Marilyn has loved the sound of the pipes since childhood and is passionate about the importance of the arts and Celtic traditions.
Tyrone Heade has served on the CAF Board since 2008, and was President between 2013 and 2015. Tyrone earned a Bachelor of Science in Speech Communication with a minor in Engineering Physics from Oregon State University and specialized in niche marketing strategies for law, architecture, and graphic design firms in his former career. Since 1994, Tyrone has followed his heart as a full-time Highland Piper and instructor through his company, Bagpipe Entertainment, Inc. Tyrone continues to serve as Cathedral Piper in Residence for St. James Cathedral and St Mark’s Cathedral, starting in 1990. Tyrone was the founding piper of Seattle's Elliott Bay Pipe Band and has performed as their Pipe-Major since 2003. Tyrone was also one of three founding members of the Mastery of Scottish Arts School in 1996.
Jan is a retired Certified Public Accountant who served as the Chief Financial Officer and Executive Vice President of First Sound Bank in Seattle until 2014. Along with fellow Board Member Tyrone Heade, she served on the Board of the Mastery of Scottish Arts Organization prior to the merger with the Celtic Arts Foundation. Jan became involved in Scottish cultural activities when her husband decided to become a bagpiper in his middle age. She very much enjoys Scottish music and arts, both as a spectator and assisting the organization in pursuit of its goals.
Originally from Southern California, Patty enjoyed a career as a municipal planner in California; she is now retired and living in Anacortes with her husband. An avid fiddler, Patty actively participates in Washington Old Time Fiddler Association events and Scottish and Irish fiddling sessions and workshops. She has also participated in the Celtic Arts Foundation’s Winter School six times. Patty joined the board in 2014 and has been serving the role of Vice President since 2015.
Bill graduated from Seattle University where he met his future wife, and they celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary in 2019. Bill’s Celtic roots originated from Scotland and Ireland, with ancestors settling in Nova Scotia, and Maine. Bill retired on Camano Island after spending over thirty years in sales and consulting, managing regional and national accounts in the transportation industry in the Pacific Northwest. Bill has previously served on the Governor’s Advisory Council for Volunteer Services in Washington State. Bill has served on the CAF Board of Directors since 2014, and Board President from 2017-2018 and 2023-2024. Bill continues to volunteer and actively market and promote CAF to potential sponsors and advertisers.