Board of Directors

Nancy has been a BYSO parent since 2014. Her youngest of three is a current Youth trombone player. She has experience supporting middle and high school bands and was the president of the Redmond Band Boosters for 4 years. She joined the BYSO board in 2022 and is committed to supporting BYSO’s mission and helping lead the future growth of the organization. Nancy is a graduate of the University of Washington.

Bennet Wang has three children, two of whom played in Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra for years. He is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, and is retired from being a pulmonary physician for Kaiser Permante in Bellevue. He has been a board member since 2007.

Ae Wongkaew is a registered pharmacist who earned a Ph.D. from Purdue University. Prior to dedicating herself to non-profit and volunteering activities, Ae owned a community pharmacy in the Lakemont area of Bellevue. Ae is active in Bellevue Schools Foundation, serving as their ambassador to Newport High School. Ae also serves in her son’s school PTSA as well as the school’s orchestra booster club. Ae began volunteering for BYSO in 2018, the same year her son started participating in BYSO as a cellist. She enjoys playing piano and frequently accompanies her son’s cello practice. Ae was recognized as BYSO’s Volunteer of the Year in 2019 and joined the Board in 2021. 

Kathy Kearny, a Chartered Financial Analyst, is the mother of a BYSO alumna and a current BYSO trumpet player. Kathy holds an undergraduate degree in Economics and a Master’s in Public Administration with a certificate in non-profit management from the University of Washington. She joined the BYSO board in 2016.

Hetal Hiren has been a BYSO parent for 4 years and is the mother of a Debut violinist. She is a Software Engineering manager at Microsoft and is committed to building diverse and inclusive teams. At Microsoft, she co-founded a program to grow and support early in career women and led a leadership program to enable aspiring leaders to be more effective leaders. She joined the board in 2022 and is passionate about contributing towards BYSO mission and supporting the community.

Kristi Jo Lynn holds a Master of Healthcare Administration and an MBA from the University of Minnesota. She attended St. Olaf College where she played the flute in the chamber orchestra and band. Kristi served in various healthcare leadership roles throughout her career. Her recent focus on supporting the community includes leadership in the PTSA, athletics boosters and health education programs. Her son played the viola in BYSO for five years, and now plays in college orchestra. Kristi joined the BYSO board in 2015 and cares deeply about providing challenging and engaging musical and performance opportunities within a diverse set of experiences for students.

Sun Lee has three children and has been a BYSO parent for three years. He is also the father of a cellist. He received his education at the University of Washington. He wishes to make a concerted effort to support and contribute to the community to which he belongs in any way he can. He co-founded the Lynnwood Sister Cities Association and contributes to a number of Korean-American non-profit organizations. For the past 20 years, he has owned and operated Olympus Spa in Lynnwood.

Valeri Makam is a parent to a cadet violinist. As a passionate musician herself through out her high school career as a clarinetist and bassoonist, she hopes that all children have access to music and can grow through the art. Valeri has worked in several high tech and telecom companies in partner strategy and marketing. She studied at UC Berkeley and UC Davis and has been a resident in the Washington area for the last 8 years. She is an active member in her childrens’ school communities, serving on the Newport High PTSA and believes strongly in community engagement to support our youth.

Justin Pae has recently joined the Bellevue Youth Symphony Board of Directors. He is the parent of a BYSO cellist and two, younger musicians-in-training. Justin is a graduate of Dartmouth College and is a multi-disciplinary designer who has worked in the music, television and advertising industries. He is currently a Product Design Manager at Microsoft. Outside of his work with BYSO, Justin is an avid tennis player, Seattle sports fan, and pop culture enthusiast.

Khek Teh is the CEO and co-founder of PlanQube, a project planning and management business. He mentors technology entrepreneurs through the Founder Institute, volunteers with the YMCA’s Adventure Guides program, and is the father of a BYSO violinist.

James, a finance executive, is a Certified Public Accountant and holds an undergraduate degree in Accounting from Louisiana State Univeristy in Baton Rouge, Louisiana. He is a parent of a BYSO French hornist and two other musicians. James joined the BYSO board in 2023 and enthusiastically supports the development of musicianship in the community through the BYSO mission.

Asako Yoshimura first became a BYSO parent in 2014 and is now the mother of two BYSO alumnae. Asako worked in product management and marketing for high-tech companies and has served in leadership roles in the local PTA and school communities. She joined the board in 2017 and brings her passion for community-building and music that enriches student lives.