MEET THE BOARD
Amanda Privitt
President
Originally from the U.S., Amanda moved to Dublin to attend University College Dublin (UCD) in 2013 where she completed her Postgraduate degree in Cultural Policy and Arts Management. While there, she became involved in international student groups and found she truly enjoyed creating relationships with people from different backgrounds and building a community where students could network and connect, not only academically but also socially. INSeattle has been an extension of that for Amanda and what drew her to become involved in the organization.
“Irish Network Seattle is a great way to cultivate connections with people from varying backgrounds, both professionally and socially, that share a strong bond of heritage, similar interests, and ideas and I am very excited to be a part of that.”
Padraic Jordan
Vice President
“I moved from Co. Roscommon, Ireland to the Pacific Northwest in 1987, and have made Seattle my home for almost 23 years. The Emerald City wooed me with its awe-inspiring views and its charming architecture. After 7 years of enjoying the vibrant Capitol Hill neighborhood, I moved to my dream home, a classic 1924 Seattle Bungalow in the heart of the Central District. I’ve been a realtor with Windermere Real Estate for the past 14 years and I love every minute of it. I’m a co-founder of Rain City Referrals- a local business network, and am enjoying being a board member of Irish Network Seattle since 2016.”
Brendan Shriane
Brand Officer
Brendan was born and raised in Seattle, the son of Irish immigrants. He has been involved in Irish events since well before he could remember. He was born into the Seattle Irish community; his parents helped found the Saint Patrick’s Day parade in Seattle, so every year, you could find little Brendan walking in the parade, wearing a Carlow or Roscommon sash to honor the birthplaces of his parents. He continues to be involved in the Seattle Irish Community, serving on the boards of both the Irish Heritage Club and Irish Network Seattle.
As brand officer, Brendan takes pictures of Irish Network-Seattle events, helping spread the word (visually) about the organization’s great events. He is currently a technical writer and copy editor for BluLink Solutions in Bellevue. He previously worked as a sports reporter, copy editor, and photographer for newspapers in Hawaii, California, and Washington state.
“Irish Network Seattle gives me an opportunity to explore a creative outlet and make connections with people in the Irish and business communities I might not otherwise meet.”
Joe Lane
Irish Culture & Community Liaison
“I was born in Manhattan into an extended Irish-American family. All of my great grandparents were born in either Clare, Galway, Sligo, Mayo, or Waterford. I live in Redmond with my wife, Martha. Martha was the first non-Irish bride ever in my family but she immediately established her clan bona fides by giving birth to our first child on St. Patrick’s Day! We have raised three wonderful daughters who are now working in NYC, Salt Lake City, and Salem
I’ve had a deep, abiding interest in all things Irish since boyhood. Have made many trips to Ireland for both personal and business in my capacity as an international sales executive. I am a participant in the Glucksman Ireland House’s Diaspora Oral History Project at New York University. I am the co-author, with Danial Sullivan, of a college textbook on Small Business Management. I am CEO of the GovBizTeam, an advisory firm serving business enterprises wishing to sell products and services to government agencies.”
Áine Richards
Membership
As Membership Officer, I am responsible for welcoming new members, answering member questions and managing renewals. I am a Seattle native with roots in Co. Wicklow, Ireland. After graduation from the University of Notre Dame, I moved to Dublin where I lived for three years. In between working and traveling, I attended graduate school at University College Dublin. When I moved back to Seattle, I joined the board of Irish Network Seattle for a few years before a brief relocation to Vancouver, BC. In BC, I was a founding board member of Vancouver Queer Irish, a project of the Irish Consulate. In my career in the travel industry I have been fortunate to travel to many amazing places around the world, but Ireland is by far my favorite. Talking to people about their travels in Ireland is one of my favorite things, so feel free to drop me a line with any membership questions, or just tell me about your trip to Ireland!
Stephen Doyle
Communications
Stephen is of Irish heritage and grew up in the rolling hills of California. He moved to Seattle in 2016 and immediately found a sense of community with Irish Network Seattle. Working in brand marketing and storytelling he brings communications experience to the board to help share the events and community that bring our members together.
Kate O’Neil
Secretary
Kate O’Neil is a second-generation Irish American and an Irish Citizen of foreign birth. She has 3 grandparents who were born in Ireland — from Kilkenny, Clare, and Kerry. Kate has been a member of the Irish Network for a long time (thank you auto-renew!) and was thrilled to see the call for volunteers for the board. She’s looking forward to meeting all IN members, families, and friends.
She has lived in Seattle for 25 years and works as a consultant in Tech. She is also a muralist and painter.
Amy Gillespie
Treasurer
Amy is a Vermont native with many old family connections back to Ireland. An extended trip there 10 years ago brought her Irish heritage back to the forefront for her. Since then she takes every opportunity to learn more about Ireland’s history and culture. With 25 years working in the Seattle are tech industry, most recently at Starbucks, Amy’s related experience in all aspects of financial management made her a great fit for Board Member and Treasurer. She’s happy to be immersed in Irish culture, business and of course the social aspects of the Irish Network.
Advisory Board
Noreen McCormack
A past President of INSeattle, Noreen is first-generation Irish from Montana and her parents were born and raised in Co. Mayo. She is a past President and founding Board member of INSeattle, a founding Board member of IN USA, and a former Board member of the Irish Heritage Club. She is currently the President of the Seattle/Galway Sister City Association and serves on the City of Seattle Sister Cities Coordinating Council. Noreen is Vice President/Human Resources for Entercom Communications Corp, a position she has held for 16+ years.
Caroline Lee
A past President of INSeattle, Caroline grew up on a farm in the Dublin/Wicklow mountains and played Camogie for the local GAA club St. Anne’s of Bohernabreena. She coached several camogie teams for St. Anne’s and was on the Camogie Committee for many years. She completed a Business Degree and Masters in Science part-time at the Dublin Institute of Technologies while working full time in the Tech and Pharma industries. Carloline currently work as a Business Manager in Microsoft.