College Access, Free Tuition and Financial Aid for the Middle Class

Ana Mari Cauce, President, UW

As the president of one of the world’s great public universities, Ana Mari Cauce is leading the University of Washington in advancing its mission in four key areas: providing a leading-edge student experience, conducting research and scholarship that has a global impact, upholding the UW’s dedication to its public mission and infusing the entire university with a commitment to innovation.

A member of the UW faculty since 1986, Cauce became interim president in March 2015, having previously served as provost and executive vice president, and the UW Board of Regents selected her to become the UW’s 33rd president at a special meeting Oct. 13, 2015.

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Rep. Drew Hansen (D-23)

Drew Hansen has represented the 23rd Legislative District (most of Kitsap County) since 2011. He serves as Chair of the Higher Education committee, and also serves on the Appropriations and Judiciary committees.

As a legislator, Rep. Hansen is focused on job creation and job training: He expanded the Olympic College engineering program so we can train more engineers for the shipyards, he sponsored legislation to protect marine jobs by getting derelict boats out of state waters, and improved student access to computer science courses so they can train for good-paying jobs in the high-tech industry.

Representative Hansen has been widely recognized for his public service. He was named the 2018 Legislator of the Year by the Washington Student Association, Legislator of the Year by the Washington Council of Police and Sheriffs (WACOPS), received a City Champion Award from the Association of Washington Cities, and was recognized with the 2015 Legislator at Work (LAW) Award from the Law Enforcement Administrators of Washington.

When the Legislature is not in session, Rep. Hansen practices law as a partner at Susman Godfrey LLP. He lives on Bainbridge Island with his wife, Julie, and their two young children.

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Irene Plenefisch, Government Affairs Director, Microsoft

Irene Plenefisch is a Government Affairs Director working in Washington State for Microsoft Corporation. In this role, Irene works with state and local governments in the Puget Sound region on public policy issues that are important to the company’s continued growth in the state of Washington.

Irene joined Microsoft in November of 2010. She came to Microsoft with 12 years previous experience in federal health policy and advocacy, working for SonoSite, Inc., a Puget Sound based diagnostic ultrasound manufacturer. Irene holds a B.A. from St. John’s College in Annapolis, Maryland, and an MBA from the University of Michigan.

Daniela Suarez, UW Student Regent

Daniela Suarez is a senior in the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies with a focus in Foreign Policy, Diplomacy, and Security. She holds an associate of arts degree from South Puget Sound Community College. Daniela commits herself to being an advocate for legislative issues centered on accessibility, inclusion, and social justice. She has led students to aid the effort to pass top legislative priorities of the Washington State Community and Technical College Student Association. She continues to be an outspoken advocate and supporter of robust higher education policies, including Washington State College Promise.

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Moderator Merisa Heu-Weller, Chief of Staff, Technology + Corporate Responsibility, Microsoft

Since 2013, Merisa Heu-Weller has called Microsoft “home” first as an employment attorney and now in the Technology and Corporate Responsibility (TCR) group in which she wears two hats: Chief of Staff and Lead for the Criminal Justice Reform initiative. TCR plays a vital role in realizing Microsoft’s mission by applying the power of advanced technology to address critical societal issues — universal accessibility, environmental sustainability, rural broadband connectivity, responsible AI, and criminal justice reform. Our work helps to transform institutions, communities, and lives around the world, while driving business value and addressing our responsibility to society.

Before Microsoft, Heu-Weller clerked at the Washington State Supreme Court for the Honorable Mary Fairhurst followed by an employment litigation practice at Davis Wright Tremaine in Seattle. Outside of work, she serves as a Trustee for Bellevue College (bellevuecollege.edu), the largest community college in the state of Washington.
Merisa received a degree in Political Science from Stanford University and her Juris Doctor from the University of Washington Law School.