Meet the Team!
Tais Cain, Seattle, WA
Operations Associate
Center for Ethical Leadership
Tais is originally from Brazil and holds degrees in Psychology and Human Resources.
Values-based leadership principles are embedded into her daily life. She believes they are not only sound professional practices, but also a personal way of being. Tais strives to make choices that reflect integrity, responsibility, and commitment to positive values. She focuses on the necessary work that builds stronger and more trusting relationships in both her personal and professional life.
Tais has worked for Amazon for several years in Transaction Risk Management Systems (TRMS), in the Fraud Department. In this role, she began as a fraud investigator, where she analyzed large sets of data to identify patterns, anomalies, and trends that might indicate fraud. Tais used her strong problem-solving skills to evaluate situations and predict potentially fraudulent activities, developing a keen grasp of risk management principles and mastering the ability to balance fraud prevention with user experience.
Tais became a Subject Matter Expert (SME), where she performed Training and Mentoring of new investigators, up to and including executive directors. As their mentor she held weekly calibration meetings to ensure that their rate of progress met or exceeded expectations.
One highlight at Amazon was a four-week trip to Cape Town, South Africa, where TRMS was being launched and new hires needed training and mentoring. She felt this was an extremely rewarding opportunity, not only for the possibility of teaching/mentoring, but connecting with people from
different backgrounds, to enhance her growth.
Tais has also been involved in other Risk Management projects - new Amazon launches, amongst them Amazon B2B, Amazon GO, Amazon Brazil digital and retail. She has also worked as a QA Auditor, where she assessed the fraud investigators’ processes and made sure their work met defined quality and
regulatory requirements based on Amazon’s Standard Operational Procedures.
Tais was elected by her peers as the Director of Communications with the Lake Washington Institute of Technology SHRM Student Chapter (Society of Human Resource Management), where she invited new members for social networking, updated Chapter communications, meeting announcements, events, and advertisements. She submitted articles publicizing Chapter events to media outlets and generated a Chapter newsletter. She developed, maintained, and regularly updated the Chapter information systems, including social networks, websites, electronic media, list serve, and bulletin boards.
Tais is passionate about kids and has also worked as a nanny, where she helped with the development of young children, furthering her development in such skills as time management, organization, reliability, empathy, cultural sensitivity, and adaptability.
Tais wants to be the change she wants to see in the world, and she is excited to do this at the Center for Ethical Leadership!
Operations Associate
Center for Ethical Leadership
Tais is originally from Brazil and holds degrees in Psychology and Human Resources.
Values-based leadership principles are embedded into her daily life. She believes they are not only sound professional practices, but also a personal way of being. Tais strives to make choices that reflect integrity, responsibility, and commitment to positive values. She focuses on the necessary work that builds stronger and more trusting relationships in both her personal and professional life.
Tais has worked for Amazon for several years in Transaction Risk Management Systems (TRMS), in the Fraud Department. In this role, she began as a fraud investigator, where she analyzed large sets of data to identify patterns, anomalies, and trends that might indicate fraud. Tais used her strong problem-solving skills to evaluate situations and predict potentially fraudulent activities, developing a keen grasp of risk management principles and mastering the ability to balance fraud prevention with user experience.
Tais became a Subject Matter Expert (SME), where she performed Training and Mentoring of new investigators, up to and including executive directors. As their mentor she held weekly calibration meetings to ensure that their rate of progress met or exceeded expectations.
One highlight at Amazon was a four-week trip to Cape Town, South Africa, where TRMS was being launched and new hires needed training and mentoring. She felt this was an extremely rewarding opportunity, not only for the possibility of teaching/mentoring, but connecting with people from
different backgrounds, to enhance her growth.
Tais has also been involved in other Risk Management projects - new Amazon launches, amongst them Amazon B2B, Amazon GO, Amazon Brazil digital and retail. She has also worked as a QA Auditor, where she assessed the fraud investigators’ processes and made sure their work met defined quality and
regulatory requirements based on Amazon’s Standard Operational Procedures.
Tais was elected by her peers as the Director of Communications with the Lake Washington Institute of Technology SHRM Student Chapter (Society of Human Resource Management), where she invited new members for social networking, updated Chapter communications, meeting announcements, events, and advertisements. She submitted articles publicizing Chapter events to media outlets and generated a Chapter newsletter. She developed, maintained, and regularly updated the Chapter information systems, including social networks, websites, electronic media, list serve, and bulletin boards.
Tais is passionate about kids and has also worked as a nanny, where she helped with the development of young children, furthering her development in such skills as time management, organization, reliability, empathy, cultural sensitivity, and adaptability.
Tais wants to be the change she wants to see in the world, and she is excited to do this at the Center for Ethical Leadership!
Alice Fong, Seattle, WA
Chief Executive Officer
Center for Ethical Leadership
Alice is humbled to lead an organization that aligns so well with her own values and shape its strategic direction, impact, and sustainability. She looks forward to experience this exciting journey with you!
An avid connector, Alice is passionate and committed to promoting a healthily engaged community - focussed on the common good for all. She's dedicated to the co-creation of space that will deepen relationships, honor community wisdom, build trust, and promote collective collaboration. Alice believes we all are leaders with unique gifts to share.
Alice has been intimately involved and actively supporting the vision, mission, and operations of the Center since the beginning of 2018. She is passionate about the Center’s inclusive, values-based, leadership-development philosophy and principles, and is a champion for doing the heart work it takes to bring people together to co-create positive change.
Alice played a critical role in securing a Best Start for Kids grant, and was indispensable in managing the Restorative, Inclusive School Environments, RISE Initiative pilot. The experience highlighted the very need to advocate for and invest in youth development and bring back CEL's Youth Leadership of Promise program that helps youth discover their true potential and integrate more fully with their communities. Youth Leaders of Promise (YLOP) is an empowering leadership learning laboratory that develops in youth the habits of ethical leadership, citizenship, service, and the ability to think and act for the common good. Learn more about YLOP.
Prior to being with the Center, she provided consulting and technical assistance to organizations, where one of her United Way of King County coworker's exclaimed Alice was the "Go to" when it comes to discussing how to resolve issues. She's a lifelong learner and has been involved in many leadership cohorts throughout her life: Natural Helpers, Student Access to Growth and Earning, YMCA, and Washington Stewards with the Center's Founder, Dr. Bill Grace.
Alice holds her Master of Science in Management through Troy University, a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science at University of Puget Sound, and is a proud Tacoma Community College alum. Additionally, Alice received her Human Resource Management Certificate (classes are HRCI accredited) from Lake Washington Institute of Technology. LinkedIn profile.
Alice is a huge advocate for CEL's vision - a world that thrives together and aligns her free time to do just that. She co-chairs the Washington State Public Health Advisory Board, Pierce County Commission for Refugee and Immigrant Affairs, and was formerly appointed on the King County Developmental Disability Board. She supports the Prison Scholar Fund and is a member of the Eastside Race and Leadership Coalition. Alice is always open to exploring new opportunities that compliment her schedule.
She treasures her time with family, friends, feather and fur babies, and trying to keep up with the yard.
Chief Executive Officer
Center for Ethical Leadership
Alice is humbled to lead an organization that aligns so well with her own values and shape its strategic direction, impact, and sustainability. She looks forward to experience this exciting journey with you!
An avid connector, Alice is passionate and committed to promoting a healthily engaged community - focussed on the common good for all. She's dedicated to the co-creation of space that will deepen relationships, honor community wisdom, build trust, and promote collective collaboration. Alice believes we all are leaders with unique gifts to share.
Alice has been intimately involved and actively supporting the vision, mission, and operations of the Center since the beginning of 2018. She is passionate about the Center’s inclusive, values-based, leadership-development philosophy and principles, and is a champion for doing the heart work it takes to bring people together to co-create positive change.
Alice played a critical role in securing a Best Start for Kids grant, and was indispensable in managing the Restorative, Inclusive School Environments, RISE Initiative pilot. The experience highlighted the very need to advocate for and invest in youth development and bring back CEL's Youth Leadership of Promise program that helps youth discover their true potential and integrate more fully with their communities. Youth Leaders of Promise (YLOP) is an empowering leadership learning laboratory that develops in youth the habits of ethical leadership, citizenship, service, and the ability to think and act for the common good. Learn more about YLOP.
Prior to being with the Center, she provided consulting and technical assistance to organizations, where one of her United Way of King County coworker's exclaimed Alice was the "Go to" when it comes to discussing how to resolve issues. She's a lifelong learner and has been involved in many leadership cohorts throughout her life: Natural Helpers, Student Access to Growth and Earning, YMCA, and Washington Stewards with the Center's Founder, Dr. Bill Grace.
Alice holds her Master of Science in Management through Troy University, a Bachelor of Science in Exercise Science at University of Puget Sound, and is a proud Tacoma Community College alum. Additionally, Alice received her Human Resource Management Certificate (classes are HRCI accredited) from Lake Washington Institute of Technology. LinkedIn profile.
Alice is a huge advocate for CEL's vision - a world that thrives together and aligns her free time to do just that. She co-chairs the Washington State Public Health Advisory Board, Pierce County Commission for Refugee and Immigrant Affairs, and was formerly appointed on the King County Developmental Disability Board. She supports the Prison Scholar Fund and is a member of the Eastside Race and Leadership Coalition. Alice is always open to exploring new opportunities that compliment her schedule.
She treasures her time with family, friends, feather and fur babies, and trying to keep up with the yard.
JP Jefferson, Seattle WA
Board of Trustees, Secretary/Treasurer
Radiology Partners
Why do I support CEL? I like what they’re doing. I think it’s very important especially in this time of need where leadership is often questioned, and who we put in power and how they get there, and why they existed, and trying to figure out how to send the message that people should be more ethically observant of how their influence affects others.
JP’s leadership advice is to be very open. It’s easy to be close-minded and believe that you’re always right, but especially in management and leadership, it’s always changing, so you have to be very conscious that ideas can come from anyone regardless of their position or their ethnicity or their gender. People’s experiences in life help mold them to the person they are, and everyone can benefit from other people’s experiences.
“I think it’s hard to teach leadership and management and it’s not something we do well enough at the academic level. I think it’s something that people just expect that happens. It’s the whole nature vs nurture thing. I believe that leadership is nurture, and we have to continue to nurture it, and we always have to be aware of it, being very conscious that leadership is not just something that happens to people, it’s something that’s nurtured by the people who are around them.” -- JP
JP enjoys traveling to many different parts of the world, learning about other cultures, social norms and food is very fascinating. He has been in the hospitality industry for 16 years and has learned so much from different people from all types of backgrounds. This is an exciting time to be in leadership and he is proud of the work the Center has done.
Board of Trustees, Secretary/Treasurer
Radiology Partners
Why do I support CEL? I like what they’re doing. I think it’s very important especially in this time of need where leadership is often questioned, and who we put in power and how they get there, and why they existed, and trying to figure out how to send the message that people should be more ethically observant of how their influence affects others.
JP’s leadership advice is to be very open. It’s easy to be close-minded and believe that you’re always right, but especially in management and leadership, it’s always changing, so you have to be very conscious that ideas can come from anyone regardless of their position or their ethnicity or their gender. People’s experiences in life help mold them to the person they are, and everyone can benefit from other people’s experiences.
“I think it’s hard to teach leadership and management and it’s not something we do well enough at the academic level. I think it’s something that people just expect that happens. It’s the whole nature vs nurture thing. I believe that leadership is nurture, and we have to continue to nurture it, and we always have to be aware of it, being very conscious that leadership is not just something that happens to people, it’s something that’s nurtured by the people who are around them.” -- JP
JP enjoys traveling to many different parts of the world, learning about other cultures, social norms and food is very fascinating. He has been in the hospitality industry for 16 years and has learned so much from different people from all types of backgrounds. This is an exciting time to be in leadership and he is proud of the work the Center has done.
Scott Leonard
Board of Trustees, Chair
Self-employed
At this time of rapid technological advancement, increasing volatility, and hardening divisiveness, we need visionary leaders who reject us vs. them thinking and courageously act for the common good. The Center gives people who seek to change their landscape - whether that be in the microcosm of a workplace or on a more a global scale - the tools to effectively bring people together, respect differences, and find meaningful solutions that benefit all.
As a board member, it’s my privilege to contribute my experience to support the important work of CEL while continuing to learn and further develop my own leadership abilities.
Leadership advice? Becoming an effective leader takes time and practice. As an artist, I know that talent goes nowhere without putting in the work, taking risks and failing, learning, and striving to improve. Becoming an effective leader is no different. Like so many things, it’s a journey.
I have worked in the public sector for over twenty years and am currently a consultant, focusing on services that support people to dream big, build independence, and plan for their future. My professional focus is on developing and managing innovative projects which support people to improve their quality of life (with an emphasis on using data to support operational and strategic decision making). Outside of work, I enjoy sketching, traveling, baking, and interior design.
Board of Trustees, Chair
Self-employed
At this time of rapid technological advancement, increasing volatility, and hardening divisiveness, we need visionary leaders who reject us vs. them thinking and courageously act for the common good. The Center gives people who seek to change their landscape - whether that be in the microcosm of a workplace or on a more a global scale - the tools to effectively bring people together, respect differences, and find meaningful solutions that benefit all.
As a board member, it’s my privilege to contribute my experience to support the important work of CEL while continuing to learn and further develop my own leadership abilities.
Leadership advice? Becoming an effective leader takes time and practice. As an artist, I know that talent goes nowhere without putting in the work, taking risks and failing, learning, and striving to improve. Becoming an effective leader is no different. Like so many things, it’s a journey.
I have worked in the public sector for over twenty years and am currently a consultant, focusing on services that support people to dream big, build independence, and plan for their future. My professional focus is on developing and managing innovative projects which support people to improve their quality of life (with an emphasis on using data to support operational and strategic decision making). Outside of work, I enjoy sketching, traveling, baking, and interior design.