Kristen Houston, MA

As Associate Dean of Academic Administration, Kristen provides direction and leadership in ensuring the successful operations of the academic and financial services departments. She works with both instructors and students to help them achieve their educational goals.

What Kristen loves most about her job are the amazing people she gets to be with every day, and how proud she is of the formational learning, wrestling, laughter, and support that she has witnessed every day since she started in 2004. Even though she has been in her role for many years, she continues to grow and learn because our community continues to grow and learn.

Kristen holds a Master of Arts in Policy Studies from the University of Washington. Her undergraduate degree is in the intersections of hard and social sciences, and she is very invested in the integrative work at The Seattle School. One discipline alone rarely solves any problem. The most important problems require a combination of technical and adaptive solutions and need an interdisciplinary approach to effect any real change.

When Kristen is not at work, you can find her often in the kitchen with her son: they love cooking and baking together. Her family also really enjoys walks with their dog, camping, and just hanging out together. She volunteers at her son’s elementary school, coordinating enrichment activities led by parents. It’s a community-based school, and she loves the parallel to her work at The Seattle School where we also learn in community. Kristen is a wife of 20+ years, mother to one amazing kiddo, daughter, sister, niece, aunt, and friend– and she loves all of these relationships that have journeyed with and continue to sustain her and her community.