Board of Directors

Karen Lefohn

Karen has been a member of The Attic Learning Community since 2010 and relishes the time she spends volunteering alongside other parents and teachers who are passionate about educating and nurturing children to be the best version of themselves. She has worked as a children’s ski instructor, volunteers as a catechist in a Montessori setting, and uses her apparel design degree and experience to support The Attic’s annual spring play. She enjoys spending time outdoors with her husband and their three Attic learners.

Raj Velji

Raj is an experienced technology leader and has been an Attic parent since 2017. He received his MBA from the University of Washington Foster School of Business in 2010 and has led teams at Amazon, Facebook and Google. He and his wife Annika, son and daughter live in Edmonds, Washington. In addition to family and career, Raj enjoys photography, boxing, hiking and long walks up and down the hills in Edmonds.

Erika Wright

Erika joined The Attic as a parent in 2015, and has served as Executive Director since July 2019. She volunteered extensively at The Attic in program support, fundraising, and as Board Secretary. She is a graduate of The College of New Jersey (BA, 2003) and Temple University’s James E. Beasley School of Law (JD, 2007, cum laude). As an attorney, Erika has worked in both the private and nonprofit sectors. She has a background in litigation and business law and has always had a special interest in working with children. She served as a pro bono attorney for the Children’s Attorney Project, where she represented children in the foster care system, and as a family law attorney working with victims of domestic violence.

Erika is an advocate at heart, and her work at The Attic gives her the unique opportunity to combine her passion for the well-being of children with her business and legal expertise. She believes deeply in the mission of The Attic, having seen its impact on not only her own children, but on all the children who come through The Attic’s doors. In her spare time, Erika enjoys creative writing, reading, and spending time with her husband and three children.

Emma Hodgson

Emma is Director of Student Experience at Villa Academy, Laurelhurst, where she has been for five years. Emma’s background and BA are in Outdoor Education and she believes in the power of experiential learning to help children grow and learn about themselves, each other and their environment. Originally from England, Emma has lived in Hong Kong, Japan, and Switzerland working initially as an outdoor program designer & facilitator and then as a teacher in International Schools. Six years ago she moved to the US with her wife. She loves being surrounded by mountains, lakes and the ocean and enjoys weekends spent camping with friends. Emma is a steadfast supporter of the Seattle Seawolves, Seattle’s rugby team.

Caitlin McLane

Caitlin has been teaching in independent schools for 15 years. She currently teaches history, advises 11th and 12th graders, and serves as the Social Science Discipline Lead at Eastside Preparatory School in Kirkland. Before coming to Eastside Prep, Caitlin taught at the Emma Willard School in New York, St. Mark’s School in Boston, and the Baldwin School in Philadelphia. She earned her BA in History from Colgate University and her MA in Social Sciences from the University of Chicago. Caitlin moved to Seattle in 2017 and lives in Montlake with her partner and two young children.

Laura Latta

Laura joined the Attic Learning Community as a parent in 2020. As an estate planning attorney, Laura works with Eastside and Seattle-area families. She received her JD from The University of California College of the Law, San Francisco in 2006; and her Bachelor’s Degree from San Diego State University (magna cum laude) in 2002.  Laura co-founded Lawyer Moms Action and Lawyer Moms Foundation which advocated for migrant families throughout the family separation and detention crisis. She served as the Chapter Leader of the Washington State Chapter of Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America in 2017 and 2018. Most recently, in 2023, Laura was recognized as an “Outstanding Advocate” for her work as the Advocacy Co-Chair of the Moorlands Elementary School PTA.

Laura lives with her husband and two children (Snow Goose and Merganser) in Kenmore, Washington. She enjoys kayaking, following baseball, reading cheesy rom-coms, and trying (but mostly failing) to keep her houseplants alive. She looks forward to continuing her work on behalf of children and families as a member of the Attic’s Board of Directors.