Advocating For Community, By Community.
Our Mission
Skyway has a rich legacy of community-led advocacy, and we’re proud to carry it forward. Together, we work to address the historic disinvestment and unfair policies that have impacted our Black, Indigenous, and people of color community.
As an unincorporated area in King County, we know that we must speak up for our own needs and vision. We’re building a diverse, connected, and engaged community where our voices and lived experiences guide decisions that shape Skyway’s future.
At the heart of our work is collaboration—rooted in trust, strong relationships, and the belief that collective action creates lasting change.
In all things we do, we’re guided by our values of:
Community, Diversity, Empowerment, Inclusion, Justice, and Respect.
Our Programs
Advocacy
Skyway thrives when we come together. We support our Black, Indigenous, and people of color community by building connections and uplifting local leaders. Together, we advocate for the funding, policies, and changes our community needs to grow stronger and more united.
Affordable homeownership
Everyone deserves a place to call home. We work alongside our neighbors to keep Skyway affordable and community-driven. By supporting policies and funding for affordable homeownership, we help families, especially Black and brown families, put down roots, stay in their homes, and build a future right here in Skyway.
Economic growth
A strong community lifts everyone up. We work with local small businesses, job seekers, and residents to fight displacement and create opportunities for growth. Through the Skyway Business Collective, we support small businesses, provide job training, and help build lasting community wealth that uplifts us all.
Our Work
Skyway Homeownership and Green Space Project
Skyway Farmers Market and Bazaar
Skyway Business Collective
Skyway Community Center
Skyway Resource Center
Skyway Coalition Secures economic Growth Funds in Partnership with LISC
Skyway Receives Funding for Affordable Housing and Early Learning Center
$5M Affordable Housing - Open RFP
Petah Villages Outdoor Preschool
Unincorporated Economic BIPOC Alliance (UEBA)
Just Futures Projects
Homestead Community Land Trust Partnership
Redistricting King County district 2/legislative 37
Meet The Team
We work hard to uplift our neighborhood and the people around us.
Get to know the dedicated individuals who make up Skyway Coalition. We’re a small but mighty team made up of community members who are passionate about uplifting Skyway.
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Avery Huff was born & raised in Atlanta, GA. She moved to Skyway in 2018 and has been serving this community ever since. She is a spiritual herbalist, community gardener, and community advocate. She is committed to food justice and the healing of the Black and Brown community as a whole. So it is, so it shall be!
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Beth Hintz is a Skyway resident and small business owner, with more than 20 years of experience as a grant writer and nonprofit professional. Her business is Write for Good, which provides strategic and creative grant writing, communications, and editing services to nonprofits and socially-minded businesses. She is committed to intersectional social justice and equity, and she partners with organizations who are working for a more just world. She has collaborated with and raised funds for a variety of organizations focused on educational justice, environmental and climate justice, youth development, social service, social enterprise, and grassroots community development and organizing. She is grateful for and honored by the opportunity to partner with amazing people and organizations in Skyway and beyond.
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Fin'es Scott (she/her) is a Skyway native and dedicated Communications Specialist with a heart for her community. Her love for art, design, illustration, and writing has become a driving force in her mission to uplift and unite her beloved Skyway.
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Hannah Wilson (they/them) is a mixed Black queer deaf Seattle Southend resident, farmer, and community organizer rooted in environmental justice and food sovereignty. They graduated from the University of Washington with a BS in Environmental Science and Resource Management and a minor in Geography. They first began organizing with Skyway via the Silent Task Force to provide fresh produce from the farm to Black elders in the community. As a queer, disabled deaf Black non-binary person, their intersectional identity informs the way they walk through the world and the work they do. They have committed their life’s work centered around Black liberation, continuing to organize around community building, growing food, healing, and our relationships to the land and each other.
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Jeannie Williams is a long-time resident and advocate of Skyway-West Hill. She has a deep passion for Skyway, as she purchased a home and raised her family in the community more than 30 years ago. She worked in the corporate retail and airline environment as a Sr. Technical Program Manager and brings many years of Leadership and Program Management skills to her role. Jeannie has lived through the community changes and has been deeply involved in Skyway-West Hill community work since 2001. She has been a long-time member of Skyway UMC and has served on multiple Skyway Community Boards and in Leadership positions. Jeannie is very honored to be part of the work, advocacy, and revitalization of the Skyway-West Hill community.
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Katie Ruthenberg (she/her) is a Skyway resident and nursing student at the University of Washington. She previously worked as an environmental scientist with Snohomish County and served as the public outreach chair on the board of the nonprofit Washington State Lake Protection Association (WALPA). She is interested in strengthening neighborhoods by increasing human connections in shared spaces and caring for this land and each other.
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Kyle Blendheim is a life-long resident of Seattle currently living in Skyway with his fiancé. He graduated from Washington State University in 2020 where he acquired a BA in Strategic Communication. Some of his hobbies outside of work include: photography, walking and collecting vintage clothing and furniture. He is humbled and grateful for the opportunity to explore ways to nurture solidarity and unity for the Skyway community.
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Rebecca Zapata (she/her) is a BIPOC woman, born, raised, and lived in South Seattle most of her life. Her lifelong passion for advocacy grew from her experiences in the foster care system during adolescence. She later served as a court-appointed special advocate, supporting youth with similar challenges, which cemented her desire to help empower those most impacted, yet furthest from power.
Rebecca brings a wealth of connections and lived experiences related to Skyway’s immediate threat of displacement and gentrification. She informs and guides engagements across many communities to help ensure community voices are prioritized and centered.
After living in Skyway for over ten years, being an active volunteer, and taking on work that centers her community, she was hired as the Skyway Coalition Director. She earned a master’s degree in Public Administration and is honored to continue serving her community in this capacity.