Whidbey Community Foundation is excited to welcome Aisha Mayfield and Ansel Santosa to our Board of Directors.
Aisha is a military spouse and dedicated mother of two. She and her family moved to the island in 2008. She has over 18 years’ experience in practice management for multiple physicians and medical billing. She regularly volunteers at her children’s schools and other community groups such as the Navy Marine Corp Relief Society and the Chief Petty Officers Spouse Association. Aisha became a small business owner of Music Together of North Whidbey and Anacortes in 2017.
Aisha notes that the Music Together program has helped to bridge the gap between the military community and local community for her family—teaching and inspiring families to create musical memories daily between children and the grownups they love. A highlight to her business is bringing classes to assisted living facilities and seeing families sharing those memories with our Grandfriends within the community.
“Young/ old, military/ local, North Island/ South Island and everyone in between, this is an amazing community and one I am grateful to be a part of,” Aisha Mayfield.
Ansel and his wife Sarah moved to Whidbey Island full-time from Seattle in 2018 to raise their daughter Gwen and start Ballydídean Farm Sanctuary, a dream of theirs since childhood. Ansel also serves on the UW Informatics Advisory Board and is an active volunteer and advisor for Mother Mentors of Whidbey Island, where Sarah is Vice-President, and the South Whidbey Children’s Center, where Gwen goes to pre-school. Ansel has an “off-island” career as a software engineer.
He has had several roles in the Seattle startup and venture capital community including ExtraHop Networks and Pioneer Square Labs. He currently works at Carbon Robotics where he builds robots that use lasers and computer vision to help farmers control weeds without herbicide or tilling.
“Our family instantly fell in love with this special island. Not just for the stunning views, and charming towns, but also for the incredible community. What may first appear to be a sleepy island outside of Seattle, is actually a thriving rural community full of passionate people who want to do right by their neighbors and their world. We are surrounded by nonprofits, grassroots activism, and collective projects. I look forward to serving the generous donors and wonderful organizations seeking to make Whidbey Island the best it can be,” Ansel Santosa.
Aisha and Ansel join WCF’s Board of Directors who represent north, south, and central Whidbey Island. Formed in 2016, Whidbey Community Foundation’s mission is to improve the quality of life on Whidbey Island by providing support for the nonprofit sector, assisting donors to build and preserve enduring assets for charitable purposes, and meeting community needs through financial awards.