The Southwest Seattle Historical Society recently had its annual membership meeting, and has news to share about what’s next. Read about it below – and visit the Log House Museum (61st/Stevens) during Saturday night’s Alki Holiday Lights:

The Southwest Seattle Historical Society held its annual meeting last Saturday at the Log House Museum, which currently features the exhibit, Seattle’s Forest: The West Duwamish Greenbelt.

SWSHS members gathered to hear about the organization’s accomplishments in 2024, including increasing online access to museum collections, and to learn new details about the organization’s strategic and interpretive planning.

Members also gathered to elect a new slate of Officers to lead SWSHS’s Board of Directors in 2025. Officers include, incoming President Kathy Duncan; incoming Vice President Jason Plourde; Secretary Nancy Sorensen; Treasurer John Sweetland; and Membership Secretary Megan Simkus. The biographies of SWSHS’s 2025 Officers are shared below.

Programs and Outreach Director Elizabeth Rudrud shared new details on SWSHS’s plans for an overhaul of the museum’s exhibitions. A multi-year interpretive planning project supported by Maritime Washington National Heritage Area began earlier this year. The planning will help the historical society design a permanent, interactive exhibit at the Log House Museum that will highlight the historical and cultural significance of Alki Beach, prioritize interactive museum experiences and the display of historical society artifacts, share diverse stories from across the Duwamish Peninsula, and extend to the exterior of the Log House Museum, where several artifacts are currently on display, including the original Alki Beach Lady Liberty.

Planning for this exhibit is well underway and has included participation from community partners, regional heritage and museum professionals, and the Duwamish Tribe. The project is rooted in SWSHS’s 2024-2026 Strategic Plan and takes inspiration from a Peninsula-wide community survey conducted by SWSHS in 2023. The competitive, inaugural grant from Maritime WA funds this project through the design phase. Keep your eyes out for updates on the project next year.

Kathy Duncan, incoming SWSHS President, says, “I’m honored to have the opportunity to continue serving the board, Southwest Seattle Historical Society members, and our community. We have exciting plans for expanding programs and
services.”

You can visit the Log House Museum Fridays and Saturdays, from 12-4 pm and tomorrow (Saturday, November 23) from 7-9 pm for Alki Holiday Lights. SWSHS will provide complimentary cider and crafts and host a Bake Sale to raise funds for the Society. The event coincides with the arrival of Argosy’s Christmas Ship Festival at Alki Beach.

Learn more about SWSHS programming, including Alki History Walking Tours and Words, Writers, Southwest Stories, at www.loghousemuseum.org

And below – meet the new board (and ongoing leadership)!

Kathy Duncan, incoming President, has over 25 years of project management experience in a variety of industries including defense, geospatial data, real estate, and healthcare. In her free time, Kathy especially enjoys reading, kayaking, walking West Seattle’s beautiful parks and neighborhoods with her dog, and gardening.

Jason Plourde, incoming Vice President, has been a SWSHS board member since December 2022. He is an Alki resident and a middle school teacher in Seattle Public Schools. Prior to teaching, he has had decades of experience in nonprofit management and as an ASL interpreter. 

Nancy Sorensen, Secretary, is an attorney in Southwest Seattle.  She is a longtime member of the Board of SWSHS and a lifelong Seattleite.

John Sweetland, Treasurer, grew up in Fauntleroy, managed hotels for 26 years, and is a retired Navy veteran. John started volunteering at SWSHS in 2016, joined the board in 2018, and became treasurer in 2020.

Megan Simkus, Membership Secretary, is a Security Practitioner with over 20 years experience in the e-commerce, retail, and financial services industries serving in a variety of positions; including Information Security, GRC, and Internal and Third-Party Risk Management.  She has been involved with the SWSHS Log Museum since 2019 as a volunteer on the Events Committee, and thereafter joined the DEI committee. Megan became a Board Member in 2020 and has served as an Executive Committee Member as the Membership Secretary since 2022.

Elizabeth Rudrud serves as the Historical Society’s Programs and Outreach Director. She has worked with regional museums for over ten years. She joined SWSHS as a board member in 2019, and as a staff member in 2023.