Judith Gille
Board Member
Judith is a seasoned nonprofit leader, writer, and business strategist with more than four decades of experience in marketing, financial planning, and organizational development. Her career reflects a rare combination of entrepreneurial leadership, disciplined financial stewardship, and long-standing commitment to mission-driven work.
Judith Gille
Board Member
Judith is a seasoned nonprofit leader, writer, and business strategist with more than four decades of experience in marketing, financial planning, and organizational development. Her career reflects a rare combination of entrepreneurial leadership, disciplined financial stewardship, and long-standing commitment to mission-driven work.
She is the founder and longtime Director of Marketing and Merchandising of City People’s Mercantile in Seattle, where she guided the business from a single storefront into a multi-location enterprise with more than $10 million in annual sales. In that role, she oversaw all major aspects of business development, including operating and capital budgeting, construction financing, marketing strategy, advertising negotiations, and personnel management. She worked closely with architects and contractors to design and deliver four large-scale retail spaces and led the development of comprehensive personnel policies, incentive programs, and labor negotiations.
Alongside her professional work, Judith has devoted more than thirty years to nonprofit leadership and civic engagement. She has served on numerous boards and in senior volunteer roles, with deep experience in fundraising across all major channels, including annual funds, capital campaigns, gala events, auctions, and grant writing. Her work has supported organizations focused on housing, health care, food security, education, and libraries.
Most recently, Judith served as Board President of the Latin American Relief Fund from 2021 to 2025, following a year as a board member. During her tenure, the organization raised nearly $1 million in support of ABBA House over six years. She played a central role in clarifying mission and goals, strengthening organizational structure, launching a social media presence, developing a new website, updating communications, and directing multiple successful fundraising initiatives.
She brings to board service a steady hand, a strategic mind, and a deep respect for institutions built carefully and sustained over time. Her work is marked by clarity, follow-through, and an ability to translate vision into durable systems that serve people well.
Judith holds a Bachelor of Fine Arts with a concentration in Art History from Virginia Commonwealth University. She earned a Certificate in French Language from Université de la Sorbonne, a Certificate in Fundraising Management from the University of Washington, and a Master of Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Bennington College.
She is fluent in English, French, and Spanish, with working knowledge of Italian.
