Building Momentum On and Off the Field: Introducing Seattle SCORES’ New Board Co-Chairs
- Sasha Lee
- Sep 30
- 3 min read
New changes continue to roll into Seattle SCORES!
Introducing new Board Co-Chairs, Rachel Lanham and Mariana Paonessa.
Our new Board co-chairs come from a wealth of professional and personal experiences that will drive this year’s unique goals—from World Cup 2026 to expanding our programming.
Board Co-Chair, Mariana Paonessa
Mariana Paonessa is a Seattle-based attorney and business leader with nearly a decade of legal experience across both corporate and startup environments. She currently serves as Head of Legal at Brightwheel, an education technology company.
Soccer has been a defining part of Mariana’s life from the moment she first started playing as a toddler through her years as captain of her high school varsity team. The sport shaped her childhood—teaching her teamwork, leadership, and confidence—while also creating lifelong bonds with teammates and coaches.
“I was drawn to Seattle SCORES because of its unique model that pairs team sports with creative expression,” Mariana shares.
“I believe that giving young people access to both soccer and poetry provides powerful tools to help them grow—building interpersonal, leadership, communication, and creative skills alongside strength, confidence, and passion both on and off the field.”
As co-chair, Mariana is eager to help expand awareness of SCORES’ work in Seattle’s vibrant soccer community and ensure more students across King County can access free afterschool programming that builds both athletic and creative skills. And to achieve this, Mariana has set her sights on one of the largest global events: World Cup 2026.
“With the excitement of the World Cup coming to Seattle, my hope is that our city rallies behind Seattle SCORES with the same passion we show on the field,” Mariana explains. “I’d like to see record-breaking support from donors and partners so we can double the number of students we serve—giving more kids the chance to experience the power of soccer, poetry, and community.”
But Mariana knows that she is not doing this alone. Alongside co-chair, Rachel Lanham, this vision is shared, and a unique set of skills and expertise is brought to achieve these lofty goals.
Board Co-Chair, Rachel Lanham
Rachel Lanham is a Seattle-based marketing leader, tech entrepreneur, and executive with over 25 years of experience driving digital transformation and growth across both startup and Fortune 500 environments.
Rachel joined the Seattle SCORES board eight years ago, drawn by the organization's mission to provide free afterschool programming to underserved youth at Title I schools.
“As a parent whose own children had access to select soccer throughout their lives, I was moved by the opportunity to support kids for whom SCORES often represents their first team experience and first jersey,” Rachel shared.
Through her involvement, Rachel discovered that while soccer serves as the initial hook, the program's true magic lies in its poetry component—watching young poet-athletes build literacy, confidence, and character through creative expression alongside athletic development.
“I’m excited to continue leveraging my marketing background to focus on raising awareness for Seattle SCORES in a city that, despite being a passionate soccer community, remains largely unaware of this impactful organization.”
Her goal is to help spread the word and grow funding so the program can reach even more youth across King County. Especially for her favorite SCORES event, the annual Poetry Slam where Poet-Athletes share their work on stage.
“With the World Cup coming to Seattle next year, my hope is that, as the sport of soccer raises its profile, Seattle SCORES does as well,” Rachel says. “So, I’d like to see local media like KUOW, Seattle Times, Seattle Magazine, and others supporting the organization and telling our story.”
Looking Ahead
Together, Rachel and Mariana bring the vision, expertise, and heart to lead Seattle SCORES into an exciting new chapter. As Seattle prepares to welcome the world in 2026, they’re rallying our community to ensure more young people can step onto the field, discover their voices, and find their team.
That momentum starts now. On November 13th, join us for breakfast at FareStart Café to meet Rachel, Mariana, and our Board, and hear firsthand about SCORES’ bold plans leading into the World Cup.
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