Board Members

• Julie Neff Lippman, Board Chair, University of Puget Sound – Retired

• Diane Hunt, Vice Chair, Private School Administrator – Retired

• Chris Gavin, Treasurer, School Principal - Retired

• Steve Saalfeld, Secretary, Donor Relations

• David Artis, Pharmaceuticals – Retired

• Bill Baerg, Private School Administrator

• E. Glenn Everitt, Jr., CPA

• Helen Kwon, Attorney – Retired

• Rich McEntee, Attorney – McEntee Law office

• Brian Randall, Financial Consultant

• Stephanie Seher, Co-President Auto Warehousing Co.

• Mary Gallagher Senecal, Community Leader

• Carol Stockdale, Ed.D., Educator – Clinician

• Dianna Stockdale, Educator – Retired

Decades of Research
and Unlocking Learning

Carol Stockdale founded what would become ARK (Applied Research Knowledge) Institute of Learning in 1968. Dr. Stockdale wanted to know more about learning disorders and began researching everything she could find on the subject. Her research led her to found Another Door to Learning in 1980. This was the Puget Sound’s first clinic devoted to treating learning disorders. The clinic was a non-profit venture funded through fees, grants and donations. Therapist training was done in house and the clinic also provided continuing education for many teachers in the community.

After 16 years serving children and adults with learning disorders, Carol retired. At that same time several internal changes to the organization finally led to the dissolution of Another Door To Learning. Unfortunately, this meant that the progress, research, instructional methods and tools developed during that time were suddenly not available.

Unhappy with the thought of these resources being lost Carol Stockdale, with the help of her husband Ron Stockdale, established ARK Institute of Learning in 1996. The primary goal was to preserve and carry forward the instructional methods, tools and knowledge acquired through Another Door to Learning.

ARK Institute of Learning remains committed to improving the lives of those with learning disorders by constantly expanding its understanding of research in this field. We unfortunately lost Ron in June 2017. Today, Ron’s legacy continues to make a difference at ARK and Carol continues to be an integral part of the Board of Directors and plays an active role on many committees, and her research is carried out by a dynamic staff of ARK professionals.

The tools, knowledge and instructional methods keep expanding and ARK Institute of Learning’s dedication to improving the lives of students with learning disorders remains constant.

In Memoriam

Long-time ARK Board member Joy Stohr was honored on April 9, 2022 at Christ Lutheran Church by her family and many friends. At the service, speakers spoke of her commitment and many contributions to her community and for her courage and good spirit.​
At this year's Live Auction and Wine Tasting on May 21st, we will remember Joy for her wise counsel, generosity, indomitable spirit, and love of the ARK Auction.
Joy died on January 27th, 2021 following a 20-year battle with cancer.

At a 25th Anniversary celebration of ARK Institute of Learning, El Vandeberg and Ron Stockdale were honored with the hanging of a plaque commemorating their enormous contributions to ARK.
Designed by Lynn Vandeberg, the plaque was sponsored by the Yao Yuan Sze Foundation and members of the ARK Board. Below are the remarks that were made at the ceremony.

Honoring El Vandeberg and Ron Stockdale

August 29th,2021

Today as we celebrate the 25th Anniversary of ARK Institute of Learning, it is our pleasure to honor El Vandeberg and Ron Stockdale-- two men who made the 25th Anniversary of ARK possible. As El’s daughter Lynn said, “It seems that these two best friends should be honored together.” Fitting it is to honor them together with this plaque in the reception area at ARK. Both contributed immensely to 25 years of success at ARK.  

El and Ron often talked about ARK and asked fundamental questions about this grand experiment: How do we keep the place going? How do we get the money and where do we need it? How can ARK be part of the community? How do you maintain the building into the future? How can such an agency survive? And then one would say, “Well, let’s take a look at it.” As they talked, the options would emerge.

In the mid-1990s, Ron and Carol Stockdale realized that to preserve the information about learning disabilities Carol had developed, they would need to create a non-profit. Preservation was important because in 1996, the State of Washington did not recognize dyslexia. But creating a non-profit isn’t easy, and there were other questions: Can the work be sustained? How do we ensure community involvement? How can the new agency foster the spirt of working together? With questions like these, ARK Institute of Learning was created 25 years ago.   

Ron saw that to assure a future, ARK needed a building—so Ron bought property, hired an architect, contracted with a builder, and built this building we’re standing in today. To ensure that form would follow function, Ron and Carol built an elaborate foam core model of the building. The building, in which we stand, opened in 2002.    

After the building was operational, Ron continued to be involved—talking to donors, filing state and federal reports, handling accounts payable and receivables, keeping up the building, overseeing all records, and generally looking out for ARK.

Similarly, El made significant contributions to both the big picture and the day-to-day running of ARK.  Joining the board in 2006, El brought legal expertise. In his law practice, El had represented Tacoma Public Schools, which gave him important insights into education. In the legal community, El was highly respected for his intelligence, especially with complex and technical areas of the law and for his work ethic. He had also been active in the community where among other honors, he had been chairman of the Board of the Greater Tacoma Community Foundation. Because El understood the work of ARK and its importance to the community, he talked about ARK to anyone who would listen. 

Like El, Ron was a big picture thinker. With an accounting background, he built in checks and balances that are in place today. But he was also a patient mentor. ARK staff remark about how he taught them about the financial aspects of ARK. One staff member said, “If I forgot how to complete a report, l used Ron’s notes as a guide or called him.” Ron was available. He arrived at meetings with ideas and encouraged us to do the same. “He fostered in me,” a staff member said, “the desire to be a leader in the field.” 

El served on several committees at ARK including the Ad hoc committee for Future Planning and the Finance Committee, and as Chairman of the Board. No job was too large or too small—from talking to donors, meeting with staff, proofreading the board meeting minutes, and strategizing with Ron. 

One staff member said, “El, always had a smile and was ready for coffee and pastries. At meetings we put the pastries between Ron and El. El would lift his coffee cup to say, “good job.” He appreciated the work, and staff welcomed him into their circle. He had a twinkle in his eye, especially when he spoke about Doris.

In 2001, El was visited by his client Joan Sun, a client who brought along her Uncle Yao Yuan Sze. Uncle Y, as Joan called him, wanted to give financially to the community. During this meeting, El suggested that Uncle Y start a foundation for charitable giving. El did the paperwork in record time, and the Yao Yuan Sze Foundation was formed in 2001. Thanks to the Yao Yuan Sze Endowment at ARK, students receive testing and instruction they otherwise couldn’t afford, and Uncle Y leaves big footprints in the sand. His niece Joan Sun said, “El often said to me with his eyes twinkling. “Well, you know Joan…,” and I knew El was going to impart important information. The foundation would not have happened without El.”

Today, we honor El Vandeberg and Ron Stockdale with the hanging of this plaque, sponsored by the Yao Yuan Sze Foundation and members of the ARK board, for their good spirit, for their generosity and wisdom, and for their integrity.

We also honor them for their vision, and what vision they had! ARK, the non-profit they imagined and nurtured, has been successfully helping students and adults—thousands of them-- with disabilities for 25 years! What a great vision!  Thank you so much for being here to honor Ron and El. What great men they were!

Julie Neff Lippman

ARK Board Chair

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