Federal Way Public Schools Graduates of Note

Chris Carrel

Executive Director of a Non-Profit

Decatur High School
Graduate, Class of 1982

You never know where your high school teachers will turn up. Once you graduate, you don’t think you’ll ever see them again, but that wasn’t the case with this notable graduate.

When Chris Carrel, a Decatur graduate, interviewed for the job of executive director of the Friends of the Hylebos in Federal Way, one of his former high school teachers, John Metcalf, was on the Hylebos board.

“If he had known when he founded the organization that some day I’d be the executive director, he would have either been thrilled or he would have cried,” Carrel mused.

Luckily Metcalf and Carrel shared a good relationship, and Carrel got the job which he’s held for the past ten years.

“John Metcalf was a real inspiration to me, not so much in the classroom, but because outside school he was active in the community,” says Carrel. “He showed me the importance of putting your money where your mouth is and not just talking the talk, but actually doing the work.”

As executive director of Friends of the Hylebos, Carrel does some bookkeeping, fundraising and most important of all he’s the public face of the organization.

A Love of Nature
Carrel wasn’t sure of his calling until he took an environmental policy class in college. Even though he had a generalist background, his professor encouraged him and said he could still have a role in environmental policy. That’s when Carrel applied to intern with the Washington Wilderness Coalition in Seattle and when his internship was over the coalition hired him. He’s been involved with the environment ever since.

“The Friends of the Hylebos has a goal of restoring and preserving 745 acres,” says Carrel. “So far we have preserved 420 acres. Once the habitat is preserved, it’s there forever and that’s a gift to the future generations of Federal Way.”

The impact of the work that Carrel’s group does is very meaningful to him. When he sees land that’s not in very good shape and then views what a project devoted to that land has accomplished, he says that feels good at the end of the day. Preserving the habitat for Great Blue Herons, frogs and Chinook Salmon has become one of his most significant endeavors.

Inspired by Teachers
Besides being motivated and inspired by John Metcalf who was active with the Hylebos, Fusion and other Federal Way community activities, Carrel gives credit to Betty Payne, his English teacher at Decatur, for giving him confidence in his writing.

“She thought I might be able to write,” says Carrel, who did work as a freelance writer before coming on board with Friends of the Hylebos. “She was the first teacher who really treated me and my friends as adults, as people who had opinions that were worth listening to and she joked with us like we were regular people.”

Advice for Teachers and Students
Carrel says that he believes teachers should treat each kid as an individual.

“Everyone has one gift to give the world and the teachers that made a difference for me were the ones that helped me unwrap that gift,” Carrel concluded.

As far as advice for students, Carrel encourages them to get involved in a community organization – one that is working to improve the community. That way, they will learn skills needed in college and in their professional lives. “Besides making contacts, student can make a difference,” Carrel says.