About Us

Founded in 2015, the West Edge Neighborhood Association (WENA) serves residents and businesses in Downtown Seattle's West Edge neighborhood.  

Our Mission
The West Edge Neighborhood Association is dedicated to providing a venue to become informed about neighborhood developments and activities, to establish our neighborhood priorities, and to meet our neighbors and have fun!

Our Neighborhood
The West Edge runs from Columbia Street to Union Street, and from the Second Avenue corridor down to Alaskan Way. The West Edge is home to some of Seattle's most significant landmarks, including the Pike Place Market, Seattle Art Museum and Benaroya Hall. Our neighborhood includes over 4,000 residents; 250 retailers; 170 restaurants; and the workplaces of over 26,000 people.

Our Board

Leigh Valentine, President
Leigh Valentine lives at Newmark Tower at 2nd and Pike Street with his wife Kazon and cat Shirley. He has lived in the West Edge since 1993 and seen the addition of SAM, Benaroya, and various other high rise towers. Leigh is currently president of the Newmark Tower Homeowners Association having served in various offices for over five years. Active in the local arts scene, Leigh is a volunteer for the Seattle International Film Festival. In addition to a vibrant downtown, having a safe and family friendly neighborhood is a top priority to him.
Jo VanDerSnick, Vice President
Jo VanDerSnick and her husband Blaine moved to Seattle in 2009 and live at Market Court Condominium. Jo works in commercial banking and is member of the Emerald City Rotary Club and Downtown Seattle Association. She serves as Vice President of the Market Court Homeowners Association. She is an active member of Seattle Athletic Club and Christ Our Hope Catholic Church.
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Linda Mitchell, Treasurer
Linda Mitchell lives at the Watermark Tower on 1st & Spring with her husband and two dogs and has been a resident of the West Edge neighborhood since 2004. She serves on the steering committee of the Downtown Residents Council, was president of the Watermark homeowners association for 13 years, and is founder and organizer of the Downtown Condo Board Presidents group.
Ben Anderstone, Secretary
As a resident of Newmark Tower since late 2014, Ben Anderstone is a newcomer to the West End, but he's no stranger to community involvement.  In addition to serving as WENA's Communications Director, Ben is Vice President of the Hawthorne Hills Community Council and serves on the Roosevelt Neighborhood Alliance Transportation Committee. In his day job as a partner with Progressive Strategies Northwest, Ben works as a political consultant for campaigns and ballot measures. He is also a regular contributor to Crosscut, Seattle's leading non-profit news and analysis publication, and other media outlets, where he writes on politics and current events.
William Justen, Planning & Land Use Chair
William Justen has been a resident of the West Edge since 1977. William also started working in the neighborhood in 1975 while being the City’s project engineer for the "Save the Market" rehabilitation project. Later William was the Director of the City of Seattle DCLU (DPD). After 10 years in the public sector, William went into real estate development completing several projects in WEN that each became personal homes including: the Pike and Virginia Building, Market Place Tower and Fifteen Twenty-One Second Avenue. William is a board member of the DSA and was a trustee at ACT Theatre for many years. As a real estate developer, William is accustomed to working with local neighborhood councils when he is proposing new projects and he feels that type of neighborhood organized participation is lacking in the rapidly developing West Edge neighborhood.
Gene Burrus, Public Safety Chair
Gene Burrus has been a resident at 1521 Second Ave since 2012, and has lived downtown since 2009. Gene has worked at Microsoft as an attorney for 13 years, and has actively worked with the police, mayor, city attorney and city council to promote public safety downtown.