HR Leaders Join Board of Directors to Share Learnings from Corporate Mentoring Programs

Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound is pleased to announce the appointment of two new members to its Board of Directors. These directors are James Argento, Retired HR Director and Kristen Carden, Retired Senior Vice President of HR. Argento and Carden bring a passion for service, commitment to mentorship, and a wealth of experience in building mission-focused teams.

James Argento, retired senior HR leader, joins Board of Directors.

James Argento has a master’s degree in organizational psychology from Columbia University and a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Binghamton University. James is a senior Human Resources leader with over 30 years of experience leading most functions of HR at Fortune 500 companies including Amazon, Microsoft, and Charles Schwab. Most recently, James worked for nearly 10 years at Amazon, including seven years overseas in Luxembourg, Munich, and Beijing leading HR for those country teams.   He previously led HR functions on assignments in Norway and Singapore. 

Committed to the work of mentorship and community, James has volunteered with organizations such as New York Cares, Goodwill of San Francisco, and Stepping Out for Fun (Parkview Services). He also currently serves as a Big Brother to one of the youth in the Big Brothers Big Sisters program. Argento is excited to bring his significant experience in building and supporting mentorship programs to Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound as a member of the Board of Directors.

“I am very excited to join the Board of Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound.  As a Big Brother the past year, I have been able to see up close how well the organization functions and the benefits of mentorship to adolescents and young adults.  I look forward to contributing my experience and enthusiasm to existing and potential new programs to benefit as many participants as possible in the future.”

James Argento

Kristen Carden, retired SVP of HR at Nordstrom, also joins Board of Directors.

Kristen Carden has a bachelor’s degree in communication and media studies from the University of Washington. Kristen has a proven track record of transformational HR leadership and has previous board experience at Childhaven. As the Senior Vice President of HR at Nordstrom, Kristen was the strategic HR partner to most of the executive team over time and partnered recently with the Chief Technology & Information Officer and Chief Customer Officer. With over 35 years’ experience at Nordstrom, Kristen has a 360 view of what it takes to build diverse teams and balance demanding business imperatives with human capital strategy: attract, develop, and retain top talent with DEIB and total rewards programs.

Since beginning her career, Kristen has held over 15 leadership roles at Nordstrom across stores, merchandising, product development and human resources.   Kristen is excited to bring her passion for talent development and innovative mentorship programs to an organization that continues to have a broad impact on youth in the Puget Sound.

“James and Kristen are wonderful additions to our Board of Directors,” said Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound President & CEO Alonda Williams. “They have both been involved in highly successful and impactful corporate mentorship programs. They will bring that expertise to bear in our organization to help support young people.”

With the addition of these two new members, the Board of Directors at Big Brothers Big Sisters of Puget Sound now includes 27 members. This expanded board provides oversight and strategic direction for the organization, which has been serving youth in the Puget Sound region for over half a century.