barbara Potashnick

Barb and her husband, Al Smith, moved from Los Angeles to Mercer Island with their four sons in 1995, looking for a healthier environment in which to raise their children.  Barb joined the Board of MICF in order to support its work to further build and strengthen our community.

Barb grew up in Chicago.  As an undergraduate she attended the University of Michigan, Ann Arbor and the University of London and later received her JD from the University of Chicago.  She was an associate and a partner in a Los Angeles law firm, with an emphasis in employment law and litigation, and then became SVP and head of litigation for California Federal Bank.  After moving from Los Angeles, she joined Washington Mutual as an SVP and its first head of litigation, ultimately building a department of over 50 employees in 3 states.

Giving back to the Mercer Island community through volunteering has always been important to Barb. After her family moved to Mercer Island, she volunteered for the Mercer Island Preschool Association and in the schools attended by her children, including helping to run the art docent program. After retiring, she joined the Board of the MIYFS Foundation, where over the course of 6 years she served on the Executive Committee and in various leadership positions including Vice President and Fundraising Chair.

Barb also has been actively involved in other non-profits, including the YWCA and IslandWood.  She is also a member of the Washington Women’s Foundation, where she has served on its Collective Grant and Grantee Engagement Committees.

Since retirement and as an empty nester Barb has had the opportunity to travel extensively with Al, family and friends. She and Al have made frequent trips to visit their sons, daughters in law and grandchildren, which over the years has taken them to the Bay Area, San Diego, Boston, Austin, Salt Lake City, New York City, Cape Cod and Sydney, Australia. Barb is also continuing her endless struggle to learn Italian.