The Washington State Board of Tax Appeals (WSBTA), composed of three members appointed by the governor, is the state’s full-time administrative tax court that adjudicates a variety of tax-related appeals filed by taxpayers, taxing units, and county assessors.
Claire Hesselholt, Chair
Claire Hesselholt was appointed to the Board on January 1, 2019, and reappointed on March 11, 2021, by Governor Jay Inslee. Ms. Hesselholt holds Bachelor of Science in Political Science and Master of Public Administration degrees from Idaho State University, and received her J.D.cum laude, from the University of Puget Sound (now Seattle University) School of Law. She is a member of the Washington State Bar. Ms. Hesselholt previously worked in the Washington State Senate, the Washington State Department of Revenue, and on Governor Locke’s policy staff.
Rosann Fitzpatrick, Vice Chair
Rosann was appointed to the Board in April 2022. Before her appointment, Rosann served for almost 14 years as an assistant attorney general in the Revenue & Finance Division of the Washington Attorney General’s Office. Rosann also served as a law clerk for the Honorable Judge Elaine Houghton at the Washington Court of Appeals, Division Two (2005-06), and for the Honorable Justice Barbara Madsen at the Washington Supreme Court (2006-08).
Rosann received her law degree from the Seattle University School of Law, graduating summa cum laude. She earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in anthropology from the University of Chicago, and a Master of Arts degree as a graduate fellow in the anthropology department of Princeton University. Rosann was born and raised in Aberdeen, Washington.
Matthew Randazzo, Member
Matthew Randazzo was appointed to the Board in March 2023. He is a graduate of the University of North Carolina at Asheville, where he received a B.A. in English Literature. He also earned his J.D. from Emory University School of Law and is licensed to practice law in Washington State. Mr. Randazzo’s previous experience includes serving as a Criminal Deputy Prosecutor and an Assistant Attorney General.
Ross Petersen joined the WSBTA in December 2018. He holds B.A.s in History and Political Science, with a specialization in Law & Society from the University of California, Los Angeles, and a J.D. from Vermont Law School. He is a member of the Washington State Bar and is admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Western District. He previously worked as a Civil Deputy Prosecutor and as a private practice attorney and trained mediator. Prior to entering the legal field, Ross worked for the Washington State Public Disclosure Commission.
Laura Chartoff joined the WSBTA in June 2023. She holds a B.A. in History from the University of Chicago, a J.D. from the University of Oregon, and an LL.M. in Taxation from New York University. She is a member of the Washington State Bar. Ms. Chartoff began her legal career in private practice specializing in tax and estate planning. She also worked for the Washington State Department of Revenue as a tax review officer and a manager, and for the Washington State Utilities and Transportation Commission as an administrative law judge.
Kristen Fraser joined the WSTBA in 2024. She holds degrees in political science and law from the University of Washington and is licensed to practice in Washington. Before joining the WSBTA she served 30 years as a non-partisan committee attorney for the Washington House of Representatives, where she focused on fiscal and constitutional issues. She is also an affiliate professor of law at the University of Washington School of Law and previously taught as an adjunct professor at Seattle University School of Law.
Gilda R. Felizardo
Gilda R. Felizardo joined the WSBTA in July 2005. Ms. Felizardo is a graduate of Western Washington University, where she received her B.A. in Business and Economics. She also holds an A.A. degree in Accounting. She began her career in 1982 with the Department of Licensing. With the Department of Labor and Industries, she performed audits on worker’s compensation. She was promoted as a Litigation Specialist and conducted reconsiderations of worker’s compensation audits.
Trish Johnson joined the WSBTA in December 2021. She is a graduate of Western Washington University, where she earned a B.A. in Journalism; University of Puget Sound (now Seattle University) School of Law, J.D; Golden Gate University in San Francisco, where she received an LL.M. in Taxation; and the University of Edinburgh, where she received an LL.M. in Innovation, Technology and the Law. She started her legal career as an administrative law judge with the Washington State Department of Revenue and is licensed to practice in Washington.
Mark W. Pree
Mark W. Pree joined the WSBTA in May 2016. He is a graduate of St. Olaf College, where he received a B.A. in Economics; Gonzaga Law School, where he received a J.D.; and the University of Florida School of Law, where he received an LL.M. in Taxation. Mr. Pree previously worked for the Washington State Department of Revenue as an administrative law judge and for the Internal Revenue Service as a tax auditor and revenue agent in Minnesota. He practiced with private law firms in Wisconsin and is a member of that state’s bar.
Mike Turner joined the WSBTA in August 2018. He holds B.A.s in Mathematics and Chemistry from Willamette University, a Master of Management through Willamette’s Atkinson Graduate School of Administration, and a J.D. from the University of Washington School of Law. He is a member of the Washington State Bar and is admitted to practice before the United States District Court for the Western District. He previously worked as a general practice attorney in solo practice. His experience includes many years as a hearings examiner for the Pacific County Board of Equalization, a municipal court judge, superior court commissioner, district court judge pro-tem, and a city attorney.
- Case Manager: Jasmine Bruns
- Clerk of the Board: Keri Lamb
- Office Assistant: Conan Cummings
- Scheduling Coordinator: Rachel McDaniel
- Legal Editor: Neil Savage