Almuht Dear-Jossy was born in the remote jungles of Brazil, and later became a resident of Rio de Janeiro, Brazil. She spent 32 years working for IBM, first in Brazil, then in New York, and finally in Seattle. Upon retirement from IBM, she began her career as an award-winning  Realtor, teaching classes for first time home buyers in Portuguese and English. She brings a life-long commitment to cross-cultural education to the board, having served in the past as director of an international high-school student-exchange program and as a group leader for educational trips to Brazil and Japan. Almuht is writing a book about her childhood experiences and upbringing in the jungles of Brazil.