Board & Staff

SKCHS Board Members

Laurie Bohm, SKCHS Board President
Southwest Youth & Family Services
Laurie has spent over 15 years in education and social services, building community partnerships and working with youth and families in disadvantaged communities, including refugees, immigrants, foster care and out-of school youth. She has started up numerous programs and services from conception through implementation for organizations including Treehouse, South Seattle Community College, and Community Schools Collaboration. Now the White Center Promise Neighborhood Project Director at Southwest Youth and Family Services, she is working with local residents, agencies and institutions to plan and implement a cradle to college pipeline of academic and support services for children and families.

Rickie Robinson, SKCHS Board Vice-President
King County Housing Authority
Rickie has over 30 years of experience in Human & Community Services, and has managed programs in South King County since 1989. He was the first director of the West Hill Family Enrichment Center, a founding Board Member of Communities In Schools of Renton and is currently a Senior Resident Services Manager for King County Housing Authority. Rickie’s number one hobby is music and he can often be found in his media cave or someplace strumming on his guitar.

Stacey Devenney, SKCHS Secretary/Treasurer
Navos Mental Health Solutions
Stacey Devenney is a licensed Mental Health Counselor and certified Chemical Dependency Professional with over twenty years of experience in the mental health field and particular expertise in Recovery and Wellness. Ms. Devenney is part of the team at Navos, a community behavioral healthcare organization serving individuals in King County, Washington.

Caren Adams, SKCHS Board Member
Public Health – Seattle & King County
Caren Adams has worked to develop community partnerships to promote more just and healthy communities for the past 19 years. She enjoys facilitating groups and promoting collaboration and inclusion. After running for 30 years, she decided to take on marathons to celebrate turning 60 and has now run six.

Cheryl Bozarth, SKCHS Board Member
Domestic Abuse Women’s Network
Cheryl is the Executive Director of DAWN and an advocate for DV clients as DAWN foster’s communities where abuse is no longer tolerated.  Before starting at DAWN in July of 2010, Cheryl was the Executive Director of Dove House in Jefferson County since 2005, and prior to that was the Outpatient Mental Health Program Director for Sutton Place Behavioral Health which provides child and family services. Cheryl also serves as the 2010-11 Board President of the Washington State Coalition Against Domestic Violence (WSCADV).

Alexandra Davis, SKCHS Board Member
Highline Community College
Alexandra is the Director of Student Support Services at Highline Community College. She has over 10 years of program design and development in student diversity programming. In addition, her expertise includes local government and community initiatives. Alexandra is resourceful and passionate about inclusive engagement and community building through South King County. She received a BA in Organizational Development and Leading Social Change from George Mason University and Masters of Education in Student Development Administration (SDA) from Seattle University.

Lori Guilfoyle, SKCHS Board Member
United Way of King County
Lori joined the staff of United Way of King County in 2001 and currently staffs the New Solutions Impact Council. New Solutions is tasked with engaging community participants in identifying and implementing new strategies to improve local community conditions. She lives in Hobart and is a gardener; she also loves to cook, hike and volunteer in community projects.

Merina Hanson, SKCHS Board Member
City of Kent Department of Housing and Human Services
Merina has worked for the City of Kent since 1998 and is currently the Senior Housing and Human Services Coordinator. In addition to partnering with non-profit agencies serving Kent residents, she serves on the board for Communities in Schools of Kent, and has provides staff support to local, subregional, and regional planning collaborations. Recently she was one of four lead-staff who brought 17 King County cities together to create a uniform application process for human services funding. Merina lives in Maple Valley with her husband Kurt and their two young sons.

Mike Heinisch, SKCHS Past President
Kent Youth and Family Services
Mike has been the Executive Director of Kent Youth & Family Services since October 1999. Prior to his position with KYFS he held management positions at Navos (Highline West Seattle Mental Health Center) and Catholic Community Services in Seattle. He is the current Past President of the South King Council of Human Services (three term president), and a former two term member of Untied Way of King County Board of Directors. At United Way he currently co-Chair’s the Public Policy Council. He also serves on the boards of Community In Schools Kent, Executive Alliance (two term board president), Building Better Futures, and co-chairs the King County Alliance For Human Services. He serves on the Kent Chamber of Commerce Government Affairs Committee, the King County Committee To End Homeless Interagency Council, and is a past member of the City of Kent Human Services Commission. Mike obtained his Masters Degree in Counseling from Seattle University in 1983, is a Children’s Mental Health Specialist and Licensed Mental Health Counselor. A native of Wisconsin having relocated to Western Washington in 1979, Mike and his spouse, Gail, have resided in Burien the past 25 years.

Pat Lemus, SKCHS Board Member
King County Department of Community & Human Services
[Coming Soon]

Melissa Ponder, SKCHS Board Member
Mel Ponder Photography
Melissa Ponder is a resident of Des Moines for over 20 years and has worked to eliminate  disparities, build community through outreach and education. In 2006, Melissa transitioned her decades long hobby of photography to what is now her small business Mel Ponder Photography. In addition to providing professional photography services to communities, nonprofit organizations (as well as private/individual clients), Melissa remains true to her passion for community and stays involved with equity and social justice work in a variety of voluntary roles. From 2005-2011, she represented, KC District 5 King County Civil Rights Commission, during which time she was actively involved with the South King Equity & Social Justice Initiative. From 2005-2010, she coordinated API Coalition Against Tobacco/WA DOH funded youth education and leadership development project for Federal Way based Kikaha O Ke Kai Outrigger Canoe Club. From 2007-2009, she actively participated on the Highline Public Schools Superintendent’s Advisory Council on Cultural Competency and Academic Achievement. Melissa was honored to be the 2011 SKCHS Kathy Keolker Award Recipient  for leadership on equity and civil rights issues in South King County. Currently, Melissa serves on the City of Des Moines Library Commission and the WA AAPI Voices in Education Advisory Committee.

Linda Rasmussen, SKCHS Past President
YWCA of Seattle-King County-Snohomish County
Linda Rasmussen has managed and developed human service programs in South King County since 1991. Her experience includes developing the first SKC emergency domestic violence shelter, and creating a team of community advocates to provide domestic violence education and survivor support throughout South County. Linda has been with the YWCA Seattle|King|Snohomish since 1996. Many of the programs she oversees serve families experiencing homelessness, including a program to reduce the barriers experienced by adults reentering the community from incarceration. Her early career includes planning and staging large scale sport and entertainment events and managing and developing community-based arts programs in Seattle. Linda is a dedicated vegetable gardener and a certified practitioner of the Bio Energetic Synchronization Technique (B.E.S.T.).

Mary Ellen Stone, SKCHS Past President
King County Sexual Assault Resource Center (KCSARC)
For the past 30 years, Mary Ellen has been a visionary leader in changing the landscape of sexual assault prevention, education, victim advocacy in King County and Washington State, and she currently serves as Executive Director at the Renton-based King County Sexual Assault Resource Center. She is a skilled political advocate and serves on several boards and task forces. In her spare time, she likes to ski.

SKCHS Staff

Nathan Phillips, Director
As Director at SKCHS, and Principal on our Capacity Building Project, Nathan works with SKC service providers, funders and policy-makers to help strengthen our human services delivery system. He especially enjoys working with smaller agencies and organizations that focus on underserved and newly arrived communities. Nathan brings years of experience as a human services budget and data analyst to the Capacity Building Project, as well as his academic studies in law and public administration.

Subeida Mukhtar, Membership Coordinator
Subeida has worked internationally for the United Nations Developmental Program for Somalia and locally for Refugee Women’s Alliance. She has received recognition from Highline Community College for working with Refugee and Immigrant communities in South King County. She brings energy to the Council as Membership Coordinator. Her interests lie with the greater understanding of regional connections. Subeida’s academic background focuses on public administration and information technology. Her ambition is to holistically tie the relevance and benefits of technology and driving policies towards social change.