2013 Advisory Council Members
Our Council comprises 27 members who are appointed by the three sponsors: King County, Seattle Human Services Department, and United Way.
Members serve for up to three two-year terms.
(Click on the name of a member to view their biography and picture.)
Executive Committee:
- Chair: Tony Provine
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Tony earned his B.A. and M.A. in Government & Politics from the University of Maryland. As Assistant Chief of Investigations & Licensing for the Department of Consumer Protection of Fairfax County, Virginia, he oversaw a broad spectrum of public programs. Moving to California, Tony became an executive and a consultant for nonprofit organizations. While with Aging Services of California (a group representing more than 400 nonprofit elder care and senior services providers), he launched a new educational foundation to provide professional development programs for caregivers and a wide range of information for consumers. He also served on the Commission on Aging for the Woodland City Council (near Sacramento).
Tony moved to the Seattle area to develop and construct a business in Shoreline. Following the sale of that business, he became more involved with nonprofits and community service organizations. Tony was a seminar presenter for the Seattle Nonprofit Leadership Series sponsored by the Center for Nonprofit Success. He serves on the board of his neighborhood community association, co-chairs the Northeast District Council of Neighborhoods, and is their representative to the City Neighborhood Council. Tony recently served on the board of the Friends of the Seattle Public Library and as a delegate for the Youth & Families Initiative for Seattle. - Vice Chair: George Dicks
George Dicks, BA, GMHS, RCMHP currently supervises the Geriatric Psychiatry Service clinic at Harborview Mental Health Services. The clinic provides psychiatric services to the greater Seattle community, including the African American community. George has served on the faculty member at the University of Washington School of Social Work and at the Edmonds Community College in the Social & Health Sciences Department, teaching courses on Gerontology, Psychiatric Consultation, and Mental Health.
George has been involved in a variety of organizations within the African American community for over 20 years. George’s motivation for being on the Council is to inform the community about mental health for successful aging.- Secretary: Molly Holmes
Molly Holmes grew up in the Yakima Valley and earned a BA from Central Washington State College in 1948. She and her husband founded a weekly newspaper in Quincy, Grant County, in 1949, a newspaper that is still up and running. A few years and four children later, Molly began work as publications editor for the Washington State School Directors Association in Olympia. She earned a teaching certificate in 1969 and taught children with disabilities for the next 23 years.
An outdoors woman, Molly hikes and kayaks throughout the Northwest. As a volunteer, she has built houses with Habitat for Humanity in Tacoma, Yakima, and Central America, and also managed a volunteer thrift store in Key Center.- Member-at-Large: Natalie Ellington
Dr. Natalie Ellington is an international teacher, speaker, and author who encourages her audiences to examine alternative methods of accomplishing goals. Her recently released book, Right Choices: Choose the Life You Were Destined to Live, leads the reader to utilize the ability to choose those things that promote positive outcomes in life. As a certified Core Communications instructor, she also conducts workshops and seminars emphasizing practical steps to improving communication skills and resolving conflicts.
Dr. Ellington’s background includes corporate experience as the West Coast Director of Professional Activities with Motown Industries; Director of Marketing and then Assistant Dean of Enrollment Management with Oral Roberts University; Vice President and Dean of Dominion College; Principal of Christian Faith School in Seattle, WA; and currently CEO of Ellington Consulting.
Dr. Ellington serves on the boards of the Federal Way/Auburn Boys and Girls Club, the King County Women’s Advisory Board, Communities in Schools of Federal Way Advisory Board, The Hope House Foundation, and as a Go Red Ambassador for the American Heart Association.
Council Member Assignments by Sponsoring Organization:
City of Seattle
- Claire Brannan
Claire Brannan graduated from the University of Washington with a Bachelors degree in Honors Psychology. Claire worked as a social worker in a long-term care facility, completing quarterly assessments and providing care coordination.
Following her time as a social worker, Claire owned and operated two Dementia Specialty Adult Family Homes in Seattle that provided 24-hour care to elderly suffering from both mental and physical disabilities. During the over six years running her AFH’s, Claire learned a great deal about geriatric healthcare, long term care issues and community resources in our area.
Claire has remained focused on improving long term care through education and consulting by opening her own business, Mobile Classes and Consulting, over five years ago. She teaches a variety of classes to caregivers to help them improve their caregiving skills, as well as, classes for seniors to help them better understand common issues facing our aging population. Claire also assists long term care facilities with various consulting projects to improve their care and provides consulting services to families caring for aging parents.- Molly Holmes, Secretary
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Molly Holmes grew up in the Yakima Valley and earned a BA from Central Washington State College in 1948. She and her husband founded a weekly newspaper in Quincy, Grant County, in 1949, a newspaper that is still up and running. A few years and four children later, Molly began work as publications editor for the Washington State School Directors Association in Olympia. She earned a teaching certificate in 1969 and taught children with disabilities for the next 23 years.
An outdoors woman, Molly hikes and kayaks throughout the Northwest. As a volunteer, she has built houses with Habitat for Humanity in Tacoma, Yakima, and Central America, and also managed a volunteer thrift store in Key Center. - Hon. Nick Licata
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Seattle City Councilmember Nick Licata is currently serving his fourth four-year term in office. He has chaired Council committees dealing with parks, arts, police, fire, civil rights, and neighborhoods, and served as vice-chair of the budget committee. Nick currently chairs the Housing, Human Services, Health, and Culture Committee. He also serves on the Seattle King County Board of Health and the Governing Board of the Seattle King County Committee to End Homelessness.
Nick is a sociologist by training. He has written editorial pieces for regional and national newspapers and authored the novel “Princess Bianca and the Vandals: A Post-Modern Fairy Tale of Two Kingdoms."
Nick was born in Cleveland, Ohio. He moved to Seattle in 1970, where he received a Masters degree in Sociology from the University of Washington. He has a daughter, E.B., who graduated from Grinnell College in Iowa and now attends Central Washington State University’s Masters program in English Literature. - Kathe Matrone
Dr. Matrone has worked over 40 years with individuals with disabilities and rehabilitation organizations in Alaska, Idaho, Oregon, Washington, and Michigan. She earned her PhD in Rehabilitation Counseling from Michigan State University. She currently serves as the Director for the University of Washington Center on Continuing Education in Rehabilitation. The center provides continuing education and technical assistance on issues facing professionals and organizations working in the field of rehabilitation, including the Americans with Disabilities Act. Recently, Kathe has seen an increase in requests for information from aging workers about accommodation in the workplace. In addition, rehabilitation professionals are seeking strategies and tools in working with older adults with disabilities seeking employment.
Membership in the Advisory Council offers her the opportunity to become involved in a local organization whose primary purpose focuses on individuals who are aging and aging into disability.- Mac McIntosh
Bruce “Mac” McIntosh worked over 20 years for the Swedish/Providence health care system as part of the hospital’s intensive care unit supporting the medical staff. He served on the SEIU executive board and participated in the LGBT community representing their rights through the Lavender Caucus. He took a leave of absence to dedicate a year to John Kerry’s presidential campaign.
Mac is currently on the Executive Board of the Puget Sound Advocates for Retirement Action (PSARA) and is a regular contributor to their newsletter. He advocates for seniors and the most vulnerable through active membership in the Washington State Senior Citizen Lobby and Washington State Alliance for Retired Americans. Mac's primary interests are related to seniors, disadvantaged residents, and the LGBT community.
- Tony Provine, Chair
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Tony earned his B.A. and M.A. in Government & Politics from the University of Maryland. As Assistant Chief of Investigations & Licensing for the Department of Consumer Protection of Fairfax County, Virginia, he oversaw a broad spectrum of public programs. Moving to California, Tony became an executive and a consultant for nonprofit organizations. While with Aging Services of California (a group representing more than 400 nonprofit elder care and senior services providers), he launched a new educational foundation to provide professional development programs for caregivers and a wide range of information for consumers. He also served on the Commission on Aging for the Woodland City Council (near Sacramento).
Tony moved to the Seattle area to develop and construct a business in Shoreline. Following the sale of that business, he became more involved with nonprofits and community service organizations. Tony was a seminar presenter for the Seattle Nonprofit Leadership Series sponsored by the Center for Nonprofit Success. He serves on the board of his neighborhood community association, co-chairs the Northeast District Council of Neighborhoods, and is their representative to the City Neighborhood Council. Tony recently served on the board of the Friends of the Seattle Public Library and as a delegate for the Youth & Families Initiative for Seattle. - Diane Snell
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Diane Snell, the immediate past chair of the Advisory Council, received her Masters of Social Work degree from the University of Washington. Working as a medical social worker in Group Health's Home Health and Hospice Programs, she has been involved in aging issues and services for many years. In her work with the Home Health Program assisting homebound patients, she became aware of local resources and the unmet needs of older adults in our community.
Diane's involvement with issues facing older adults extends to her personal life as well. She recently began a highly successfully “Senior Focus” program at her church to help meet a need among older church members. As a grandparent raising a grandchild, she has been active in Grandparents Re-Parenting for many years. Ms. Snell is also active with the Leschi Community Council, serves as editor of the Leschi News, and serves on the board of the Central Area Senior Center. - Daphne Tomchak
Daphne Tomchak’s career in architecture and property management spans over 20 years. She received a master’s degree in Architecture from the University of Washington and a certificate in Urban Design. As an architect, Daphne’s emphasis has been on space planning for commercial and institutional projects. As a member of the Easter Seals Technical Advisory Committee, she helped draft accessibility standards for the State of Washington. The Alzheimer’s Foundation received Daphne’s advice on important design considerations for people with dementia. She currently maintains a private practice and recently designed an assisted living facility. Earlier in her career, Daphne was hired as a staff architect for City Light and a building plans examiner. Recently she volunteered at Senior Services, gaining firsthand knowledge about challenges facing seniors and their caregivers.
- 1 Vacant Seat
King County
- Natalie Ellington, Member-at-Large
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Dr. Natalie Ellington is an international teacher, speaker, and author who encourages her audiences to examine alternative methods of accomplishing goals. Her recently released book, Right Choices: Choose the Life You Were Destined to Live, leads the reader to utilize the ability to choose those things that promote positive outcomes in life. As a certified Core Communications instructor, she also conducts workshops and seminars emphasizing practical steps to improving communication skills and resolving conflicts.
Dr. Ellington’s background includes corporate experience as the West Coast Director of Professional Activities with Motown Industries; Director of Marketing and then Assistant Dean of Enrollment Management with Oral Roberts University; Vice President and Dean of Dominion College; Principal of Christian Faith School in Seattle, WA; and currently CEO of Ellington Consulting.
Dr. Ellington serves on the boards of the Federal Way/Auburn Boys and Girls Club, the King County Women’s Advisory Board, Communities in Schools of Federal Way Advisory Board, The Hope House Foundation, and as a Go Red Ambassador for the American Heart Association. - Kris Fredrickson
Kris Fredrickson works at the Seattle Veterans Administration as a social worker in the Geriatric Research, Education and Clinical Center. She facilitates a caregiver support group and participates in a number of community organizations, including the Elder Abuse Council. Prior to her work at the Veterans Administration, Kris was a mental health professional in the public mental health system.
Kris continues to act as a practicum instructor for University of Washington School of Social Work students and gives presentations on a variety of topics to professional organizations. She is well versed in the needs and services available to people with disabilities across the age spectrum.- Ava Frisinger
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Issaquah Mayor Ava Frisinger, first elected in January 1998, is now serving her fourth term in office. As a City Councilmember and Mayor, she has crafted and implemented human services policies in Issaquah for seniors and special populations.
Besides her duties as mayor, Ava participates in numerous community organizations. She chairs the King County and Cities Consortium for Affordable Housing. In addition she serves on many boards and commissions including the King County Board of Health; the executive board of A Regional Coalition for Housing (ARCH), an Eastside affordable housing group; the executive board of Friends of the Issaquah Salmon Hatchery; Eastside Transportation Partnership; Suburban Cities Associations; and the King County Regional Policy Committee, which looks at many topics related to human services.
Ava has been involved with human services provision on the Eastside for many years, extending back into the 1980s as a participant with the Eastside Human Services Forum and Council and the countywide Human Services Roundtable. Housing affordability and public health issues have been of particular interest to her, along with an ongoing focus on special needs populations. - Kaylene Moon
Kaylene received her BA in Social Welfare/Gerontology at Western Washington University and a Masters degree in Applied Behavioral Science from Whitworth College. She has a long standing interest in issues affecting older adults, working in the field nearly 25 years. She managed the Aging and Disability Services (ADS) case management program in south King County for 28 years. Previously, she worked as a case manager and supervisor at Senior Services. Her experience gives her a unique perspective on the needs of older adults in King County and the services available to them. Now retired, Kaylene is active in her Des Moines community. She is a former chair of the Aging and Disability Services Advisory Council.
- Suzanne Pak
Awaiting bio and photo.
- Dave Rogers
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Dave Rogers is a member of the Vashon Maury Senior Center, where he volunteers his time as the center’s van driver and as an instructor for the AARP Driving Safety Program. As a resident of Vashon Island, he brings a much needed perspective on living in isolated unincorporated areas of the county.
Prior to retirement, Dave worked as a lobbyist for Special Purpose Districts in Olympia. He received his undergraduate degree from the University of Washington and did his graduate work at Evergreen State College and City University.
Dave helped care for a daughter and a sister, both of whom have disabilities. He describes himself as having firsthand knowledge about the challenges faced by individuals with disabilities and their families. - Berta Seltzer
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Berta Seltzer describes herself as a member of the aging population and a community volunteer. During the past 25 years, she has been an active member of the eastside community, participating in many human service organizations including the Bellevue Network on Aging, the City of Bellevue Human Services Committee, and the Eastside Easy Rider Collaborative, a serving a nine-year term on the Bellevue Human Services Commission and as a founding member of the King County Library System Foundation.
For 20 years, Berta served as an intake worker with families at Youth Eastside Services and spent five years as a pre-sentence writer for the City of Bellevue Adult Probation Division. She attended the University of Southern California, and then taught school in Los Angeles before returning to the Northwest. Berta feels the key issues impacting older adults and people with disabilities include assuring there is adequate funding for home and community based programs, transportation, and affordable housing options. - Cathy VonWald
Cathy received a BA in Recreation and Parks Administration from Washington State University in Pullman. She has served as Community Services Supervisor for the City of Bellevue since 1982, working directly with older adults for the last fifteen years. Cathy provides recreation programs for older adults as well as information and referral for other human services. She is NW region president of the U.S. Life Saving Association and a former member of the Woodinville City Council. Cathy served as Mayor of Woodinville in 2006-2007.
- 1 Vacant Seat
United Way
- Mary Anderson
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Mary Anderson serves on the board of Puget Sound Alliance for Retired Americans (PSARA), which advocates for laws, policies and programs that enhance the lives of older adults and people with disabilities. Mary received a Bachelor of Arts in Political Science from the University of Washington and trained as a paralegal. She worked as a litigation paralegal for 12 years and gained expertise in elder law and elder care issues.
Mary's experience as a caregiver for her mother gave her important insights into the needs of the elderly as well as gaps in services. As her knowledge and skills increased, she began to help other older adults through her work as a volunteer for Catholic Community Services. This led her to a role as activist and lobbyist, focusing on aging and disability issues with PSARA and the ADS Advisory Council. - Katty Chow
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Mrs. Katty Chow retired in March 2006 from the United Commercial Bank (former Pacifica Bank) as a Senior Vice President and Private Banking Manager. In banking for 37 years, she gained experience in all areas of Management Operation, Consumer Lending, Product Management, Residential Real Estate Lending, International Operation and Private Banking.
Mrs Chow joined Enterprise Bank in 1989, after 20 years service with the Bank of America (formerly Seafirst Bank), as one of the original Enterprise Bank team and was responsible for establishment of the Bank’s Asian Clients Service. In 1998, after Enterprise Bank became Washington Mutual Bank, she left Washington Mutual and, as one of the founders group, successfully raised $15 million in the formation of Pacifica Bank, headquartered in Bellevue. In addition to her Private Banking responsibility, she was named to lead the Bank’s residential mortgage lending efforts, catering to customers who immigrated to the U.S.
Active in the community, Mrs. Chow is a former member of the CISC (Chinese Information & Services Center) board of directors, past-president of the Hong Kong Club of Washington, and past-president of the Seattle Chinese Women’s Club. She is a current member of the Kin On Community Healthcare board of directors and an Advisor at SHIBA (Washington State Health Insurance Benefit Advisor).
Mrs. Chow came from Hong Kong in 1966. She has resided in Kirkland/Bellevue since 1967 and has worked on the Eastside for 34 years. - George Dicks
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George Dicks, BA, GMHS, RCMHP currently supervises the Geriatric Psychiatry Service clinic at Harborview Mental Health Services. The clinic provides psychiatric services to the greater Seattle community, including the African American community. George has served on the faculty member at the University of Washington School of Social Work and at the Edmonds Community College in the Social & Health Sciences Department, teaching courses on Gerontology, Psychiatric Consultation, and Mental Health.
George has been involved in a variety of organizations within the African American community for over 20 years. George’s motivation for being on the Council is to inform the community about mental health for successful aging. - Timmie Faghin
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Timmie received a Masters in Speech Therapy and Masters of Public Administration from the University of Washington. She has over 20 years experience working on behalf of older adults. For 12 years she supervised adult day care sites for Senior Services of Seattle-King County and coordinated the activities of 13 senior centers. In addition, Timmie has served as director of the Adult Day Care Alliance of Seattle/King County and as assistant to the director of King County Office of Aging Programs. She has extensive experience working with volunteer organizations promoting aging services.
- Tom Minty
Tom Minty is passionate about promoting an awareness of the unique housing needs of people with disabilities and our aging population. Having a friend with Multiple Sclerosis helped raise his own awareness of the obstacles people with disabilities face.
As a Realtor, Tom noticed there was a lack of understanding of the housing needs of people with physical limitations and those wishing to “age in place.” He sought specialized training, earning the designation of Seniors Real Estate Specialist through the National Association of Realtors. Tom speaks at professional conferences and other events, including the Master Builders Association, the Seattle Home Show, and local real estate association events.
Tom participates on the Northwest Universal Design Council, most recently serving on the NWUDC Housing Task Force to create a document targeted to builders and remodelers which defines specific residential universal design features. Tom is committed to educating builders as well as consumers about forward thinking, sustainable home design and construction.- Elizabeth A. Phelan
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Elizabeth Phelan, MD, MS is associate professor in the division of Gerontology and Geriatric Medicine, adjunct associate professor in the department of Health Services, University of Washington (UW), associate director of the UW Health Promotion Research Center, and affiliate investigator with Group Health's Center for Health Studies. She is co-director of the UW Center for Interdisciplinary Geriatric Research and founder and director of the Fall Prevention Clinic at Harborview Medical Center.
In her capacity as board-certified geriatrician employed by an academic medical center, Dr. Phelan has ongoing, direct patient care responsibilities in the outpatient and inpatient environments as well as teaching and mentoring responsibilities for medical students, housestaff, and fellows. Dr. Phelan's research focuses on promoting health and preventing functional decline in older adults and identifying ways by which health care systems and communities can support preservation of function in community dwelling elders.
In 2003, she received the Paul Beeson Physician Faculty Scholars in Aging Research Program Award to study a new model of care for older adults in primary care settings. In 2000, she received the Pfizer/American Geriatrics Society Foundation for Health in Aging Postdoctoral Fellowship for Research on Health Outcomes in Geriatrics to evaluate the impact of physician practice style on functional status in outpatient elders.
Dr. Phelan received her undergraduate degree in French from Wellesley College in 1986, her medical degree from Tufts University School of Medicine in 1992, and a Master's in Health Services from the University of Washington in 1998. She completed residency training in internal medicine from 1992-1995 and served as chief resident in internal medicine from 1995-1996 at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She completed clinical research fellowship training with the Robert Wood Johnson Clinical Scholars Program in 1998 and thereafter, pursued a fellowship in geriatric medicine, both at the University of Washington. Since 2000, she has been on faculty at the University of Washington.
Dr. Phelan was named the 2007 UW Department of Medicine's Philip and Helen Fialkow Scholar, an award which honors the late UW dean of medicine and his wife and recognizes the outstanding achievements of junior faculty in medicine in research, teaching, clinical work, and academic citizenship. - Lorna Stone
Lorna received a Masters degree in social work from the University of Chicago. She has served as the Senior for Grant Making and the Director of Rural Health at the Washington Health Foundation and volunteers as a trainer with the Rainbow Train, a cultural competency training program for health and social service workers on gay, lesbian, bisexual, and transgender elder issues. Her experience includes hospice social work, health promotion training, counseling, and work with chronically ill populations. The interactive relationships of institutional change, cross-cultural partnerships and social justice remain an abiding interest.
- 2 Vacant Seats