Advisory Council

What We Do | Advocacy | Members | Committees | Meetings, Events & Minutes | Toolkit | Join Us | Listservs | AgeWise King County (e-zine) | AgeWise copy deadlines

Sariga Santhosh, Joe Hailey, Vera Foxall, Lorna Stone, Diana Thompson, Alex O'Reilly, Barb Williams, Larry Low, and Mary MitchellThe Seattle-King County Advisory Council for Aging & Disability Services advocates for local, state, and national programs that promote quality of life for older people and adults with disabilities. Brochure

What We Do

What do Advisory Council members do?

  • Advisory Council member Zelda Foxall with microphone - Advisory Council member Lorna Stone to her sideADVISE—We bring our knowledge of local issues to Aging and Disability Services.
  • ADVOCATE—We advocate at the federal, state, county, and city levels.
  • CONNECT—We connect with other organizations that provide for the older adults and individuals with disabilities, as well as with the general public.
  • COLLABORATE—We collaborate with local and statewide advocacy organizations to achieve mutual goals, including senior centers, disability organizations, and human services providers.

Advocating for age-friendly communities

The Seattle-King County Advisory Council for Aging & Disability Services takes part in the annual Washington State Senior Lobby Conference and discuss priorities with our legislative delegation during Senior Lobby Day in Olympia. The Advisory Council also hosts and co-sponsors forums on issues such as ageism, aging in place, Alzheimer’s, behavioral health, end-of-life planning, food access, health care reform, housing, LGBTQ elders, Medicare, rural aging, transportation, the “Village Model,” and Washington’s aging readiness. For more information, visit our Advocacy section.

Key link between the community and the Area Agency on Aging

Advisory Council member Barb Williams with Maria Langlais in backgroundAging and Disability Services—the Area Agency on Aging for King County—is funded by federal, state, and city sources to provide an extensive range of programs and services, including adult day services, caregiver support, case management, Community Living Connections, elder abuse prevention, health maintenance, health promotion, legal services, nutrition services, senior centers, and transportation. For services, contact Community Living Connections at 1-844-348-5464.

Area Agency on Aging (AAA) Advisory Councils are mandated by the Older Americans Act of 1965 as part of the Aging Network.

Resources

  • Read the bylaws for more information about the work of the council.
  • AgeWise King County, the ADS Advisory Council e-newsletter. For a free subscription, click here.
Advocacy

Legislative Priorities

ADS Advisory Council member Larry LowAging and Disability Services (ADS) and its Advisory Council advocate on behalf of older adults, family caregivers and people with disabilities for local, state and national programs that promote quality of life for these populations.

ADS Advisory Council members participate in other local and regional advocacy coalitions to ensure that our communities are aging friendly—great places for people of all ages to grow up and grow old.

By 2035, nearly 25 percent of King County’s residents will be age 60 or older. Local government and Aging and Disability Services—your local Area Agency on Aging—can work together to make a difference for community elders.

Legislative Advocacy

  • The Age Wave in Washington State is illustrated by four maps--2016, 2020, 2030, and 2040.

    The Age Wave in Washington State is illustrated by four maps. Click on the image to open a larger PDF.

    Fall Senior Lobby Conference—Tacoma: The Washington State Senior Citizens’ Lobby coordinates an annual conference in Tacoma each October that provides Advisory Council members and other Aging Network advocates an opportunity to learn about issues that deserve attention during the next legislative session. Pre-registration and payment is required. For more information, e-mail info@waseniorlobby.org.

  • Senior Lobby Day—Olympia: The Washington State Senior Lobby schedules an annual statewide event that provides an oportunity for Advisory Council members from each of Washington State’s Area Agencies on Aging and other advocates to meet with legislators. Read more about Senior Lobby Day in “A Day in the Life of a Senior Advocate” (AgeWise King County, March 2016).
    • Senior Lobby Meetings—Lacey: The Washington State Senior Lobby holds monthly meetings on the third Monday of the month. For more information, email info@waseniorlobby.org.
flyer image

Click on the image above to open the Preparing for the Age Wave flyer.

    • Legislative Candidate Forums: In partnership with w4a, AARP and other local advocacy organizations, the ADS Advisory Council convenes biennial forums that focus on federal and state issues important to older adults and people with disabilities. All Advisory Council forums are posted here.

Ways to Get Involved

      • Subscribe to Advocacy E-mail List: The Advisory Council hosts a listserv, AgingKingCounty, which is a forum to share important information about local, state, and national issues impacting older adults and people with disabilities. Click here and then send to join our mailing list.
      • Attend Advisory Council forums: View all ADS Advisory Council community forums here.
Members

Our Council volunteers are appointed by the City of Seattle and King County. Members serve for up to three two-year terms.

2023 Executive Committee

Chair: Joe Hailey

Joe HaileyJoe Hailey was most recently Director of Development for Congregations for the Homeless, a Bellevue, Washington-based non-profit focused on ending homelessness on King County’s east side. Prior to that assignment he served as Corporate Relations Officer for United Way of King County in Seattle, Washington.

Joe joined the nonprofit sector in 2011 after a decades-long career in the high tech sector during which he held positions of increasing responsibility with industry leaders such as IBM Corporation and Cisco Systems. He served as Director of Development for Evergreen Software Tools in Redmond, Washington, and held the same position at Sterling Software in San Bernardino, California. He was Senior Director, Product Development, at Solucient, LLC located in Bellevue Washington. As Senior Programmer-Manager, his last position at IBM, he was responsible for the day-to-day operations of a 55-person software engineering team with a multi-million dollar departmental budget. While still at IBM, Joe also found time to co-own and operate a gourmet cookware store in Gilroy, California, and in later years owned and operated a full-service insurance and financial services agency located in Kirkland, Washington.

Joe holds a BA in Applied Mathematics with departmental honors from the University of Laverne, located in Laverne, California; an MS in Applied Mathematics from Santa Clara University, located in Santa Clara, California; and is a graduate of United Way’s highly-coveted Project Lead program, an initiative designed to prepare people of color for non-profit board service and other positions of leadership within the community.

Vice Chair: Lorna Stone

Lorna Stone

Lorna Stone 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.

Secretary: Cynthia Snyder

Cynthia Snyder’s early career focused on children where she worked for 30 years with children and adults with disabilities for the State of Pennsylvania. Then served Penncrest School District as a Board Member for 17 years. In addition, she participated in the Head Start Advisory Board and the Child Death Review Board. Later she turned her attention to senior issues. She is currently an active member of the Mount Si Senior Center board in North Bend, WA and she is comfortable advocating with legislators and local politicians on human service related issues.

At-Large: Diana Thompson

photo of Aging and Disability Services Advisory Council member Diana ThompsonDiana Thompson serves on the Bellevue Network on Aging, which supports aging services in Bellevue through outreach, regional collaboration, and community involvement. She serves as legislative liaison for the Hearing Loss Association of America, Washington State Chapter. Diana also volunteers through AARP, advocating for the interests of older adults at the local, state, and federal level. She has written numerous articles and opinion editorials about aging issues for local newspapers.

Advocacy Committee Chair: Larry Low

Advisory Council Member Larry Low

Larry Low’s 36-year career as a social worker has provided him with an excellent understanding of the mission, vision, and work of Aging and Disability Services. Working at the VA Medical Medical Center, Larry’s focused on monitoring nursing facility patient care plans. He also worked with families on patients’ care needs following discharge. Larry is currently an associate pastor at Madrona Grace Presbyterian Church. His role includes visiting members who are in the hospital or nursing care facilities. In addition to his role on the ADS Advisory Council, he volunteers at the Chinese Information Service Center and Kin On Community Care Center.

Council Members

Zelda Foxall

photo of Aging and Disability Services Advisory Council member Zelda Foxall

Zelda Foxall held a 38-year career focused on civil rights as a researcher, trainer, technical assistance coordinator, branch chief, and investigator for public accommodations, housing, and employment discrimination, working for the U.S. Department of Education, Office for Civil Rights, and the Washington State Human Rights Commission. Zelda currently volunteers for RESULTS, an anti-poverty organization, and AARP, where she advocates for Medicaid, economic security, housing, hunger, fraud, health care, and safety net programs that support older adults.

Hon. Marli Larimer (Kent)

Kent City Councilmember Marli Larimer is the newest addition to the Advisory Council. Born and raised in Portland, Marli’s family lived in Arizona and California during her teens, before settling in Kent when she was a junior in high school. Marli graduated from Kentwood in 1992, left for college, and lived in Seattle where she met her husband Terry.

Wanting to move to the suburbs to raise their family, the couple returned to Kent 10 years ago. They have two children in Kent schools, who are active in soccer, tennis, ballet and scouts. Like many Kent residents, Marli balances work, family and community life. With a bachelor’s degree in mass communications and an associate’s degree in non-profit management, Marli works for Amazon, providing marketing support and guidance to small- and medium-sized businesses to help them be successful.

When not at work, Marli is an active community volunteer, working with Evergreen City Ballet, Girl Scouts of Western Washington, her kids’ schools and the school district. She was recently appointed to serve on the Seattle-King County Advisory Council for Aging & Disability Services. Every year, Marli and Terry take their kids, who are avid Harry Potter fans, to Emerald City Comic Con. The family also enjoys camping, gaming, board games, and exploring Kent parks and green spaces.

Tom Minty

Tom Minty is actively involved in activities that promote an awareness of the unique housing needs of people with disabilities and our aging population. According to Tom, a friend of his with multiple sclerosis raised his awareness of the obstacles people with disabilities face. As a realtor, he recognized there was a lack of awareness in his field of the challenges people with physical limitations confront.  He sought specialized training to understand the housing needs and choices available to people with disabilities and people who wish to age in place.  He gained the designation as a Seniors Real Estate Specialist through the National Association of Realtors.  Tom promotes a broader awareness of these needs by speaking at professional conferences and other events including the Master Builders Association, the Seattle Home Show and local real-estate association events.  He has been an active participant in the Northwest Universal Design Council.  Most recently he served 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.

Hon. Kshama Sawant (Seattle)

Bio pending; see Councilmember Sawant’s Seattle City Council webpage.

Hon. Kim-Khánh Văn (Renton)

Bio pending; see Councilmember Văn’s Renton City Council webpage.

Barb Williams

Barb has a long history of using her expertise to broaden educational opportunities to the underserved and hold leadership roles to be the voice of her community.  She helped organize the annual Expanding Your Horizons conference for school-aged girls and young adults in Spokane for several years and served as the chair for three years.  After moving to Seattle, she became active in environmental education as a board member and program director for the Environmental Science Center in Burien.  Since then, she has committed her time and passion to the environmental education realm, culminating in 20 years with the Seattle Aquarium, Beach Naturalist and Salmon Journey.

Barb also understands issues older adults face and serves as the president of the residents’ association where she lives and the chair of the Washington Continuing Care Residents Association (WACCRA), a statewide organization that represents the voice of CCCRC residents to local and state decision makers.  Her membership to Kaiser Permanente Senior Caucus, as a member of the Legislation Awareness Committee, further equips her with the tools and resources to make her an effective advocate for older adults. Recently, she has picked up yet another volunteer position, teaching Tai Chi to seniors twice a week, to introduce the benefits of movement and social inclusion to her students’ lives.

Dick Woo

Dick Woo brings an important financial component and human services perspective to the Aging and Disability Services Advisory Council. He currently serves as Board Chair at Salal Credit Union, as well as on the boards of Interim Community Development Association and the International District Parking Association. Dick is a licensed Certified Public Accountant (CPA), Chartered Global Management Accountant (CGMA), and a former Certified Government Financial Manager (CGFM).

Dick has over thirty years of financial management experience in the public and private sectors, including positions with the U.S. Government Accountability Office (GAO), a City of Seattle chartered preservation and development authority, and a large savings institution. As a Congressional auditor, Dick has evaluated programs administered through the Federal Administration on Aging as well as projects implemented through not-for-profit agencies.

Dick recently retired as Director of Finance and Operations at YouthCare, a Seattle-based not-for-profit organization serving homeless youths, and previously served as CFO for King County’s Community Services Division, and as Director of Finance and Administrative Services for the City of Seattle Housing Authority.

Committees

Committees

Advocacy:

Advocates for the health and welfare needs of older persons and adults with disabilities and monitors legislation and policy measures on their behalf.

      • Chairs: Larry Low
      • Meeting time: 2nd Friday, 10:00–11:30 a.m. (Seattle Municipal Tower)

Planning and Allocations:

Studies in detail programs and projects receiving funding from Aging and Disability Services and makes recommendations regarding their support.

      • Chair: Lorna Stone
      • Meeting time: 1st Monday, 10:00 a.m.–12:00 p.m. (Seattle Municipal Tower 5190)

Executive:

Comprises Advisory Council Chair and other officers, standing committee chairs, and task force chairs.

      • Chair: Joe Hailey
      • Meeting time: As needed
      • Members: Officers and committee chairs

Nominating:

Elected by majority vote, the Committee is composed of three members (one from each sponsoring body). This Committee presents a slate of officers at a regular Council meeting two months prior to the Annual meeting.

      • Members: To be determined
      • Meeting time: As needed

Northwest Universal Design Council:

Advocates for the inclusion of universal design principles, products, and processes that enable everyone, regardless of age or ability to age in place. For more information, visit the NWUDC website (www.environmentsforall.org) or Facebook page.

      • Liaison: Tom Minty
      • Members: Universal Design advocates from the community
      • Meeting time: Quarterly programs
      • ADS staff contact: Jon Morrison Winters (206) 684-0654

State Council on Aging:

The Washington State Council on Aging serves as the State Unit on Aging with respect to federally funded programs as required by federal regulation. The Council advises the Governor and DSHS secretary on policies, programs, and services affecting older adults, promotes opportunities and challenges faced by older adults, and promotes self-advocacy through workshops, conferences, and other trainings. For more information, visit www.agingwashington.org/partners/state-council-aging/.

      • King County representative: N/A

For information about any Advisory Council committee, meeting, or activity, e-mail aginginfo@seattle.gov or use the Contact form.

Meetings & Minutes

The Advisory Council meets on the 2nd Friday of every month (except January and October) from 12:00 noon to 2:00 p.m., often in the Seattle Municipal Tower, Room 4060 but sometimes in community locations. All meetings are open to the public. The monthly agenda is posted below.

To confirm the meeting time and location, e-mail aginginfo@seattle.gov.

2023 Meetings

VIEW ARCHIVES

Toolkit

pictureThank you for serving on the Aging and Disability Services (ADS) Advisory Council. Following you will find a variety of tools to help you serve effectively on the Council. Wherever possible, a link to online information provides further information. For a print version, click here .

Aging and Disability Services

Aging and Disability Services—a division of the Seattle Human Services Department—is designated by the State of Washington as the Area Agency on Aging (AAA) for King County. The role of AAAs is described below. ADS promotes quality of life, independence, and choice for older people and adults with disabilities. Please take a moment to read the agency’s mission and values.

An Area Plan on Aging is developed every four years, which presents relevant demographic trends, outlines major goals and objectives, and serves as a roadmap for the agency. The current Area Plan is available online.

Official logos for the City of Seattle and King County governments, shown in one image.Partners

ADS has two Partners—the City of Seattle and King County—represented by the Seattle Human Services Department director, the King County Department of Community and Human Services director, and the Public Health—Seattle & King County director. For more information, visit the Partners webpage.

Advisory Council

The Seattle-King County Advisory Council for Aging & Disability comprises volunteers who represent older adults and individuals with disabilities within our community. The Council advises ADS on policy and implementation of the Area Plan on Aging for Seattle-King County.

Basic tools for Advisory Council members include:

Advisory Council members may request Council and/or ADS planning staff rosters by e-mailing aginginfo@seattle.gov.

Responsibilities

Advisory Council responsibilities—including meeting attendance, ethics, tasks/roles, essential and desired skills, benefits, and training are outlined in a two-page document . Please read this document carefully. For print copies, e-mail aginginfo@seattle.gov.

Your role and responsibilities—as well as the difference between advisory councils and boards of directors—are described in more length in a National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (N4A) publication called You Make a Difference: A Guide for Area Agency on Aging Boards and Advisory Councils .

Committees

The actions of the Advisory Council shape services the Aging Network delivers in King County. Three committees carry out much of the Council’s work:

The Council’s Executive Committee, comprising elected officers and committee chairs, makes business decisions for the Council. Officers are elected on an annual basis. An ad hoc Nominating Committee presents a slate of officers at a regular Council meeting two months prior to the end of the officers’ term.

Advocacy Committee Tools

capitol buildingThe Advocacy Committee plays an important role in advocating for vulnerable seniors and people with disabilities at the state and local level. Fortunately, the Advisory Council is not alone. Resources include:

      • Washington Association of Area Agencies on Aging (W4A): The W4A, a membership organization made up of 13 AAAs in Washington state, seeks to enhance the effectiveness of each AAA through a strong agenda of information, debate, advocacy and education. W4A is an affiliate of N4A, a national resource for information and education.
      • Washington State Senior Lobby: A volunteer, nonprofit advocacy organization for seniors, the Senior Lobby studies issues of concern to older adults, develops a legislative agenda prior to each session, lobbies on issues during the legislative session and in the interim recess, contacts legislators and staff about seniors’ needs, organizes a Fall Conference on current public policy issues, and sponsors Senior Lobby Day at the State Capitol each legislative session.

flyerAdvocacy tools include:

group photo

Planning and Allocations (P&A) Committee Tools

The biggest challenge the Advisory Council faces is to meet community need in the face of funding shifts and declines. Members serve as the eyes and ears of the community and keep informed of relevant information that impacts older adults and individuals with disabilities. The P&A Committee participates in Area Plan development, reviews discretionary funding impact on service areas, and develops recommendations to ADS Partners.

For a copy of the Area Plan budget, click here. Funding types include:

ADS-funded services are listed online.

      • Discretionary service areas include adult day services, case management, client-specific, disability access, health promotion, elder abuse prevention, information and assistance, legal services, nutrition, senior centers, and transportation.
      • Non-discretionary service areas include Medicaid case management, Medicaid nursing services, caregiver support, employment (including the Title V Community Service Employment Program), home care, and PEARLS.

Ethics & Public Disclosure

Each ADS Partner sets ethical standards about work activities, business relationships, and the use of resources that apply to Advisory Council members, and each Council member is responsible for compliance:

Documents produced by or on behalf of the Advisory Council—with the exception of your address, telephone number, e-mail address, Social Security number, and emergency contact information—are public records potentially subject to public disclosure. It is important that you maintain your Advisory council work files separate from your personal files. This includes e-mail. The easiest way to do this is to:

      • Create separate folders (hard copy and electronic) and promptly file all records related to your Advisory Council work.
      • Save e-mail records online or print them out for hard copy folders.

Response to a public disclosure request is a legal matter. If you receive a public disclosure request, notify Maria Langlais (maria.langlais@seattle.gov) immediately. For all other Advisory Council questions, e-mail aginginfo@seattle.gov.

Aging Network

Aging & Disability Services is part of the Aging Network that was established in 1965 with the passage of the Older Americans Act.

      • Federal: The federal Administration on Aging (AoA), part of the Department of Health and Human Services (DHHS) works through the national network: 56 State Units on Aging, 655 AAAs, and 236 tribal and native organizations. The National Association of Area Agencies on Aging (N4A), an umbrella organization for AAAs and Title VI Native American aging programs, advocates on behalf of the local aging agencies to ensure that needed resources and support services are available to older Americans.
      • State: In Washington State, the Aging & Disability Services Administration (ADSA), part of the Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), functions as the state unit on aging. Unlike many states, ADSA brings together under one organization the major aging, long-term care, and developmental disability programs through a state network of access points to determine Medicaid eligibility and AAAs that provide in-home case management, information and assistance, and other community-based resources. The Washington State Council on Aging advises the Governor, Secretary of the Department of Social and Health Services, and ADSA.
      • Local: ADS is one of 13 AAAs in Washington State. W4A (described above) works with the AAAs to create elder-friendly communities and to enhance the effectiveness of each AAA through a strong agenda of information, debate, advocacy and education.
      • Direct Services: ADS contracts with over 60 agencies to provide a network of in-home and community services, support programs, and assistance to older adults and qualified disabled adults. In addition, ADS provides direct support to Medicaid long-term care clients through case management  and to older Seattle residents through employment and volunteer programs offered by the Mayor’s Office for Senior Citizens (funded by the City of Seattle).
      • Consumers: In 2011, over 33,000 older adults, family caregivers and adults with disabilities in King County received services from the local Aging Network.

For a diagram showing the relationship between these entities, click here .

Public Policy

AAA Advisory Councils were mandated by the 1965 Older Americans Act (Title 45 Sec. 1321.57). For historical information, read:

Glossary

Aging Network programs and services go by many different acronyms. Aging terminology can be equally confusing. For definitions, click here. For any questions not addressed above, e-mail aginginfo@seattle.gov.

Join Us

Join us in promoting an age-friendly community

The Advisory Council is currently seeking new members who are interested in issues and services affecting older people and adults with disabilities.

Advisory Council members have opportunities to hear and discuss cutting-edge information about issues facing older adults in our community, meet with legislators, and make a difference by advocating for age-friendly communities.

Each Advisory Council member is sponsored by the City of Seattle or King County. The terms are two years with a limit of three terms for King County and the City of Seattle.

Prospective members can expect a time commitment of four to six hours per month, which includes one monthly meeting (2nd Friday of each month), committee work, training and travel time.

If you are interested in joining the Advisory Council:

      • Complete and submit the application form with a resume and cover letter. This Word document can be completed on your computer. Save a copy to your hard drive. It does not save automatically.
      • For more information, e-mail aginginfo@seattle.gov.

Other ways to get involved

The Advisory Council welcomes anyone who is interested in the work of the Council to attend their monthly meetings. You do not need to be a member to attend and contribute.

Other ways to get involved include:

Listservs

The ADS Advisory Council hosts two listservs:

      • Aging King County Advocacy Forum—announcements about local, state, and national advocacy that impact older adults and people with disabilities.
      • Advisory Council Meeting Notices—monthly notice of upcoming Advisory Council meetings, with meeting minutes and related materials.

To have your e-mail address added to either listserv, please click and send to:

Aging King County Advocacy Forum

Advisory Council Meeting Notices

Click on the headings above for more information. For free, confidential access to aging network services in Seattle-King County, contact Community Living Connections.