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A United Way Agency |
With a 13 member volunteer board of directors, 50
employees, and a $2.3 million operational budget, The
Arc of King County provides a variety of services for
children and adults with developmental disabilities and
their families. We inform and educate participants on
relevant issues and resources, provide support that
develops individual and community advocacy, conduct
outreach that educates the community and identifies
those without services, and provide ongoing support
services for adults with disabilities to reside and
participate in community living. Our work serves people
of all ages and walks of life including those from
diverse cultural backgrounds, recent immigrants, and
those who have been or are at risk of homelessness.
Are
you interested in joining our Board of Directors?
Please contact
Sylvia Fuerstenberg, Executive Director at (206)
364-6337
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 Suzanne
Schiffler, Board President
Trustee
since 2004
Suzanne Schiffler received her B.A. in Business
Administration from the University of
Washington. She is a certified public accountant
and a partner with McGladrey and Pullen, LLP, as
well as a Managing Director of accounting and
auditing practices for the Seattle office of RSM
McGladrey, Inc. Suzanne has been in the public
accounting field for over 20 years. Her current
practice provides services to a wide variety of
clients including seafood, construction, service
industries and not-for-profits. She is a member
of the Washington Society for Certified Public
Accountants and the American Institute of
Certified Public Accountants. Suzanne currently
serves as the current President of the Board of
Directors.
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 Bradley
G. Davis, President-Elect
Trustee since 2004
Originally from Springfield, Missouri, Brad
Davis received his bachelor’s degree from
the University of Denver in 1988, and
graduated cum laude from Seattle University
School of Law in 1991. He is a member of the
Bradley G. Davis Law Office PLLC located in
Seattle which specializes in insurance
defense, insurance coverage, insurance bad
faith, employment law, wrongful termination
litigation and personal injury. He is a
member of the King County, Washington State
and American Bar Associations; the
Washington Defense Trial Lawyers (Member,
Legislative Committee, 2000-2002; Executive
Board, 2000-2002). From 1990-1991, Brad was
Editor-in-Chief for the University of Puget
Sound Law Review, and from 2000-2002 was
Chair for the Legislative Committee,
Washington Defense Trial Lawyers. Having
provided legal representation for
individuals with intellectual and
developmental disabilities, Brad brings
commitment and knowledge as a board member
for The Arc of King County. He enjoys
spending time with his daughter and wife,
golfing and fly-fishing while still finding
time to serve on the board of directors for
the Aqua Club in Kenmore, Washington.
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 John
R. McDowall, Immediate Past President
2006-07
Trustee since
1999
John McDowall is a Seattle native, who has
served on The Arc’s Executive Committee
since 2003. He graduated from Seattle
University with a B.A. in Political Science
Humanities in 1992 and the University of
Virginia School of Law in 1995. He then
joined the Seattle law office of Carney
Badley Spellman in which he is a principal.
The focus of his legal practice is
construction, real estate, and commercial
disputes and transactions. He is a member of
the Washington State Bar Association,
Seattle-King County Bar Association, and the
Washington Defense Trial Lawyers. John also
serves on the Board of Directors for the
Legal Action Center of Catholic Community
Services, and volunteers as the Athletic
Director for Our Lady of Fatima school in
Magnolia. He previously served on the
Advisory Board for Seattle University’s
athletic department, where he played varsity
soccer while in school. John and his wife,
Catherine, have three young children.
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 Gail
Thomas, Secretary
Trustee since 2003
Since 1978, Gail Thomas has worked with the
Seattle Public Schools as a speech
therapist. She received her undergraduate
degree in Education and her graduate degree
in Speech Pathology from the University of
Washington. In addition to serving on The
Arc’s Board of Directors, she is also a
member of Special Education Advisory and
Advocacy Committee (SEAAC) for the Seattle
Public Schools, and an Equity Team member at
TT Minor Elementary School in Seattle. Gail
is passionate for bridging the academic
achievement gap in the public school
setting. Gail and her husband, Jesse, have
been married for almost 30 years and have
one daughter, Marissa. In her leisure time,
Gail enjoys quilting, knitting, traveling
and reading all kinds of books. She is also
a Lay Presider at St. Therese Church in
Seattle and a member of the Jubilation
Gospel Choir.
|
 Elizabeth
Masnari, Treasurer
Trustee since 2004
Elizabeth Masnari is a
Certified Public Accountant working at
Washington Mutual Bank in the Operational
Risk Department. She has over 20 years of
auditing, banking, and risk management
experience. In addition to her professional
credentials, as the parent of a son with
developmental disabilities, Elizabeth brings
a real life understanding of the daily
challenges faced by the families serviced by
The Arc of King County. Elizabeth and her
husband Jeff are active members of The Arc’s
Parent to Parent support network, in
addition to the Mother’s Circle and Father’s
Network parent support groups sponsored by
the Kindering Center in Bellevue. Connecting
with other parents and sharing the joys, not
just the difficulties of raising a child
with a disability is Elizabeth’s passion.
She credits her experience on The Arc Board
with helping her to become a stronger
advocate for her son Nathan and those like
him that cannot speak up for themselves.
Elizabeth obtained her Bachelor's degree in
Accounting from the University of Washington
and her Masters of Business Administration
from Washington State University. Her past
board experience includes four years on the
board of the Washington Society of CPAs.
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 Andrea
Abrahamson
Trustee since 2006
Andrea Abrahamson completed her undergraduate
degree in Journalism and her masters in Organizational
Leadership at Gonzaga University. She has worked for the
past seven years with Disability Rights Washington, the
designated protection and advocacy agency of Washington. As
a systems advocate, she provides training, works with
self-advocates, and promotes policy and laws that support
the self-sufficiency and civil and human rights of people
with disabilities. Andrea spends most of her time on the
Self-Advocacy in Motion Project, which is built by and for
youth with disabilities to promote leadership and
self-determination. She currently serves as Vice-Chair of
the Special Education Parent & Professional Advisory Council
of Northshore School District. Andrea enjoys hiking,
kayaking, yoga and her two beautiful girls.
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 Larry
Fosberg, Board Member
Trustee since 1995
Volunteering and helping
others is a large part of Larry Fosberg.
Larry has served on The Arc’s Board of
Directors for over a decade and has shared
his first hand knowledge and experience of
having accessed and utilized some of The
Arc’s services. In the early part of 2007,
Larry retired from the Pike Place Bar &
Grill where he had been a volunteer for 25
years. As many know, he is famous for his
jokes and has had a joke column in the Pike
Place Market News for ten years. Larry is
active with Skiforall, which is now known as
Outdoors for All Foundation. He enjoys time
on his computer, sending cards, going to the
movies, camping with other Arc participants,
and spending time with his brother, sister
and his many nieces and nephews.
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 Melissa
Jensen, Board Member
Trustee since 1995
Melissa Jensen was born and raised in Seattle
where she graduated from Interlake High School. She has been
a participant with The Arc of King County since 1989 and has
served on The Arc’s Board of Directors since 1995. Melissa
brings great insight to the Board as this organization
advocates for the right of children and adults with
developmental disabilities to live, learn, work and play in
the community – improving the quality of life for us all.
Melissa has held numerous jobs throughout her lifetime, but
felt a longing to start her own business. She created
Honeybee Creations where she sells her own arts & crafts,
and plans to expand her business via the internet. Melissa
enjoys spending time with her husband, Don, by going to the
movies, dinners, Mariner games, car shows and traveling.
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 John
Karp, Board Member
Trustee since the
1980's
John Karp has been a
supporter of The Arc of King County since
the 1980's. He has served as a fundraiser, a
board member, and as President of the Board
of Directors (2003-2004), in addition to
assisting The Arc staff with special
projects. Currently, John is a member of the
Board’s Executive Committee. He also served
on the Arc of Washington’s Board of
Directors for several years. When he is
working, you will find him at PEMCO
Insurance where he has had a wide range of
jobs over four decades and is currently an
analyst. For relaxation, you might find him
with a fishing pole, a deck of cards, or a
golf club. At home, he adores his wife of 30
years, Gracy, and their two daughters, Tonya
and Maya.
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 Kathy
Knowlan, Board Member
Trustee since 1994
Kathy Knowlan shares her professional and
personal knowledge with The Arc of King County as an
Advisory Board member. She is the parent of a son, Steven,
who has developmental disabilities and a daughter, Kendra,
who has learning disabilities. Kathy holds a B.A. in
Communication Disorders from the University of Washington.
For fifteen years she worked for the Seattle School District
as a Speech Language Pathology Assistant and recently
retired in September 2007. She has served as an advocate for
students and parents with many years of experience doing
both individual and systems advocacy. For over twenty years,
Kathy has worked to foster partnerships between education
professionals, medical professionals and parents in public
and private schools and agencies. Kathy is also affiliated
with the Washington State Special Education Coalition, and
the Advisory Committee Shoreline Community College SLPA
Program. Her creative and free time activities include
knitting, sewing and reading.
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 Sara
McQueed, Board Member
Trustee since 2000
Sara McQueed brings passion
and a great level of understanding to our
Board of Directors as she knows first hand
about utilizing The Arc’s services. Sara has
also serves on the Governor’s Council for
Developmental Disabilities. She represents
this council and The Arc through the King
County Partnership for Supporting Advocacy
and is also a legislative advocate. As she
stated, “I am a long time board member. I am
very passionate about self-advocacy. I
firmly believe that the self-advocates of
today have a duty to teach and train the
self-advocates of tomorrow -- to keep up the
fight for the right to live and work in the
community.”
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 Bill
Sellars, Board Member
Trustee Since 1981
A graduate of
the University of Texas in Architectural Engineering, Bill
is a registered Civil and Structural Engineer. He was
employed for thirty years with The Austin Company, an
international Design and Construction firm.
A parent of Kari, his 40 year
old daughter with Down syndrome, Bill Sellars came to The
Arc of King County in 1981 because of the then new Parent to
Parent program. He and his family were returning to Seattle
following two design and construction projects in Italy and
Greece. Ever passionate, Bill, and other parents, joined to
support Seattle Public Schools’ development of Meany Middle
School and Nathan Hale High School programs for students
with developmental disabilities. These
were the first special education middle and high school
programs in Seattle.
Bill served many years on the
Special Education Advisory Committee, and
Kari graduated
from Nathan Hale High School in 1989 at the age of 21.
Bill was also The Arc of King
County’s representative to the state organization, The Arc
of Washington State. He was State President for several
terms focusing on legislative advocacy.
He also has been
a ski coach for the Skihawk Racing Team for 25 years
providing training for Special Olympics’ competition.
Bill has worked diligently on
the goals of education, employment, housing and living
supports providing a good life for everyone in the
community.
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 Kathleen
Watson, Board Member
Trustee since 2007
Kathleen Watson is a nurse
who specializes in health promotion for
people with developmental disabilities. She
is Director of the Adults and Elders
Program, and an Associate Director of the
University Center on Excellence in
Developmental Disabilities (UCEDD), which
are both part of the Center on Human
Development and Disability (CHDD) at the
University of Washington. She is also a
Research Assistant Professor in the
Department of Biobehavioral Nursing and
Health Systems, where she conducts research
on fracture risk and osteoporosis in people
with developmental disabilities. Kathleen
received her B.S. and M.S. Nursing degrees
from the University of Alabama at
Birmingham, and her Ph.D. in Nursing from
the University of Washington. She also
completed a post-doctoral research
fellowship through the School of Nursing at
the University of Washington. She is a
member of the American Association on
Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities;
the Developmental Disabilities Nurses
Association; and the Association of Women’s
Health, Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses.
Kathleen is the parent of an adult daughter
with a developmental disability who lives in
a group home in the Puget Sound area. She
has been a member of the Board of Directors
of her daughter’s group home for the past
seven years. She and her husband have
extensive off-shore sailing experience and
enjoy hiking, canoeing, fly-fishing and
sailing on Puget Sound.
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Management Team
 Sylvia
Fuerstenberg, Executive Director
Employee since
2008
Sylvia Fuerstenberg, MSW, was
appointed Executive Director of The Arc of
King County in March 2008. Throughout her
career, Sylvia has demonstrated a passion
for disability rights, a strong
understanding of the issues, a great
reputation with a wide range of advocacy and
interest groups, and a demonstrated history
of leadership excellence. Sylvia previously
worked at S.L.Start where she was the Vice
President New Business Development /
Legislative Liaison and previously their
Director of Supported Living in King County.
She was formerly the E. D of Residence East.
Sylvia has stated, “I have a vision for the
future of people with disabilities. I
believe that people of all abilities have a
place and will contribute to our collective
communities. In return, our communities
should recognize each person’s unique value
and be inclusive and responsive to all
people with developmental disabilities and
their families as they navigate their lives.
The Arc has a critical role to play in
advocating and assuring that all people are
included, valued and an active participant
in their community.”
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 Richard
Wilson, Director
Employee since
2003
From 2003 until mid 2007,
Richard Wilson was the Director of Family
Services for The Arc of King County. He then
served as The Arc’s Interim Executive
Director until early 2008. Richard brings
with him over twenty years of supervisory
and senior management experience in the area
of health and human services. He holds a
Bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the
University of Utah and a Master’s in Public
Administration from Seattle University.
Richard’s educational studies and career
choices reflect his dedication to improving
the quality of life for all people. In
addition to his technical expertise, he
brings clear vision to those he leads and
works with, as well as a passion for The
Arc’s mission. His favorite pastimes have
included windsurfing and tai chi, but more
recently, spending time at home in Lake
Forest Park with his wife Donna and their
dog Abi.
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 Timothy
Wolfe, Director of Program Services
Employee since
1991
Timothy Wolfe has been with
The Arc of King County since 1991. He first
served as a Direct Support Professional and
later transitioned to The Arc’s Survival
Services Project to work with people who are
homeless or at significant risk of becoming
homeless. Following that position, he was
Coordinator of Supported Living and then
Director of Adult Services. He currently
serves as the Director of Programs. Timothy
has stated, “I strongly believe in bringing
people with developmental disabilities to a
place of rightful power in our society, and
that starts at The Arc. Partnering with
people with developmental disabilities and
those who support them is key, and I look
forward to continuing to be a part of this
amazing work.” Timothy is a graduate of The
University of Wisconsin with a B.A. in
psychology. He resides in Seattle with his
partner, Pete, and their amazing light of
their lives children, Sara and Skylann,
together with their dog, cat and rabbit,
Pal, Abba and Gizmo.
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 Margy
Sturrock, Director of Finance
Employee since
2003
Margy Sturrock joined The Arc
of King County in 2003, bringing with her
over twenty years of financial knowledge and
experience. Fourteen years were spent in
not-for-profit accounting for the Children’s
Home Society of Washington, where she
acquired additional financial and management
skills, and a passion for working for
non-profits in our community. Her hope is to
bring productivity and profitability to The
Arc in support of its mission. Margy has
been a liaison to the Board of Directors
since June 2003, and serves on the Finance
Committee. Born in Michigan, Margy received
her business and accounting education from
Blair Business College and North Seattle
Community College. Spending time with her
husband, Gary, their grown children, two
dogs and creating a colorful garden keeps
her life active. |
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