Encompass testifies for early learning

A six-member delegation from Encompass surrounds state Rep. Jay Rodne (center), R-5^th District, on Jan. 19, 2010, in Olympia, where Encompass testified in favor of three bills that would add early learning (preschool education for 3- and 4-year-olds) to the state’s definition of basic education. Standing before the State Capitol were Encompass representatives (from left) Gregory Malcolm, executive director; Keri Bailey and Geoffrey Doy, board members; Marsha Quinn, Pediatric Therapy manager; Rodne (who also is an Encompass board member); Kelly Jeffers, board president; and Rhonda Ender and Alison Meryweather, board members. Malcolm and Meryweather testified at a hearing of the House Early Learning and Children’s Services Committee.

The full hearing can be viewed by visiting tvw.org and searching the video index for the committee name. Or visit this link, http://www.tvw.org/media/mediaplayer.cfm?evid=2010011197&TYPE=V&CFID=4210739&CFTOKEN=11789672&bhcp=1, and listen to minutes 26 through 32 for the Encompass testimony. The Encompass delegation also had individual meetings with more than a dozen key senators and representatives.

Giving begins with the young
When Gracie Hopkins, daughter of Encompass board member Rhonda Ender, turned 5 in 2009, she received such a bounty of gifts that one of the first things she said to her mom was "I want to give some away." And from her mom's work on the Encompass Board of Directors, Gracie knew where to find children in need -- at Encompass. (Left) Gracie, along with her mother and Gregory Malcolm, Encompass executive director, carried two gently used high chairs from her mom's car in the Encompass parking lot to the front door, and (right) delivered and displayed for Kerry Beymer, family-support manager, six toys she was donating. "They're for other kids," Gracie said. Anyone wishing to contribute items for families in need should contact Beymer at 425-888-2777.

JOIN US! on the Encompass Board of Directors

Are you a motivated member of the Snoqualmie Valley community? Do you want to add a rewarding responsibility to your life? Encompass is looking for you!

Advanced life abilities, financial savvy, leadership experience and generosity are just some of the traits that would benefit Encompass. As a board member, you would be encouraged to seek revenue-enhancement opportunities and participate in exciting fundraising events each year. You also would be an ambassador for our programs and facilitate our ongoing outreach campaign.

We especially welcome those who possess specific talents to enhance the diversity of the board, including teachers, pediatricians, dentists, architects, builders and accountants.

The formal duties of the Encompass board include responsibility for (1) the organization's fiscal health, (2) optimal development of the organization's human resources, (3) the organization's long-range plan, (4) active representation and promotion of the organization in the community, and (5) the building of relationships that enhance and increase the organization's donor base.

If you are seeking an outlet to meet your personal life goals, consider joining us as we help improve the lives of children and families in the Snoqualmie Valley!

Interested? Contact Cheryl Fulton, administrative specialist, for more information.
Get to know our current board via the capsule bios below!

Members of the Encompass Board of Directors
(in alphabetical order)

Keri Bailey has served on the Encompass board since October 2002. For the past 25 years, she has simultaneously managed a small equestrian business, Thumbs Up Farm in Sammamish, and served as vice president of the family-owned business, Pioneer Van Lines, Inc., in Seattle. Bailey, her husband and son lived in Snoqualmie for 15 years before moving recently to Mercer Island. Her family has participated in Encompass toddler classes and parenting classes. Bailey has served on the Encompass Development Committee and is in her second term as vice president of development.








Maria Carlson joined the Encompass board in April 2009. After graduating from the University of Washington with a bachelor of arts in communication, Carlson spent 12 years working in radio broadcasting. She and her husband moved to Snoqualmie in 1998. From 2001 to 2007, she wrote the Snoqualmie Valley Record column “A View from Snoqualmie,” highlighting local people and events. The birth of daughter Natalie in 1999 inspired an interest in early-childhood development which led to three years teaching in Bellevue Community College’s Parent Education department. Carlson volunteers for the Program for Early Parent Support (PEPS) and at Cascade View Elementary School. She and her family have participated in the Encompass Early Learning preschool and summer camps, as well as the Queen for a Day and Autumn Gala fundraisers.






John Castle, a longtime expert in company formation, management and strategic analysis, has served on the Encompass board since September 2007. Castle, who holds degrees from the Massachusetts Institute of Technology and Harvard Graduate School of Business, is a lecturer in entrepreneurship and undergraduate faculty adviser at the University of Washington. He has served as president, chief executive officer or founder of 10 companies and is an officer, consultant and adviser to many organizations and their leadership and boards. Castle and his wife live in Snoqualmie.

Geoffrey Doy has served on the Encompass board since January 2010. He retired as chief executive officer of sales and marketing for Marconi Corporation in 2005. He chairs the United States subsidiary of the Selcom Group, an Italian electrical-components company. For the last five years, Doy has been active in the local community particularly in the education issues. He headed the successful 2009 Snoqualmie Valley School District bond campaign, chaired fundraising for Snoqualmie Elementary School and has launched other school-related programs. He has served on the school district’s Technical Committee, Facilities Planning Committee and Boundary Committee. Most recently, Doy has been part of a volunteer team assisting the North Bend with its marketing and branding. Doy has an honors degree in biological science from the University of East Anglia in the United Kingdom and is a dual citizen of the United States and United Kingdom. Doy, his wife and two children live in North Bend. He also has two daughters who live in England.



Rhonda Ender, MBA, has been a board member since March 2007. She is serving her second term as vice president of outreach and member of the Executive Committee. Ender grew up in Sacramento and moved to Seattle 12 years ago. With a background in marketing, education and management, Ender brings to Encompass experience with branding and public relations. Ender is a partner in an area mortgage and real-estate firm, and her knowledge in that field aided Encompass’ recent expansion. She has a passion for volunteering, stemming from her high-school years. She is past president of the Association for Women in Communications, served the Volunteer Center of Sacramento board and has volunteered many hours of tutoring services through Catholic Community Services. Ender, her husband and their daughter live in Snoqualmie.






Ken Heikkila joined the board in November 2009. A career in education and working with youth began after undergraduate work at Carleton College with experience in private as well as public schools. After earning a master’s degree in special education in 1982 from Vanderbilt University, a move to the Northwest found him teaching in the Kent School District. The teaching career evolved into school administration with a position in the Tukwila School District. During this role, he gained experience in early childhood education (including Birth-to-Three Early Intervention), community-based human services, refugee relocation programs and city government linkages. Ken completed a doctorate in educational leadership at Seattle University in 2005. He is director of Special Services in the Riverview School District. A move to Snoqualmie with his wife was completed after their youngest son graduated from high school in 2008 and entered college. An older son lives and works in the Bellingham area.




Kelly Jeffers has served on the Encompass board since April 2005 and is board president for the 2009-10 year. With a resume that includes work for companies and self-employment, Jeffers has extensive experience in leadership (“getting the most out of people”) as well as sales and marketing. He has spent the last 18 years in mortgage finance and currently works for Key Bank in Bellevue. Born in Seattle and raised on both the east and west coasts, Jeffers lives with his wife and two children in North Bend. Besides Encompass, he has volunteered as a Little League coach and 4H equestrian activities supervisor. His wife volunteered for Encompass fundraising events and worked for the organization in accounts receivable and as a family resource coordinator. Their children have attended Encompass summer camps and preschools.

Jackie LeFort has served on the Encompass board since December 2009. LeFort, president of Barr Allen Marketing Communications, has more than 16 years in marketing communications and business development, with a specialization in digital publishing and writing. After receiving a bachelor of arts degree in journalism at Saint Bonaventure University in Olean, New York, LeFort managed marketing services and communications for Hill Phoenix of Trenton, New Jersey, and developed in-depth knowledge of business development and customer positioning in Fortune 500 business-to-business sales. She also earned the status of Accredited Business Communicator (ABC), placing her in the top 10 percent of accredited professional communicators worldwide. Her family has been involved in the Encompass Parent-Child Interaction Training, summer camps and Family Nights. She and her husband, Bruce Stevenson, who is chief creative officer for Barr Allen and also holds ABC accreditation, who is chief creative officer at Barr Allen, live with their two children in Snoqualmie.

Alison Meryweather joined the Encompass board in January 2010. She graduated from the University of Wisconsin, Madison, with a bachelor of arts in political science and French. She moved to Seattle and worked for the finance division of a major automotive manufacturer. She has been an advocate for education at the state level through the Parent Teacher Association, Stand for Children and the League of Education Voters. She has served as an elected officer of several boards; she is the past president of the Issaquah Parent Teacher Student Association Council and serves as the council’s legislative chair. She is on the board of Volunteers for Issaquah Schools, for which she co-chaired a successful levy campaign for the Issaquah School District. Meryweather also serves on the board of the Issaquah Schools Foundation. She lives in Issaquah with her husband and two daughters.

Chelley Patterson has been a board member since November 2006. Serving her second term as vice president of programs and on the Executive Committee, Patterson helped form the business plan for the new Pediatric Therapy program. Her business experience of 25-plus years includes working with domestic and United Kingdom organizations employing from five to 45,000 employees. She works as a leadership coach in the Center for Leadership and Strategic Thinking at the University of Washington Foster School of Business. She holds a 1989 master’s degree and 1995 doctorate, both in management, from Georgia State University. Patterson, her husband and their two children live in Snoqualmie. Her family has participated in and benefited from these Encompass programs: early intervention (birth to 3), early childhood education (preschool), summer camp, parenting classes, Parent-Child Interaction Training, childcare co-op, Family Nights and Respectful Giving.



Jay Rodne has served on the Encompass board since July 2005 and as state representative for the 5th District since 2004. He received his law degree from Gonzaga University in 1997. An attorney with more than 10 years of private-practice experience, Rodne also serves as a lieutenant colonel in the U.S. Marine Corps Reserve and commands a 1,200-Marine reserve battalion. Rodne and his unit were activated in February 2003 and were deployed to Kuwait and Iraq. While on active duty with the U.S. Marine Corps in 1990-93, Rodne saw action in the Persian Gulf War in 1991 and in Somalia in 1992-93 and has been decorated for his service in these campaigns. A member of several Snoqualmie Valley service organizations, Rodne has received many awards for his community service. Rodne, his wife and two children live in North Bend.





Steve Weaver joined the Encompass board in May 2009. He is a partner at New York Life Insurance as part of the leadership team responsible for the overall growth and development of the Seattle general office. Weaver received his bachelor-of-science degree in business from Eastern Illinois University in 1980. He is a member of the National Association of Insurance and Financial Advisers, active in Rotary and local chambers of commerce and a volunteer with Money Management Educators, a financial education company. Active in the non-profit world at the board level, Steve is also involved in lives of his children, volunteering in school, community and sports activities. He lives with his wife of 16 years, two children, three cats, a dog and a horse in North Bend, Washington.





Duncan Wilson has been a board member since December 2008 and has assisted with the new Sip of Snoqualmie fundraiser. Wilson, city administrator for North Bend since 2006, is an attorney who specialized in real-estate, banking and municipal law for 22 years in private practice in Renton and served as city attorney for two years in Covington. He grew up in the Mount Baker neighborhood, spending his youth dragging hydroplanes behind his bike while his mother shook her head. Wilson earned a bachelor’s degree in business administration in 1979 from Western Washington University and his law degree from the University of Puget Sound, passing the bar exam in 1982. He and his wife live in Kent. They have two daughters, one of whom attends Western Washington University.







Emeritus members of the Encompass Board of Directors
Tom Mix served on the Encompass board in the mid-1990s. Board member Herman Schodde recruited him to be treasurer for the capital campaign to raise funds for the Encompass Main Campus. Prior to his involvement with Encompass, Mix was on the board of Grange Supply in Issaquah for 20-plus years and served on the REI Quality Advisory Committee. Born in Bradford, Pennsylvania, Mix graduated from Penn State University in 1967. He moved to Eastgate in 1966 to take a summer job at Boeing that lasted 34 years. He retired in 1999, and he and his wife moved to Sequim, where he founded and served as board president of the Sequim Community Foundation. Their business, the Cutting Garden, donates lavender products for Encompass fundraising events.

Dick Ryon has been active on the Encompass board for more than 17 years, having joined in fall 1993 and served one term as president and vice-president and two terms as secretary. Ryon was designated emeritus board member by his peers in 1998 for his continuous meritorious service to Encompass. Ryon's passion on the board continues to lie in fund development, and he serves on the Governance Committee. He joined the board while employed as land-use manager for the Cascade Region of the Weyerhaeuser Company. He also chaired the Weyerhaeuser Foundation Committee, Cascade Region. In both roles, Ryon leveraged significant financial and in-kind support for the 1995 capital campaign that created the Encompass Main Campus. A full-time partner in support of Encompass was his wife of 40 years, Sylvia Ryon, recently deceased. He recently married artist Marcia Tuttle Ryon.




Other emeritus board members:
Pat L Bohan
Jane Danforth Koser
Kevin Haggerty
Charlotte Rempfer
Aleena Schneider