Meet the Speakers
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Robin Shapiro
WASHAA Board Chair Robin Shapiro believes that health advocacy will be a common skill that people develop to help achieve the best health possible. She has worked in health care-related public relations, public affairs, crisis management, marketing and health advocacy since 1988. She is founder of award-winning healthcare engagement companies. She co-founded and is the Board Chair of the Washington State Health Advocacy Association (WASHAA). Robin is also a public speaker and published author. |
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Melissa Cardine, MSN, RN, BCPA
President-Elect, PACB Melissa is the founder of The Bridge RN Patient Advocates. She enjoys listening to patients, families, and caregivers along with collaborating with healthcare professionals. Melissa co-founded The Bridge Health Advocates providing health advocacy and business training. Melissa was selected to be a PACB Board Member in November 2019. She is currently the President-elect and will become President in November 2020. Her passion for advocacy is evident in her daily interactions with all those she meets. |
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Christine North, PhD, MPH, BCPA
President, PACB Christine L. North, Ph.D (1997) graduated from the University of Oklahoma with a doctorate in Communication, focusing on Interpersonal and Health Communication. Dr. North is currently completing an M.P.H. in Health Promotion and Education at Wright State University. Dr. North is the director of the Communication Studies Program at Ohio Northern University. She is currently working with multi-disciplinary teams in the Dominican Republic to create sustainable health change and programs. She has served as the President of the Health Communication Division of the Central States Communication Association, is actively involved in the National Communication Association, and won the Jamestown College Outstanding Teacher Award in 2003, and the Panhellenic Outstanding Teaching Award in 2008-2009. |
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Deborah Thomas, LPC, CADC
CEO, The Walker Clinic Debbie is the CEO of the Walker Center and is a Licensed Professional Counselor and an Internationally Certified Alcohol and Drug Counselor holding a NAADAC credential as MAC (Master Addiction Counselor). Debbie has worked in the behavioral health field for over 30 years with focus in substance abuse treatment programs and quality assurance. Debbie utilizes her knowledge to advocate for system changes and individual and family needs. Debbie is committed to giving back and currently serves on the Idaho Board of Alcohol/Drug Counselor's Certification, is Central Regional Director for Idaho NAADAC Association of Addiction Professionals, serves on the Executive Committee for the Idaho Region 5 Behavioral Health Board and is the President of the Woman’s CEO Global Alliance. |
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Annie Jacobsen, MA
Jacobsen Dementia Care Coaching Annie Jacobsen has been in the senior care field for over 15 years. She is the founder of both Assisted Transitions and Jacobsen Dementia Care Coaching, and she has held leadership positions at SHAG Affordable Senior Housing, Rosewood Courte Memory Care and Home Care Assistance. Annie has a BA from UW and an MA from Antioch University. |
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Dr. Deanna Minich, MS, PhD, FACN, CNS, IFMCP
Internationally-recognized teacher, author, scientist, speaker Dr. Deanna Minich is an internationally-recognized teacher, author, scientist, speaker, and artist. She has more than 20 years of diverse, well-rounded experience in the fields of nutrition and functional medicine, including clinical practice, research, product formulation, writing, and education. Currently, she is Faculty for the Institute for Functional Medicine and the University of Western States. Minich’s passion is teaching a whole-self approach to nourishment and bridging the gaps between science, spirituality, and art in medicine. |
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Brad S. Lichtenstein, ND, BCB, BCB-HRV
Owner, The BreathSPACE As a licensed naturopathic physician and professor at Bastyr University for over 25 years, Dr. Lichtenstein has a strong clinical and teaching focus on developing psycho-emotional-spiritual health while dealing with chronic, life-challenging illnesses and trauma. Dr. Lichtenstein has written many publications and contributed a chapter on Mind-Body Medicine and Men’s Healthin Integrative Men’s Health. He continues to present nationally on the use of meditation, breathwork, HRV and biofeedback to increase resiliency. |
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Orla Concannon, BS, MBA
CEO, Eldergrow Orla Concannon is the Founder and CEO of Eldergrow, an innovative Seattle-based company that brings nature indoors to elders in senior living communities. With extensive experience in the senior living and healthcare fields, Orla is a lifelong advocate for our elders. She is dedicated to fighting ageism and providing a sense of purpose and hope through meaningful connections to nature, ultimately resulting in the creation of Eldergrow in 2015, which is now in nearly 300 communities across the U.S. |
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Bradley Schwartz
Founder of Greater National Advocates |
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Beth Droppert
Board Member, WASHAA / HealthAdvocateX |
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Vernetta Seaton
Zia Larson's Ray of Light Foundation Verneta Seaton is the visionary of Zia Larson's Ray of Light Foundation. As a mother grieving the loss of her son to death by suicide, she founded the nonprofit to confront mental illness in our community by creating a culture that accepts mental disease as readily as physical disease. She has travelled the world working for Delta Airlines for over 40 years, In her occupation she engages in countless conversations about her beloved son, Z, and through her transparency others are given an opportunity for honest sharing about their lives affected by mental illness. It is in such intimate moments that Verneta's vocation becomes her avocation, and her dream becomes her destiny. |
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Vodney Wynn, MBA, M.Ed., MPA
Zia Larson's Ray of Light Foundation Vodney Wynn is the Development Director for Zia Larson’s Ray of Light Foundation. With education and expertise in healthcare administration and nonprofit management, she manages the organization in marketing, community relations, program development, grant writing, and sponsorship acquisition. Her personal platform of recovery advocates for wholeness, the integration of the physical, spiritual, and mental. She is guided by a strong inner conviction that when “I” is replaced by “WE”, even “Illness” becomes “Wellness”. Vodney is a member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and Peace Baptist Church of Atlanta, GA. |
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Michele P. Andrasik, PhD, EdM
Director, Social & Behavioral Sciences and Community Engagement, HIV Vaccine Trials Network Senior Staff Scientist, Vaccine & Infectious Disease Division, Fred Hutch Affiliate Assistant Professor, Depts of Global Health and Occupational Health and Safety, University of Washington Dr. Michele Andrasik, clinical health psychologist, is the Director of Social Behavioral Sciences and Community Engagement for the HIV Vaccine Trials Network and COVID-19 Prevention Network, Senior Staff Scientist in the Fred Hutchinson Vaccine and Infectious Disease Division and Affiliate Clinical Professor in the University of Washington Global Health department. She received her PhD in Clinical Health Psychology from the University of Miami and Master’s Degrees in Health Education and Psychological Counseling from Columbia University. |
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Anna Ratzliff, MD, PhD
Professor, Depression Therapy Research Endowed Professorship/Director, UW Psychiatry Residency Training Program/Co-Director, AIMS Center/Director, UW Integrated Care Training Program Dr. Anna Ratzliff is a national expert on collaborative care and specifically, on training teams to implement and deliver mental health treatment in primary care settings. She currently is a Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at the University of Washington, Director of the UW Psychiatry Resident Training Program, Co-Director of the AIMS Center (Advancing Integrated Mental Health Solutions) and Director of the UW Integrated Care Training Program for residents and fellows. |
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Ginger Jones, RN, CCM, CNLCP
CEO, MyCare Alliance Ginger is the co-founder and CEO of MyCare Alliance. She is also the Co-founder of Diversified Nurse Consultants LLC, Peggy’s Place LLC, Bucks Building LLC, and Fourth T&G Ventures LLC.. Ginger began her career as a registered nurse in 1994 and has held leadership roles in multiple areas of practice including long term care, home health, intensive care, and care management through which she has obtained keen insights into the inner workings of the healthcare system. These insights along with the personal hardships in the healthcare system she experienced with two of her children inspired Ginger’s passion to develop new models of service delivery and innovative solutions. Since 2011, Ginger has co-led the growth of DNC from a solo practice to a $4M organization and was the visionary who brought the Alliance co- founders together. Ginger is a Certified Case Manager, and Certified Life Care Planner and is an active member in the following professional organizations: Case Management Society of America, American Association of Nurse Life Care Planners, National Care Planning Council, Aging Life Care Association, American Nurses Association, and Indiana Nurses Association. |
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Stephanie Shushan, MHA
Senior Analyst, Integrated Programs & Strategic Initiatives, Community Health Plan of Washington Stephanie Shushan is a healthcare administrator with experience in program and operations management in multiple settings including, academic medicine, inpatient hospital care, international provider training and Medicaid Managed Care. Her current work at Community Health Plan of Washington involves supporting the healthcare safety net through behavioral health integration, telehealth and provider training. Prior to this work she advanced patient-centered care initiatives in Critical Care. Outside of her work she enjoys dancing, travelling and volunteering. |
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Connie Mom-Chhing, DM, MPA
Director, Integrated Managed Care, Community Health Plan of Washington Connie Mom-Chhing, DM, MPH serves as Director, Integrated Managed Care for Community Health Plan of Washington. She provides strategic direction for statewide rollout of integrated behavioral, medical services, and social determinants of health in multiple regions. Connie was a former Chief Behavioral Health Officer for Columbia United Providers, CEO of Southwest Washington Behavioral Health, and Administrator for Clark County Regional Support Network. Currently, she serves on NAMI National Board of Directors. |
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Ethan Seracka, MS, LMFT, MHP
Director Whole Health Innovation, Sound Ethan is the Director of Whole Health and Innovation at Sound. With 13 plus years of experience in community behavioral health, Ethan draws upon his experience with: co-occurring disorder treatment, individual, couple and family therapy, community reintegration post-institutionalization and crisis services to develop integrated care and health management for Sound. Ethan is a graduate of Arizona State University and East Carolina University with a Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. |
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Vanessa Laughlin
Principal, Banister Advisors, LLC Vanessa’s nearly 20-year professional background spans strategy development, implementation planning, business process improvement, product marketing, technology implementations, organizational design, and change management. Through the founding of Banister Advisors, her passion for client services had met the opportunity to ease the complex emotional and logistical burdens that individuals and families confront in the face of critical circumstances across their lifespan. She holds an MBA with distinction from the Foster School of Business at the University of Washington and a BA in Economics from Tufts University. Vanessa was honored in 2019 by The Puget Sound Business Journal as a 40 Under 40 Finalist. A native of Whidbey Island, WA, she now lives in Seattle with her husband, two young sons, and beloved geriatric chocolate lab. |
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Gregory Whiting, MSC, LICSW
Navigator, Banister Advisors, LLC Gregory’s experiences in publishing, HR, emergency medicine, DEI and Intergroup Dialogue practice, and community mental health have allowed him to connect across a variety of differences to address human-centered problems. Gregory strives to integrate the complex needs of clients during crises into plans of action that provide order in emergent spaces. Gregory holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Michigan and an MSW from the University of Washington. As a clinical social worker, he has served people experiencing homelessness, youth in schools, incarcerated people, and medical patients with complex treatment needs. Gregory is originally from Detroit, Michigan and now lives in Seattle with a cat that acts like a dog. |
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Gioia Gonzalez, MSW, LICSW
Navigator, Banister Advisors, LLC Gioia is an experienced clinical social worker and project manager with core values rooted in social justice, ethics, and compassion. She has a BA in Sociology and Public Health from the University of Washington and an MSW from the University of Washington. For over a decade, Gioia worked at Seattle Children's Hospital in various capacities and is experienced in managing the psychosocial aspects of both chronic and acute medical circumstances. Her passions are partnering to achieve goals, building strong systems within communities to improve outcomes, and providing meaningful support so individuals and families can respond to profound challenges with resiliency. Gioia is from the Bay Area and now resides in Oregon with her husband and young family. |
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Carey Kempton, MBA
President, National Association of Healthcare Advocacy (NAHAC) |