Issues & Policies Important to Me

Public Health & Human Services

My undergraduate degree is in Public Health. I worked for the federal Department of Health & Human Services Region 10 (WA, OR, ID, Alaska) for 18 years. I can’t say I moved the needle much, but I worked with so many nonprofits and great leaders who did — especially healthcare, foster care, youth homelessness, child care, child welfare, Head Start, community action agencies, and so many more.

I believe in a public health approach to problem-solving, which means emphasizing prevention wherever possible and intervening upstream.

The NW Heat Dome: A Proposal to Prepare for Taking Care of Our Most Vulnerable

As a caregiver for my mother for four years, I learned more than I cared to about the challenges of homebound elderly and disabled. See my proposal for protecting the vulnerable elderly and disabled — and home care workers — during future heat incidents.

And of course…

  • Climate change — particularly the public health effects of climate change

  • Protecting our natural and wild spaces

  • Reproductive health care

  • Fiscal accountability

  • Affordable everything

  • Youth and family homelessness

  • Strong schools and teachers

  • Worker protections

  • And hey, can’t we do more to get rid of SPAM calls?

Disaster Preparedness & Response

Are you prepared for the Subduction Zone Earthquake? For a house or apartment fire? For an extended power outage?

I was deployed to Baton Rouge after Katrina for a short time to assist with their Find Family Call Center, reuniting lost family members and identifying family remains. After Katrina, Congress passed PKEMRA (Post-Katrina Emergency Management Reform Act of 2006) instituting a number of changes to preparedness and response.

The legislation included more attention to children and families following a disaster and created a National Commission on Children and Disasters.

I spent several years working with Region 10 states, nonprofits, Red Cross and my federal colleagues to develop disaster plans and COOP (continuity of operations plans) for child welfare, child care, and foster care programs in the ESF-6 arena.

I visited New Zealand after their earthquake in 2011 and met with human services and disaster professionals to hear their lessons learned. On my own dime. Well, I’ve visited other beautiful places too, I’m just saying this is a passion of mine.

Here are a few resources to help you get started:

American Red Cross: https://www.redcross.org/get-help/how-to-prepare-for-emergencies.html?srsltid=AfmBOopoygg

Seattle Emergency Management: https://www.seattle.gov/emergency-management

FEMA: www.ready.gov