YouthCare is grateful to the following individuals for committing their time and energy to serving on our Board of Directors and leading us in our mission to end youth homelessness.

Interested in joining the Board of Directors? Read the Board of Directors Description and Apply here!

Board of Directors

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Erin is a YouthCare staff member turned longtime supporter, and has always had YouthCare staff and clients at front of mind when wanting to give back to her community. She is a mother to two boys, and her work experience is in social service non-profit administration, by way of working at Habitat for Humanity, YouthCare, and the Center for Children and Youth Justice prior to starting a family. She has also served on the Board of Directors at Summer Search Seattle and currently volunteers at University Child Development School and Common Power, a local organization working to provide voter equity nationwide. When she’s not volunteering, she spends time with her spouse, two boys, and two dogs, and also enjoys music, hiking, mountaineering, and gardening.

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When Farron first attended a YouthCare luncheon and served a meal at The Orion Center, she knew she wanted to be part of it. A lifelong Washingtonian, Farron has witnessed the devastating effects addiction, family conflict, and homelessness can have. Too many young lives, including Farron’s beloved sister-in-law Kristen, have been lost too soon – which drives Farron’s commitment to YouthCare’s mission. Farron is an Attorney who practices employment and business litigation, usually on behalf of clients in the manufacturing, retail, and nonprofits. She has always been passionate about young people and devotes volunteer time accordingly, including at Childhaven, through Gonzaga focused on the impacts of youth “aging out” of the system, at the University of Oregon as its first Child Advocacy Fellow, and today with YouthCare. Farron is married to Calvin and has two kids, Leni and Finn. They love spending time together, especially in, on, or near water (which makes West Seattle the perfect spot for them to live and explore).

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Service and giving back has been an integral part of Francesca’s life since she was young.  Her parents were deeply involved in her hometown community and shared a passion and commitment for making a difference.  Her parents worked tirelessly to advocate for the homeless residents of Santa Barbara and were key organizers in building the Transition House for women and children and Casa Esperanza – House of Hope. Through her 25+ year career at Starbucks, Francesca and her husband have lived in many places and finding ways to serve in their community is always one of the first actions they take as a family when they move to a new city.  When she returned to Seattle in 2019, for what she hopes is a very long stay, she was thrilled for the opportunity to serve on the YouthCare board and looks forward to many years of contributing, learning and making a difference.

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Colleen Echohawk is an enrolled member of the Kithehaki Band of the Pawnee Nation and a member of the Upper Athabascan people of Mentasta Lake. A strong community advocate, Colleen is committed to homeless advocacy and changing the trajectory of Native American and Alaska Native people living away from reservations in urban places and experiencing homelessness.

Colleen serves as the CEO of Eighth Generation, a Seattle based art and lifestyle brand centered around community-based native artists and owned by the Snoqualmie Tribe. She most recently served as Interim CEO of YouthCare and is the former Executive Director of Chief Seattle Club. She is the co-founder and principal at Headwater People Consulting Group and the founder of the Coalition to End Urban Indigenous Homelessness. Echohawk was named one of Seattle’s most influential people by Seattle Magazine (November 2021, 2019) and is the recipient of King County’s Martin Luther King Jr. Medal of Distinguished Service (2020). Colleen is a board member of the Seattle Foundation.

In her spare time, she loves to read, sing karaoke, listen to National Public Radio, and cook delicious food for her friends and family. Echohawk is a proud mom to two children and is married to Matt Hayashi.

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Jennifer noticed YouthCare’s Orion Center driving from teaching and seeing patients as a family doctor at Kaiser. Shortly after, she collaborated with YouthCare staff for a needs assessment, and found that youth wanted to “learn about health” and have a “clinic onsite.” Thus began “Doc Talks,” and later, Kaiser added a clinic (2016) which has grown to be part of the Kaiser clinical care system, also now including a to treat youth struggling with substance use disorders. She runs the Community Medicine training for the residents and sees patients at the “Orion Clinic” and NeighborCare’s Rainier Beach Clinic. While at YouthCare, Jennifer has come to appreciate the challenges faced by youth as they move successfully into adulthood without the supports most of us take for granted: functional, supportive family, a place to live, education, and access to health and mental health care. Jennifer is amazed by the resilience and determination seen in youth and the staff; YouthCare’s “care” makes a difference, and now, Jennifer has joined the Board to get more deeply involved and ensure support continues to be equitably available to all who need it.

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Carmen first learned about YouthCare through a former board member who invited Carmen to YouthCare’s Annual Luncheon at about the same time she became very interested in how to decrease homelessness in Seattle. That Luncheon invite became an invite to volunteer serving dinner at the Orion Center, an invite to another YouthCare event, and eventually an invitation to join the board. After a long career in corporate recruiting at big tech companies, Carmen became a consultant for a six-person company called Recruiting Toolbox and now helps organizations design and improve their candidate sourcing, interview and selection processes. She contributes these skills now to YouthCare’s various board efforts while also enjoying her hobbies of reading, writing, and seeing the world with her husband, William, the HR Director for SEIU and a longtime YouthCare supporter as well.

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YouthCare’s mission combines several things that Becka deeply cares about: equity and social justice, mental health, homelessness, and supporting the young people in our communities. Over the last decade, Becka has managed budgets and led policy analysis for some of the region’s largest government agencies. Currently, Becka oversees half of King County’s budget and works to advance environmental, mobility, equity, and social justice priorities. Previously, at the University of Washington, she promoted equitable access to higher education and led the UW’s analysis of state policy and budget proposals. Becka regularly volunteers for a number of local organizations, including on the Board of Doney Coe Pet Clinic, which provides care to the animal companions of people experiencing homelessness. She previously worked in mental health research for Stanford University and has mentored students from low-income communities over the last two decades. Becka is excited to support YouthCare in ensuring that all young people can thrive and is committed to centering and amplifying the voices of those who have lived experiences with homelessness. Outside of work and volunteering, Becka enjoys adventuring with her spouse and their cat, Edgar, as well as spending time outdoors and cheering on the Mariners.

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Michelle is a business owner and advisor to financially successful families and nonprofits. She is enthusiastically devoted to creating transformative change as a philanthropist, nonprofit board leader, and social impact investor. Michelle lives in North Seattle with her husband, Jim, and dog Linus. She is a fan of car races, rock music, and the oxford comma; hobbies include hiking, skiing, and dancing Brazilian Samba.

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Bio coming soon

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Greg has had two passions in serving the community: education and helping the disadvantaged; to him, YouthCare is one of the rare organizations that embodies both. He believes that interceding in the lives of youth when they require it most is vital for the long-term health of our community. He has many years of experience serving in leadership positions and founding organizations that serve people affected by HIV, as well as bringing people together in support of LGBTQ communities. As the chairperson of the Russell Investments’ LGBTQ employee network, he has been a major financial and volunteer supporter of the scholarship programs of the GSBA and Pride Foundation. He recently co-founded and co-chairs EmRG, an association of LGBTQ corporate leaders who collaborate, serve the community, and advocate on behalf of LGBTQ employees in partnership with corporate leaders and local government.  In his free time, he is involved in the visual and performing arts, fitness and nutrition, writing, and travel.

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Pashtana is passionate about helping youth. She believes that youth are our future and that every youth deserves to be safe, sheltered, educated, and have opportunity in this great country. As an immigrant originating from the war-torn country Afghanistan, Pashtana knows firsthand how difficult life can be if you do not have support. In her case, she was fortunate to have loving parents that sacrificed everything for her and her siblings. She believes the work YouthCare is doing with kids that are homeless and endangered is incredible. Pashtana has been working in Finance (Banking) for the last 20 plus years, and she has been involved in teaching financial education to teens and adults, particularly in subjects such as Banking, Budgeting and Credit. Pashtana family includes her spouse, Mohammad, and three kids Yasin, Shaista, and Arman. Her hobbies include spending time with family & friends, hiking, travelling, and trying different food from different cultures.

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Bio coming soon

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Bart learned of YouthCare through his wife’s volunteer work. His own passion for the mission came after attending a YouthCare luncheon, which came at the same time as an opportunity to serve on the Board while in a senior leadership role at Boeing. Bart served on the Board for 12 years and was a founding member of the Real Estate Committee. After a 3-year break on the Board, in which he continued to serve on the Real Estate Committee, Bart rejoined in 2021. After retirement from 36 years at Boeing he deepened his commitment to helping young people fulfill their potential by joining the Western Washington University Foundation Board, with which he is actively involved by pursuing public-private partnerships that generate revenue to support students and programs. Bart and his wife, Randi, live in the north end and have an adult daughter and son, both of whom live locally. Outside interests include tennis, gardening, live music, travel, and mentoring young people.

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Mark learned about YouthCare when he was working on Youth-Police Relations improvement efforts. He has been a Crime Prevention Coordinator for the Seattle Police Department for 30 years and is a resource for residents, community groups, businesses, faith-based entities, advocacy groups and public agencies in formulating crime prevention and public safety strategies. Additionally, Mark served in the United States Air Force, for a total of 30 years, retiring at the rank of Lieutenant Colonel. Mark has a long history of community and volunteer work, and currently serves as the Vice President of the National Organization of Black Law Enforcement Executives (NOBLE), Washington State Chapter and the President of Washington State Crime Prevention Association. Mark’s family includes his spouse, Suzanne, a high school art teacher, his three adult stepchildren, and his child, Alanna, a recent college graduate. Mark is a self-described comic book and science fiction nerd. He also loves to travel and he recently gotten hooked on Words with Friends.

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Nick is a long-time resident of Seattle where he lives with his wife and two teenage children. Nick works for Columbia Legal Services as an attorney where his practice focuses on protecting the rights of justice involved individual and families. His work includes advocacy on behalf of children and youth caught up in the criminal legal system. Throughout his career, Nick has witnessed YouthCare’s commitment to working with youth to reach their full potential. Nick is proud to continue a Straley family connection with YouthCare dating back to his grandfather, Walter Straley, and more recently his father, Hugh Straley.

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Matt was drawn to the board because a personal friend worked as a staff member for YouthCare and he admired the work. Matt then started attending YouthCare auctions and luncheons and eventually asked for a tour of the Orion Center. The rest is history. Professionally, Matt was a trial lawyer in Seattle for 25 years before launching his own alternative dispute resolution firm, Matt Turetsky Mediation/Arbitration. Matt mediates and arbitrates business, real estate, employment, and other civil litigation disputes. Matt’s family includes his spouse, Molly, an interior designer, and their two kids, both in high school: Anna and Quinn. Matt enjoys reading, exercising, sports, politics, but mostly hanging out and running around with his family.

as of June, 2022