Council Members
2009 Council Members
CITIZEN MEMBERS
Mary Ann Murphy- Citizen Member, Council Chair
Executive Director, Partners with Families and Children
Mary Ann has worked for over thirty years with children and families - always in centers that work together with law enforcement, Child Protective Services, the courts, the schools, and other social and health treatment providers - to strengthen the fabric of support for families in our community. She is currently Executive Director of Partners with Families and Children, a program sponsored by both Deaconess and Sacred Heart Medical Centers for children who are abused, neglected, endangered by drugs or exposed to violence. For nearly twenty years, Partners has been mending the hearts and broken spirits of children of abuse. She was appointed by Governor Christine Gregoire in 2005 as Chair of the Council for Children & Families.
Mary Ann has a bachelor’s degree in political science and master's degree in developmental psychology. She’s also a mom - for Gabriela, Jessica and Nick - and now a grandmother to Nora, Glen and Adam.
Joel Benoliel – Citizen Member, Council Vice Chair
Senior VP and Chief Legal Officer, Costco Wholesale Corporation
Joel currently serves as Senior Vice President for Legal and Administration and Chief Legal Officer for Costco Wholesale where he has been since 1992. Born and raised in Seattle, Joel is active outside of Costco in his community in a variety of charitable endeavors. He was a founding Director and Officer for Washington State Mentors, a public-private partnership with the State of Washington and the business community to promote mentorship; and has served as a Director for the King County Chapter, American Heart Association. He was a founding Seattle Guild Member for the Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, and has maintained a close relationship with that organization for more than 15 years. He is a member of the Circle of Care for Children’s Hospitals in North America, and in 2008, he became a Trustee of Seattle Children’s Hospital.
Kathryn Barnard RN, Ph.D., - Citizen Member
Founder, UW Center on Infant Mental Health and Development
Kathryn E. Barnard, RN, Ph.D., served as Professor Emeritus of Nursing and the founder and director of the Center on Infant Mental Health and Development at the University of Washington. Her pioneering work to improve the physical and mental health outcomes of infants and young children has earned her numerous honors, including the Gustav O. Leinhard Award from the Institute of Medicine, and, from the American Academy of Nursing, both the Episteme Award, the highest honor in nursing, and the Living Legend Award, in 2006. Between 1969 and 1993 she also received 15 other major awards, including the Lucille Petry Leone Award for Teaching; the M. Scott Award for Contributions to Nursing Science, Education and Service; the Martha May Eliot Award for Leadership in Maternal-Child Health; and the Nurse Scientist of the Year Award.
She has been a member of the Zero to Three Board of Directors since the middle 1980’s and on the Council for Children and Families since 2005.
Poppy Hanson – Citizen Member
Social Worker, Washington State Office of Public Defense
Poppy Hansen serves as a social worker for the Washington State Office of Public Defense which administers state funds appropriated for the Parents Representation Program for dependency cases, appellate indigent defense services and criminal trial indigent defense services. She holds an MS in Human Resource Management and a Bachelor’s degree with dual emphasis in Sociology and Anthropology. She is a native of South Africa and an alumnus of Western Washington University and the University of Utah at Salt Lake City.
Yaffa Maritz – Citizen Member
Co-Founder & Clinical Director, Listening Mothers
Yaffa is currently the co-founder and clinical director of the Listening Mothers program. She continues to be a strong advocate on behalf of babies and their families, believing that by supporting parents and creating a safe environment for them to explore emotional issues, that we set the foundation for their kids’ emotional health. She has a Master’s degree in clinical psychology and is a licensed mental health counselor with advanced training in Infant Mental Health.
Ron Murphy – Citizen Member
Senior Director for Strategic Consulting, Casey Family Programs
Ron Murphy has provided social work services to children, families and communities for over 35 years. He is currently the Senior Director - Strategic Consulting for Washington State Casey Family Programs. He provides leadership of statewide systems improvement strategies for Casey’s partnership with the State of Washington and also works with other Casey partners, such as the courts, legislature and non-profits, to support system wide improvements though policy and practice changes. Ron ensures that the Casey’s 2020 Mission is embedded in the efforts with partners. Ron has been a member of Casey Family Programs since 1995 and has provided leadership in various roles.
Prior to Casey Family Programs, Ron worked for the State of Washington as a Community Services Office Administrator, Regional Administrator for the State’s Division of Alcohol and Substance Abuse and was a direct practitioner for the Children’s Administration. Ron has also worked in other private non-profit organizations. Ron’s analytical thinking, problem-solving, listening, humor and ability to maintain self control under pressure are attributes he is recognized for. Ron graduated from the University of Washington with a Masters in Social Work, has a B.A. from Pacific Lutheran University and is a member of several professional organizations.
Jule Sugarman – Citizen Member
Former Secretary of DSHS and Founding Program Manager, Head Start
Described by many as one of the nation’s most successful and creative public administrators, Jule Sugarman is best known for his management of the national Head Start Program during its formative years. In Washington State, he served as Secretary of Social and Health Services under Governor Booth Gardner. In 2006, Governor Christine Gregoire appointed him to the Washington Council for Children & Families.
Throughout his career, he has served in a wide variety of public organizations including Chief Administrative Officer of Atlanta, GA, Associate Chief of the U.S. Children’s Bureau, Vice-Chairman of the U.S. Civil Service Commission during the Carter Administration, Human Resource Administrator in New York City and Executive Director of Special Olympics International. As a private citizen, his focus is on improving public funding of programs for children, youth and families.
LEGISLATIVE MEMBERS
Senator Mike Carrell (R), 28th Legislative District
Senator Mike Carrell represents the Senate Republican Caucus on the Council. He currently sits on the Judiciary; Human Services and Corrections; Ways & Means; and Health and Long-Term Care Committees. He retired from teaching math and science after 31 years and was the founder and past president of Washington Families. He and his wife Charlotte live in Lakewood and have three sons and four grandchildren. He holds BA in education and post-graduate studies in science from Pacific Lutheran University.
Senator Debbie Regala (D), 27th Legislative District
Senator Debbie Regala represents the Senate Democratic Caucus on the Council. She serves as Vice Chair of the Senate Human Services & Corrections Committee; as well as the Water, Energy and Telecommunications; Rules; and Ways & Means committees. She volunteers and has served as a board member for local school, church and community organizations including Habitat for Humanity, Sexual Assault Center of Pierce County, Nature Conservancy, and Point Defiance Zoological Society.
Prior to serving in the legislature, she was a Metropolitan Park District of Tacoma commissioner. She holds a BA from the University of Puget Sound.
Rep. Maureen Walsh (R), 16th Legislative District
Rep. Maureen Walsh was appointed to the Council by the House Republican Caucus. Rep. Walsh sits on three House committees including Appropriations; Early Learning and Children's Services; and Human Services. She worked closely with a bipartisan coalition of her colleagues to support our early learning programs in the state as well as strengthening our children's availability to healthcare.
Rep. Walsh is a small business owner of Onion World.com located in downtown Walla Walla. She lives in College Place, raising her three children - Shauna, Patrick and Murphy-on her own since her husband Kelly passed away in April 2006. She has a degree in Commercial Art from the University of Cincinnati.
Representative Tina Orwall (D), 33rd Legislative District
As a strategic planner in health care and workforce development, affordable housing advocate, and community leader, Tina has fought for improved services and responsive government for people throughout the Puget Sound.
For more than a decade Tina has exemplified her commitment to the most vulnerable populations of Washington through her work as an advocate for the homeless, PTSA president of Marvista Elementary School, and co-Chair of the King County Legislative Action Committee. As a well-seasoned social worker and advocate, Tina knows that the government and private sector must work together to solve our state’s big problems. She created a nationally recognized public–private funding partnership with local government and foundations that has resulted in over 600 units of housing for homeless individuals, including units dedicated to homeless veterans. In recognition of her tireless efforts Tina received the Veteran Administration Community Partner Award, Democrat of the Year Award, Washington State Co-Occurring Disorder Leadership Recognition Award and Washington State Coalition for the Homeless Advocate of the Year Award.
AGENCY REPRESENTATIVES
Sonali Patel – Agency Representative
Senior Policy Advisor, Department of Early Learning
Sonali Patel is DEL’s liaison to the Legislature, Tribal Nations, and the federal government. A policy expert on federal legislation, regulations and policies impacting human services—including child welfare, juvenile justice, Medicaid, and child care—Sonali has extensive experience analyzing and interpreting legislation and working closely with stakeholders.
Sonali joined DEL from the American Public Human Services Association in Washington, D.C., where she was Senior Policy Associate and Director of the National Children's Policy Forum. She holds a Master of Social Welfare from the University of California, Los Angeles.
Mary Wendt –Agency Representative
Assistant Secretary for Community and Family Health, Washington State Department of Health
Since April 2008, Mary Wendt has served as the Assistant Secretary at the State Department of Health, Community and Family Health Division. Prior to that, she was the Chief Financial Officer for the Mental Health Division, and served in various management capacities at the Department of Social and Health Services, Health and Recovery Services Administration since 2000. Mary has a Master's of Public Administration in Health Administration from Portland State University. She has been married for 16 years and has two boys, ages 14 and 12. In her free time she enjoys traveling and skiing with her family.
Debra Williams-Appleton – Agency Representative
Program Supervisor for Even Start Family Literacy & 21st Century Community Learning Centers Programs, Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction (OSPI)
Debra has 30 years of experience managing and providing services for families and children at risk, and children with special needs, pre-K through grade 12. She is currently a program manager at the Office of Superintendent of Public Instruction and has managed the Early Childhood Education, Even Start Family Literacy, 21st Century Community Learning Centers, Alternative Education, and Running Start Programs. Positions prior to OSPI include; regional director of early childhood special education, speech and language specialist, early childhood special education teacher, and a master teacher and trainer. She holds a Master of Arts Degree.
Debra has managed programs serving children, youth and families in a variety of settings from community based private non profit programs to school based programs. She is committed to the development of resources and systems that support quality early learning experiences, positive relationships, and responsive and supportive learning environments for all children.
Areas of interest and expertise include language and literacy development, curriculum and assessment, family and community linkages and supports, program evaluation and accountability, and systems integration and development.
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