AIR METHODS - Key Persons
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Associate Administrator, Quality / Safety / Safety Value Base Care
- Chief Quality Officer, UW Medicine
Adeyinka Adedipe, M.D., R.D.M.S., is a physician in the Emergency Department at UW Medical Center and a UW assistant professor of Emergency Medicine.
As an emergency physician, Dr. Adedipe enjoys working with all members of the team to ensure that he delivers a high quality of care. By connecting with patients and their families during their stay, he aspires to provide assurance during their time of need.
Dr. Adedipe earned his M.D. from the University of Chicago's Pritzker School of Medicine. He completed a surgical internship at Loyola University in Chicago and his emergency medicine residency at Boston University Medical Center, where he served as chief resident.
Dr. Adedipe's clinical and research interests include emergency point of care ultrasound and cardiac arrest.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Chief Security Officer, UW Medicine
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Senior Director of Business Affairs, UW Medicine Assistant Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Washington
Ana Mari Cauce was named president by the University of Washington Board of Regents on October 13, 2015. Cauce joined the University of Washington faculty in 1986 and is a full professor of psychology and American ethnic studies, with secondary appointments in gender, women and sexuality studies in the College of Arts & Sciences.
Great experience- my first telemedicine visit. Dr. Singla is an outstanding doctor. Clear, concise information. He really listens to your concerns and answers your questions.
Anand Singla, MD, MS is a board-certified gastroenterologist based at the UW Medical Center (UWMC) and a clinical assistant professor in medicine and gastroenterology.
Job Titles:
- Associate Dean for Administration and Operations
Job Titles:
- Interim Chief Medical Officer, UW Medicine / Interim Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Washington
April Stempien-Otero, MD, FACC, is a board certified cardiologist at the Heart Institute at UW Medical Center, the UW's Craig Tall Family Endowed Chair in Heart Failure Research and a UW associate professor of Cardiology, Cardiology Research and Medicine and an adjunct associate professor of Pathology. She has been consistently listed as a Seattle Magazine Top Doctor.
Dr. Stempien-Otero specializes in heart failure transplant. She strives to create active partnerships with her patients to achieve the best possible outcomes.
Dr. Stempien-Otero earned her MD from the University of Connecticut. She is triple board certified in Cardiovascular Disease, Advanced Heart Failure and Transplant Cardiology and Internal Medicine. She has received the Mentored Physician Scientist Award by the National Institutes of Health and is a CME Teacher of the year. Her research interests include translational research in end-stage heart failure.
Dr. Nazer specializes in the care of patients with heart rhythm disorders. He has advanced training in cardiac electrophysiology, and is skilled in the medical care of arrhythmia patients, implantation of pacemakers and defibrillators, and catheter ablation of complex arrhythmias such as atrial fibrillation and ventricular tachycardia. Dr. Nazer chose electrophysiology as a specialty because it allows him to help his patients improve their health through a longitudinal patient-doctor relationship, as well as to cure their arrhythmias with procedures. Dr. Nazer grew up in the Seattle area, and returned to join the UW faculty in 2022. He is an avid long-distance road cyclist, and he and his wife, a family medicine physician, enjoy hiking around the Northwest.
RESEARCH: Dr. Nazer directs the UW Translational Electrophysiology Laboratory, where his research focuses on the diagnosis and treatment of ventricular arrhythmias (premature ventricular complexes (PVCs) and ventricular tachycardia (VT). In collaboration with acoustic physicists and biomedical engineers, his laboratory develops new diagnostic and therapeutic ablation tools for the treatment of PVCs and VT, particularly those using ultrasound as an energy source. As Director of the UW Multidisciplinary Ventricular Arrhythmia Program, he collaborates with psychologists to investigate the psychosocial symptoms associated with VT and defibrillator shocks, and therapies to alleviate these symptoms. PATIENT CARE PHILOSOPHY: "I believe medical care, particularly for patients with heart rhythm disorders, is best provided using a shared decision-making model with my patients. Together we will discuss options, data, risks and benefits. Together we will come to a decision regarding the best diagnostic and therapeutic courses of action for your cardiac care."
Barclay Stewart, MD, is a board-certified trauma, burn, and critical care surgeon who specializes in the care of injuries, burns, and emergency surgical conditions. Dr. Stewart is an assistant professor of surgery in the Division of Trauma, Burn and Critical Care Surgery at UW School of Medicine. Dr. Stewart believes in a patient-centered, team approach to care. His main goal is to maximize recovery for patients. Dr. Stewart's clinical interests include emergency general surgery and trauma surgery, burn care and reconstruction, extracorporeal life support, limb infections, and surgical skin conditions (e.g., hidradenitis suppurativa, Stevens-Johnson Syndrome/Toxic Epidermal Necrolysis Syndrome).
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Trustees
- Trustee
Ms. Dochnahl currently serves as trustee on the Harborview Medical Center Board and the Valley Medical Center Board. She also serves as Board Chair for Mutual of Enumclaw Property and Casualty Company, and Legislative Chair for the Renton Chamber of Commerce. Ms. Dochnahl's career has included executive roles at Puget Sound Energy, Chair of the Health Service Commission, Washington State's health care reform efforts under Governor Mike Lowry, Executive Director for Global Partnership (an international non-profit), small business ownership, and as a medical device start-up company executive.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Vice Dean for Equity, Diversity and Inclusion
- Vice Dean for Equity, Diversity, and Inclusion, University of Washington School of Medicine
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Chief Compliance Officer, UW Medicine, Associate Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Washington
Brad Brown was the Senior Vice President of Digital Retail for Recreational Equipment Incorporated (REI) from 1998 - 2016. Since 1998 he has held positions as VP of Information Services and Corporate Purchasing and VP eCommerce & Direct Sales at REI. Brown was responsible for REI.com, REI-outlet.com, Mobile offerings (m.rei.com, shopping applications for both iPhone and Android platforms, and the REI Snow Report) and a Direct Sales team in Sumner, WA. Brown serves on the Board of Directors for Bikes Belong Coalition and Shop.org, the digital division of the National Retail Federation. In his current role, Brown serves as an Independent Consultant/Advisor for Baxter Wells, LLC. Brown holds a BA in Accounting from Central Washington University and an MBA from Seattle University.
Brenda Nelson started her nursing career in Montana after graduating from Montana State University, in December 1986. She then worked at the Community Hospital in Missoula in their Level III NICU and later moved to the ED, where she had previously been the ER secretary through nursing school.
Her first flight experience in 1988 with a fixed wing program out of Community Hospital in Missoula. She moved to the Seattle Area with a position in UW Medicine Neonatal Intensive care unit in 1990.
She worked briefly in Stamford Connecticut in the Emergency Department of St. Joseph's in 1993/1994 before returning to the Pacific Northwest and back to UW Medicine ED/NICU, and also Group Health ED.
She landed her dream job with Airlift Northwest in February 1986 and has been firmly planted here since then.
Brenda moved to the Assistant Chief position after 10 years and then Chief Flight Nurse position in 2011. She has happily been at Airlift northwest for over 25 years.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Vice Dean for Graduate Medical Education and DIO, University of Washington School of Medicine
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Associate Vice President of Strategic Growth, Access & Innovation
Job Titles:
- J. Ward Kennedy - Hamilton Endowed Chair
Catherine Otto is the J. Ward Kennedy-Hamilton Endowed Chair in Cardiology, Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington (UW) School Of Medicine in Seattle, Washington. She served as Director of the Cardiology Fellowship Training Program for 20 years and currently is Director of the Heart Valve Clinic. She has served as Editor-in-Chief of Heart, an international journal of cardiology, since 2014. She also has been a member of the Heart Valve Collaboratory Scientific Council since 2020.
Dr. Otto is recognized as an expert on calcific aortic valve disease. Dr. Otto's research has transformed our understanding of this disease process, showing that it is an active disease process that may be amenable to medical therapy, rather than being an inevitable consequence of aging. She received for the 2011 American College of Cardiology Distinguished Scientist Award (Clinical Domain) for this research. Dr. Otto has received numerous other awards including the 2008 UW School of Medicine Award for Excellence in Mentoring Women and Minorities, the 2013 Distinguished Alumni Award, the UW Medical Center 2011 Teamwork, Leadership and Caring Award, and the 2020 American Society of Echocardiography Lifetime Achievement Award. She is a Fellow of the American Heart Association, American College of Cardiology and European Society of Cardiology.
In addition, Dr. Otto is the author of several cardiology books: The Textbook of Clinical Echocardiography (6 th Edition, 2018), The Practice of Clinical Echocardiography (6 th Edition, in press), Valvular Heart Disease (5 th Edition, 2020, co-edited by Robert O. Bonow, MD), Intraoperative Echocardiography and Interventional Echocardiography (2 nd Edition, 2018, with Don Oxorn) and the Echocardiography Review Guide (4rd Edition with 3 co-authors). She also is one of the Cardiology Editor-in-Chiefs for the online medical textbook Up-to-Date.
Job Titles:
- Chief Nursing Officer & Director Nursing / Care Coordination
Charles Wiley, M.S.N., F.N.P.-B.C., is a board certified nurse practitioner at Harborview. Wiley feels it is a privilege to provide care to burn patients, focusing on timely healing and return to life for patients and family. Wiley received his medical education at Seattle Pacific University. His clinical interest include frostbite, non-surgical burn healing and other environmental skin injuries. He is a member of the American Burn Association and the Wilderness Medical Society.
Job Titles:
- Associate Dean, Graduate Medical Education
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Chief Executive Officer, University of Washington Medical Center
- Chief Executive Officer, UWMC Northwest & Montlake
Job Titles:
- Associate Administrator and Chief Nursing Officer, UWMC
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Trustees
Colin Raelson, MD, MPH, is a board-certified Interventional Cardiologist within UW Medicine's Heart Institute. He grew up in New York City and received his medical degree from Cornell University. He completed eight years of post-medical school training including three years of internal medicine training at New York Presbyterian/Weill Cornell Medical College and five years of cardiology and interventional cardiology training at Dartmouth Health. He also obtained a Master of Public Health degree from The Dartmouth Institute. He is board-certified in Internal Medicine, Cardiology, and Interventional Cardiology. Dr. Raelson specializes in the management of patients with coronary artery disease, acute coronary syndromes (heart attacks), and cardiogenic shock. He has additional training in the management of patients with valvular heart disease. His research interests focus on outcomes in patients undergoing invasive cardiac procedures and the introduction and use of new technologies and procedures in clinical practice. Dr. Raelson strives to provide patient-centered and evidence-based care, working with patients, their families, and their healthcare providers to fulfill their health-related goals. He is a faculty member in the Division of Cardiology at the UW School of Medicine.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director of Operations - Western Washington
Colleen brings over 20+ nursing career experience to the Airlift team. A BSN graduate of Sacred Heart University in Fairfield, CT she focused on emergency room nursing for 10 years. Eventually she made her way to Airlift in 2012, starting in Juneau, AK. In her first year she joined the Clinical Practice Committee which focuses on exploring and operationalizing all the latest evidence-based practice and how to get it done safety and effectively in our challenging environment in the air. Colleen is currently enrolled in a Master of Healthcare Management program at the University of Arizona's Eller College of Business and will graduate in May 2023. As Assistant Director of Operations for Western Washington, Colleen oversees the day-to-day workings of our Puget Sound bases and helps ensure that we can get where we need, with who we need and what we need when the call comes in.
Job Titles:
- Interim President, UW Medicine Hospitals & Clinics / Interim Vice President for Medical Affairs at the University of Washington
Job Titles:
- Associate Dean for Eastern Washington
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Trustees
- Second Vice President
Job Titles:
- Associate Dean
- Chief Financial Officer
David Manley has lived local his entire life in the Seattle area. He was a Washington state paramedic and state EMS evaluator with critical care focus, specializing in safety system development and clinical strategy since 2012. He started in EMS in 2006. He earned a Bachelor's of Health Sciences with focus in disaster and Emergency Response from Walden University. He volunteers with Red Cross, Team Rubicon, various local MRCs. Currently completing AAMS' SMTA. He is a NAEMT Regional Faculty member for trauma programs.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Trustees
Job Titles:
- General Counsel, Insurance, Construction, Real Estate, Risk Management, Corporate Compliance
Job Titles:
- Associate Administrator, Essential Services, Radiology & Radiation Oncology
Job Titles:
- Associate Vice President Primary Care and Population Health, UW Medicine
Job Titles:
- Manager, Administrative Programs
Job Titles:
- Chief Advancement Officer, UW Medicine / Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Washington
Job Titles:
- Associate Medical Director
- Emergency Medicine Physician
- Member of the Leadership Team
Dr. Andrew Latimer is an Emergency Medicine Physician dual boarded in Emergency Medicine and EMS/Prehospital Medicine. He is the Associate Medical Director of Airlift Northwest and an active flight physician with the program. He is also the Assistant Medical Director of the Seattle Fire Department, the Associate Program Director of the EMS Medicine Fellowship at the University of Washington, and an Assistant Professor of Emergency Medicine in the University of Washington Department of Emergency Medicine. His clinical and research interests focus on pre-hospital airway management and the resuscitation of patients in out-of-hospital cardiac arrest. He is currently grant funded by the US Department of Defense (DOD) studying a novel device that may improve the prehospital care of critically injured trauma patients. Dr. Latimer completed his undergraduate training at the University of Washington, attended Medical School at the University of Michigan prior to Residency in Emergency Medicine at the University of Cincinnati, and completed a two-year EMS medicine and prehospital care fellowship at the University of Washington before joining the faculty at UW.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Associate Pediatric Medical Director
Dr. Wall is trained in both emergency medicine and pediatric emergency medicine. She cares for patients in the emergency departments at Harborview Medical Center and Seattle Children's Hospital, and she serves at the Associate Pediatric Medical Director for Airlift Northwest. Through her work with the Department of Emergency Medicine Pediatric Care and Readiness Council, the Seattle Children's Transport Team and Airlift Northwest she strives to improve the care of pediatric patients in community emergency departments and during transport.
Job Titles:
- Assistant Dean for Basic Science
Job Titles:
- Assistant Dean for Social and Health Justice
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director of Operations - Alaska
Elise graduated from the University of Washington in 2004 with her Bachelor of Science in Nursing. She worked in community health and then the emergency department both in Washington and internationally. She transitioned to flight nursing when she joined the Airlift Northwest team in 2011 and moved to Juneau, Alaska. She has served as the Juneau base manager since 2015 and was promoted to the assistant director of operations - Alaska in 2022. She is currently working on her MBA in Healthcare Management.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Chief Strategy Officer, UW Medicine
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Chief Information Officer, UW Medicine
Francis Kim, M.D., F.A.C.C., F.A.C.P., is board certified physician at the Cardiology Clinic at Harborview and a UW professor of Cardiology Research.
Dr. Kim strives to create active partnerships with his patients to achieve the best possible outcomes. His research focuses on preventative cardiology and vascular biology.
Dr. Kim earned his M.D. from UC San Francisco. He is a fellow of the American College of Cardiology. His clinical interests include general cardiology, preventive cardiology and vascular biology. His research interests include the effects of diabetes/obesity on vascular function, and the use of hypothermia in cardiac arrest resuscitation. Other research interests include endothelial nitric oxide signaling and vascular inflammation, and the role of insulin resistance and obesity in the development of vascular disease.
Job Titles:
- Eastern and Central Washington
Job Titles:
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Medical Director for Emergency and Transport Services at Seattle Children's
- Pediatric Medical Director
Dr. Woodward is the Chief of Emergency Medicine and Medical Director for Emergency and Transport Services at Seattle Children's, and a Professor of Pediatrics at the University of Washington. He is the Pediatric Medical Director for Airlift Northwest.
Dr. Woodward received his MD from Temple University and an MBA from the University of Pennsylvania's Wharton School, after having completed a pediatric residency at St. Christopher's Hospital for Children and Pediatric Emergency Medicine fellowship at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia. He served as the Medical Director for Transport Medicine at the Children's Hospital of Philadelphia (1993-2003), and the Co-Director of Pediatric Transport Medicine at Primary Children's in Salt Lake City (1988-93).
His professional affiliations include the American Academy of Pediatrics (Chair of the Section on Transport Medicine, member of the Section on Emergency Medicine executive committee, PREP-EM and PREP-EMed committees). He is the immediate past chair for the Pediatric Emergency Medicine North America Chiefs (PEMNAC) committee of the AAP. He served on the subboard and as Chair of the American Board of Pediatrics subboard for Pediatric Emergency Medicine.
Other memberships/activities have included the American College of Emergency Physicians (WA State Treasurer, Board of Directors, Education-planning committees), charter member of the Air Medical Physician Association and National Association of EMS Physicians. He was the Editor-in-Chief of the AAP's 3rd edition of Guidelines for Air and Ground Transport of Neonatal and Pediatric Patients, and currently serves on the senior editorial board for Pediatric Emergency Care as well as a pediatric emergency medicine section editor for UptoDate.
Job Titles:
- Interim Associate Dean for Student Affairs
Job Titles:
- Assistant Dean for Professionalism
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Chief Marketing and Communications Officer, UW Medicine, Associate Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Washington
Job Titles:
- Associate Dean for Curriculum
Helen Chu, M.D., M.P.H., is a board certified physician with UW Medicine and a UW assistant professor of Medicine and Allergy and Infectious Diseases and an adjunct assistant professor of Epidemiology.
Dr. Chu feels that the preferences, beliefs and diversity of each patient and their family are important to help us understand and take care of the patient.
Dr. Chu earned her M.D. at Duke and her M.P.H. at the UW. She is board certified in both Internal Medicine and Infectious Disease. Her research is focused on maternal vaccines, in particular vaccines against influenza and respiratory syncytial virus. She studies the virologic and immunologic correlates of protection from respiratory viral infections in mothers and infants in rural Nepal and performs clinical trials of vaccine candidates in both domestic and international sites.
Job Titles:
- President
- Medical Specialty
- President of UW Physicians, a Board
*Dr. Wessells was great. His staff was great. I am just waiting for my surgery appointment in November or December.
[...] *Dr. Wessels is my urology savior. He explained my [...] procedure in great detail. Other urologist turned me down, but this good doctor knew a way to solve my problem. MANY MANY KUDOS to him!
Dr H. Wessells was outstanding. His staff are worth mention.
Hunter Wessells, M.D., is president of UW Physicians, a board certified physician at the Urology Clinic at Harborview and the Men's Health Clinic at UWMC-Roosevelt, UW's chair of Urology and a UW professor of Urology and adjunct professor of Surgery.
Dr. Wessells strives to provide state-of-the-art care of complex urogenital disorders.
Dr. Wessells earned his M.D. at Georgetown University. He has published more than 75 journal articles or book chapters, is the recipient of numerous teaching awards and lectures internationally. He serves as a permanent member of the National Institutes of Health, is a member of the Advisory Committee for Urology of the American College of Surgeons and has served on the WHO International Consultations on Erectile and Sexual Dsyfunction. A medicine developed by Dr. Wessells and collaborators at the University of Arizona is in clinical trials for the treatment of erectile dysfunction.
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Senior Director of External Affairs, UW Medicine
Job Titles:
- Medical Director
- Associate Dean and Medical Director, Harborview Medical Center
Job Titles:
- Director of Finance
- Director of Finance and Membership
Cindy received a Bachelor of Business Administration in Accounting and Business Administration from Mount Mercy University, Cedar Rapids, IA. She has spent her entire career in various healthcare arenas from a healthcare expert in a Certified Public Accounting (CPA) firm, to health insurance companies and the last several years with health care providers. Cindy is passionate about the healthcare industry and the mission and strategic visions of Airlift Northwest.
Job Titles:
- Acting Associate Professor
Jacob Bentley, PhD, ABPP, is a psychologist. Dr. Bentley is an Acting Associate Professor in the Department of Rehabilitation Medicine. Dr. Bentley works primarily with individuals recovering from injury and/ or long-term conditions that cause disability. His treatment philosophy focuses on helping patients to identify personal strengths and utilizing these areas of resilience to meet goals. He believes that an active, collaborative approach with patients contributes to the best possible outcomes.
His clinical interests include coping with trauma, injury, and disability. His clinical activities often focus on management of post-traumatic stress disorder, depression, and body image concerns following injury. His research interests include evaluation of outcomes associated with exposure to physical and psychological trauma in marginalized populations and the development of sustainable community-based health interventions. His research is often located in low-income community settings, locally and internationally.
Job Titles:
- Chief Financial Officer, UW Medicine / Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Washington
Job Titles:
- Chief Medical Officer
- Senior Vice President
Job Titles:
- Interim Chief Nursing Officer
Job Titles:
- Chief Executive Officer
- Chief Financial Officer
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Senior Vice President
- Chief Executive Officer, Valley Medical Center
Job Titles:
- Executive Director
- Member of the Leadership Team
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Associate Administrator Essential Services, UWMC - Montlake
- Executive Director - Airlift Northwest / Associate Administrator - University of Washington Medical Center
- Executive Director, Airlift NW
Jeff has over 30 years of experience in healthcare, including eight years as senior executive for clinical and ancillary services, 12 years in leadership for air medical transport systems and 26 years as a flight/critical care nurse. Jeff received his Bachelors in Nursing from Pacific Lutheran University, Master in Health Administration from the University of Washington and is a fellow in the American College of Healthcare Executives.
Job Titles:
- Associate Dean for Graduate Medical Education
Jeremy Jaech is a technology and software entrepreneur. Currently he serves as managing partner for Harmony Meadows, LLC. Through December 2015, he was CEO of SNUPI Technologies, which uses technology developed at the University of Washington and Georgia Tech to deliver sensors and web services for home hazards, conditions and threats.
Previously, he co-founded Aldus, which invented desktop publishing through its PageMaker software and was eventually acquired by Adobe.
He then led the team that founded Visio, another game-changing software company that brought engineering drawing to the masses; Visio was eventually acquired by Microsoft.
He led the founding team at Trumba, and following Trumba, served as CEO of Verdiem, a company in the enterprise PC energy management space. Regent Jaech currently serves on the board of Control 4 Corporation and UW's College of Engineering Visiting Committee. He is the chair emeritus of the Technology Alliance Board.
In 2009, Jaech was named one of the Top 25 Innovators & Entrepreneurs by Seattle Business Magazine and in 2006, won the UW's College of Engineering Diamond Award for Entrepreneurial Excellence.
Regent Jaech earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in mathematics in 1977 and a Master of Science in computer science in 1980 from the University of Washington. Originally from Richland, Washington, he lives in Seattle.
He was acting chair and chair of the board of regents from July 2017 to September 2018.
Job Titles:
- Director, Reference Lab Services
Job Titles:
- Assistant Director of Operations - Eastern Washington
Jess has a wide range of HEMS and critical care experience with multiple air medical programs over the last 13 years. His background before his flight career was in level one trauma ICU care, emergency, and ground CCT. His career has mostly been in the Inland Northwest, and as a UW Alumni he is happy to be in an Airlift Northwest leadership role serving his home area of Eastern Washington as the Assistant Director of Operations for Eastern Washington.
Job Titles:
- Acting Associate Dean and Chief of Staff
Job Titles:
- Associate Administrator, Ambulatory Care
Job Titles:
- Associate Administrator Surgical Services, UWMC - Montlake
Job Titles:
- Assistant Dean for Rural Programs, Assistant Dean for Rural Programs
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Trustees
Job Titles:
- Associate General Counsel
Julie A. Nordstrom is an active community volunteer. She is currently working on global health initiatives with the University of Washington and is a founding co-chair of the Department of Global Health's Leadership Council.
Nordstrom has previously served on the board of Seattle Children's Home and the advisory board of Child Haven and volunteered at Seattle Children's. Nordstrom was formerly an associate for the law firm of Stafford, Frey, Cooper and Stewart, where she worked in the construction and surety division. She was also a law clerk for Justice James Dolliver of the Washington Supreme Court. She earned her law degree from Seattle University and her bachelor's degree in political science from the University of Washington.
Job Titles:
- Vice Dean for Administration and Finance
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President, Ambulatory Services
Job Titles:
- Associate Administrator, Ambulatory and Allied Care Services
Kathleen A. Sellick joined Rady Children's Hospital- San Diego on June 30, 2006. Rady Children's has become one of the leading pediatric hospitals in America and has been ranked among America's best hospitals in all 10 specialties for 4 years by US News & World Report. In September of 2009, Rady Children's established a Medical Practice Foundation with Children's Specialists of San Diego and UC San Diego to provide a structure for recruiting and retaining top pediatric subspecialty physicians. Rady Children's also now serves more pediatric inpatients than any other children's hospital in California and opened its expanded 280,000 square foot acute care pavilion in October of 2010. Sellick retired from her position in March of 2014.
Prior to her appointment at Rady Children's, Sellick served as Executive Director of the University of Washington Medical Center (UWMC) beginning April 1, 2001. Sellick joined UWMC in January 1999 as Associate Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer. She oversaw the successful transition of the Seattle Cancer Care Alliance (UW Medicine, Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center and Seattle Children's) bone marrow and stem cell adult patient units to UW Medical Center. Under her leadership the medical center attained its highest operating margin in its history in 2003, and was ranked ninth in the U.S. News & World Report honor roll of America's Best Hospitals.
Before going to Seattle, Sellick served as Executive Vice President and Chief Operating Officer of St. Joseph Hospital in Orange, California for four years. Earlier, she was Vice President of Administration and Director of Outreach Development for Hoag Hospital in Newport Beach, California where she served for eight years.
Sellick was active in a number of volunteer organizations, boards and industry groups. She most recently served on the Board of Directors of the California Children's Hospital Association, Hospital Association of San Diego and Imperial Counties and the San Diego Center for Children.
A Phoenix native, Sellick is a graduate of Arizona State University and received her MBA from the University of Chicago (Booth) Graduate School of Business.
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President of NanoString Technologies
Kathy Surace-Smith is currently a senior vice president of NanoString Technologies in Seattle, where she manages the company's legal, human resources and regulatory functions. This NASDAQ-listed company develops, manufactures, and sells life-sciences research tools and molecular diagnostics. Kathy has over 30 years of experience working in high- growth private and public companies.
Kathy served on the board of trustees of the Fred Hutch Cancer Research Center for seven years, including two years as Board Chair, and following the merger of Fred Hutch with Seattle Cancer Care Alliance to create the Fred Hutch Cancer Center, will serve as the first Chair of the Board of Directors of the new entity. She is also a member of the board of trustees of Columbia University and chair of the board's student affairs committee and recently concluded twelve years of service on the board of trustees of United Way of King County, including serving a term as Board Chair. She is also active in the Seattle Metropolitan Chamber of Commerce as a member of its policy leadership group.
Kathy was honored by the Puget Sound Business Journal as a 2018 Woman of Influence. She received her bachelor's degree from Princeton University and her law degree from Columbia Law School
Job Titles:
- Assistant Administrator
- Finance
Job Titles:
- Associate Chief Nursing Officer, UWMC - Northwest
Job Titles:
- Assistant Dean for Educator Development
Kyle Danielson came to ALNW with experience flying long-distance critical care transports in northern Canada. Before this, his experience as a volunteer firefighter and first responder sparked an interest in prehospital care. Now as a flight nurse he cares for critically ill and injured patients throughout the WWAMI region. He works closely with prehospital EMS providers and regional hospitals to deliver the highest level of prehospital and inter-facility critical care.
Kyle is a graduate of the University of Toronto, Master of Nursing Program with a specialization in resuscitation science (2016). Prior to this he completed a Master of Public Health from Simon Fraser University (2010) where his research focused on optimizing early activation of Helicopter EMS (HEMS) for major trauma. He continues to explore improvements to prehospital care in the areas of out-of-hospital cardiac arrest, trauma care, and health systems.
L.T. Arnold, BSN, RN, CCRN, CFRN, C-NPT Pediatric Assistant Chief Flight Nurse L.T. first began his career with Airlift Northwest as a dispatcher in 2001. His previous experience as an EMT and volunteer firefighter had provided some exposure to patient transport and flight nursing, but being around the team full time ignited desire to become a flight nurse. L.T. started his nursing career in neonatal and pediatric intensive care units, as well as in critical care ground transport, which he brought with him when he returned to Airlift Northwest as a flight nurse in 2010. L.T. graduated with an Associate of Science in Emergency Medical Services from the American College of Prehospital Medicine, from the University of Phoenix with a Bachelor in Nursing, and is currently enrolled in graduate school at the University of Arizona working toward a Master's in Healthcare Management. He continues to be passionate about connecting his neonatal and pediatric nursing experience with his prehospital roots, often focusing on education and training that helps providers of all levels feel more confident in taking care of our tiniest and most-vulnerable patient populations.
Job Titles:
- Director, Physician Services
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Trustees
- View Trustee Bios and Meeting Details
Job Titles:
- Associate Dean for Admissions
Job Titles:
- Chief Strategy and Operating Officer
Leigh Morgan is chief strategy and operating officer for Nia Tero, a global social enterprise where she is a key architect of the firm's growth & impact. Morgan previously served as chief operating officer of the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation, where she oversaw a broad portfolio including HR, IT, information security, facilities and culture transformation. Her previous leadership roles include serving as associate chancellor at the University of California, San Francisco, vice president and global head of human resources (product development) at Genentech, and serving in North Carolina Governor Jim Hunt's administration. Her board roles include the Fred Hutch, biotech firm Curemark, Springboard Enterprises and Duke University's Center for Advancement of Social Entrepreneurship. She is also a member of the Council on Foreign Relations.
She received a master's of science degree in organization development at The American University, a bachelor's degree in religion from Duke University and was awarded an honorary doctorate from the Asian University for Women (Bandladesh).
Job Titles:
- Assistant Dean for Quality Improvement / Outcomes Research
Job Titles:
- Associate Dean and Chief Academic Officer, Seattle Children's
Job Titles:
- Administrator, Finance and Strategic Planning
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Trustees
- Trustee
Job Titles:
- Member of the Board of Trustees
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Associate Vice President for Clinical Integration and Transformation
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Director of Government Relations, UW Medicine and Associate Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Washington
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Assistant Vice President for Advancement
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Associate Vice President for Medical Affairs, UW Medicine Faculty Business Planning Officer
Job Titles:
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Clinical Business and Regulatory Affairs Officer, UW Medicine Associate Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Washington
Job Titles:
- Associate Dean for Physician - Scientist
Job Titles:
- Director, Technology Integration & Operations Support ( TIOS )
Job Titles:
- Member of the National Academy of Medicine
- Visiting Distinguished Professor
Mary Wakefield is the Visiting Distinguished Professor in the Practice of Health Care at Georgetown University and also a Visiting Professor and Distinguished Fellow at the University of Texas at Austin. Prior to these appointments, in March 2015, Dr. Wakefield was named by President Barack Obama to serve as the Acting Deputy Secretary of the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS). She held this position through January 20, 2017.
Prior to becoming Acting Deputy Secretary, Dr. Wakefield was appointed by President Obama as the Administrator of the Health Resources and Services Administration (HRSA). Dr. Wakefield's public service career also includes more than eight years working in the United States Senate where she served as a legislative assistant and later as chief of staff to two North Dakota senators: Kent Conrad and Quentin Burdick.
Dr. Wakefield has extensive academic experience, including serving as associate dean for rural health at the School of Medicine and Health Sciences University of North Dakota, director of the Center for Health Policy, Research and Ethics at George Mason University in Fairfax, Va., and as a faculty member and area chair in the College of Nursing, University of North Dakota. Additionally, she worked on site as a consultant to the World Health Organization 's Global Programme on AIDS in Geneva, Switzerland.
Dr. Wakefield is a member of the National Academy of Medicine and a fellow in the American Academy of Nursing. She has served on a number of public and not for profit boards and committees bringing expertise in nursing, health care quality and access to care and health workforce.
She currently serves as a member of the Macy Foundation and the MITRE Health Advisory Committee. Her prior service includes membership on the Medicare Payment Advisory Commission, Chair of the National Advisory Council for the Agency for Healthcare Research and Quality, member of President Clinton's Advisory Commission on Consumer Protection and Quality in the Health Care Industry, member of the National Advisory Committee to HRSA's Office of Rural Health Policy and member of the Commonwealth Fund's Commission to Create a High Performing Health System.
Dr. Wakefield has a Bachelor of Science degree in nursing from the University of Mary in Bismarck, ND and master's and doctoral degrees in nursing from the University of Texas at Austin. She also completed the Harvard University School of Government's Program for Senior Managers in Government.
Job Titles:
- Senior Vice President, Chief Medical Director, Valley Medical Group
Matthew was previously a Nurse Educator and Program Nurse Manager in the Cardiothoracic ICU at the University of Washington Medical Center. He was an EMT until he graduated from the University of Connecticut in 2006 with his Bachelor of Science in Nursing. He recently obtained a Masters degree in clinical informatics in 2020. He started his nursing career in the cardiothoracic ICU at The Johns Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore Maryland. He has helped develop and grow the Extracorporeal Life Support program at the UWMC since its inception in 2012, he officially took the role as ECMO Educator in 2015 with the start of the ECMO Specialist program at UWMC and HMC. He transitioned to the ECMO program nurse manager role in 2017.
Additionally, he has a passion for international nursing education, having worked in and taught in Peru, India, Tanzania, Brazil and Nepal.
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- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Enterprise Finance Officer / Financial Planning and Analysis, UW Medicine, Associate Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Washington
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- Assistant Dean for Student Development
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- Member of the Board of Trustees
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- Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington
Anneliese Schleyer, MD, MHA SFHM is a Professor of Medicine at the University of Washington, Interim Chief Medical Officer for UW Medicine and Interim Vice President of Medical Affairs at the University of Washington. Dr. Schleyer earned her MD and MHA at the University of Washington. She is board certified in internal medicine.
Dr. Schleyer has been engaged in quality improvement and patient safety for almost thirty years nationally and locally. A practicing hospitalist, she has established a national reputation in safety and quality particularly in areas of thrombosis and anticoagulation safety, frontline engagement and academic promotion. She strives to provide patient-centered, equitable care and her passion for quality and safety comes from patients and the care teams she is privileged to learn from.
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- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Chief Population Health Officer, UW Medicine
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- Assistant Dean for URMS Career Development
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- Assistant Chief Flight Nurse
Mikaela began her career in healthcare as a volunteer Firefighter/EMT. Working as a first responder, she fell in love with EMS which inspired her to pursue a career in emergency and critical care medicine. She worked at Valley Medical Center in Renton for eight years prior to getting hired at Airlift in 2014. Mikaela is also passionate about disaster medicine. She is a member of the NDMS Trauma Critical Care Team (TCCT), a Federal Disaster Response team that provides critical, operative, and emergency care to help people during disasters and public health emergencies.
Mikaela graduated from the University of Washington (UW) with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and is currently in the Master's in Health Administration program at the UW. As an Assistant Chief at Airlift, she works hand-in-hand with EMS and hospitals to deliver exceptional clinical care to patients throughout the region.
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- General Counsel
- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Director of Business and Regulatory Affairs, UW Medicine Assistant Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Washington General Counsel for the Nonprofit Entities
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- Assistant Dean for the Colleges
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- Associate Dean, Business and Regulatory Affairs
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- Associate Administrator, Facilities and Campus Development, UWMC - Montlake & Northwest
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- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Vice Dean for Faculty Affairs, University of Washington School of Medicine
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- Associate Dean for Primary Care
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- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Chief Equity Officer, UW Medicine and Associate Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Washington
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- Member of the Board of Trustees
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- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Associate Vice President for Primary Care Services and Population Health
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- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Associate Vice President for Campaign
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- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Associate Vice President for Development
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- Medical Director
- Member of the Leadership Team
Richard B. Utarnachitt, MD, MS, is an ABEM board certified physician in both Emergency Medicine and Emergency Medical Services (EMS). He also serves as Medical Director and flight physician for Airlift Northwest, UW Medicine's air medical transport service. He is a Clinical Associate Professor in the UW Department of Emergency Medicine and core faculty in the UW Section of EMS.
Dr. Utarnachitt finds great satisfaction in the role UW Medicine fills as the regional institution that provides tertiary care, as well as serves as the safety net hospital for the underserved population. Any patient is accepted into the UW system regardless of socioeconomic status. Airlift Northwest is a direct extension of the world-class service that UW Medicine provides.
Dr. Utarnachitt earned his MD from Wayne State University in Detroit. His clinical and research interests include critical care transport, airway management, sepsis care, pre-hospital trauma care and pre-hospital cardiac dysrhythmias.
Dr. Utarnachitt has a keen interest in all things food related. He is also an avid stand-up paddle boarder.
Job Titles:
- President and CEO of Sea Mar Community Health Centers
Rogelio Riojas has served as president and CEO of Sea Mar Community Health Centers since 1978. Sea Mar is a health and human services nonprofit organization committed to providing quality, comprehensive health, human and housing services to diverse communities, specializing in service to Latinos. Under his leadership, the organization has grown from a small community clinic in the South Park neighborhood of Seattle to a large, multi-faceted health and human services organization.
Riojas has also built Sea Mar to be a statewide advocate for those most in need. Sea Mar, in collaboration with its community partners, has been a strong voice and has led social justice advocacy in Washington state. This includes advocating for medical coverage of undocumented children through the state Medicaid program, safe and clean affordable housing for migrant farmworkers, the Basic Health Plan for low-income individuals and families, and immigration rights, among many other issues.
He is a graduate of the University of Washington with bachelor's degrees in economics and political science and a master's degree in health administration.
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- Chief Business Officer, UW Medicine
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- Medical Director, UWMC - Northwest
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- Associate Dean for Educational Quality Improvement
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- Administrator, Infrastructure and Communications
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- Director, Coding & Charge Capture
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- Communications Center Manager
- Manager of Program Operations for Airlift Northwest
Sean Bacon is the Manager of Program Operations for Airlift Northwest. He has worked at ALNW for over 10 years both as a communication specialist and communication supervisor. Sean brings extensive knowledge, skills and abilities gained from over 20 years' experience working in EMS communications. His ability to innovate new tools that improve operations are helping to propel ALNW operations to another level.
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- Member of the Board of Trustees
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- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Vice Dean for Research and Graduate Education, University of Washington School of Medicine
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- Vice President of the Board of Trustees
- Partner of Whitney Jennings
Sheryl Whitney is a Partner of Whitney Jennings, a management consulting firm dedicated to helping institutions be more effective and build stronger communities. She comes to this firm after building a record of leadership and creativity in public service. Sheryl served for seven years as Deputy County Executive in King County. In this role she supervised and managed the Departments of Adult and Juvenile Detention, Community and Human Services, Development and Environmental Services, Executive Services, Information Technology, Natural Resources and Parks, Public Health and Transportation, a workforce totaling 13,000 employees. This position also placed Sheryl in a leadership role for numerous transformative initiatives in King County, including those focused on advancing equity and social justice, sustainable housing solutions, policies to slow the rate of climate change, alternatives to incarceration, the quality of rural area service provision and improved program performance measurement and accountability. Utilizing this experience Sheryl provides assistance to local governments seeking innovation through engaging diverse communities and navigating budgetary constraints. She also provides governmental relations services.
Sheryl has provided equitable development consultation to the Ford, Kresge and Open Society Foundations as well as New York University. She has also worked as a consultant to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and played a key role in helping rethink approaches to fair housing to foster greater inclusion and better influence planning and development patterns in communities.
Sheryl's passions extend beyond effective public administration, fair/affordable housing, and equitable economic development. She actively advocates for child welfare reform and an improved foster care system. She is also an advocate for homelessness services through a "housing first" model.
Sheryl has a Master's Degree in International Economic Development from American University in Washington, D.C., a Bachelor's Degree in International Studies from the Jackson School of the University of Washington, and a certificate in Executive Leadership from Seattle University.
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- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Chief Executive Officer, Harborview Medical Center
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- President of the Board of Trustees
- Member of the UW Medicine Advisory Board and Vice Chair of the Harborview Medical Center Board of Trustees
Steffanie Fain is a member of the UW Medicine Advisory Board and Vice Chair of the Harborview Medical Center Board of Trustees. She serves as Chair of the Finance Committee and Vice Chair of the Governance Committee for the Harborview Medical Center Board of Trustees. Ms. Fain is an attorney at Carroll, Biddle, & Bilanko, PLLC, and practices commercial litigation. She also represents and advises companies and entrepreneurs on corporate and transactional matters.
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- Director of Business Development and Strategy
- Media Relations, Advertising and Marketing
Steve LeMay leads business development and outreach for Airlift Northwest. Steve's experience includes managing all aspects of EMS operations including sales team direction, acquisitions, proposals, as well as building and executing growth strategies for multiple regions.
In his spare time, Steve enjoys competitive sailboat racing and flying hot air balloons.
Steven Safyer is the former President and Chief Executive Officer of the Montefiore Medicine Health System and its partner, the Albert Einstein College of Medicine. Dr. Safyer served in this position for twelve years and retired in November 2019. Both institutions are among the best health care systems in New York State and the nation. The system includes 12 hospitals in 4 counties of New York State and is a leader in medical education and research. An outstanding provider of primary care, its Centers of Excellence lead in providing complex care and innovation. The population served is among the most socioeconomically challenged in the country.
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- Associate Dean, Academic and Staff Human Resources
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- Director, Patient Financial Services
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- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Vice Dean for Academic, Rural and Regional Affairs, University of Washington School of Medicine
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- Senior Vice President, Patient Care Services
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- Associate Dean and Medical Director, UW Medical Center
- Medical Director, UWMC - Montlake
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- Interim CEO, UW Medicine
- Interim Chief Executive Officer, UW Medicine / Interim Executive Vice President for Medical Affairs, University of Washington
Tim Dellit, MD, began serving as interim CEO of UW Medicine, interim executive vice president for medical affairs and interim dean of the UW School of Medicine on July 1, 2022. He served previously as chief medical officer for UW Medicine, executive vice dean for clinical affairs for the School of Medicine, vice president for medical affairs and president of UW Physicians (UWP), a faculty practice plan with more than 2,800 members.
In his leadership roles, Dr. Dellit is a strong proponent of practice transformation as UW Medicine strives towards the quadruple aim of improving the healthcare experience and quality of care for our patients, improving the health of the population we serve, reducing healthcare costs, and improving the practice environment for our clinicians. He is also deeply committed to addressing healthcare inequities and improving care in underserved communities.
Since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic, Dr. Dellit's expertise as an infectious diseases specialist has helped UW Medicine lead the nation in developing policies and protocols to treat patients safely and effectively. He also recognizes the toll of the pandemic on our 39,000-plus faculty, staff, trainees and students and the need to focus on their well-being.
Dr. Dellit earned his MD from Cornell University Medical College. He is board-certified in both Infectious Diseases and Internal Medicine. Dr. Dellit's clinical and research interests include general infectious diseases, orthopedic trauma-related infections, prevention of healthcare-associated infections and appropriate use of antibiotics.
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- Director, Strategy Planning and Management of Global Health for the Bill
Toni Hoover, director, strategy planning and management of Global Health for the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, leads a team that is responsible for supporting the programs and functions with business strategy and operations, portfolio and project management, and engagement with product development partners. Her team is working to create more opportunities to consistently deliver high impact interventions in global health by integrating the network of diverse partners involved in product development by leveraging their respective strengths. She also oversees the foundation's new Fellows program. Before joining the foundation in 2012, Toni was Senior Vice President and Site Director at Pfizer Worldwide Research and Development, overseeing the operations of the company's largest R&D laboratories located in Groton, Connecticut. She is a 25-year veteran of pharmaceutical R & D product development and management where she held positions in clinical research and operations, project and portfolio management, and laboratory and facilities management. While at Pfizer she led the global development of Lyrica® from exploratory development through early commercialization. In 2013 Toni was named a "Woman of Influence" by the Puget Sound Business Journal. In 2007 Toni was named one of the "Top 50 Women to Watch" by The Wall Street Journal and in 2004 she received the YMCA's Black Achiever in Industry Award. Throughout her career she's been a strong advocate for diversity and inclusion and has mentored many associated with the pharmaceutical R & D enterprise. Toni is originally from New Orleans, Louisiana. She received her Bachelor of Arts, Masters and Doctorate in Psychology and Social Relations from Harvard University. She serves on several not-for-profit boards, including the New York Academy of Sciences, Xavier University of Louisiana, the Joyce Theater, and the Pacific Northwest Ballet.
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- Vice Dean for Faculty Affairs
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- Senior Vice President, Strategic Services
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- Member of the Senior Leadership Team
- Retired Chairman and Chief Executive Officer of Alaska Air Group
William S. Ayer is the retired chairman and chief executive officer of Alaska Air Group, the parent company of Alaska Airlines and its sister carrier, Horizon Air. Ayer, 63, served as chief executive officer of Alaska Air Group and its subsidiaries through 2012 and as chairman through 2013.
A veteran of more than three decades in aviation, Ayer began his career with Piper Aircraft Company and was the founder of Air Olympia, a small commuter airline in Washington State. He joined Horizon Air in 1982 where he held a variety of marketing and operations positions. He joined Alaska Airlines in 1995 as vice president of marketing and planning and subsequently held the posts of senior vice president, chief operating officer, and president. In 2002 he became the carrier's chief executive officer and in 2003 he was appointed chairman.
Ayer serves on the University of Washington Board of Regents. He also serves on the Honeywell Board of Directors, the Board of Trustees at the Museum of Flight and the Board of the National Air and Space Museum. Ayer was a member of the FAA's Management Advisory Council and is past chairman of FAA's NextGen Advisory Committee. He serves on the National Business Aviation Association Board and is chair of the AOPA Foundation Board of Advisors. He also serves on the Boards of two early stage companies, AirMap and VICIS. A graduate of Stanford University with a bachelor's degree in economics, he earned a master's degree in business administration from the University of Washington.