Our Board of Directors consists of a mixture of people including those that have personal lived or professional experience supporting and advocating for children with behavioral health needs as well as allies to the behavioral health community who bring their own perspective and professional knowledge to the organization. Get to know each member a little better and learn why we’re so committed to connecting other families to the necessary training, resources, and support that can often feel so difficult or confusing to find.
Kelly Walk
Board Chair
Kelly Walk is the Western State Hospital Director of Organizational Change Management. She is a certified Change Management practitioner and a current Clinical Psychology doctoral student. A resident of Lakewood, Kelly loves spending time with her partner, James, and five children, Haley, Sully, Sam, Tayler, and Ace. When she finds the time, Kelly enjoys jogging through Lakewood’s gorgeous forested neighborhoods while listening to podcasts on neuroscience, psychology, and current events. Kelly also enjoys an unhealthy amount of baked goods, hence, her proclivity for jogging!
Theresa Winther LMFT, MAC, CDP, CMHS
Member at Large
My passion is to help children, youth, families, and caregivers find solutions to the challenges they face caring for their loved ones. I specialize in mental and emotional health and substance use issues. I have worked with families and caregivers for 15+ years in public mental health and bring a systems approach that creates opportunities to collaborate and partner. I have led teams, participated as a team member, and oversaw community teams that supported quality care across the continuum. I have family members who have been affected by behavioral health issues and want to give back. I have been fortunate to work side by side with fantastic peer parents, youth, and adults who strive for wellness for themselves and their loved ones. One of the main ways I have enhanced my career by giving back and getting involved with WSCC. I have joined as a board member to help support the growth of families across the state. I look forward to helping this organization grow while I continue to gain skills, knowledge, and a greater level of service. During my free time, I hike, work out, visit my family, and travel. I enjoy teaching Family Systems Theory and co-facilitating training with parents on technical assistance to manage their way through life's path.
DeElaina Caldwell
Board Secretary
DeElaina Caldwell is the mother of three. Her 34-year-old son has Down syndrome with early onset dementia and her youngest son lives with complex medical and mental health challenges from a previous brain tumor to epilepsy and depression to suicide ideation. In addition to raising children with a diverse range of health and mental health needs, she was raised by a mother living with schizophrenia and many other mental health complexities. After losing her younger sister to substance use disorder related health conditions in 2006, Laina was inspired to return to high school to earn her diploma and has since dedicated nearly two decades to continuing her education journey. She recently completed her post-masters certificate in mental health efficacy and policy and is in the process of enrolling for a PhD program in psychology, social policy, and behavioral health administration specialization. Laina is currently the Behavioral Health Navigator for Hoquiam, Aberdeen, and Cosmopolis Police Departments in Grays Harbor County where she is a mental health first responder assisting community members in crisis alongside law enforcement.
Mayra Colazo
Board Member
Mayra is the Executive Director at Central Washington Disability Resources. She has worked with individuals with disabilities for over 6 years and has a huge passion to advocate for Equity for all. She is a single mother of two kids, a 9-year-old daughter, and a 5-year-old son. She has lived in Ellensburg for almost 20 years, through the work she is really involved in the community through the 5 Counties that they cover which are: Kittitas, Yakima, Grant, Chelan, and Douglas. Mayra is very involved in the community be part of the DEI commission of Kittitas County, a Board member at Chelan-Douglas Volunteer Services, Statewide CEIP, Collaborative community advisory board (DOH), and many more. During her free time (if any 😊) she enjoys going on walks, camping, and dancing with her kids and family.
Sarah Chesemore
Member At Large
Sarah is a Principal Strategy and Innovation Consultant with Cambia Health Solutions. In this role, she partners with senior executives to develop strategies that serve customers with simpler and more affordable health care solutions. One area of focus is behavioral health services and support. Sarah has over 20 years of experience leading teams to develop new programmatic strategies, ensure strategic clarity and prioritization, and translate strategies into implementation roadmaps and results frameworks for social sector organizations. She has also served on several nonprofit boards across the healthcare, economic development, and education sectors. Sarah lives in Bellevue, WA with her husband, two teenage children, and a well-loved Shih Tzu named Charlie (the best therapy support). She has a daughter who has been living with mental health challenges and suicidal ideation since the age of 10 years. Sarah is passionate about support and skill building for families and caregivers who wake up every day as first responders for their loved ones. She also believes in the importance of self-care which typically involves acupuncture, long walks listening to audio books, or soaking up the sun by Lake Washington.
POSITION OPEN
Board Member
POSITION OPEN
Board Member
POSITION OPEN
Board Member
Apply here!
Applications will be reviewed for upcoming vacancies and will be maintained for future consideration. Thank you for your interest in serving on the WSCC’s Board of Directors.
