Frank Brennan joined the board in December of 2021 after a 30 year career with the Seattle Fire Department. He has been an island resident since 2008 when he married his wife, Maureen, and moved on to their three acre “farm” on the North end of the island.

Born and raised in New York City, he attended college upstate New York for two years before joining the U.S. Navy in 1985. After nearly seven years in the navy, serving aboard nuclear submarines on both the east and west coast, he was honorably discharged in 1991 while assigned to his last command at Submarine Base Bangor. He was hired later that same year by the Seattle Fire Department where he spent most of his career working at the the city’s rescue company, responsible for managing emergencies that require specialized training and equipment such as rope rescue and dive rescue incidents.

Frank has two adult daughters from his previous marriage, one living in Portland and one traveling the world working in television production. He and Maureen keep horses on their property and enjoy boating and camping in this beautiful corner of the world.

He decided to serve at the IVC after witnessing their impact first hand as they provided assistance and connection to Maureen’s mother in her last years. After seeing the value of the service the volunteers provided, and the generous and empathetic way in which they provided it, he was convinced to make it a part of his post retirement commitment to the community.

Nicole Chilivis is an ordained Presbyterian (USA) minister and has worked over a decade as a board-certified healthcare chaplain for Swedish Medical Center and Providence ElderPlace. Nicole graduated with a BA from Wake Forest University, M.Div. from Princeton Theological Seminary, and a D.Min. from Seattle University. Her work as a chaplain, especially in eldercare, led Nicole to her doctoral research project using Virtual Reality (VR) to provide shared experiences of beauty, joy, and connection to people living with dementia and their care partners. She received the 2020 Maude’s Award for her innovation in dementia care. Nicole and her husband, two teenage sons, sheep, 2 dogs, and chickens live on Bainbridge Island. Nicole is an avid runner and cyclist and loves plunging into the cold waters of the Puget Sound. Inspired by the mission and work of IVC, Nicole is thrilled to join the Board.

Steve Davis moved from Seattle to Bainbridge Island in 1942. He graduated from Bainbridge High School in 1955 and then from Stanford University in 1959. He began his banking career at Wells Fargo Bank and then returned to Bainbridge with his wife, Harriet, in 1964 where they raised their three children. He retired from U.S. Bank in 1997 with the intention of devoting more time to his community. He has been an active community volunteer serving on the boards of the Seattle Aquarium, One Call for All, Bainbridge Diversion Board, Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial, Health, Housing and Human Services Council, Bainbridge Community Foundation (Founder), Bainbridge Island Museum of Art and the Bloedel Reserve. Steve and Harriet were the first recipients of the Bainbridge Community Foundation’s “Community Philanthropy Award.” Steve has been a longtime admirer of Island Volunteer Caregivers, and looks forward to serving on the Board.

Kathy is new to IVC by joining in the online auction planning. Even with Zoom, she felt the dedication and caring of the IVC members and staff and is honored to join the board.

Kathy moved to Seattle with her masters in English literature after some cross country travel. She worked in social services and editing- what else with that degree. She later earned her Washington State teaching certificate from the University of Washington. Her ongoing education includes studies in issues of poverty and working with non-traditional learners.

Kathy came to Bainbridge in 1974 with her native Washingtonian husband who wanted to buy a 1940’s quonset hut. He prevailed. They moved to Bainbridge full time in 1976.

Kathy spent 35 years in education. Kathy was a Curriculum Specialist in gifted education serving 12 years on the Washington State Gifted Advisory Board. She served on the WAETAG board and was presented the Distinguished Leadership award from that group.

Kathy is a founding member of the Bainbridge Island Modern Quilt Guild and chairperson for the Bainbridge Quilt Festival since 2013.

Chuck Ekberg has been a practicing attorney in Seattle for the past 50 years and moved to Bainbridge Island with his wife Janie in 1977 where they raised their two daughters. He has long been impressed with the purpose and services of IVC and is honored to serve on its board. In addition to professional service committees he has served as a board member of Bainbridge Foundation (now known as One Call For All), Bainbridge Performing Arts, University of Washington Law School Foundation , Hamlin Robinson School and Kid’s Discovery Museum.

Erin Grayson is an ordained Minister of Word and Sacrament in the Presbyterian Church, USA, currently serving as a pastor at Bethany Lutheran Church of Bainbridge Island. She is also a volunteer minister in a senior ministry initiative on Bainbridge Island serving residents of assisted living and skilled nursing facilities. In various capacities, Erin has served Presbyterian (PCUSA), Lutheran (ELCA), United Church of Christ (UCC), and Church of England congregations across the US in Connecticut, California, and Washington state; as well as in the Middle East in the Kingdom of Bahrain. She is a founding member and former board chair of Justice Revival, a faith-based human rights nonprofit based in Washington, DC. Erin has also served as co-president of the Bainbridge Island North Kitsap Interfaith Council, and board secretary of the Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial Association. Before becoming a minister, she taught French, interned in the press room in the U.S. State Department, and worked at the Carter Center in Atlanta, GA, where she served as research assistant to the diplomat in residence and also on the conflict resolution team. Erin earned a BA from American University, an MDiv from Yale Divinity School, and a certificate of proficiency in French Language and Post Colonial Studies from Columbia University. Erin and her husband Tony live on Bainbridge Island. They have three great kids, Aiden (22), Corinne (20), and Caleb (16).

Denise Laveson has been an IVC volunteer caregiver since 2017. She is one of our trained van drivers, and appreciates the opportunity to serve IVC care receivers – especially during the difficult years of COVID.

Her mother’s own current experience in assisted living has given her a special appreciation of the value of the services provided by IVC. Working with special-needs high school students has also helped her to see the importance of IVC services.

Denise has a Masters in Teaching Degree from Seattle University, and has been teaching since 2010. She also earned a Bachelor’s Degree in Chemistry from the University of Washington (1997) and worked for NOAA, National Marine Fisheries and for private biotech research companies. She raised a family here on Bainbridge Island and was a regular volunteer with school and city committees. Her involvement in the community is important to Denise and something she wants to continue with IVC. Denise also likes to scuba dive, hike, ski, and paint; and she is an avid reader.

Joan Pearson moved from Minneapolis to Bainbridge Island with her husband in 1987. She joined Towers Perrin’s (now Willis Towers Watson) human resources consulting practice, specializing in mental health and substance use disorder benefits. During her 25-year consulting career, she worked with large employers throughout the U.S., designing benefit programs to help employees and their families receive treatment. Prior to joining Towers, she managed employee benefits for Honeywell’s Minneapolis Operations after completing a Ph.D. in counseling psychology at the University of Minnesota. Her volunteer work includes many years as a cofacilitator of the local support group sponsored by the National Alliance for Mental Illness for people with seriously mentally ill family members. More recently she provided staff support for IVC’s caregivers support group and also serves on Eagle Harbour Condominium’s Board of Directors. Many of her neighbors have received invaluable services from IVC and she looks forward to contributing to IVC’s fine work.

Mary is a technology leader with decades of experience from small startups through Fortune 100s. Her degrees in engineering, math/science education, and user-centered-design reflect a combination of passions that have served her as a classroom teacher, an engineer, and as a program/product manager in the compliance/tech industry (dedicating nearly a decade to each). Throughout her diverse history of roles, a common element has been optimizing performance and efficiency by managing enterprise level programs and measuring quantitative and qualitative impacts, while leading technology development and cross functional teams across multiple business units. She's obsessively inclined to analyze planning, risks and orders of operations - from tax compliance projects, to cooking spontaneous dinners for thirty hungry friends who decide to drop by, to one of her most fun projects, playing general contractor on moving a house from Seattle to Bainbridge. Currently, she leads engagements with business and technical leaders across Amazon, to ensure its devices and services are accessible for people with disabilities. Mary is committed to inclusivity through accessible design and making an impact to support independence and aging in place for people with disabilities and functional impairments. She cares deeply about helping to build sustainable and equitable companies, teams, and careers and looks forward to contributing to the IVC Board.

Trish Raymer is a recently retired board-certified family physician having worked more than 35 years in downtown Seattle. Her practice included OB, pediatrics, adult, and geriatric care. It was not unusual to see 3 generations of families in her practice. She focused on preventive care, working to keep her patients healthy into their later years. Trish has always felt being a physician was a great privilege and was honored to have patients share the intimate aspects of their lives with her.

Trish is a native Washingtonian growing up in West Seattle. She attended Seattle Pacific University earning her bachelor of science in nursing (BSN) and worked as an ICU nurse for 5 years before going on to medical school at the University of Washington. She sat on the medical alumni board for over 20 years serving 2 terms as president. She moved to Bainbridge Island with her wife in April 2020. She finds Bainbridge to be a deeply caring community and looks forward to serving through the IVC. Trish is also part of Bainbridge Prepares working with the MRC (medical reserve corps).

Laura Sachs grew up on Bainbridge Island and moved back to raise her three children here. She has been a Licensed Social Worker since 1992. She currently works at Kaiser Permanente Washington providing Mental Health Services in Primary Care. Prior to her current position, she worked for 10 years in Home Health and Hospice for Kaiser Permanente where she often had the pleasure of referring to and working with IVC volunteers and staff. Having worked professionally with a large variety of nonprofits, Laura appreciates what a unique community IVC is. Her previous volunteer experience includes being a board member of Bainbridge Island Youth Soccer Club (currently named BIFC) and the Bainbridge Island Medical Reserve Corps. While volunteering at vaccine clinics for BIMRC, Laura was able to witness the IVC volunteers and organization literally save the lives of the seniors of Bainbridge Island by getting them to the vaccine clinics. Laura is very excited to join the Board of such an important organization on Bainbridge Island.

Deborah Schenk and her husband moved to Bainbridge Island in 2013 after living in New York City for over 40 years. In 2019 she retired as a professor at New York University Law School where she held a chair in tax policy and was the author of several books and numerous articles.

During her career she served on several NYC area boards, usually involving financial and audit work. Her retirement life is directed toward philanthropic and volunteer work. She began volunteering for IVC in her first year on the island and joined the board shortly after. She currently serves as President of the board, as well as Chair of the Board of Bloedel Reserve. She previously served as treasurer of both organizations as well as treasurer for Grace Church. She loves that IVC is one of the most respected nonprofits on the island and that its efforts are widely viewed as being integral to what makes Bainbridge such a remarkable and caring community. 

Being a part of such an organization has been a joy. When not attending meetings, Deborah enjoys spending time with her four PNW grandchildren, gardening, paddleboarding, kayaking, hiking and cross country skiing.

Marjorie Sheldon has been inspired by the services of IVC and is grateful to be a part of IVC’s future. In 2005 after many years of commuting from San Diego, where she served as the director of corporate merchandising for the San Diego Zoo, Marjorie finally moved up to beautiful Bainbridge Island to live in the same city as her husband, architect Johnpaul Jones. Since that move Marjorie has served as a retail consultant to non-profit organizations including museums, cultural centers, interpretive centers, zoos, aquariums and botanical gardens. Her retail planning and implementation projects have included: new business development, retail business start-up, feasibility studies, business reviews, retail interior design, managing store renovation projects, as well as buying and visual merchandising. Marjorie volunteers with the Chief Seattle Club, located in the Seattle’s historic Pioneer Square district, the Chief Seattle Club provides “a safe and sacred place to rest, revive, and nurture the spirit of urban Native peoples in need”. Marjorie also serves on BIMA’s Museum Store committee, she has provided pro bono services to local non-profits, most recently, helping guide the remodel of the Bloedel Gatehouse.

Kassia Sing moved to Bainbridge Island, WA with her family in 2004 after a decades’ long career in international advertising and marketing. She transitioned from the corporate world to the nonprofit sector beginning in 2006 when Bainbridge Community Foundation hired her as its first Development Director. After leaving the Foundation, Kassia worked as a nonprofit consultant specializing in Development, Marketing and Board Development. Her clients included YES! Magazine, One Call For All, Kitsap Regional Library Foundation, Bloedel Reserve, Bainbridge Island Land Trust, and Island Volunteer Caregivers. She has served on several local nonprofit Boards and Board committees, including Bainbridge Island Museum of Art Capital Campaign Committee and the Fundraising Committee, Islandwood’s Community Engagement Committee, Marge Williams Center Board (President), Bainbridge Island Japanese American Exclusion Memorial Board, and Bainbridge Artisan Resource Network (BARN) Fundraising team. She hosts weekly writing sessions for BARN as well. One of her most satisfying volunteer experiences was in 2021, when she helped Island Volunteer Caregivers coordinate COVID vaccine appointments for their clients; this led her to join the Bainbridge Prepares team as a vaccine clinic volunteer and also serve as a mobile-vaccine team support administrator.

She currently lives out her dream at Climate Pledge Arena as an Ambassador (a.k.a. fancy greeter in the luxury boxes) where she roots on her favorite team, the Seattle Kraken. She loves to write, read, watch sports, and spend time with her husband and family at their cabin in the Olympic Mountains.

Kathleen Westover and her husband relocated to Bainbridge Island from the Washington DC metro area in 2019 for their second chapter of retirement. They were drawn to the conveniences of a smaller town, the active community, opportunities for involvement and the outdoor spaces. Kathleen had a 30+ year business career in leadership positions, primarily with AT&T, which involved building teams, collaborating with partners and managing through change. Areas of responsibility included marketing, customer relationship management, operations, strategy/product/channel development and human resources. Seven career relocations provided opportunities to call many places “home” and to experience life in the west, midwest and eastern US. Her prior volunteer board experience includes a health care system, a college consortium, a metro area Girl Scout council and as a volunteer Big Sister. Kathleen and her husband are passionate travelers and feel lucky to have visited most continents, many countries and all 50 states. Kathleen joined the IVC Board in 2021 and is honored to support the IVC volunteers and staff in this inspiring, important mission.