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mary fisher - win founderMary grew up on the eastern seaboard and attended college at California Arts & Crafts in Oakland. She meet her husband Tom in SE Alaska where she lived for 9 years. They moved to Whidbey in 1983 and Tom built the home where they raised their 3 children. Mary started Cultus Bay Nursery in 1986 as she always had a passion for flowers and plants. It also gave her a chance to be home while the kids were growing up. Once the kids were out of the house, Mary felt a strong desire to do something that would be helpful for the community. During that time she volunteered for a Power of Hope project in Langley and discovered, much to her surprise, how many homeless teens there were on South Whidbey who were food insecure.
That was the inspiration for founding W.I.N. In 2007, along with good friends Dorit Zingarelli, Jonni Reed and Shirley Collins they set forth to feed kids in need. |
Pam LelouP - presidentA native of St. Louis, Missouri, Pam has lived in the Pacific Northwest since 1996, when she and her husband relocated to Pullman, Washington to join the Washington State University faculty and staff. Her positions there included Administrative Manager of the College of Communication and Manager of Board Relations for the WSU Foundation.
After having a vacation home on South Whidbey for 4 years, Pam moved here full time in 2009. Her three sisters and mother also live on South Whidbey. Pam dedicates her time to WIN, her dog Mia, gardening, and visiting her grown daughters and granddaughter in St. Louis. |
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cathy brown - treasurerCathy spent years packing school lunches for her four sons and feels right at home in the WIN kitchen with the Thursday tribe. A native Texan, she spent most of her working career as a CPA in California, then retired with her husband to Whidbey Island in 2012. They've never looked back and appreciate the lovely setting and the big-hearted people they share this island with.
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Sue Ross - secretaryAfter years of visiting Whidbey, Sue and her husband Mark bought a home on the island in 2019 and remodeled. Sue started volunteering in the WIN kitchen and learned about the organization, and the nutrition needs of the families and school system. Sue and Mark grew up in the Northeast where they went to college and separately found their way to Seattle for their work. Sue and a co-worker eventually started a consulting firm specializing in strategic marketing and financial services until her retirement in 2015 to care for her parents and pursue her hobbies - gardening, cooking and the arts. She has been involved with a number of Boards during her career– non-profit and for-profit, with a focus on education, social services and finance. The Rosses have two children, Adam in NYC and Anna in Berlin, Germany.
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barb schiltzBarb was born and raised in New York, had 3 children and worked as a registered nurse for many years. She subsequently worked in a holistic Medical practice in NYC as a nutrition consultant after getting her undergraduate degree in Nutrition in 1987. Barb moved to Seattle in 1995 to study for her Master's Degree in nutrition at Bastyr University. After working in nutrition research, she semi-retired in 2007 and happily moved to Whidbey Island where she joined the WIN team shortly after it began. Barb loves WIN's mission and joined the WIN Board of Directors in 2015. Her hobbies include visiting her three children and three grandchildren, gardening, reading, outdoor sports, and visiting her daughter and her wife in Maui.
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ted ravetzTed moved to Whidbey Island in 1976 with his wife and two small children. They bought a very old, rundown log house surrounded by 12 acres of blackberries. When not working on the house and land, Ted worked for Edmonds Community College, teaching folks who needed new job skills, how to set up computer systems. Now, 42 years later, the house and land are beautiful, Ted is retired and his children have left the island and started families of their own. Several years ago, Ted's wife died and, faced with the question, “what am I going to do now”, Ted started volunteering – at WIN and other local organizations. WIN stuck and, so, when asked if he would join the board, Ted said yes.
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Michele venetisMichele Venetis is a native Californian who moved to Whidbey Island with her husband, Steve. in 2015 from Los Angeles. She has worked in the film industry for over 40 years and when arriving to the Island found two of her favorite volunteering experiences with Whidbey Island Center for the Arts and Whidbey Island Nourishes. The community of caring people is what made Michele want to be part of WIN and subsequently become a Board Member. Michele also serves on the Board for WICA.
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christine georgeChristine was born and raised in NW Illinois, the youngest of six children. After graduating from Southern Illinois University with a BA in Communications/Journalism, she stayed in Carbondale working at the local newspaper. One brother had moved "west" which was a spark for her imminent move in 1985. Christine was fortunate to work in marketing at the quintessential NW company; REI for 14 years, where she met her husband, Marc George. They were married in 1990 have 2 sons, Simon, 27 and John 25 living in Portland and Puyallup respectively. Volunteering at her sons' elementary school kitchen led to a 10 year stint with Seattle Public Schools in the Nutrition Dept as Kitchen Manager at John Hay Elementary School on Queen Anne. Marc & Christine bought property on South Whidbey in 1998 and proceeded to build a home/garden during the next 24 years, retiring in 2019 led to finally living here full time! Pastimes include, bicycling, gardening, sketching, and travel/hiking. All things Whidbey!
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