EVERETT, Wash.–(BUSINESS WIRE)–Today, Compass Health officially announced its 2023 board of directors, naming Alex de Soto to board chair, Macaulay Ivory to vice chair and Eric Carlsen to treasurer. The nonprofit community behavioral health provider also welcomed Hillary Preston as secretary and Laura Padley as a returning board member.
De Soto, who has had a long tenure on the Compass Health board, currently serves as partner and search practice leader at CFO Selections. Since 2008, he has helped hundreds of Pacific Northwest-based companies successfully recruit senior financial and accounting professionals.
“In the eight years that I’ve spent as part of the Compass Health board, I’ve become keenly aware of the importance of mental health and well-being to the overall health of entire communities,” de Soto said. “My colleagues on the board and I are focused on amplifying Compass Health’s work and helping the organization navigate industry-wide challenges as well as capitalize on opportunities to ensure it remains an innovative, inclusive and sustainable resource across Northwest Washington.”
In 2021, de Soto returned to the Compass Health board after serving as a member since 2012. In his new position as board chair, he will play an essential leadership role, driving forward several key initiatives, including Compass Health’s Broadway Campus Redevelopment project; the continued implementation of the organization’s diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging strategy; and ongoing efforts to address the current workforce shortage.
“Welcoming Alex as board chair brings me great joy,” said Tom Sebastian, Compass Health president and CEO. “He has been an important member of our organization for many years, providing crucial insight and support as we’ve adapted to meet the evolving needs of the communities we serve. I’m looking forward to the year ahead and what we will accomplish with Alex at the helm of the board.”
De Soto succeeds immediate past board chair Jonalyn Woolf-Ivory, former executive director of the Sno-Isle Library System, who led the board as Compass Health first introduced its diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging strategy, and opened Andy’s Place, an 82-unit supportive housing facility in downtown Everett. Woolf-Ivory has been a Compass Health board member since 2017, previously serving as secretary.
“Jonalyn’s contributions as first a board member, then secretary, and finally, as board chair will have a lasting impact on our organization,” said Sebastian. “Her guidance helped us achieve many remarkable milestones as well as navigate the very challenging behavioral health landscape in the wake of the pandemic. I’m honored to have had the opportunity to work alongside her.”
In addition to de Soto being named as board chair, Macaulay Ivory will now serve as vice chair and Eric Carlsen as treasurer. Ivory, who joined the Compass Health board in 2021, is an associate attorney at Kilpatrick Townsend, specializing in complex commercial litigation. Carlsen, senior vice president and senior loan review officer for Heritage Bank, is transitioning to treasurer after previously holding several roles within the board.
“I’m excited to expand my role on the Compass Health board and further my work in supporting the organization achieve its mission of advancing behavioral health across Northwest Washington,” said Ivory. “It is a privilege to lend my expertise to help improve the mental wellbeing of the community that I’m fortunate to call home.”
For Carlsen, who has been involved with Compass Health in some capacity since the mid-90s, the increasingly important role that the organization plays in addressing the mental health needs of residents across Northwest Washington drives his service.
“As someone who has witnessed firsthand the impact that Compass Health has had on the communities it serves, and the continued expansion of that impact, I couldn’t be more pleased to step into the role of treasurer and remain a member of the board,” said Carlsen. “Being a part of this organization has been a highlight of my career, one that I’m delighted will continue into 2023.”
New members of the Compass Health board include Hillary Preston as secretary and Laura Padley as a returning Board Member. Preston, a mental health parity compliance analyst with Cambia Health Solutions, brings several years of experience in healthcare to her role. Laura Padley, global partner development manager and AI expert at Microsoft, is returning to the board after serving as a member since 2011, most recently as board chair from 2016-2018.
Additional board members include Roxanne Cronin, member since 2018 and a dedicated leader and philanthropist, and Cynthia Weaver, member since 2022 and Beneficial State Bank vice president and relationship manager.
“With exciting opportunities ahead to better serve Northwest Washington’s behavioral healthcare needs, Compass Health is fortunate to have such a high-caliber board in place,” said Sebastian. “Our new members, as well as those who are returning, bring a diversity of skills, backgrounds, and expertise that will allow us to fully embrace each opportunity and propel our organization forward.”
The full list of board members can be found on the Compass Health leadership page.
About Compass Health:
Compass Health is Northwest Washington’s behavioral healthcare leader. A community-based healthcare agency, Compass Health integrates behavioral health and medical care services to form a key section of the community safety net and serve clients and others in need of care and support. From comprehensive mental health treatment to crisis prevention and intervention, supportive housing, children’s services, community education and much more, the non-profit organization serves people of all ages throughout Snohomish, Skagit, Island, San Juan, and Whatcom counties.