PMC Members
Our Agency’s Planning and Management Council (PMC) is made up of volunteers from our five-county service region (Ferry, Pend Oreille, Spokane, Stevens, and Whitman Counties). This council advises and collaborates with our agency and brings together a range of talented individuals who are passionate about improving the lives of older adults and people living with disabilities in our community.
Meet some of our PMC Members! For a full list of PMC and Governing Board members, visit our About Us page and scroll to the bottom.
Adell Whitehead, Services Quality Assurance Committee
Adell Whitehead is the Program Manager of Equity with Better Health Together and was a Trainer and Technical Designer for Training Processes for over 30 years. Adell greatly enjoys working with the community, local theaters, and participating in activities like singing in the Spokane Community Gospel Choir.
Adell currently lives in Spokane Valley and graduated from Whitworth University with a Bachelor of Organization Management. She enjoys volunteering with Aging & Long Term Care as “a voice for Seniors of Color at the table, as well as Seniors overall.”
Barry Lamont, Advocacy & Nominating Committees
Barry Lamont currently serves as a volunteer on both the Advocacy and Nominating Committees of the Planning & Management Council. He is a U.S. Air Force veteran and earned a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Nebraska in Omaha. Barry began his career in social services working with teenage runaways, then transitioned to supporting individuals with developmental disabilities, and remained in the field of social services for the duration of his career.
After relocating to Washington, Barry focused his efforts on senior programs, a space he felt naturally drawn to. Before joining the Planning & Management Council, he worked closely with Aging & Long Term Care for several years and admired the agency’s mission and impact.
“I had the opportunity to join the PMC when I retired and jumped at the chance,” Barry shared. “I had hoped that my lifelong career in non-profit social service programs would offer some assistance to the PMC and ALTCEW. It was also a chance to stay involved in services and programs I loved. For those interested in helping seniors and disabled adults thrive and remain in their communities the PMC is a perfect opportunity to channel that interest.”
Bob Scarfo, Advocacy Committee
Bob Scarfo was a professor for graduate and undergraduate landscape architecture programs in Canada and the United States for 40 years. He holds a Bachelor & Master’s degree in Landscape Architecture and a PhD in Social Geography.
Currently, Bob is an Emeritus Professor with WSU and a Consult under Land and Life® LLC. Bob has been appointed to the Governor’s Council on Aging, the City of Spokane’s Design Review Board, and is a Planning and Management Council Member with Aging & Long Term Care.
Since his Master’s thesis in the mid-1970s, Bob has been interested in how the built environment influences people living with a disability, aging adults, and people living with dementia, Alzheimer’s, Parkinson’s, and autism. “My hope, is to heighten caregivers and policy makers awareness of the role of the built environment– architecture, landscape architecture, and Interior Design.”
Cathy McInroe, Planning & Resources Committee
Cathy McInroe is the Director of Transitions of Care for Providence Hospitals in Spokane and Stevens counties. She holds a Master of Science in Social Work and is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker. With over 35 years of experience in the field, her career has included five years in community mental health, five years in skilled home health, 25 years in hospital social work, and five years teaching bachelor-level social work courses.
In addition to her professional work, Cathy was a founding member of the Spokane Dementia Action Team (SPODAT) and currently serves as a volunteer on the Planning & Resources Committee within Aging & Long Term Care’s Planning & Management Council. She is passionate about supporting older adults and increasing community awareness. “This is an opportunity to collaborate with other community members and learn about resources for aging adults in Spokane.”
Originally from Texas, Cathy lived in Seattle for three years before settling in Spokane in 1999. She is married with two adult children and recently welcomed her first grandchild in June.
Cynthia (Cy) Parker, Planning & Resources Committee
Cy Parker currently serves on the Planning & Resources Committee. During her career, she spent time as a Program Coordinator for the Master of Business Administration Program at EWU and was an Office Manager for the Samaritan Counseling Center. Cy holds a Bachelor of History and French, with a Master of Secondary Education from the University of California, Santa Barbara. Cy has lived in New York, India, California, and France, but has been living in Spokane since 1976.
Cy has been volunteering since she was 7, was active with the Civic Theatre for 27 years, and is currently volunteering with the Planning & Management Council and Statewide Health Insurance Benefits Advisors at Aging & Long Term Care. “When a friend suggested I apply for the PMC, it seemed like a good fit. It is–and I love it!”
Debby Dodds, Planning & Resources Committee
Debby Dodds currently serves on the Planning & Resources Committee. She is a gerontologist specializing in dementia care and innovative aging services. Debby holds a Master’s in Gerontology from the University of Massachusetts Boston, where she now teaches courses on Aging and Technology.
In addition to teaching, Debby co-founded the diidii app, a HIPAA-compliant dementia care mentor and social network. By connecting care teams, agencies, and families, diidii fosters personalized positive engagement to reduce behavioral challenges and support people aging in place longer. The app was created through a NIH Small Business Innovation Research grant and it is now used by home care organizations.
Debby joined the Planning & Management Council to support and help shape aging services in our region, with a strong focus on helping people age in the home and community of their choice. Through her involvement in the Spokane Regional dementia-friendly community, Debby collaborates with fellow Planning & Resources Committee members to bring the vision of a public memory garden for individuals with dementia and their caregivers to the ALTCEW region. Debby’s professional work is deeply informed by her personal experience and the study of aging. After spending a decade as a primary caregiver for her parent with dementia, she became a strong advocate for blending compassion, lived experience, and technology in aging services. Debby “sees innovative technologies like mobile apps, sensors, and social robots, making aging-in-place longer not just possible, but personal.”
Frances Goodrow, Planning & Resources Committee
Frances Goodrow is a member of the Planning and Resources Committee representing the town of Cheney in Spokane County. “As an older person and one who has been a care giver for family members, the work of Aging and Long Term Care of Eastern Washington has special resonance for me. Its programs and services are vital to the people of this region and I’m proud to play a small part in these efforts.”
Frances was the vice president and director of communications for the Washington Wheat Commission. She later joined the Scleroderma Research Foundation, organizing and reporting on its scientific workshops. She also served in donor relations and communications for the nonprofit Fielding Graduate University before retiring in 2018. Frances is a graduate of the University of California at Santa Barbara.
Volunteering is an important part of Frances’s life in retirement. She has been active with the Friends of Turnbull National Wildlife Refuge, the Inland Northwest Unitarian Universalist Community, and Spokane Zero Waste.
Karen Kiessling, Advocacy Committee
Karen Kiessling is currently serving on the Advocacy Committee. Karen lived in Wisconsin until 1967, when she moved to Pullman, WA. Apart from time living abroad in England, Brittany (France), and Morocco, she has resided in Pullman ever since.
Karen has a Bachelor of Science in Education with a minor in Government. During her career, she was an elementary school teacher and the first woman elected Mayor of Pullman, has served on countless boards and commissions, and has worked as a fundraising consultant for several universities. These days, Karen runs several major civic projects in Pullman and has raised money to add plants along industrial streets and walking paths. “I believe that life in a small town with a college is the best life possible and that if one has energy, one can make life there even better.”
Karen joined the Planning & Management Council as a representative of Whitman County government. “I have enjoyed the nearly ten years I have been a member and have come to admire the staff, their energy, their heart, and their desire to help seniors age at home. They are compassionate and creative. I have also enjoyed knowing members of the Council from other counties and enjoy their energy, humor, and desire to achieve strong goals of service.”
Kelsey Solberg, Advocacy Committee
Kelsey Solberg serves as a Sr. Energy Program Manager with Avista, where her work focuses on increasing energy affordability for low-income and vulnerable customers. Prior to joining the energy sector, Kelsey spent nearly 7 years at Gonzaga University’s School of Leadership Studies managing various professional and community leadership programs, co-hosting a sustainability podcast, and co-leading outdoor experiential education outings for graduate students. She completed her B.A. in Business Administration from Boise State University in 2014 and since then, has worked in marketing, program development and project management in both the private and non-profit sectors, served as an active board member for River City Youth Ops, and completed her M.A. in Organizational Leadership. When Kelsey isn’t working, you can find her enjoying the outdoors, diving into a new book, or spending time with family and friends.
Lin Moeller, Planning & Resources and Nominating Committees
Lin Moeller currently serves as the Nominating Committee Vice-Chair and is a member of the Planning & Resources Committee. Lin has an MS and PhD in Clinical Psychology, and has also completed a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Geriatric Neuropsychology at the University of Rochester’s School of Medicine. In addition to being a neuropsychologist, Lin and her husband owned and operated a bed-and-breakfast in Colorado Springs for 22 years. She enjoys weaving, cooking, and reading.
Lin was raised in the Seattle area but retired in Pullman for the small-town university life. Lin had always intended to do volunteer work in retirement, but COVID-19 hit just a few months after she stopped working. After a couple of years, Lin felt comfortable to pursue this goal again, and started volunteering on the Planning and Management Council. “I find the PMC to be a wonderful opportunity to continue working for the welfare of older adults.”
Martha Raske, Planning & Resources Committee
Martha Raske currently serves on the Planning & Resources Committee. She has an MSW and Ph.D. from the University of Illinois Chicago. During Martha’s career, she worked as a counselor, social worker, and professor. She chaired the Social Work Department at the University of Southern Indiana, directed the School of Social Work at Eastern Washington University (EWU), and served as Interim Dean of the EWU College of Professional Programs.
Martha is a native of Illinois, but after annual visits to Spokane, she moved to Spokane in 2011 to work at EWU and be closer to her family. She is a lifelong gardener and loves to travel and read. Now retired, she is thrilled to be volunteering as a Planning & Management Council member. “ALTCEW’s mission to serve older adults and adults with disabilities in the community has always been close to my heart. I am thrilled to play a role in supporting that mission.”
Marty Johnston, Executive Committee
Marty Johnston has dedicated most of her career to supporting older adults and individuals living with chronic conditions. She holds an MBA and a PhD in nursing, and has worked as a nurse, an administrator specializing in strategic planning and program development, educator, mentor, and consultant for health organizations of all sizes in both rural and urban communities.
Marty has been involved with Aging & Long Term Care’s Planning & Management Council (PMC) since 2007 and currently serves on the Executive Committee. “It is very important that we can provide services that keep the elderly and those with chronic diseases in their homes. Others should join the PMC to share their experiences as caregivers and/or professionals and advocate for those we serve.”
Originally from rural Pennsylvania, Marty lived in Pittsburgh, Philadelphia, and now splits her time between Spokane, Washington, and Safford, Arizona with her husband, two dogs, and a cat. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, traveling, reading, and needlework.
