STAFF & BOARD

Though Casey is an Oregon native, they’ve been calling Seattle home since 2015. With a bachelor’s degree in math and a background in IT, business operations consulting, and customer support, they are excited to join TCFH as Executive Director.

Casey comes to us from the Seattle CityClub, where they started in a customer-facing front-line admin role, ultimately becoming the Operations Manager. They are especially proud of the work they were able to do to help the Seattle CityClub navigate the transition of their events-based model to virtual programs.

Outside of work, Casey volunteers weekly at the Washington Crisis Connections Warm Line, an alternative to the Suicide Prevention hotline that is aimed at sitting with Washingtonians through their stress, loneliness, and grief. To unwind, Casey enjoys brewing beer, playing many instruments, and spending time outdoors often identifying birds. They are an avid board game player, bicyclist, and doughnut connoisseur.

Casey is gender nonbinary and uses the pronouns they/them, as well as the honorific Mx. (pronounced “mix”).

Kimberly Forsythe began her career with The Co-op Funeral Home as a funeral director intern during its inception in 2007. She then received her funeral directors license and had the honor of assisting families with their loved ones arrangements for over 15 years. She is now The Co-op's new Business & Finance Director, following new and evolving interests, while still having the honor of working for the same organization that she has grown to love.

After receiving a Bachelor's degree at Western Washington University, Kimberly had originally planned for a future in art therapy. That direction began to shift after her Grandmother mailed her a Seattle Times article about green burial. With a deep passion for sustainable death care she loves being part of an organization that strives for transparency and choices in end-of-life options. She recognizes that these times can be difficult and works hard to help families find the right plan for their individual needs.

Kimberly lives in Kirkland with her husband, 2 children, and 3 cats. When she is not busy at work, she loves exploring the woods and tending to her herb garden.

Born and raised on California's beautiful Monterey Peninsula, Chris moved to Seattle in 2000 to study sociology at Seattle University. After earning his bachelor's in 2004, he went on to study and train in funeral service with the Pittsburgh Institute of Mortuary Science. After serving an internship at The Co-op Funeral Home of People's Memorial, he returned to Seattle University for the Masters in Pastoral Studies program at the graduate School of Theology and Ministry. “Studies in spirituality and pastoral companionship only made sense as my ‘next step,’” he says. “Pastoral counseling was never my aim, but I was seeking to work on a similar set of skills.”

Having worked in funeral home settings varying from corporate to non-profit, he feels passionate about contributing to The Co-op Funeral Home of People's Memorial. "It's an honor to serve each family," he says. "Every family should have access to the widest possible variety of options. I'm grateful to be able to offer that."

In his free time, Chris enjoys domestic travel and local casinos. He does not enjoy spiders or mushrooms. Read more about Chris here.

2024 marks for Aryana, two years of care-ful working with bereaved friends, care-takers, and families, as well as with peers across the death care spectrum. In this praxis, Aryana (she/they) finds both meaning and purposeful application of her lifelong interests in cultural and religious studies and extensive teaching and administrative experience. Each interaction around a person's death and the processes it takes to care for them is, at its best, a meditative practice, a pragmatic and spiritual undertaking to help humans during deep transition.

Aryana also seeks self-education by volunteering with End of Life Washington, daily cultivating ever deeper love for her lifelong partner, and practicing patience with and for their shared companion and difficult dog, Ayla who owns their yard in South Seattle. Another love is Aryana's skin-on-frame kayak; although getting out on the water happens too rarely.

Kaileigh grew up in Dallas, but escaped the Texas heat to move to Seattle in mid-2015. After working in a variety of customer service roles, she finally found her calling in the deathcare industry. When the COVID-19 pandemic hit, it was the perfect time to start school. She graduated in winter quarter 2022 & became a fully licensed funeral director in winter of 2024.

Kaileigh lives in the Crown Hill neighborhood of Seattle with her fiancé and their dog Beethoven. When not in the office, you can find her going on walks with Beethoven, watching movies, or helping her partner Gomez at his mobile bartending business.

Bill McNamara (he/him) joined The Co-op Funeral Home in fall 2024 as a Funeral Director Intern, excited to immerse himself in full time deathcare among this great cohort of values-aligned compassionate professionals. For more than 15 years, he worked at Seattle University in Campus Ministry, building community with students, staff, faculty, and friends of the university at the intersections of music, spirituality, and justice by directing the Chapel Choir and coordinating aspects of liturgy and ritual for campus. He brings tender empathy, caring presence, and both curiosity and respect for each person’s journey to this new work at TCFH.

Originally from Queens NY, Bill arrived in Seattle by way of Washington DC and Cincinnati OH in 1995. He moved away 5 years later to complete a Master of Divinity degree at the Jesuit School of Theology at Berkeley in CA, but happily returned to the PNW and has lived here ever since, making a home in south Seattle over the years with his husband, two teenagers, and an energetic young Aussiedoodle. He enjoys all things related to the preparation and sharing of delicious food, and is always on the lookout for a new recipe to try. When not working, you might find him in one of his favorite local coffee shops with his journal and a book. Some other things that bring him joy: salty snacks, a scenic walk, and a hearty laugh.

Having done just about every job related to wine over twelve years in the beverage industry, Brendan (they/she) is excited to join The Co-Op Funeral home as Administrative Assistant. They bring a long history of excellent customer service, a deep sense of empathy, and a great deal of personal warmth to this position as the first person many families will interact with. After a long period away from the non-profit world, Brendan is thrilled to have found a home working for an organization devoted to making sustainable and affordable death arrangements accessible to all Washingtonians.

Outside of work, Brendan is a writer, avid home cook, and plays in more table-top roleplaying games than one would think possible. They live in North Seattle with their chosen family and glamorous Maine Coon cat, Boo.

Kendall Hanson-Sexton, born in Colorado, began to feel a pull to the Pacific Northwest just before graduating with a Bachelors of Fine Arts in Missouri. For them, art, performing, & advocacy has always been linked. Back in Colorado, they found themself using their design degree to create intentional, meaningful events with friends.

A decade ago, Kendall booked a one-way ticket to Seattle. It was in Seattle at a Death Salon where they had a realization. The art and advocacy that they were so passionate about could have yet another a purpose: so much could be helped by making conversation & information about end of life more approachable. Close personal and community losses had recently shown Kendall how impactful death care was to the living & that not everyone can do it or even think about it.

Dennis Barnes is a passionate volunteer for a number of social justice concerns. He has held leadership roles in a variety of organizations, including women’s rights, immigration, software process improvement, medical equity and access, and youth sports. His professional life included work in information services, graphic arts, photography, and web development. He is the author of two books and a monthly magazine column. Now retired, he enjoys applying his varied background to the needs of nonprofits.

Barnes was introduced to PMA by family members and has had occasion to use PMA services several times to care for his elders. Joining the Board in 2023, he appreciates the unique role PMA serves in end of life education and services and works to ensure the continued success of the organization.

Louise is a longtime PMA member and has referred many families to PMA during her 30-year career as a medical social worker for chronically- or critically-ill patients. She is very interested in increasing dialogue about end-of-life planning amongst communities of color. Her professional work introduced her to a wide range of cultural communities within the Puget Sound and greater Washington. She hopes to help broaden the reach of PMA to be more inclusive, and to further the organization’s mission to reach all in need.

She is a third-generation Japanese American. She was born in Seattle, moved to California for college, and returned to Seattle when her then 90-y.o. grandmother needed care. Louise now serves as a Board member for Keiro Northwest, which provides culturally-relevant Assisted Living and adult day programs for Japanese and Japanese-American seniors.

Louise was the Director, Patient Quality of Life Services at Northwest Kidney Center until her retirement in July 2022. She continues to provide Social Work services through her private business, Kato Social Work LLC, especially in mentoring the next generation. She currently supervises Master’s level Social Workers who are in the process of becoming independent Licensed Clinical Social Workers through the state of Washington. She supports and encourages social workers of color to pursue advanced licensure to better serve the needs of communities of color, as well to advance and be successful in management roles.

Louise describes herself as “active” but not hard-core athletic! She enjoys a wide range of activities, including lap swimming, long walks with friends along Lake Washington, paddle boarding, walking her household’s old dog, and gardening.

Tom's career spans 20+ years of broad marketing and communications experience, having held agency-side and in-house roles supporting organizations including Airbnb, American Express, Deutsche Telekom, Gardenburger, McDonald’s, MTV, Nikon, Progressive, Samsung, Toyota, and beyond. He currently serves as director of marketing for Dellino Family Law Group, based in Seattle. In addition to his work in the public relations space, Tom wrote a column for PRWeek on the intersection of communications and social media for 10 years, and was the founding editor for media and advertising focused site owned by Weblogs, Inc. and AOL.

While not at work, you might find Tom enjoying and learning more about wine, traveling to destinations near and far, trying to score a reservation at the hot new restaurant in town, or losing his voice while supporting the Seattle Sounders FC as co-president of the Emerald City Supporters.

Laurel has been an active volunteer for PMA since 2018, having helped with the annual meetings, events, surveys, and financial auditing. She has been an advocate for advancements in disposition options, education, and pre-planning, and looks forward to dedicating even more time to helping others navigate end of life care.

With a rich professional and volunteer background, including both the San Francisco AIDS Quilt and 10 years of experience in welding inspection, she looks forward to sharing knowledge and resources with PMA members and the broader community as a member of the Board of Directors.

Janice is a certified End of Life Caregiver, providing end-of-life care and support to patients and their families. She also serves as a Hospice Social Worker for Heart n Soul Hospice, an organization committed to a new way of doing hospice care, to remove the misconceptions of who hospice helps, and to end the stigmas about end-of-life care.

She was called to deathcare work many years ago when she decided to devote her life to helping others die with dignity. It is Janice's mission to advocate for the dignity and care of all people regardless of race, ethnicity, sexual orientation or socioeconomic status at the end of their lives. Providing high quality, compassionate care when facing a life-limiting illness is what she strives to accomplish in her work. In addition to being a PMA member, she is a member of the International End of Life Doula Association (INELDA) and Gentle Doula Collective.

Janice also offers HR consultation and Executive coaching services through JJH Consulting, LLC. With over 25 years of experience as a Human Resources Management professional, Janice is a strategic thinker and mindful leader with a mission to promote diversity, equity, and inclusion. As a dedicated community leader with extensive experience in civic and professional leadership positions, her work focuses on equity and building strong community connections.

“Born and raised in the Central Valley of California, I went to college in San Francisco, where I met my late husband. After two degrees, I returned to school to become a nurse. I would then spent a little over 40 years as an operating room nurse (CNOR) in both outpatient and inpatient settings in various clinical and administrative capacities.

After many years in San Francisco, my husband and I decided to move to Seattle. Our two sons both went to the University of Washington and we had many friends in the Pacific Northwest, so in 1995 we resettled in the University District in Seattle. I would work at Northwest Hospital (now called University of Washington, Northwest Campus) until I retired almost 9 years ago.

After retiring, I looked for ways to stay active. I became a member and volunteer at the PNA Village, where I am on a number of committees and lead the Friday walks. I love monitoring the great blue herons at Commodore Park during their nesting season!

I became aware of People’s Memorial Association over 20 years ago, when my late husband entered hospice during the final phase of his cancer journey. The hospice nurses told us about PMA and encouraged us to join. We did and I have been a member since! I’m proud to support PMA both as a donor and as a volunteer on the PMA Finance Committee. As a retired nurse and an elder myself, I am acutely aware of the need to educate and to further our awareness of end of life issues and concerns. The more appropriate information we have, the better we will be to make the best choices for ourselves and your family.

I'm excited to serve as a member of the PMA board!”

“Originally from the midwest and east coast, I’ve lived in the Seattle area for the last 20 years. I grew up in a home of healthcare providers and volunteered as an EMT myself through graduate school. I’ve always looked for ways that I could reach out and help people.

Having seen my family navigate the end-of-life experiences for all 4 of my grandparents in the last decade has shown me how challenging this process can be, even for those that are well prepared. I believe in the mission of People’s Memorial, particularly in ensuring that families navigating an extremely trying time can find support, compassion, and respect. I’m excited to see People’s Memorial Association continue to innovate and advocate for Washington State residents during their time of loss.”

Erika Campbell, Ed.D, MA, LMHC has been a PMA board member, alternate board member, or committee member since 2015 and a PMA member since 1990. She is also a geriatric mental health counselor and certified geriatric care manager who provides individual coaching and support for seniors as they navigate transitions, and help families make sound choices for safe living accommodations and enrichment opportunities.

Erika facilitates myriad memory loss classes in person and online at Greenwood Senior Center, as well as hosting death cafes and memory cafes for the community at large. She works with many past and present PMA members to continue bringing Ducks in a Row series to retirement communities around the Puget Sound region.

Elizabeth Coplan, former PMA board president, is a playwright, producer, and marketing expert with 50 years’ experience. Founder of Grief Dialogues, she creates award-winning plays and films exploring death and healing. A Dramatists Guild member, she splits time between Bainbridge Island and Costa Rica with her husband, Scott.