VSHSL Advisory Board

Current Vacancies

Board members serve three-year terms, except for seven members from each committee who were appointed to initial terms of two years. In addition to meeting requirements specific to each committee, members of the VSHSL Advisory Board must reside within King County. Elected officials are ineligible for board membership while they hold office.

The VSHSL Advisory Board currently has vacancies available for the following positions. 

The Veterans Committee: 

• Representing King County Council District 2 
• Representing King County Council District 3 
• Representing King County Council District 8
• Representing King County Council District 9
• Representing the City of Seattle

The Seniors Committee:

• Representing King County Council District 3 
• Representing King County Council District 4
• Representing King County Council District 5
• Representing King County Council District 8
• Representing the City of Seattle

The Vulnerable Populations Committee:

• Representing King County Council District 2
• Representing King County Council District 4
• Representing King County Council District 9
• Representing the City of Seattle
• Representing the Sound Cities Association

Interested in Serving?

For positions representing the King County Council, find your district online and contact your Council Councilmember.

For positions representing the City of Seattle, please contact the City of Seattle directly.

For positions representing the King County Executive, please contact Taylor Gaston, VSHSL Advisory Board Interim Staff liaison at tgaston@kingcounty.gov.

Eligibility 

The members of the VSHSL Advisory Board’s Veterans Committee also constitute the King County’s state-required Veterans Advisory Board. All members of the committee must be veterans as defined in RCW 73.08.005(5). A majority of the committee’s members must be members from nationally recognized veterans service organizations. 

Responsibilities 

• Oversee the 1/3 VSHSL funding for veterans 
• Advise the County on matters and policies affecting veterans, servicemembers and their families 
• Serve as King County's RCW 73.08 Veterans Advisory Board 

Eligibility 

The Seniors Committee is comprised of seniors, caregivers of seniors or other community members with relevant expertise or experience serving seniors or their caregivers. A majority of the committee’s members must be 55 or older. 

Responsibilities 

• Oversee the 1/3 VSHSL funding for seniors  
• Advise the County on matters and policies affecting seniors, caregivers and healthy aging 

Eligibility 

The Vulnerable Populations Committee is comprised of individuals who are members of a vulnerable population or other community members with relevant expertise or experience serving vulnerable populations. King County Ordinance 18555 defines vulnerable populations as persons or communities that are susceptible to reduced health, housing, financial or social stability outcomes because of current experience of or historical exposure to trauma, violence, poverty, isolation, bias, racism, stigma, discrimination, disability or chronic illness. 

Responsibilities 

• Oversee the 1/3 VSHSL funding for vulnerable populations  
• Advise the County on matters and policies affecting vulnerable populations 

Asad Abdi, Vulnerable Populations Committee 

Asad Abdi is currently employed as a Food Access Manager for African Community Housing & Development. Mr. Abdi is a multilingual member of the African Diaspora immigrant and refugee community with hands on experience serving vulnerable populations with a focus on fighting food insecurity in King County. 

Representing King County Council District 8 on the Vulnerable Populations Committee. 

Contact: VSHSL27@kingcounty.gov 

Brian Berry, Veterans Committee

Representing King County Council District 1 on the Veterans Committee.

Faisal Akhter, Veterans Committee 

Faisal Akhter (he/him) is currently an attorney at Microsoft. He also leads the company's legal department veterans network. Prior to his current role, Faisal served eight years on active duty military service with the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General's Corps. He has served in two overseas assignments and at Fort Bragg, North Carolina, with the 505th Parachute Infantry Regiment, 82nd Airborne Division. Today, he continues to serve as a Major in the U.S. Army Reserves. He is currently assigned as a criminal defense counsel at Joint Base Lewis-McChord. 

Representing King County Council District 2 on the Veterans Committee.  

Contact: VSHSL5@kingcounty.gov 

Nancy Colson, Seniors Committee 

Nancy is a Managing Broker of Windermere Real Estate in Auburn with many years of experience serving on boards, commissions and task forces. 

Representing King County Council District 7 on the Seniors Committee. 

Contact: VSHSL17@kingcounty.gov 

Lori Guilfoyle, Seniors Committee 

Lori Guilfoyle has 30 years of experience working with seniors, living in Maple Valley, currently a Human Services Planner for the City of Kent. 

Representing Sound Cities Association on the Seniors Committee. 

Vice-Chair of the VSHSL Advisory Board representing the Seniors Committee. 
Contact: VSHSL19@kingcounty.gov 

Peter Lewis, Veterans Committee 

Peter is a Vietnam veteran and has worked with veterans on a city, county, state and federal level. Peter is self-employed at both Pete Lewis Consulting and EL Consulting. Peter served on the Regional Policy Committee, Sound Cities Association and Puget Sound Regional Council. 

Representing Sound Cities Association on the Veterans Committee. 

Vice-Chair of the VSHSL Advisory Board representing the Veterans Committee and Chair of the Veterans Advisory Board. 

Contact: VSHSL6@kingcounty.gov 

Chuck Murrell, Veterans Committee 

Chuck is a veteran, retired from the United States Army and NAPA Auto Parts. He served in the former King County Veterans Advisory Board since 2012 and volunteers for the Veterans Administration where he has completed almost 2,500 hours working with veterans. Chuck has been the American Legion Commander of Seattle Post 1 for the past 7 years. 

Representing King County Council District 7 on the Veterans Committee. 

Contact: VSHSL7@kingcounty.gov 

Alex O'Reilly, Seniors Committee

Representing the Seattle-King County Advisory Council on Aging & Disability Services on the Seniors Committee. 

Olga Perelman, Vulnerable Populations Committee 

As a Human Services Commissioner for Bellevue and a board member, Olga has had an opportunity to see a broad spectrum of needs of our community through needs assessments and interviews with the community organizations and individuals supported by their services, has lead a bi-annual funds allocation process for the City of Bellevue Human Services Commission and has created strategic plans for a non-profits to meet the needs of the community that they serve. 

Representing King County Council District 6 on the Vulnerable Populations Committee. 

Contact: VSHSL26@kingcounty.gov 

Natalie Reber, Vulnerable Populations Committee 

Natalie Reber is currently employed as the Executive Director for Attain Housing and has spent her career in support of vulnerable populations specializing in supporting individuals and families experience homelessness or transitioning to permanent housing. She is also a licensed attorney. 

Representing King County Council District 4 on the Vulnerable Populations Committee. 

Contact: VSHSL28@kingcounty.gov 

Jennifer Ramirez Robson, Vulnerable Populations Committee

Representing King County Council District 5 on the Vulnerable Populations Committee. 

Heidi Shepherd, Vulnerable Populations Committee 

Heidi has over 40 years of professional and community experience and commitment to issues of housing, education/training, and access to food and employment. 

Representing King County Council District 1 on the Vulnerable Populations Committee. 

Serving as Chair of the VSHSL Advisory Board. 

Contact: VSHSL21@kingcounty.gov 

Cynthia Snyder, Seniors Committee 

Cynthia has spent her career and retirement working, volunteering and advocating for seniors and individuals with disabilities. 

Representing the Seattle-King County Advisory Council on Aging & Disability Services on the Seniors Committee. 

Contact: VSHSL11@kingcounty.gov 

Carrol Stripling, Veterans Committee  

Carrol is a veteran, has extensive experience serving on committees that are dedicated to assisting veterans and is a former board member of the King County Veterans Advisory Board. 

Executive appointee on the Veterans Committee.  

Contact: VSHSL4@kingcounty.gov 

Gazel Tan, Seniors Committee 

Gazel is a member of the Bellevue Network on Aging, Vice President of the Chinese Information and Service Center and a certified long-term care ombudsman. 

Representing King County Council District 6 on the Seniors Committee. 

Contact: VSHSL16@kingcounty.gov