2019 – 2020 Board of Directors
Officers of the Board:
Linda Hall–President
Loveall Price & Associates, Sr. Associate, Not-for-Profit Management & Transition Consultant
Jason Hizer — President Elect, Washington Holdings, Sr. Vice President, Corporate
Claudia Malone–Immediate Past President, HR Consultant
Sue DeFlorio — Secretary
General Microsystems Inc., Chief Operating Officer
Andrew Symons –Treasurer
Attorney / Of Council, Inslee, Best
Board of Directors:
Karen Ridlon- ED Emeritus, Founder, Eastside Baby Corner
Judy Gowdy President, J.C. Interiors, Inc.
Lars Knudsen, Hightower Bellevue, LLC and Triad Wealth Stewardship LLC
Devin Santamaria, Synology America Corp.
Diann Strom Communications Initiative Consultant, Puget Sound Energy
Angela Kennedy, Community Volunteer
Cecilia Martinez Vasquez, City of Bellevue
Tim Schmidt, Account Executive, Parker Smith & Feek
Stephanie Walter, Overlake Hospital Medical Center
Lisa Yacalavitch, Charge Nurse, Postpartum – Swedish Medical Center
Staff Leadership:
Jack Edgerton, Executive Director
425.372.7526
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Helen Banks Routon, Director of Development & Community Relations
425.372.7525
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Madeline Fish, Director of Programs & Operations
425.372.7527
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Meet Our Founder – Karen Ridlon
Karen Ridlon founded Eastside Baby Corner (EBC) in 1990. A certified Pediatric Nurse Practitioner (University of California, San Francisco, 1972), Karen worked as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner in California and Washington, working in well child care, newborn care and newborn ICU support for a number of medical groups and doctors. Karen founded Eastside Baby Corner to fill an unmet need of parents of newborns who lacked basic supplies for their children.
She is Executive Director Emeritus and a lifetime member of the EBC Board of Directors. Karen has been recognized for her efforts with many volunteer awards, including receiving the Leadership Eastside LENi Community Choice Leadership Award in 2013, Distinguished Member Award for the Washington State Chapter of NAPNAP (National Association of Pediatric Nurse Practitioners) in 2013, Issaquah Schools Foundation Golden Apple Award (2009), and chosen as a UCSF Distinguished Alumni. Karen was a key player in the development of the Issaquah Community Center and has been a tireless contributor to many volunteer efforts over the years including scouting, the public schools, and her church. Karen is the mother of three children and a proud resident of Issaquah, where she lives with her husband.
Meet Our Board of Directors and Leadership
