Social Justice Salons

DeAunte Damper (Moderator), Co-chair, WA Therapy Fund; Community Organizer, VOCAL-WA; and Host, Converge Media’s We Live in Color – DeAunte has focused on bringing HIV awareness and LGBTQ-affirming education to marginalized communities throughout the City of Seattle. He served as a Peer Navigator for the Department of Health through POCAAN, and is a community organizer with both BUILD 206 and VOCAL-WA.

Johnny Bousquet, Participant Support Specialist Supervisor, CoLEAD – Purpose. Dignity. Action. (PDA) – After facing his own addiction journey, Johnny has become an expert in survival support services and navigating complex and contradictory requirements to access help. He brings this expertise to CoLEAD in order to walk with participants as they navigate these systems.

Phillip Carr, CEO & Clinical Director, Good Intentions Counseling – Phillip’s expertise embodies a variety of complex concentrations and mental health challenges, including autism spectrum disorders, personality disorders, trauma, teen issues, mood disorders, anxiety, psychosis, and domestic violence.

Susan McLaughlin, Director of the Behavioral Health & Recovery Division, King County Department of Community & Human Services – Susan is a licensed clinical psychologist with more than 20 years of leadership experience in health, behavioral health, and social services as a clinician, researcher, and policy administrator.

Paul Park, Senior Director of Programs, Solid Ground – Paul is a primary care physician and nonprofit leader in public health and social services. His focus areas are quality improvements in community-based organizations designed to address issues of access and inequities in service delivery, as well as social determinants of health.

Alix Van Hollebeke, Former Director of Nursing at Downtown Emergency Service Center (DESC) – Alix is a board-certified psychiatric mental health nurse. She has served vulnerable populations as a registered nurse and nursing leader for over 19 years.

Andrea has worked to promote economic mobility and Black liberation across Washington state for more than two decades. As Byrd Barr Place’s CEO since 2008, she leads the organization in its efforts to build an equitable Washington through innovative programs and services that nurture people’s health and wellbeing.

Janice has served as Executive Director of Neighborhood House since September 2019. She’s a Seattle native with over 25 years helping people access vocational training, early learning, senior care, and youth mentorship. Janice is on the boards of 501 Commons and the Washington State Community Action Partnership, and she co-chairs the Seattle Human Services Coalition Wage Equity Leadership Committee.

Shalimar started with Solid Ground in January 2021. Previously she served as District Executive for the YMCA of Greater Seattle, where she led efforts toward diversity, inclusion, and global capacity building. Shalimar is the Immediate Past Board Chair of Community Roots Housing and is 2nd Board Vice President of the Washington State Community Action Partnership.

Estela is one of the founders of El Centro de la Raza and its Executive Director since 2009. She’s spent over 50 years building El Centro into a hub for all people who want to engage in civic action through community empowerment. Estela’s unwavering commitment to this work has earned recognition from The National Education Association and the Northwest Progressive Institute, and in 2020 she was named one of The Seattle Times’ 13 Most Influential People of the Decade.

TraeAnna, a true Seattleite, has watched her city change in many ways. After earning her degrees in Communications and Urban Studies – and being displaced by gentrification – she now specializes in telling her neighborhood’s stories through film and media. She found a home for this work at Converge Media as an Emmy award-winning Media Personality, TV Show Host, and Producer.