Russ Hanford came to Roanoke Park Counseling’s board looking for an opportunity to give back to his community. He uses his business training and skills in his position as treasurer. He supports RPC with his time because of the integrity and commitment of the staff and the courage and persistence of the clients RPC serves.

After practicing pediatric physical therapy for years, Ruth Pappas switched roles to stay at home mom and community volunteer. She joined Roanoke Park Counseling’s Board of Directors as she highly values their mission of providing services to adult survivors of child sexual abuse. She is honored and humbled to help support the amazing, unique services that RPC offers clients and the community.

Sam joined the board of directors in June 2022. They serve as the Executive Assistant to the Chief Program Officer at the Global Center for Gender Equality. They are from the Pacific Northwest and have worked and volunteered for many area nonprofits since graduating from Pacific Lutheran University in 2010. When not working, they can be found with their furry or human family members. Sam believes in accessible and affordable mental health care for all and is deeply committed to supporting the kind of specialized care that RPC provides to the community.

Veronica’s extensive experience in the mental health field is what drew her to the work done at Roanoke Park Counseling and the opportunity to assist adult survivors of sexual abuse. As a board member, Veronica is looking forward to assisting RPC to fulfill their mission and supporting low barrier access to essential services.  

Vinnie’s volunteer and lobbying efforts are motivated by his desire to prevent sexual abuse and empower survivors through sensible public policy and initiatives at state and federal levels across the country. As part of a broader strategy to make communities safer and help abuse victims come forward for healing and closure, he volunteers alongside law enforcement, victim advocates, think tanks, policy groups, politicians, and others.

When he is not at work, Vinnie spends most of his time with his wife and twin boys, enjoying the beautiful Pacific Northwest and all it has to offer.

Wanda joined the board of directors in June of 2021. She has been an active volunteer for many nonprofit organizations in the Puget Sound area. She enjoys connecting people and organizations, specifically leveraging her knowledge of fundraising, training, and event planning for small nonprofits and currently works as a project manager for Eastside Baby Corner’s Child Passenger Safety Program. 

Wanda believes that the healing journey should not be bound by lack of financial resources and is proud to serve on the board of RPC and support its efforts for specialized, affordable therapy for adult survivors of childhood sexual abuse.