Meet the Community Work Group

The long-term Homeless Response Plan process will be hosted and shepherded by a Community Work Group made up of 12 community members who bring a diverse set of perspectives and experiences.

Their role is to ensure that a diverse and inclusive set of perspectives and experiences are represented and fully integrated into the process and the resulting outcomes. They will do this by:

  • Inviting a broad variety of viewpoints and life experiences into the process;
  • Helping to host conversations and listening to participants;
  • Seeking out learning opportunities;
  • Reflecting out to participants and community members what’s being heard and learned throughout the process; and
  • Coalescing that input into strategies, actions, and ways to measure progress

Community work group members were identified from a series of community stakeholder interviews and conversations held in December 2018 and January 2019. Learn more about each of them below.

Kim Adney

Small Business Accountant

What do you love about this community, and what are some of the ways in which you feel connected to this place?

I grew up in a small town in Iowa where everyone hung out downtown and it was the center of community.  My parents were business owners, so I feel like I have spent my whole life loving downtown life.  I moved to Olympia in 1989 because I found it to be uniquely full of character, people with eclectic lifestyles, culture, state politics, and higher education opportunities, all within a small city. 

What experiences or perspectives do you bring to this process?

I have a business in downtown Olympia, at ground zero of the homeless encampments. I can speak to the economic impact and the ways in which business revenues work to bring quality of life.  I can share stories, and bring the perspective of business owners coping with the issues.

What do you hope to see come out of this process?

A comprehensive solution for the city to approach the homelessness situation with compassion and responsibility to all concerned.  Where all parties involved respect the pathway; from community members, business owners, non-profits, police, city staff, and city council.


Grace Burkhart

Youth Counselor, Capital Region Educational Service District

What do you love about this community, and what are some of the ways in which you feel connected to this place?

Artswalk, Priest Point Park, Our History, Capital Lake, Wooden Boat Show, Pride Parade, Toy Run, Legislative Session, Lakefair, Pet Parade, Live Music, Farmers Market, The fountain, Diverse shops and foods, The flower baskets in the summer and neon snowflakes in the winter.

What experiences or perspectives do you bring to this process?

Olympia Grown Mother, Wife, Professional, Board Member,5 years Downtown Business Owner, Student, Roller Derby Girl, Biker.

What do you hope to see come out of this process?

A better understanding for what our community needs and wants for the future of our city, so that, our children's children can enjoy and experience all the things that makes Olympia Rad.


Elspeth Charno

Student, SPSCC & TESC

What do you love about this community, and what are some of the ways in which you feel connected to this place?

This community really welcomed me in with open arms. I grew up in WA and the PNW has always been home to me, no matter when I’ve been. The attitudes of the people who live here, just so warm and friendly, make our community so easy to love. I feel attached to this area in particular because of the saturation of folks who truly want to make a difference.

What experiences or perspectives do you bring to this process?

I’m currently a student at South Puget Sound Community College, as well as the Evergreen State College. I work at the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Center at SPSCC and I bring a unique perspective and set of experiences because of my past and the work that I’ve done and look to do in the future.

What do you hope to see come out of this process? 

I’m hoping for a lot of things, especially enabling more collaboration between a variety of folks (lawmakers, service providers, those who are homeless) to create realistic policies, as well as possibly pushing to create a physical space that folks can spend time in and be safe in (since the Well is no longer an option). I want to help our City be able to respond in compassionate and empowering ways.


Scott Clifthorne

Olympia School Board Director

What do you love about this community, and what are some of the ways in which you feel connected to this place?

I love that Olympia is a crossroads of a lot of different worlds - State employees and Greeners; Urban and rural; Anarchists and Libertarians. This is a place with a lot of people who care about one another and work hard to build intentional community - and those are values I deeply share.

What experiences or perspectives do you bring to this process?

I grew up with employment insecurity as a constant "cloud" hanging over my family, which led to housing insecurity. We were fortunate to stay housed during those hard years, but I feel a tremendous amount of empathy for anyone and everyone that's feeling unsure about where they'll stay the night tonight, and how they can stay safe. Those aren't worries or fears I want members of our community to experience - but that's our current reality.

What do you hope to see come out of this process?

I hope participating on this committee will help contribute to long term solutions to housing insecurity. I hope that my role as a School Board Director will help center the experiences of students and families experiencing homelessness. I'm hopeful that the series of meetings, focus groups, and listening sessions will help more members of community feel "heard", and that being mindful of the needs and feelings of others will meaningfully impact the City (and County and State) policy making process.


Robert Coit

Thurston County Food Bank

What do you love about this community, and what are some of the ways in which you feel connected to this place?

I love having breakfast in downtown Olympia and watching the city wake up. Traffic lights changing from flashing yellow to green. People jogging, others getting coffee and then heading off to work.

What experiences or perspectives do you bring to this process?

I do not feel the issue is simple. I feel a need to support the entire community. Those distanced and disconnected, as well as, those that feel more engaged and part of the day to day routine that support a communities success.

What do you hope to see come out of this process?

Better conversations with greater awareness around what works, and a hope for continued commitment by our community to make things better.


Jennifer Davis

South Capitol Neighborhood Association, Thurston County Planning Commissioner

What do you love about this community, and what are some of the ways in which you feel connected to this place?

Nineteen years ago, I chose Olympia as a place to build a career and family. I didn’t grow up here, and I was initially drawn to this community’s natural beauty and vibrant downtown. I have fallen in love with Olympia while watching my children grow and thrive here, enjoying opportunities to work on community issues with so many caring and engaged people, and exploring our beautiful parks and trails and fun downtown.

What experiences or perspectives do you bring to this process?

I have spent my career working in the fields of urban and environmental planning in communities both here and abroad. I am used to analyzing problems, listening to diverse opinions on difficult issues, and doing the hard work of finding solutions. But I have felt overwhelmed by the depth and scope of the growing problem of homelessness. As I mother, I want to help my children understand and have compassion for those less fortunate. I also want them to be safe in every corner of this community. I am optimistic about this process, because we really have no choice but to expect that we can make things better.

What do you hope to see come out of this process? 

I hope to see real progress that the community can see and feel. To me, that means we move beyond fear and conflict around this issue and develop a shared understanding of who our homeless neighbors are, and what will work best to meet their diverse needs. I hope to see our parks and green spaces free of tents and trash. I hope our homeless neighbors will feel safer and have more pathways out of homelessness. I hope to see improved lines of communication between the city and community members about what’s working and what isn’t working, with more tolerance and trust among us all.


Amy Evans

Kidder Matthews

What do you love about this community, and what are some of the ways in which you feel connected to this place?

I love the water, the trees, the capital dome, and the mountains, which give me a strong connection and sense of place.

What experiences or perspectives do you bring to this process?

I am a softhearted empath raised by stoic, hardworking business owners.

What do you hope to see come out of this process? 

Collaborative action items to address immediate problems and long terms solutions that may not be perfect, but will represent a strategic approach to making a difference for the health of our community.


Derek Harris

Community Youth Services

What do you love about this community, and what are some of the ways in which you feel connected to this place?

I’ve lived in the Northwest most of my life and after serving in the Army in Germany and Operation Desert Storm, settled in Thurston County in 1992.  I attended college at SPSCC, Saint Martins and graduated from TESC.  I appreciate the recreational opportunities in our area with close access to the beach, Puget Sound, and the mountains. I enjoy working in a community that supports others and finds ways to serve.

What experiences or perspectives do you bring to this process?

I have worked with youth and young adults who are at-risk for over 23 years in Thurston County.  During that time I have been involved in community development of stabilizing people in their homes, creating plans to end homelessness and services to address all target populations. I currently serve as the CEO of Community Youth Services which is an integrated care agency with programs across the domains of early intervention, employment and education, juvenile justice, out-of-home care, behavioral health and wellness, and shelter and housing.

What do you hope to see come out of this process?

Homelessness and Housing instability affects every community, jurisdiction and county. Housing is a human right and deserves the attention across all different sectors of our community. I appreciate time will be given to utilize cross planning on work already accomplished alongside developing new systems of care for our communities most vulnerable.


Meg Martin

Interfaith Works

What do you love about this community, and what are some of the ways in which you feel connected to this place?

I love the DIY spirit of Olympia and the feeling that we are a community with many creative and passionate people that can make anything happen if we deeply dedicate ourselves to it. For over a decade I’ve watched young people, families, older people, musicians and artists become small business owners, save beloved businesses from closing, open venues, start collectives, build up the non-profit sector, get involved in local politics, start podcasts and local print media, start farms and community supported agriculture programs… there are so many beautiful and unique projects happening all around us. It’s inspiring and it is what keeps me here.

What experiences or perspectives do you bring to this process?

I bring a wide range of perspectives to this process. I come from a military and clergy family upbringing, I have extensive lived experience with mental health and substance use challenges both personally and within my family, I am a social worker, non-profit executive leader, musician, zine maker, dog lover, and the spouse of a small business owner in downtown Olympia.

What do you hope to see come out of this process? 

My biggest hope is that our community will learn a new way of communicating with each other about difficult and triggering topics that have very high stakes for everyone. As our city grows there will be more and more of these polarizing issues to wade through. It is my hope that we will learn how to hear each other’s different perspectives, bring nuance and facts to emotional conversations, and broaden each of our own lenses to try to connect to each other’s humanity.


Selena Rodocker

Local Food Non-profit

What do you love about this community, and what are some of the ways in which you feel connected to this place?

What I love about the community is that there are many groups looking for ways to better serve the needs of people, like finding ways to distribute more food, housing, overall community interactions, and building a park where an ice skating rink was (now skate park). I value the opportunities any person can access if they choose, like free and/or cost events.

What experiences or perspectives do you bring to this process?

The experiences that I bring are housing my younger brother and at times my mother, who are currently still homeless. I come with an open-mind and willingness to hear what tensions or potential solutions our community expresses. I hope to understand and listen to how we can help make sure our community's needs are met.

What do you hope to see come out of this process? 

I hope that we can work together as a community and address some of the tensions, allowing everyone to be on the same page. We can work together and make a lasting impact on some immediate needs. Also, learn how we as a community can prevent hardships that many may experience, find out root causes, and address them in a way that no voice goes unheard.


Ally Upton

Habitat for Humanity

What do you love about this community, and what are some of the ways in which you feel connected to this place?

I love everything about this community, it’s truly a unique, kaleidoscope of people, business, artist, and government. When I came here on vacation in 2010 I fell in love with it, and within 30 days of that trip, I was a resident of Olympia. I truly adore this community and love to walk downtown with my son and discover new things and share my love for the community with him.

What experiences or perspectives do you bring to this process?

I hope to bring my 9 years of working within the affordable housing industry to the table along with my personal experience and how homelessness has touched me and my family. I have 2 siblings that at one point were both experiencing homelessness. Since then one of my siblings became housed thanks to the amazing services this community has provided and the many kind-hearted people they worked with. My other sibling is still unhoused and lives in another state, their struggles continue to motivate me to engage in these conversations. I hope to help share their experience and bring awareness to the overall issues.

What do you hope to see come out of this process? 

I am hoping this process gets more community members from all walks of life involved in the conversation so we can hear all the eclectic ideas and find a solution that will fit our community’s needs. We are such a unique community, our solution to these problems will have to be equally unique in every sense. Housing is a human right and I believe in this community, we will figure it out as long as we all work together.