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Accounting and Human Resources Manager
Julie Folsom has been helping to keep everything running smoothly at The Hope since 2003 as she supports the employees in our Finance department.
A Seattle native, Julie is a 1976 graduate of Shoreline High School, the “Bicentennial Year”. Julie attended North Park College in Chicago, Illinois where she studied classical music, with an emphasis in voice. She also completed accounting classes at Edmonds Community College and South Central Community College.
Aside from singing, Julie loves to read, watch movies and travel. While cooking isn’t exactly her forte, she has been known to make some of the best cabbage, sweet potatoes and fried rice in town!
Julie and her husband James have one son and two daughters and recently welcomed their first grand baby.
Julie counts it an honor to work with an organization that has such a necessary mission. She enjoys working with such passionate, kindhearted, generous, funny and extremely talented people.
Community Education
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, M.I.T.
Director of Education
Christine Wieland came to The Hope after 13 years of teaching in the Issaquah School District. She received a biology degree from the University of St. Thomas in St. Paul, Minnesota and spent the following year as a chemical technician with a pharmaceutical company.
Chris slightly switched directions after that job and served as a youth minister for her church in Washington for two years. During that time she recognized her passion for working with children. Chris’ first teaching opportunity came in an impoverished town in Mississippi where she taught 5th graders in a volunteer summer school.
She went on to receive her Masters in Teaching from Seattle University. Chris completed her student teaching at Issaquah High School and stayed there for five more years. She taught life science to at-risk students and general biology and physical science. From there she joined the core team in opening Skyline High School. At Skyline, she taught biology, International Baccalaureate biology, physical science and chemistry and served as department head. At the district level, she participated in curriculum adoption and alignment of the science curriculum at all levels.
As Education Director at The Hope, Chris supports education and outreach programs. Her main project involves working closely with her colleagues at the University of Washington on the middle school science curriculum, Youth Take Heart. The Hope, the U and MESA (Math, Engineering, Science Achievement) are partners on the National Institute’s of Health SEPA (Science Education Partnership Award) grant that funded the development and implementation of the program. The program trains teachers in the summer and supplies kits of materials during the school year.
Chris is in the early stages of developing a “Teen Take Heart” program. With such a vast science-teaching background, Chris finds her work at The Hope exciting as she explores heart disease and prevention and shares it with students. She is honored to be able to participate in a mission such as Dr. Sauvage’s for the Hope.
Chris and her husband Kurt love traveling, spoiling their two orange tabby cats, Mitty and Mowgli, watching old movies and spending summers hiking and backpacking together. By herself, she is a bookworm.
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, M.Ed.
Kids Take Heart Program Manager
Laurie Sween joined The Hope Heart Institute in 2004 as an Education Coordinator. In collaboration with an advisory council of certified teachers and organizations such as The Pacific Science Center, Laurie developed the 4-unit Kids Take Heart (KTH) Health & Fitness Curriculum. She piloted the program across 12 school districts from Seattle to Spokane with thousands of 3rd-5th grade students. She also presented KTH to teachers statewide at the Office of the Superintendent of Public Instruction’s 2006 Summer Institutes and smaller regional conferences such as the Washington Alliance of Physical Education Recreation and Dance.
Laurie can be found conducting Teacher Institutes for the KTH program or in the classroom. Additionally, Laurie helps with Community Outreach and Events whenever possible.
Laurie has a Bachelor of Arts in Elementary Education from Northwest University and a Master of Education in Curriculum and Instruction from Lesley University. She taught 3rd - 5th grades at Discovery Elementary in the Issaquah School District for five years. During that time, she received a grant from the Freeman Foundation and accompanied 12 other K-12 teachers on a study tour in Japan. Laurie was also awarded a technology grant from the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation.
Laurie enjoys outdoor concerts, exploring new places, board games and spending time with her husband Shawn.
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Community Outreach & Volunteer Coordinator
Kristen joined The Hope in 2006 and is thrilled to be bringing heart health awareness and education to the public as the Community Outreach and Volunteer Coordinator. She is especially interested in educating women about the disease, as she has many personal connections to women with heart problems.
Kristen graduated from Evergreen State College in 1994 with a BA in Performing Arts and Film making. While studying dance in college, she became fascinated with the psychology and theory of movement. Kristen studied Laban Movement Theory, and eventually went on to attend the Brenekke School of Massage. Kristen also pursued a two-year Mind-Body therapy certification at the ARC Institute. From there she worked as a mind/body counselor and massage therapist.
In 2001, Kristen joined a fledgling non-profit called the Depression Wellness Network. As Program Director, she developed programs for adults with depression, led support groups and taught workshops. She also implemented a volunteer program which trained clients of the Network to provide peer support to others with depression while actively working on their own healing.
After the organization closed, Kristen moved on to manage Viva Day Spa, a wellness spa on Lower Queen Anne. While there she implemented the Spa’s first free Skin Cancer Screening Program.
In her “spare” time, Kristen writes fiction and poetry, creates fine art for her side business Roaring Rose Designs, and produces and edits the ARC Institute Newsletter. A trip to Ireland is in the works sometime this year. Currently in her car CD deck: Nina Simone, which she sings along to very loudly and badly with the car windows rolled up. She shares an apartment in beautiful downtown Ballard with her husband, two cranky cats, two bouncy fire-bellied toads, and a goldfish.
Meagan Jepson
Education & Outreach Assistant
Bio coming soon.
Clinical Research
Michelle Morris
Clinical Research Administration Specialist
Michelle was born in a small Kansas town and survived an F5 tornado on March 13, 1990 while working at a Pizza Hut, although she doesn't have a dog named Toto but her grandmother's name is Dorothy.
After completing a year at Washburn, a private law school, she moved to Colorado where she graduated cum laude from Colorado State University with a B.S. in Speech Communication; emphasis in disorders and a minor in Psychology.
Michelle moved to Seattle in January of 1998, when even the locals were complaining about all the rain. Although her job was in banking/loan processing, her heart was still with healthcare. By 1999 she was working at Overlake Hospital and soon was supporting the Director of Critical Care, the Cardiac Service Management Team and Physicians.
Staying in the field of cardiology Michelle joined The Hope in 2005. Continuing with her love of paperwork - the regulatory aspect of research couldn't be a more perfect fit for her. Michelle and her husband Mike have two children.
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Clinical Research Administrative Specialist
Robyn was born and raised in San Antonio, Texas. She previously worked at the Texas Transplant Institute as a Regulatory and Operations Manager. Since Robyn was nine years old she has enjoyed the game of volleyball. She played volleyball both in high school and at the collegiate level until a torn ACL sidelined her from the action. Fortunately, Robyn found a way to stay in the game. She has coached three high school state volleyball champions as well as 10 years of club volleyball. She now coaches volleyball at Edmonds Community College. Her team finished third at the NWAACC Championships. She also coaches a 12 and under volleyball team for Northwest Juniors Volleyball Club.
When she isn't on the volleyball court Robyn loves to cook and bake. In Fall 2009 she will start her Master of Sport Administration and Leadership at Seattle University. Robyn lives in Seattle with her husband Michael. They welcomed their first daughter October 2009.
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, BS
Clinical Research Coordinator
Liz McKinney is an instrumental asset to physicians doing cardiovascular clinical research as she sorts through the mountains of paperwork required to do the studies. She works with a great team in a variety of exciting and challenging pursuits.
Liz wasn’t always in the business of clinical research. She graduated with a Math Sciences Degree from Stanford and her first career was as a software developer in the oil industry. Liz worked for Occidental, Sohio and finally, Shell Oil Company at the Bellaire Research Lab in Houston. All told, Liz spent 15 years in the “oil patch.” After moving to the Northwest, she was a partner with Good Northwest Corporation, developing educational and environmental CD-ROMs.
Liz credits an RN friend for initiating her move into clinical research by nonchalantly asking one day if computers could help with her clinical research business… thus began a love affair with clinical research that continues to this day. Liz likes the unique combination of science, medicine and business that makes clinical research so fascinating and challenging.
Liz recently served as a chaplain intern and earned two units of clinical pastoral education (CPE) at the VA Hospital in Seattle. She has been active in the Kairos Prison Ministry for almost 10 years.
A native of Bakersfield, California, she and her husband have lived on Bainbridge Island since 1992. Liz says if she could have just one luxury a day it would be a helicopter ride to and from work!
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, BS, CCRC
Clinical Research Coordinator
Heather Rasmussen joined The Hope in 2006 as a Research Coordinator. Prior to The Hope, she worked at a medical device company in quality assurance as a Documentation Specialist.
Heather left Woodinville, Washington to attend the University of Portland where she received a Bachelor of Science in Biology. Her previous research experience includes Gastroenterology/Hepatology at the University of Washington. Recently, Heather received her Health Care Assistant Category E license. She is now able to give therapeutic agent injections, which helps with her current study.
She enjoys camping, hiking, and snowmobiling. She and her husband Billy recently purchased their first home. They share it with three pets; a cat, a pug and a boxer.
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, BS
Clinical Research Coordinator
Sue Keller joined The Hope in 2007 after a 6 year respite for quality family time raising her active, now teenage son. She brings 20 years of experience in health care starting as a Public Health Nutritionist and moving into the Pharmaceutical industry. Sue spent 15 of those years in Clinical Research and Regulatory Affairs. A transfer brought her family to Seattle and Sue joined the Sales division with responsibilities for an area managed care account.
Sue received a Bachelor of Science Degree in Nutrition from the University of Rhode Island. The field of nutrition remains a lifelong interest of hers. Sue maintains a long-standing and ongoing commitment to volunteerism and is a current member of the Kirkland Park Board.
Sue grew up in New Jersey, a state that the singer/songwriter John Gorka likens to ‘Ohio, only more so’. However, she feels at home in the Pacific Northwest. In addition to her work at The Hope, Sue can be found at her house where the light comes in from all four directions with the west being her favorite in winter. She spends her free time on the sidelines of Crossfire games and baseball tournaments. Sue travels as much as time and money allows.
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Clinical Research Assistant
If Jonah tries hard enough, he can still conjure up his old Midwestern twang. He was raised in the suburbs of Detroit until the age of thirteen. His family relocated to Mercer Island, Washington, where he graduated high school in 2003. Five years and two colleges later, he graduated from Occidental, a small liberal arts college in Los Angeles, California, with a bachelor's degree in history. He is grateful to have had such overwhelmingly rich learning experiences.
Finished, perhaps forever, with interpreting historical documents, Jonah now works for people who, as a New York Times columnist once quipped, use data, not diaries, to know the secrets of the human heart. When he isn't entertaining his fellow Hope staff with original jokes about cardiovascular research, he is industriously gathering data for the Hope's studies, and chipping away at the mountains of data entry work that keep the clinical research world turning.
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, BA, BS
Clinical Research Assistant
Regina was raised in Spokane, Washington but started her professional career in Portland, Oregon. Working as a chemist, she was the first woman to be hired in an all male work force. Regina has a BS/BA from the University of Portland in Biology with a minor in Chemistry.
Seattle became home when Regina's husband accepted an engineering position in the area. After staying home to raise four daughters, Regina attacked the work force as a "Rocket Scientist". She had a number of exciting positions ranging from the wood industry, managing two small chemical sales companies, Diabetes Research, a few more mind expanding jobs, until settling down at The Hope Heart Institute. Regina's current role as a clinical trials coordinator keeps her involved with her love for the medical field and helping those who need it most.
For the past 10 years Regina and her husband are avid beer brewers and wine makers. When they are not helping their married children tackle various home projects, you can find them training their Goldens and entering them in Hunting Trials. A hobby which keeps them "going" for most of the year.
Office of the Founder
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Assistant to the Founder
A Bellevue native, Mark graduated with a business degree from WSU's Hotel & Restaurant administration program. After graduation he took a job in Maui with Renaissance Hotels (formally Stouffer Hotels.) Mark later returned to Seattle, to work at the Mayflower Park hotel for several years before transferring to the Warwick Hotel. In 1996, Mark transferred to Jamaica and took on the task of closing up a large resort as General Manager. While there, several high-pressure situations honed his management skills - a hurricane, a labor walk-out, and a massive power outage over the Christmas holiday. Mark built trust among his employees and the community as he resolved the labor dispute and aided in the renovation of the town square. Mark successfully closed the resort with full employee compensation packages.
