Voting closed 12/31/16. Results will be announced the week of 1/2/17.
Candidates Statements
Region Seven (King County)
Amelia Hertog
Mrs. Amelia Hertog is a multiple adult family home provider in the Seattle area. Her passion is caring for the elderly and she considers it to be her ministry and mission in life.
She continually strives to provide extraordinary care and services to her residents. She finds pleasure in taking her residents on outings, visiting with them, and making each day a little brighter. She has been described by her residents and their families as energetic, bright, cheerful, and always smiling.
Born in a home with a paralyzed father, she states that she was born a caregiver. She grew up in Romania during the communism, helping around the house and with her siblings while her mother worked seven days a week in a factory. Her father was an immense inspiration to her, as although he was immobile and only had use of one hand, he was the most positive person that Amelia’s ever known, making jokes, helping people with their problems, giving, praying and believing for miracles and thanking God every day for giving him a family. Amelia remembers cooking with him and cleaning with him and helping in any way they could to ease her mother’s load. This hardship helped to shape in Amelia the tenacity and belief that if you work hard with a thankful heart, you may get tired, but you will never tire of doing good.
After moving to the US at the age of 21, she married her husband Cornelius, and after learning English during her first year here, she went back to school and completed the Dental Assistant Certification. She worked as a dental assistant for a few years before deciding to pursue her true passion of caring for the elderly.
She served four years as the Secretary for the South Chapter of Adult Family Home Council.
Amelia has been married for 19 years and lives in Bellevue, WA with her husband Cornelius and their three beautiful daughters ages 16, 6, and 5.
Harold Kirkendall
Native of Washington, born in Tacoma, Puyallup High School Graduate, Community College. General Contractors, Members of the BBB since 2005 (A+), Rated on Angie’s List (A+) Licensed for Adult Family Home in January 2012 I’m very excited about the opportunity to be at service as a voice for the people. I would like to get more involved and hopefully have some fresh ideas to add to the conversation. I’m eager to work with others and promote the goals of the AFHC. Thank you for your consideration and would appreciate your vote.
Region Six Delegate (Clallam, Jefferson, Mason, Grays Harbor, Thurston, Lewis, Pacific, Wahkiakum, Cowlitz, Skamania, and Clark counties)
Joe Stephens
In addition to my four years in the AFH arena, I offer over thirty years’ experience in collaborative development of solutions that solve problems and improve processes. Common throughout my career has been compliance with regulations and standards required to safely meet the needs of a specific clientele. I’ve also attended 3 Lobby Days and enjoying the ability to discuss with our legislators the impacts of, or ideas to improve, bills that affect our AFH businesses. If elected to your board, it will be a privilege to serve all of you and be part of the continuing effort building the partnership between the AFHC and the State, ensuring our success providing the best solution for the long term care needs of our growing elder population.
Debbie Martin
My name is Debbie Martin and I have been an Adult Family Home Provider in Vancouver since 1986. I was a active member for the Clark County AFH association for many years and serviced as Vice President for 2 years, and a former Adult Family Home Council board member. I feel involvement is necessary for our industry to grow. I do a lot of mentoring for other AFH’s and have had all Medicaid home for 30 years and do understand the issues facing AFH’s today. It would be an honor to be elected to Adult Family Home Council Board to continue our fight for the AFH industry.
Tabby Bizgan
My name is Tabita (Tabby) Bizgan, and I am running for the position of Region 6. As an Adult Family Home provider and C.N.A for the past 14 years in Vancouver, I know firsthand how challenging our work can be. Dealing with our clients and their family members, our caregivers, and trying to understand all the state rules and regulations, is an everyday challenge. I am currently the Clark County Chapter Vice-President. I assist in coordinating the chapter meetings and educational conferences. I am also responsible for vendor relationships and sponsorships to our chapter events. I have also organized our Christmas Charity Drive for the Doernbecher Children’s Hospital. I have advocated for residents and providers in our community by participating at Senior Expo’s, and a focus group with DSHS for AFH Meaningful Activities. This resulted in a pilot project for about 300 adult family homes, some in Cowlitz County. These homes received a daily rate increase. I have also attended AFHC board meetings and lobby days. I have an associate’s degree in Criminal Justice, and I am a mother of three beautiful children. In my spare time, although rare, I enjoy traveling, singing and playing sports with friends! I am looking to be more involved in the Adult Family Home community by working with the Adult Family Home Council to learn as much as I can, and relay any questions or concerns Adult Family Home providers have to our AFHC board. Open communication between Providers, Social Workers, Licensors, and the AFHC board is very important. Keep our AFH community strong! Look for your election ballot and please vote for me! Thank you for the opportunity to be your voice in Region 6.
At Large Delegate (statewide)
Ted Kiestler
My name is Ted Kiestler, and along with my wife Janice, we own and operate the Mashburn AFH, which has been in business since 2000. Originally my mother started the adult home, and utilized my construction skills in remodeling for the safety of the residents, and my wife worked as a caregiver. In 2013 my mother passed away and we took over the home. We were asked to do a new license process, and bring the home up to current WAC’s; at that time the exception was not written into the rules.
Additionally, the last eight years I have participated as a Boy Scout leader, assistant district commissioner, and staffed numerous leader training programs. I also had the opportunity to go back to school to receive my paralegal degree, with a bachelor in liberal arts, all with a focus on pre-law and a Juris Doctorate.
During my last year in school, one of the classes I took was Public Policy, where I had the opportunity to write an agenda paper on; what I thought was wrong with the inspection process of adult homes, and how to improve them. I identified that the inspectors were able to interrupt the WAC’s, there was no consistent understanding or training offered through DSHS. Because of the new rules coming out for additional training to the inspectors, I am hoping that we will see a better inspection process, and that home owners will not be surprised by inconsistent interpretations of the rules.
Similarly, as the “At Large” member of the AFH council I am looking forward to furthering the agenda set by the board for the betterment of home owners. I am hoping to bring my legal knowledge of reading RCW’s, WAC’s other rules to full use, in helping the board and Adult Family Homes in our state.
Patti Gray, R.N.D, Board Certified-Gerontology Angelbrook Senior Living, LLC and Felida Lodge Senior Living, LLC Owner and Provider
I want the opportunity to continue as your board representative. I am honored to have served two terms as AFHC Executive Board Member including being the Board Secretary during my first term. I’ve owned my Adult Family Homes for six years and know first hand the increasing complexity and economic challenges facing our entire Adult Family Home community. Actively attending and participating in board meetings to be sure you are represented is important to me.
As a qualified assessor and nurse delegator, I provide the nursing perspective as the AFHC board examines upcoming regulatory and training issues. I obtained American Nursing Association Board Certification in Gerontology so I could better help the AFHC Board, my residents, my resident families, my caregivers and fellow adult family home providers.
We continue to feel the impact of increasing, impractical regulations combines with inconsistent inspection interpretations. These factors dramatically add costs and documentation burdens to our businesses. Through AFHC’s efforts and members banding together, our Medicaid reimbursement has and will continue to improve. AFHC’s board will continue to work with staff so we continue frequent efforts to improve the DSHS response to the your concerns. I will strongly and consistently advocate for you.
You and your caregivers deserve to be paid for the hard work involved in caring for the most vulnerable citizens in Washington. Staying focused on rate improvement is an important responsibility I will continue.
Adult Family Homes in Washington were founded to be the least restrictive environment for developmentally disabled, medically and emotionally challenged, frail, and elderly citizens. I will speak up to be sure your needs and preferences are strongly represented. I will continue to work hard so you can take care of your residents, resident families, your caregivers, yourself and your family.
I hope to be given the chance to continue as your board representative. Please vote for me in the upcoming board election.
Jodi Dobson
Hello – my name is Jodi Dobson. I am the Chapter Treasurer for the Clark County Chapter. I have been a Developmental Disabilities (DD) Adult Family Home provider in Camas, Washington since 2010. I started my career as an N.A.R over 20 years ago with my parents’ four DD homes in Oregon. I feel the ladies in my home have become a part of our lives. I love what I do! My philosophy is that our job as providers and caregivers humble us and puts things in perspective with more understanding and patience.
I have been involved in many local and state-wide events, promoting and advocating for providers and residents at Senior Expo’s, lobby days, and inviting Senator Ann Rivers to tour my home and meet our residents and share our challenges in the AFH industry. I have participated in focus groups with DSHS in the AFH Meaningful Activities program, which awarded 300 adult family homes state-wide in a pilot project that increased their daily rates. I have attended state-wide chapter retreats to brainstorm and implement ways to better improve chapter meetings. I have also worked closely with the AFHC office in new and improved reimbursement forms and other ideas. I have four wonderful children and a great husband, and a newly proud grandmother. I love watching HGTV for great home decorating ideas! The DD community has been under represented in the AFH industry. I feel my expertise, knowledge, and strong working relationships with guardians, social workers, and the Developmental Disabilities Administration (DDA), qualifies me to be on the AFHC board. I look forward to working with the AFHC board and getting to know more of the AFH owners and providers. I want to be your voice for all providers, to include Developmental Disabilities homes. I humbly ask for your vote. Thank you for the opportunity to serve and represent you throughout the state of Washington.
One Response
Hi John, All great candidates…Adult Family Home Council looks strong.
I’ll be soliciting start-up capital for Ashbury Inn AFH after the beginning of
the new year. My business plan looks great too…Thanks for all the Council
does for us. Hope you and yours are enjoying the best of holiday seasons.
Sincerely, Your friend, Terrall M. LPN
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