Our Leadership

Ms. Brandt leads AtWork! into the future as they continue to be innovative and creative in their mission. Developing virtual and hybrid services, supporting people with disabilities in essential jobs, ensuring that students with disabilities graduate high school with a job, working hard to ease isolation and maintain community connections, and now more than ever, getting people back to work.

Chris Brandt, AtWork! CEO

Chris Brandt has been the CEO of AtWork! since August of 2006. She led its transformation from a reliance on service models that segregate and isolate people with disabilities, to a nationally recognized leader in community integrated employment and inclusion. With her leadership, and the strong team she nurtures, AtWork! has expanded its services geographically and programmatically; increasing the number of people with disabilities we serve annually from 200 to nearly 500. Ms. Brandt is known as a champion for equity and inclusion of all people with disabilities in our workforce and society. Her forty-eight (48) year career has been dedicated to working on behalf of people with disabilities and their families.

Ms. Brandt began her career as a Special Education Teacher working at Beaufort Elementary School in Port Alberni, BC. Then, moving on to serving adults, Ms. Brandt came back to her hometown of Port Angeles and began working at Diversified Industries as Kitchen Skills Coordinator in their Group Home. She later launched New Broom Janitorial, one of the first group-supported employment programs in Washington State that employed 40 people and became the largest janitorial company on the Olympic Peninsula. As their Executive Director, she then led a pilot project for individual employment that achieved the best cost-benefit (amount of wages earned by the person supported compared to the cost of support) amongst all the programs in the pilot.

Innovation and opportunity were shared with others who replicated similar programs until it became a movement. Washington State became the national leader in outcomes for people with the most significant disabilities. With her colleagues, Ms. Brandt was instrumental in securing passage of Washington State’s Employment First legislation. As a subject matter expert, she has delivered training and technical assistance in multiple states, including significant work in Oregon implementing the settlement of Lane vs. Brown that resulted in the closure of their sheltered workshops and the end of subminimum wages.

Most recently, Ms. Brandt achieved an unexpected pinnacle in her career. On August 16, 2021, after being appointed by President Biden, she was sworn in as a Citizen Commissioner to the U.S. AbilityOne Commission. Proudly, she and her fellow commissioners have moved forward with ending subminimum wages and modernizing the federal procurement program to create more opportunity through community-integrated employment and upward mobility.

Bob Thompson

Chief Financial Officer

Alicia Crank

Interim Chief Development Officer

John Viniotis

Director of Operations

Michael Goodwill

Director of Mission Services

Alexandrea MacIndoe

Director of Advocacy & Marketing

Our Board of Directors

Becky Bisbee, Board Chair

Becky Bisbee joined the Board in 2016 after retiring from The Seattle Times, where she was the Business Editor for 16 years. She worked in a variety of reporting and editing positions at newspapers in Maryland, California, and Texas before moving to Washington in 2000. Becky graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree in Journalism from the University of Maryland. She also serves on the Board of Directors at The Arc of King County. She lives in Bellevue with her husband and daughter, who has significant intellectual and developmental disabilities. Her son lives and works in the Bay Area of California. She enjoys bicycling, hiking, gardening, and baking.

Greg Russell, Vice Chair

Greg Russell is a partner in the Bellevue-based law firm of Peterson Russell Kelly Livengood. For more than 30 years, Greg has represented a broad range of business clients providing a wide variety of services including external general counsel representation, corporate finance, real estate, succession planning, mergers and acquisitions, and all aspects of general business advising work. Greg is committed to being an influential and active member of society, a trusted legal advisor, and most importantly, a dedicated father and husband. He has served as a volunteer lawyer for Eastside Legal Assistance Program and has been a board member and officer with the Downtown Action to Save Housing.

Susan Paine, Vice Chair

Susan Paine joined the AtWork! Board in 2020. She has retired from working in the City of Seattle where she worked in a variety of management roles. She has a BA from the University of Washington and a Master’s in Public Administration from Seattle University. Susan grew up in Seattle and moved to Edmonds in 2002, in 2006 she was appointed, then elected to the Edmonds School District Board of Directors. She was elected to the Edmonds City Council in 2019.

She has two grown daughters who live in the area. Susan is easily distracted by birds and other wildlife.

Michael Reph, Treasurer

Michael Reph is a commercial insurance broker with Woodruff Sawyer, a commercial insurance and employee benefits brokerage firm. Mike helps middle-market companies and non-profits mitigate their professional liability, management liability, cyber liability, and property risks. He has been an insurance broker for eight years and was previously a commercial banker. Mike graduated from Gonzaga University (BA) and Seattle University (MBA). He has been actively involved in the Developmental Disability community for over 10 years via Circle of Friends. Mike lives in Woodinville with his wife and five young children.

Sonia Doughty

Sonia joined the Board in 2022 and has lived in Bellevue since 1996. She grew up in New York City and spent a few years in Alaska and several in Hawaii before moving to the PNW. Sonia has spent the last 20 years of her career as a nonprofit fundraiser and is the Development Director at Associated Recreation Council (the nonprofit partner of Seattle Parks and Recreation). Sonia has an English and Art History degree from the University of Hawaii. Sonia loves good books, obscure museums, creating chaos in her kitchen while baking and cooking, exploring places near and far, and hiking and snowshoeing all over Washington and beyond.

Kristin Estes

Kristin Estes joined the AtWork! board in 2018 and has been a part of the telecommunications and software industries for over 25 years. She graduated from the University of Puget Sound with a degree in business and has held leadership positions at T-Mobile, Salesforce, and other smaller start-up companies. Working with large and small teams, her focus is to create meaningful experiences and valuable products for customers. Kristin lives in the Kirkland area with her husband where they enjoy giving back to their community and local high schools. Kristin enjoys sports, travel, and spending time with their three college-aged children.

Steve Ferreira

Steve Ferreira was born with cerebral palsy in Taipei, Taiwan in 1988. He graduated from Bellevue College in 2013, with an Associate’s Degree with a concentration in Communications. He is currently attending Central Washington University to obtain his Certificate in Accessible Studies.

As a motivational speaker, Steve aims to raise disability awareness within every community he addresses. In November of 2011, he started a non-profit called Beyond Disabilities. In addition, to his motivational speaking, Steve has been involved in athletics and has competed Internationally, earning the bronze medal in shot put in 2008 and the gold medal in discus in 2010.

Jason Flores

Jason Flores is the Vice President of Marketing for Ultimate Italy Tours. He develops their comprehensive marketing plan including branding, video media, and social media, and manages their event partnerships such as the King County Public Library System. Jason specializes in increasing sales both with and through company partners. His previous experience includes companies such as ProLango Consulting, Northland Communications, and Honeywell. Jason received both his BS in Mechanical Engineering and his MBA in Marketing from Washington State University and currently resides in Kirkland, Washington. Jason joined the AtWork! Board in 2011 to provide support and guidance for their marketing and business development efforts.

John Hemion

Former CPA, Bank VP and Bank Consultant

Chanel Keenan

Chanel Keenan is a recent graduate from the University of Massachusetts Amherst with a BA in Communication and a minor in Education. A passionate advocate for all. In October of 2020, she was named the first-ever Intersectionality Consultant for the newest NHL franchise, the Seattle Kraken. Her role was created to ensure accessibility and inclusion throughout the organization and its partnering facilities. Chanel join the AtWork! Board in 2022.

Toti Walia

Toti Walia is a health care attorney and assistant general counsel at Seattle Children’s, primarily focused on strategic transactions, regulatory compliance, medical staff, and contracting matters for the organization. She has practiced law for over 16 years; the last 12 of which have been in Washington after relocating from Texas. Toti obtained a B.S. in Business Administration from Trinity University, a law degree from St. Mary’s University, and a master of laws in health law from the University of Washington. Toti is committed to supporting the missions of nonprofit organizations, both in her day job and as a volunteer. She adores her “urban farm” animals (rescue pup and kitties), and enjoys exploring new territories near and far, playing tennis, and honing her culinary skills and pun repertoire.

Deb Zaha

Deb Zaha is the Regional Office Administrator for the law firm of Davis Wright Tremaine LLP. She oversees all office operations for three locations, Seattle, Bellevue, and Portland. Deb received her degree from the University of Washington and currently resides in Seattle, Washington.