Board of Directors

Youth Advisory Council

With a standing agenda at all Parrott Creek board meetings, Youth Council are formal board participants, typically comprised of 2-3 residential care program youth on a rotating basis. The Youth Council supports our overall strategic priorities along with program engagement activities as we prioritize their treatment needs in alignment with their personal goals, culture and identity.

Glenn W. Wachter, MBA MPA, Board Chair – Assistant Vice President Pharmacy, Providence St. Joseph Health, Chief Executive Credena Health, LLC

Glenn’s professional and personal mission is to steadfastly serve the lives of others—especially the poor and vulnerable—and has served in several health care leadership roles for 25 years. Presently, Glenn leads pharmacy strategy and operations for Providence St. Joseph Health where he guides strategic growth of pharmacy assets spanning Providence’s seven states. With a heart for providing young people with second chances, Glenn is drawn to the mission of Parrott Creek to bring hope that builds stronger families and safer communities. Glenn and his wife, Hannah, are parents to four children, reside in Clackamas, and are passionate about ways to bring hope and health into their community.

Judge Ulanda Watkins, Clackamas County Circuit Court Judge

A graduate of Lewis & Clark Law School, Ulanda Watkins was sworn in as judge of Clackamas County Circuit Court August, 2017. Judge Watkins is a former defense lawyer and managing attorney at insurance firm GEICO with 21 years trial experience in civil, criminal and juvenile law. Judge Watkins is a lifelong Oregonian and is among eight judges Gov. Kate Brown appointed to Multnomah and Clackamas County Circuit Courts, as well as the Oregon Court of Appeals. Judge Watkins is the only judge of color in Clackamas and the third Black woman judge on the Oregon state bench. Judge Watkins is also the first African American judge to sit on the bench outside of Multnomah County. Among many other civic responsibilities and commitments, Judge Watkins previously served on the Governor’s Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee.

Angela Sheehan, Executive Coach and Leadership Transition Consultant

Angela Sheehan, owner of LEED, LLC works with emerging organizations and executives to help normalize “The Pain of Playing Big” with programs designed to help others be highly visible without compromising their values or sense of self. She has served on the boards of many for-profit and nonprofit organizations with a focus on environmental and social sustainability. Her favorite quote is Maya Angelou’s “When you know better, you do better.”

William Barnes, Executive Director – Red is the Road to Wellness

William is the founding visionary and Executive Director of Red is the Road to Wellness, a leading community organization located in Klamath Falls, Oregon. William is a Certified Drug and Alcohol Counselor II, Peer Support Specialist, Peer Recovery Mentor, and a Qualified Mental Health Associate I. William’s recognition of the deep value of all individuals and his utilization of restorative justice and the process of re-humanizing people to foster behavioral change makes him a kindred spirit of Parrott Creek’s own ethos and treatment modalities. William is a strong advocate for incarcerated individuals, particularly through his work at the Gospel Mission and outreach through the Department of Corrections (HGO) program. He was also a Certified Drug & Alcohol Counselor with the Klamath Tribes from 2016-2021. William currently sits on the Criminal Justice Commissions (CJC) Restorative Justice Advisory committee for HB2204 and is a Restorative Justice Coalition of Oregon (RJCO) Coordinating Committee member.

John D. Wentworth, Past Board Chair – Clackamas County District Attorney

John has a distinguished 25 year career as a prosecutor in Oregon. He is recognized statewide as an expert in domestic violence, sexual assault, and elder abuse and successfully led efforts for stronger legislative protections for these populations in Oregon. While supervising the Juvenile Unit of the District Attorney’s Office from 2007‐2010, John became familiar with Parrott Creek’s work and joined the Board. John is also a board member of the Children’s Center, a child abuse intervention center who are active partners with Parrott Creek. John recently took up running as his most active hobby.

Elissa Looney, Senior Strategic Initiatives Manager – Perlo Construction

Elissa Looney is the Senior Strategic Initiatives Manager with Perlo Construction, a local commercial general contractor. She graduated from the University of Montana with a degree in Business Administration and minor in International Business before returning to her home town to work as Project Manager for Perlo. Her career has included the development and growth of the company’s Special Projects Group, as well as significant involvement in organizations such as CREW Portland, which seeks to support and enhance the careers of women in real estate. A firm believer that sometimes people just need a leg up with some extra support to succeed, Elissa joined the Parrott Creek board to provide her knowledge of business diversification strategies to the group in order to aid in carrying out the Parrott Creek mission.

Kurt Ruttum, Attorney, TonkonTorp

Kurt Ruttum is a partner with Tonkon Torp LLP, a Portland, Oregon law firm. Kurt’s practice emphasizes mergers and acquisitions, real estate transactions, private equity, public and private securities offerings and general corporate counseling. He is a member of the firm’s Managing Board. Kurt has served as an executive of two Portland-area public companies, including as the Chief Financial Officer of a software development company.

Ed Gronke, Retired

Ed is a retired business owner who moved to Oregon from New York in 1977. He was one of the founders of a major health care company, later acquired by an international corporation. After a short retirement, he became chief operating office of another, much smaller company in a different sector of health care until that was sold. He has been active in numerous community organizations as well as serving on the boards of Portland Opera and Chamber Music Northwest. He joined Parrott Creek because of its dedication to working with troubled youth, one of his passions. He believes that these young people represent our future and deserve our attention.

Sofie Fashana, Student

Sofie is a senior at Western Oregon University in Monmouth Oregon studying business major with a minor in organizational leadership and a concentration in management. Outside of school Sofie helped found Stitch Closet, a nonprofit clothes closet at her University. Sofie is also on the Youth Action Board for Clackamas County and works closely with the State of Oregon on advocacy work for youth experiencing homelessness. This summer Sofie completed an internship in the DC office for an Oregon Senator. On campus, Sofie is a Resident Assistant, a mentor for the Multicultural Student Union, a board member of Freedom Center, and a member of the pre-law club.

Jim Mitchell, Retired

Jim moved to Oregon in 1985 from New England and has since resided in West Linn, where he and his wife Elise Legere raised two children, who are now married with a total of three children of their own. Jim came to Oregon for professional reasons and enjoyed a successful career leading manufacturing operations that were mostly engaged in producing aerospace and medical components. Jim’s more recent volunteer work was with Oregon State University’s graduate program Supply Chain Leadership and Logistics (SCLM) Advisory Council, providing curriculum recommendations and career guidance to new postgraduates. Jim also served on the Campaign Committee for the Portland Community College Foundation, assisting students with challenging financial or personal circumstances in finding the opportunity to pursue and complete a degree. Jim relishes the opportunity to lend a helping hand toward enriching the lives of young people who might benefit from his life experiences.