Board of Directors

Terry Barnett, Esq. President
President - Terry is a recently retired lawyer from the Tacoma firm of Rumbaugh, Rideout & Barnett. He serves on the Ethics Advisory Committee for the VA Medical Center (Seattle and American Lake). He was previously a member of ethics committees at Allenmore Medical Center (Tacoma), Group Health Cooperative of Puget Sound (Seattle and Tacoma), and Western State Hospital. He authored Living Wills and More, a comprehensive guide for planning to avoid unwanted life-sustaining medical treatment. He has counseled and otherwise represented many clients in legal matters involving withholding and withdrawing life-sustaining treatment. In 2002 he received the Leadership Award from the Lambda Legal Society for his precedent-setting legal work to secure property rights for same-sex partners in Washington. He has been a member of C&C’s board since 1997.

Joanne Brekke, MPA
Joanne attended the University of Washington, receiving a B.A. in Sociology and later a Masters in Public Administration. She was elected to the Washington State Legislature in 1978, representing the 32nd District for 15 years. During her legislative career her personal interest lay with the social services, ensuring support was available for individuals of all ages including the poor, the vulnerable, and senior citizens. Joanne also served on the Board of Senior Services of Seattle-King County for six years, advocating on behalf of older adults in King County. More recently, she has been active volunteering with a number of organizations including C&C. Joanne currently serves on the Washington State Council on Aging.

Sheila B. Cook
Sheila was one of the first board members of the Hemlock Society of Washington State in the late 1980s. In 1991, she was a full-time volunteer coordinator for the Washington Citizens for Death With Dignity campaign (I-119). In 1993, she was one of eleven founders of Compassion In Dying. Since that time, Sheila was a case manager and served as C&C’s Case Management Coordinator for 15 years. For 25 years, she owned and operated a secretarial services business.

Alberta Golden, MLS
A retired community college librarian, Alberta served for six years on the board of CRONE, an organization for older women. Her interest in and support of C&C began in 1996 when she assisted with registration for a C&C program at the University of Washington. Alberta has a special interest in end-of-life decisions and leads classes about advance directives.

Judith Gordon, PhD
Dr. Gordon is a licensed psychologist with a psychotherapy practice in Seattle. She is also Clinical Professor of Psychology at the University of Washington where she does clinical research and supervises graduate students. For many years she conducted research, wrote, and trained mental health professionals in developing strategies for helping people change health risk behaviors. Her current focus is on research and policy regarding end-of-life decision-making. She chairs the Washington State Psychological Association (WSPA) End-of-Life Task Force. Judith Gordon was recently honored with the WSPA Social Issues Award.

Pamela J. Hanlon, RN, Esq. - Pamela, our newest board member, is a healthcare attorney and critical care nurse. She has seen firsthand how the lack of understanding and access to information about end-of-life choices affects terminally ill patients and their loved ones. Early in her nursing career, she published an article about her first experience advocating for a patient’s right to a peaceful death. At law school she studied under Compassion & Choices’ National Director of Legal Affairs, Kathryn Tucker, Esq. Since that time she has worked with various hospital and healthcare organizations implementing hospice and palliative care programs. More recently, she published an article in Bar News, the journal of the Washington State Bar Association, explaining how the Death With Dignity Act benefits the citizens of Washington. As a member of the Washington End of Life Consensus Coalition, she advocates for informed end-of-life choices through education and public outreach.

Arline Hinckley, ACSW, Secretary
Arline has long had an interest in the areas of personal freedom, choice, and end-of-life issues. Arline was a Public Health Social Worker for high risk pregnant women and infants. She also worked with the hematology/oncology team at the University of Missouri Medical Center, where she instructed medical students in the needs of dying patients and their families. She was a longtime Hemlock Society of Washington State board member and joined the C&C board in 2005. Arline now volunteers for a local hospice and is a case manager for C&C.

Midge Levy, ACSW, Vice President
Midge is a retired social worker with extensive experience in hospice. She has been involved in the right-to-die movement since her student days as a member of the Exit Society in the UK. She was a founding member of the Hemlock Society of Washington State, and served as its president from 1993-2005. Midge was Co-President of C&C’s board from 2005-2006 and is C&C’s Outreach Coordinator. She is also active with the Washington State Chapter of the National Association of Social Workers (NASW), served on their board and Executive Committee, and was a consultant for the NASW Policy on End-of-Life Decisions in 1993. Midge received the “Social Worker of the Year” award in 2000 for her legislative activities and continues to be an active member of the NASW’s Legislative Action Committee.

Catherine L. Longhi
Catherine joined the Board in 2000. She has been involved in medical ethics and issues of personal choice for many years. Over 20 years' experience as a health care administrator and personal experience with the needs of terminally ill people and their families have strengthened her commitment to C&C's principles.

Bruce Parker, DMin
Rev. Parker is a retired Ordained Elder of the United Methodist Church. Rev. Parker served for 42 years as a minister to congregations across Washington. He first became formally involved with the aid in dying movement in 1991 during the Initiative 119 campaign. After the Pacific Northwest Conference of the United Methodist Church voted to support I-119, he made a number of public presentations in support of the initiative. He also served for twelve years on the board of the Hemlock Society of Washington State before joining C&C’s board.

B. Kirk Robinson, Treasurer
Kirk joined the C&C board in 1995 and also served on the C&C National board. He comes to this post with a long-standing interest in the issue of death with dignity. Kirk served as president of Washington Citizens for Death With Dignity during the 1991 Initiative 119 campaign in Washington State and was the campaign’s chief spokesperson. He is owner and CEO of The Robinson Company, a construction management firm.

Thomas Smith, MD
Dr. Smith has been practicing medicine for 22 years and has provided care for those with HIV since the inception of the AIDS epidemic in the early 1980s when he was just beginning his career. He was a member of the original board of the Northwest AIDS Foundation and has been involved with the planning committee in the various AIDS housing options which have developed over the years. His diverse community involvement and his extensive experience in dealing with end-of-life issues are strengths that he brings to the board.