Lourdes (Alfie) Alvarado-Ramos

Alfie Alvarado serves as the Deputy Director of the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs.  She is responsible for the day to day agency operations.  She is the department’s health officer and represents the agency locally and nationally in all matters related to veterans’ health. 

Alfie was born in Puerto Rico and served 22 years on active duty retiring in August 1993 as the Command Sergeant Major of Madigan Army Medical Center in Fort Lewis, Washington.  During her military career, she was the recipient of numerous awards and decorations to include the Legion of Merit, Order of Military Medical Merit, Expert Field Medical Badge, and Meritorious Service Medals. 

Her experience and education center in the management of medical service delivery and human resources.  She is a graduate of the Harvard University John F. Kennedy School of Government Executive Program, the University of Washington Executive Management Program, and holds a Nursing Home Administrator’s license, having previously managed two state veterans’ homes in Washington State.

Alfie Alvarado is the Chair of the Governor’s Affirmative Action Policy Committee and a member of the Secretary of Veterans Affairs Minority Veterans Committee.  She serves on the boards of directors of the Madigan Foundation and Armed Forces Veterans Homes Foundation.  In addition, she is a member of the Resident Councils of Washington Advisory Board, Hispanic Women’s Network, and the National Association of Female Executives.

She has received numerous local, state, and national awards including the Governor’s Distinguished Management Leadership Award and the Lifetime Achievement Award for women in the military from the Young Women’s Christian Association (YWCA).  Alfie Alvarado resides in Olympia, Washington.

Jan Buchanan

Quindola has 25 plus years of experience in the military and currently serves as a battalion commander for a logistical support battalion.  She comes from a family of military veterans with her mother and father both being army veterans as well as her husband and now her daughter who is currently serving in IRAQ. 

Quindola has very eclectic background and brings to the table a wealth of knowledge in many areas to include administration and management of small to medium organizations.  Quindola utilizes her leadership experience to assist small organizations and non-profits with business mapping and strategic planning.

Elizabeth Johnston

Sharon Kirkpatrick
Vice President

• Master of Arts, Human Development
• Specialty, Educational Leadership
• Small Business Owner “When Hearts are Open, Bars Unlock”
• Facilitator, U.S. Department of Labor, WISE UP curriculum
•  Adjunct Faculty, Human Services, Western WA University
  (Olympic College campus).  “Non-profit Management”, Sociology, and Human Development classes. 
•  Instructor, Washington Corrections Center for Women, Interaction Transition Class
• Boy Scouts Scoutreach Volunteer
• Selected as 2006 Volunteer of the Year, Boy Scouts Chief Seattle Council, presented by Mayor Bozeman at Bremerton Convention Center
• 1999-2003, Girl Scouts Beyond Bars (GSBB) Coordinator, GS Seattle Council
• 2003 - Received the Golden Tennis Shoe Award from Senators Patty Murray and Hillary Clinton for creation of GSBB in WA State
• 1974-1999 U.S. .Department of Labor,  Women’s Bureau, Administrator (retired)
•  Awarded the NAACP’s Benjamin Hooks Award
• 1978-2003 -Served 24 years in U.S. Naval Reserve – mobilized into active duty after 9/11/01 for one year (2001/02); retired in January 2003.
• 2003 – Received Navy Achievement Medal
• June 1999 - Obtained Master of Arts Degree, Human Development, Pacific Oaks College-- Thesis:  “Children of Incarcerated Parents: When Hearts are Open, Bars Unlock”

• Employed and volunteered for over 30 years with organizations specializing in women’s employment issues, community resources, children of incarcerated parents, and women/families in transition

• Rotary member, Kingston, WA (Recently sponsored group of Korean Rotary members and served as mentor to Korean delegation)

Wendy
Ligon-Chapman
President

Wendy Ligon-Chapman serves as a citizen soldier in the Washington Army National Guard, where she holds the rank of First Sergeant.  As a civilian, she works as a Program Manager for Intel Corporation in DuPont, WA.  She is responsible for supporting the manufacturing of early Reference Design Vehicles in a Research and Development environment.

Wendy is originally from Miami Beach, Florida.  She joined the Army right after high school, and served on active duty for 10 years  on assignments that included Ft. Polk, Louisiana, Darmstadt, Germany, and Ft. Lewis, Washington.  In January of 1993, she decided to leave the Active Army, joined the Washington Army National Guard.  This enabled her to return to school full-time, while allowing her to continue to serve her country.  During her military career, she has been the recipient of numerous awards and decorations to include the Bronze Star Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, Army Achievement Medal, and NATO Medal.

While her experience and education span multiple fields, they all converge in management and human resources.  She graduated from The Evergreen State College with a Bachelor of Arts, and received her Master of Arts from the University of Phoenix in Organizational Management.

Wendy recently returned from an 18-month mobilization in support of Operation Enduring Freedom, in Afghanistan.  She resides in Lakewood, Washington.

Isabelle Long

Education:  Bachelor of Arts Degree in Social Studies
                  Associate of Science Degree in Nursing
                  Postgraduate Credits in Public Administration

Military Experience:  Commissioned an Ensign in the United States Navy in 1965.  Isabelle served for fourteen years on active duty and nine years in the Naval Reserve.  Her major areas of responsibility were in communications; personnel management; training and education and public relations.  She earned the Vietnam Service Medal and the National Defense Service Medal.  Her most notable assignment was as the Unrestricted Line Commanding Officer of the Manchester, New Hampshire Naval Hospital Bethesda Reserve Unit.  From 1971 through 1975, Isabelle served as the USS Forestall’s first Navy Ombudsman.  She retired as a Commander (LTC) in 1987.

Nursing Experience:  Isabelle graduated from Nursing School in 1981 and became a licensed Registered Nurse the same year.  She worked as a Medical Surgical Nurse for one year and then specialized in Psychiatry (1981-1982).  As a Psychiatric Nurse, she worked at a Veteran’s Administration Hospital as a Primary Care Nurse in a combined Post Traumatic Stress Vietnam Veteran’s Unit/Drug and Alcohol Treatment Program.  Isabelle held this position for three years after which she accepted a position at a private psychiatric hospital (1982- 1985).  Isabelle was employed as a Nurse Manager in a 30-bed drug and alcohol treatment unit.  She supervised a staff of Registered Nurses; Licensed Practical Nurses and Para-professional medical personnel.  This was a 28 days inpatient unit located in a 90 bed private psychiatric hospital (1985–1987).  In 1987, she accepted a position as Clinical Director for an inpatient drug and alcohol treatment facility located at the US Army Medical Activity in Berlin Germany (1987–1990).  In 1990, she accepted a position as a Drug and Alcohol Counselor at the Community Counseling Center, Second Armored Division Forward, Garlstedt, West Germany (1990-!991).  In 1991, she was assigned as the Employee Assistance Program Coordinator at the Army Facility, Bremerhaven, West Germany (1992).  Due to the fall of the Berlin Wall in 1989, many US Army Bases in Germany were closed.  Bremerhaven was scheduled for closure in 1993.  As her position was slated to be disestablished, she accepted a position with the US Marine Corps at Camp Lejeune, North Carolina.  From 1992 to 1995, she worked as the Family Readiness Program Coordinator at Camp Lejeune.  In this capacity, she managed the Key Wive’s Program (similar to Navy Ombudsman Program), Relocation Program, and the Special Needs Program (1992–1995).  In 1995, Isabelle accepted a position with the US Coast Guard as a Family Program Administrator.  This position entailed working with Coast Guard Commanders, active duty members and their families around issues of Domestic Violence.  She was responsible for providing prevention training, intervention and treatment coordination for both victim’s and perpetrators of family violence.  She was initially assigned to the Boston Family Program Office and was transferred to Seattle in 1996.  In the Seattle office, her area of responsibility included Washington, Oregon, Idaho, and Montana.  Isabelle worked in this position until the year 2000 when she retired.  Since her retirement, she has been active in various volunteer positions.  She has worked at the Kitsap Humane Society and the Kitsap County Battered Women’s Shelter.  Isabelle is also on the Board of Director’s for the Kitsap Chapter of the Military Officer’s Association of America.  She is currently serving as the Chapter’s First Vice President and Program Chairman.

Donna Lowery
Secretary/Treasurer

Jacqueline Morgan

Dr. Jacqueline Morgan was born in Shreveport, Louisiana, and received her Doctor of Medicine degree from Louisiana State University Medical School, New Orleans, Louisiana in 1965.  After completion of an internship at the U.S. Public Health Service Hospital, Baltimore, Maryland in 1966, she entered private practice in general medicine in Louisiana.  She entered the Air Force as a major in 1980.

During her first assignment, Dr. Morgan served as staff physician, Primary Care Clinic, from July to November 1980, and then served as the Chief of Professional Services USAF Hospital Barksdale, Barksdale AFB, Louisiana, until July 1983.  Her next assignment was as Chief of Professional Services, USAF Clinic Sembach, and Sembach AB, Germany where she remained until August 1984.  Dr. Morgan then moved to HQ USAFE, Office of the Surgeon, Ramstein AB, Germany, where she served as the Chief of Professional Services until August 1986.  From August 1986 to February 1988, she was the Commander, U.S. Hospital Incirlik, Incirlik AFB, Turkey, and was the first woman to serve as a medical facility commander in the Department of Defense.  Returning to CONUS, she served as Commander, 92nd Strategic Hospital, Fairchild AFB, Washington, from February 1988 to July 1990.  From there she was reassigned to Norton AFB, California, serving as the Chief, Active Duty Forces Inspection Division B, and HQ AFIA until September 1991.  From September 1991 until August 1994, she was the Associate Director, Air Force Medical Operations Agency, Office of the Surgeon General, Bolling AFB, D.C.  From August 1994 to August 1995, she was a graduate fellow, Department of Preventive Medicine and Biostatistics, Uniformed Services University of the Health Sciences, Bethesda, Maryland, and received a Master of Public Health – Health Care Administration.  In her last active duty assignment, she served as first deputy, from August 1995 to January 1996, and then as Command Surgeon/Director of Medical Services and Training, HQ AETC until her retirement, June 2000.  Dr. Morgan also was the first woman to serve as a Command Surgeon.

Dr. Morgan attended Aerospace Medicine Primary Course at Brooks AFB, Texas in 1982, and retired as a senior flight surgeon.  She completed both Air Command and Staff College (1982,) and Air War College (1993) in seminar.  She is board certified in Public Health and General Preventive Medicine.

Dr. Morgan’s military decorations include the Legion of Merit and Meritorious Service Medal with three oak leaf clusters.

In February 2005, she was appointed by the Secretary of Veterans Affairs to serve on the Department of Veterans Affairs Advisory Committee on Women Veterans.  She was appointed Vice Chair of the Committee in August 2006.

Dr. Morgan has four children and 3 grandchildren.  She lives in Seattle, Washington.

Liza Narciso

Liza Narciso serves as the Executive Assistant to the Deputy Director of the Washington State Department of Veterans Affairs.  She is currently our representative for the National Association of State Women Veterans Coordinators.

Liza was born in the Philippines and enlisted in the Army in Hawaii on February 1982.  She attended basic training at Fort Dix, New Jersey and her advance training at Fort Jackson, South Carolina.  Liza was assigned to the following duty stations:  Fort Leonard wood, Missouri and Schofield Barracks, Hawaii.  She served from 1982-1988. 

Her experience and education center in the Human Resources and Payroll.  She is a graduate of the Perpetual Help College in the Philippines and Central Texas College.  Liza’s work experience ranges from Collection Officer, Bank Single Vendor’s Service Insurance Representative, College Admissions Clerk, Assistant Registrar, Fiscal Technician, and Fiscal Analyst.

During her military career, she was awarded:  Army Achievement Medal, Good Conduct Medal and a graduate of Non-Commissioned Officer Primary Leadership School.

Maria Rivera

Maria came to the Yakima Vet Center in June 2005 from the Department of Children Services, Victorville office, San Bernardino County, California where she worked as a Case Manager.
 
Maria received a Master of Social Work Degree with a Health Administration Certificate from Eastern Washington University in June 2000.  She received her Bachelor of Arts Degree in Social Work from Eastern Washington University in 1998.  In 1982, she received an Associate of Arts Degree in Human Resources through the Community College of the Air Force.  She is also a Certified Parent Project and Anger Management Facilitator.  She was a Counselor Intern at the Spokane Veteran’s Outreach Center for both her MSW and BA Social Work Programs.

Maria is a Vietnam Era and Gulf War veteran who served in the U.S. Air Force from 1971 to 1993.  She was born in Puerto Rico and enlisted in the Air Force at Fort Hamilton, Brooklyn New York.  After Basic Training at Lackland AFB, and Technical School at Biloxi, Mississippi, Maria was stationed at Holloman AFB, New Mexico; Zaragoza AB, Spain; Det 12, 1 CEVG, Hawthorne, NV; Tyndall AFB, Florida; Joint Communications Group, NATO, Naples, Italy; Hill AFB, Utah; with Temporary Duty Assignments to Germany, Joint Task Force, Norfolk, VA and Dhahran, Saudi Arabia.

Maria was awarded the Meritorious Service Medal, the  Joint Service Commendation Medal, Air Force Achievement Medal w/2 Oak Leaf Clusters, Air Force Outstanding Unit Award w/2 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Air Force Good Conduct Medal  w/ 6 Oak Leaf Clusters, National Defense Service Medal w/1 Bronze Service Star, Southwest Asia Service Medal, Air Force Overseas Long Tour Ribbon w/1 Oak Leaf Cluster, Air Force Longevity Service Ribbon w/4 Oak Leaf Clusters, the Air Force Unit Service Medal and the Noncommissioned Officer Professional Military Education Graduate Ribbon w/1 Oak Leaf Cluster and the Air Force Training  Ribbon.

Maria is a member of the Readjustment Counseling Service Women Veterans Working Group; she also volunteers with the local Department of Social and Health Services, as a member of their Child Protective Team.

Marlene Poulson