Olivia Houck

(she/her)

Operations Manager

Olivia joined the team in May 2025 and brings a wide depth of experience from multiple industries, including restaurant office management, retail management and executive level support in the fire industry. Her prior experience in the fire industry had her managing everything from schedules to the budget process. It also fed her love for community engagement and support, which is what drew her to her position here with WHC.

Born in California, she spent most of her adolescence in Beaverton, Oregon, where she met her husband right after high school. Outside of work Olivia loves to travel, especially anywhere warm, and spend time with her family. With two children whose lives revolve around baseball and gymnastics, plus two dogs, Olivia calls herself a professional chaos coordinator.

Elaine Lozier

Clinical Advisory Panel Manager

elozier@willamettehealthcouncil.org

Elaine Lozier has served as the Clinical Advisory Panel (CAP) Manager at the Willamette Health Council since March 2026. In this role, she supports the facilitation and coordination of the Clinical Advisory Panel, strengthening communication and collaboration between providers, partners, and the CCO.

Originally from Polk County and now residing in Marion County, Elaine brings a strong connection to the region alongside extensive experience in healthcare program management and community health. She is deeply committed to advancing equitable, community‑driven health systems across both counties.

Melissa Lindley

(she/her)

Grants & Communications Manager

mlindley@willamettehealthcouncil.org

Melissa has been working in the nonprofit and local government sectors for over twenty-five years and has been interested in the healthcare field since high school. Melissa’s varied interests led her to work in the fields of food security, public health, legal advocacy for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, and hospice care over her career. She joined WHC as the Community Advisory Council Manager in May of 2024, after serving on the committee as a volunteer for several years. In September of 2024, Melissa moved into her current role at WHC.

Community involvement is important to Melissa, and she has a long history of leadership in the Rotary eClub of the Willamette Valley. She currently serves on the board of the Chemeketa Foundation and volunteers for Willamette Vital Health (hospice) giving workshops on advance directives. Melissa grew up in Salem and holds a bachelor’s degree from Western Oregon University in Criminal Justice with a minor in Spanish. When not working, Melissa enjoys practicing and teaching yoga and sound meditation, gardening, and tries to be outside as much as possible. She’s a fair-weather paddleboarder and enjoys traveling with her family, as well as hosting Rotary exchange students from around the world. Melissa lives in Salem with her husband, teenage son, two chickens, and dog.

Julie Bennett

(she/her)

Finance Manager

jbennett@willamettehealthcouncil.org

Julie has over twenty years of experience in healthcare administration. She joined the Willamette Health Council in June 2023 as Senior Executive Assistant, moved into a Finance and Operations role in 2024, and assumed the role of Finance Manager in 2026. She provides essential financial management and oversight that support the health council’s mission and sustainability.

Julie has extensive experience in behavioral health and serving individuals enrolled in the Oregon Health Plan, giving her a strong understanding of healthcare systems, Medicaid funding, budgeting, and compliance. She studied Medical Office Management at Monterey Peninsula College.

Born and raised in Oregon, Julie lives with her two children and two cats, Cora and Charlie-Bear. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, attending concerts, and spending time with her family.

Trisha Kumar, MPH

(she/her)

Community Health Manager

tkumar@willamettehealthcouncil.org

Trisha has over ten years of experience in the non-profit and healthcare sectors, where she has been led by her passions for community self-determination, good data, and responsive action. She joined the Willamette Health Council team as the Community Health Manager in April 2023. She is passionate about contributing to a healthcare environment that promotes thriving instead of surviving. On behalf of the health council and the Marion-Polk CCO, she collaborates with local health system partners and organizations, through the Marion-Polk Community Health Collaborative (M-P CHC), to lead the development and implementation of the Community Health Assessment (CHA) and Community Health Improvement Plan (CHIP), focusing primarily on initiatives working to improve Access to Healthcare, Housing Stability, and Mental Health & Substance Use. She sits on the Mid-Willamette Valley Homeless Alliance’s Health & Safety Committee, and staffs the M-P CHC’s Tribal Engagement Workgroup.

Prior to the health council, she worked as a Hatfield Fellow for The Malden Collective, program evaluator for the Doernbecher Gender Clinic, and medical scribe. After receiving her BA with a major in Biology and a minor in Theatre with a focus in dance from Lewis & Clark College, she attended the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health to receive her Master’s in Public Health in Health Systems Management & Policy. She serves on the Board of Directors for the Portland Experimental Theatre Ensemble, the Lewis & Clark Young Alumni Association, and as a Certified Yoga Teacher volunteering in spaces like the Bybee Lakes Hope Center. Though she was born and raised in California, she has fallen in love with the Pacific Northwest and has called it home since 2012, where in her spare time she enjoys birding, social dancing, and sewing. She currently resides in Portland, with her husband, daughter, and retired racing greyhound.

Heather Pascoe-Rosenthal, MPH

(she/her)

System of Care Manager

hpascoe@willamettehealthcouncil.org

Heather has nearly ten years of experience working in the non-profit and healthcare sectors, focusing on public and community health, system coordination and partnership, health policy, and continuous improvement work. She is passionate about outcomes driven by community connection and the elevation of community voices, especially those of our youngest community members. In 2020, she was hired by PacificSource Community Solutions as the System of Care Coordinator and eagerly agreed to continue this work with the Willamette Health Council, as the System of Care Manager, in July of 2022.

Prior to the Health Council and PacificSource, Heather worked at Samaritan Health Services and Avamere Rehabilitation. Heather holds a Bachelor’s of Kinesiology with minors in Public Health and Health Policy and a Master’s of Public Health (Health Management and Policy) from Oregon State University. Within the community, she serves as the Co-Chair of the L-SOC Affinity Space for the State SOC Advisory Council and lends to efforts led by other community-based organizations within the region. Heather is a native of Oregon, born in Woodburn, and resides in Wilsonville with her husband, her energetic border collie, and a whole herd of horse friends.

Lisa Parks

Community Advisory Council Manager

lparks@willamettehealthcouncil.org

Lisa Parks brings over 25 years of experience in nonprofits, county government, and behavioral health clinical settings. Her career includes roles such as Mental Health Practitioner, Behavioral Health Rehab Practitioner, Qualified Mental Health Associate, Quality Improvement Coordinator, and Strategist for Health Information Technology. She joined the Willamette Health Council in 2021 and has served in various roles: Clinical Advisory Panel Program Manager, Director of Equity and Belonging, and continues that work in her current role as Community Advisory Council Manager. Lisa holds an International MBA with a focus on rural public health and BA in Linguistics with a minor in Colonization from the Canadian Institute of English and Applied Neuroscience.
A native of Oregon, Lisa is a cultural traveler who enjoys spending time with her friends and cat, Aga.

Josie Silverman-Méndez, MPH (she/her)

Interim Executive Director

jsilverman@willamettehealthcouncil.org

Josie has over 15 years of nonprofit, state government and health plan experience, having led numerous community health and social justice initiatives. She joined the Willamette Health Council as Deputy Director in September 2022 and oversaw operations, community health, community investment strategy, and communications for the organization. She became Interim Executive Director of WHC in September 2026. Prior to the joining the Willamette Health Council, Josie served as the Director of the Marion-Polk Coordinated Care Organization at PacificSource.

Currently, Josie is a member of the Governor’s Racial Justice Council and co-chair of the Health Equity & Human Services Committee. She is also a board member of the Mid-Willamette Valley Homeless Alliance and the Center for Hope & Safety. In addition, she chairs the Marion-Polk Community Health Collaborative, which is the local leadership group that oversees the region’s shared Community Health Assessment and Community Health Improvement Plan. Josie was born in Idaho, grew up in the Dallas and Salem areas (a graduate of Sprague High School), and has lived, studied, and worked in Seattle, New York City, South and Southeast Asia, and Central America. She resides in Salem with her husband, Jose, and their puppy, Chispa. Josie holds a bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington in Philosophy with a minor in Medical History and Ethics and a master’s in Public Health from Columbia University.

Meet Melissa! Our new Community Advisory Council Manager!