CELEBRATE UNITED PANEL ANNOUNCED

Wendy Bart graduated from UCLA in 1985 with a Bachelor of Science in Kinesiology. She began her Y career 38 years ago as a Fitness Director at the Bellevue YMCA, a branch of the YMCA of Greater Seattle, where she had been a member since the age of 6. She spent 11 years there, eventually serving as the Associate Executive Director. Wendy then accepted a position as Executive Director of the Marysville YMCA in Snohomish County, Washington, and became actively involved in Y-USA’s Healthy Communities Initiative and Activate America. In 2009, she accepted a concurrent role with Y-USA to be an Activate America Facilitator and served as a Master Trainer/Facilitator for the YMCA’s Diabetes Prevention Program. In 2010, Wendy returned to the YMCA of Greater Seattle where she served as the Senior Vice President/Chief Membership & Health Officer, responsible for member engagement and healthy living programs, including chronic disease prevention and management. Wendy has been the CEO of the Olympic Peninsula YMCA since 2020, providing strategic leadership and vision for three branches serving Clallam and Jefferson County.

Wendy serves as the Public Policy Chair for the Washington State Alliance of Y’s, is a board member of the Small and Midsize YMCA Network for the U.S., serves on the Washington State Department of Commerce’s Youth Recreational Facilities Committee, and is a member of the Y-USA Board of Directors.

In 2023, Wendy received the Women of Excellence Award from the Women’s Leadership Resource Network, a YMCA of the USA recognized employee resource group, in recognition of her work in diversity, equity, and inclusion with the Olympic Peninsula YMCA and among the greater YMCA community.

For almost 40 years, the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Olympic Peninsula has played a critical role in the lives of countless local youth. Clubs in Sequim and Port Angeles are open year-round and provide a safe, nurturing space for more than 300 young people aged 4 -18 daily. Membership fees are an affordable $30 per year and include transportation from local schools. Teens attend for free and have access to expanded hours during the evenings and weekends. 

Every day after school, and during school vacations, the Clubs provide nutritious meals and healthy snacks, an array of fun, engaging programs that support academic success, health and wellness, the arts, workforce readiness as well as provide leadership opportunities. The Great Futures preschool helps four-year-olds become kindergarten ready.

Mary Budke has worked her way up through several staff positions at the Club to become the CEO in 2011. In addition to her BA in Sociology and her master's in education, Mary is a graduate of the Evans School of the University of Washington, Nonprofit Executive Leadership. This year, she celebrated her 20-year anniversary working for the Boys & Girls Clubs of the Olympic Peninsula.

Wendy Sisk joined Peninsula Behavioral Health in 2002. She holds a Master of Science in Counseling Psychology from Central Washington University and is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor.

Before joining the PBH team, Wendy worked at Community Psychiatric Clinic (Seattle), where she provided after hours crisis support and served as the Residential Screener. She also worked for Fairfax Hospital (Kirkland) as an Evaluator on the Psychiatric Assessment Team. She served as a volunteer for four years as a Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Advocate in Ellensburg.

Wendy was initially hired as a Case Manager but has primarily worked as a Designated Mental Health Professional since 2004. In 2010, Wendy was promoted to supervise Crisis Intervention Services and a year later also assumed responsibility for the Community Support Services. Wendy was promoted to the position of Clinical Director on August 9, 2014. In 2016, Wendy was promoted to the position of Chief Executive Officer.