Purpose
The purpose of the Stakeholder Advisory Committee (SAC) is to guide the development of the Justice Project (public health, safety and justice facility needs assessment). SAC members will act as liaisons to the communities or agencies they represent. They will share information about the study, bring feedback to the SAC meetings, and help build a plan that is reflective of community values. Through engaging communities and agencies they represent, SAC members will help develop community support for the recommendations in the Needs Assessment.
Meetings
Members
The Stakeholder Advisory Committee has 38 voting members. The County Council appoints the following members:
- Arlene Feld, Heather Flaherty, Harriet Markell, and Brooke Eolande: Behavioral Health and Social Service Providers (4) - may include but not limited to Mental Health and Substance Use Disorder (SUD), Housing Specialists, Domestic Violence Prevention, Re-entry Job Training, Philanthropic Specialists
- Jack Hovenier: Citizen - Behavioral Health (mental health and substance use disorder (SUD)) Advocate
- Chad Butenschoen, Atul Deshmane, Cliff Langley, Jon Mutchler, Deborah Hawley, Brel Froebe, Eli Wainman, Peter Frazier, RB Tewksbury: Citizen - Criminal Justice Advocate (9)
- Kendra Cook, Kara Mitchell Allen, Kristin Hanna (defense attorney), Teresa Bosteter, Eve Smason-Marcus: Individual with lived experience in the criminal justice system (5)
- David Goldman: Jail Resources/Service Providers
The following positions are appointed by their agency:
- Barry Buchanan: Whatcom County Council Member
- Satpal Sidhu / Tyler Schroeder: Whatcom County Administration
- Michael Lilliquist: Bellingham City Councilmember
- Seth Fleetwood: Bellingham Administration
- Anthony Hillaire (Lummi Nation), Roman Swanaset-Simmonds (Nooksack Indian Tribe): Tribal Nations (2)
- Scott Korthuis (Lynden), Mary Lou Steward: Small Cities (2)
- Stephen Gockley, Daniel Hammill, Perry Mowery, Darlene Peterson: Incarceration Prevention and Reduction Task Force (acting as the Law and Justice Council) (4)
- Rebecca Mertzig / David Crass: Bellingham Police
- Bill Elfo / Doug Chadwick: Whatcom County Sheriff
- Erika Lautenbach: Whatcom County Health Department
- Daron Smith: Teamsters Local 231 Whatcom County Corrections Business Unit
- Starck Follis / Maialisa Vanyo: Public Defender's Office
- Eric Richey: Prosecutor's Office
Vacancies and to apply
Term Information
- All terms expire and the committee will sunset when all phases of the needs assessment are complete.
- Council-appointed positions will not be refilled if vacancies occur after SAC Meeting #3
Authority