Puget Sound native and lifelong animal rescue advocate, Lynda Silsbee, fondly recalls adopting pets from Seattle Humane with her family while growing up in Lynnwood. “Seattle Humane was and remains a trusted animal welfare authority in the community,” Lynda says. So, naturally, when Lynda decided to pursue board-level opportunities supporting animal welfare initiatives, Seattle Humane was the clear choice.
Since joining Seattle Humane’s board of directors in 2012, Lynda is proud to have been part of the organization during our capital campaign, the most lucrative fundraising effort in our 125-year history. The campaign brought to life our state-of-the-art Bellevue campus. “I was particularly passionate about the medical facility and the teaching hospital,” Lynda says.
The Schuler Family Medical Center, where all of Seattle Humane’s in-house veterinary services are performed, also serves as an educational hub for veterinary students from institutions that include the Washington State University School of Veterinary Medicine and Pima Medical Institute. Our facility provides a real-life clinic setting in which the schools’ faculty guide and mentor future generations of veterinary professionals.
“Another point of pride is playing a role in finding our current chief executive officer,” says Lynda, who headed the search committee in 2019, culminating in the hiring of Christopher Ross to fill the role. “Finding that right person in Christopher and onboarding him when we did is something I am really proud of.” Lynda adds that his leadership has been instrumental in developing and implementing Seattle Humane’s Vision 2026 strategic plan.
Along with providing quality care for pets in our community, Lynda is equally passionate about supporting Seattle Humane’s staff who make that possible. One of Seattle Humane’s five strategic priorities is to invest in our people.
“Changing the narrative around careers in the veterinary and animal welfare industries will lay a blueprint for the workplace culture at Seattle Humane and other organizations, fostering a culture of growth for the next generation of animal welfare leaders,” Lynda says.
Outside of her contributions to Seattle Humane, Lynda is the founder and principal consultant of Performance Dimensions Group, a leadership and organizational effectiveness consulting firm. Outside of board duties and her occupation, Lynda enjoys spending quality time with her husband, Jay, and senior cat, Belle (turning 18 in 2023). And any time the sun is shining, you can try to keep up with Lynda as she hits the open roads for long-distance bike rides.
