Connection, Caregiving and Cat Loving
Board member Val Parrish is a connector in every sense of the word and is enthusiastically sharing the great work of Seattle Humane across her network.
Val joined the board in September 2023 after learning more about the opportunity from her friend, Annette Jacobs, who knows former Seattle Humane CEO Christopher Ross. Val told her, “This is a board I’ve always wanted to be on! It’s a perfect match with my love of animal welfare.” Val has been active on several high-profile boards in the Seattle area. She served on the Woodland Park Zoo board for nine years and is currently a community advisor on their animal care committee. Before that, she was on the boards of Overlake Medical Center Foundation, Make-a-Wish Foundation, Chihuly’s Seniors Making Art and Camp Fire Central Puget Sound.
Val’s relationship with Seattle Humane began many years ago and was instrumental in raising her four children to love and respect animals.
“Growing up, our four kids would have Seattle Humane food and toy donation drives at their birthday parties. To this day, they love helping animals as much as I do and hope to volunteer at Seattle Humane in the future.
Looking ahead, she would like to put her thirty years of fundraising skills to use to help support Seattle Humane’s strategic plan. “Providing affordable veterinary care to everyone is something that I am passionate about,” she shares. “The cost of care should not be a barrier to pet ownership. Many don’t realize that places like Seattle Humane provide low-cost services and have resource centers. I want to change that.”
Val grew up in Spokane and was surrounded by a variety of pets including cats, birds and rabbits. Early on, she knew she was a “cat lady” in training. Today she is mom to two stunning ragdolls named after Olivia Benson and Elliot Stabler on Law & Order SVU. She fell in love with ragdolls after seeing one on the cover of a cat book. “They are extremely spoiled and act like dogs following me everywhere, fetching toys and demanding attention.” When not busy making a difference in her community, Val spends her free time traveling, practicing Pilates and spending time with her cats and Jerry, her husband of 27 years.