Effective July 1, 2022, Lifelong’s Board of Directors has appointed Erica Sessle as its new Chief Executive Officer, to continue its mission of advancing health equity in Washington State.
“I’ve been fortunate to lead different types of health programs around the world but, after several decades of global work, I wanted to lead an organization serving my local community," she says. "This desire has only intensified over the last few years as I have seen the COVID pandemic disproportionally affect BIPOC communities and the medically marginalized here in Seattle and the Puget Sound Region.”
Ms. Sessle has lived in Seattle since 2004 and has worked extensively in Africa, Asia, and Latin America. In her two decades as a leader in the health sciences, Ms. Sessle most recently served as Chief of Staff at PATH, and has had key leadership roles at the Fred Hutchinson Cancer Center and at the Allen Institute for Brain Science. She also worked for the US Department of State, implementing plans for countries and regions served by PEPFAR, the US government’s international HIV/AIDS program.
“Erica has cultivated a deep understanding of health inequity’s underlying causes — from those rooted in global systems to those at the local, community levels,” said Dwight Hutton, President of Lifelong’s Board of Directors. “We were impressed with her vast background and how she plans to use that experience to bring an innovative approach to reaching the most medically vulnerable people that Lifelong serves.”
Under Ms. Sessle’s leadership, Lifelong will continue its important work reaching thousands of clients every year in Seattle and around Puget Sound. She will lead Lifelong’s team in efforts to accelerate health equity through a portfolio of projects across the state, and her deep public health and leadership experience will help propel Lifelong’s mission for health equity forward.
About Lifelong
At Lifelong we break down obstacles that limit equitable opportunities for all people to live their healthiest lives. We have been addressing social determinants of health and working to fight stigma with community members and organizations since the onset of the AIDS epidemic in the early 80s. We continue to do so today in the face of new public health crises including COVID, obesity, diabetes, and racism. Our holistic programs offer connection to vital services including food and nutrition, housing, healthcare navigation, aging and disability support, care and prevention, and other vital resources. Lifelong is a nonprofit 501(c)3 community-based organization with service areas centers in Bellingham, Everett, and Seattle and remote services available throughout Washington State.