The Snoqualmie Valley Hospital Foundation, a non-profit organization created to fund projects for the hospital itself, has voted Jill Green to the executive director position. Green has worked for four years as the hospital’s public information officer and marketing director.
As the executive director, Green leads the board of directors in funding capital projects for the hospital. Started in 2006, the foundation’s board of directors is made up of 11 members from the community including Kevin Hauglie, Jay Rodne, Ryan Roberts, and Steve Weaver.
The board organizes fundraisers and events to support the projects designed to improve the hospital and is currently working on gift shop and garden project for the new building.
“As far as the projects go, we are working on a healing garden. The idea is to promote health and recovery for patients, a sanctuary where they can go outside in peace with their family members. One part we are working on is bricks that people can get engraved, whether it’s a family name or a memorial for someone,” Green said.
“The other project is our gift shop. That should be ready at the end of July. It will have things like cards, local artists. We haven’t finalized the inventory but it will have a local flair.”
While the gift shop is only a month away from completion, the garden is still in the planning phase. Green said the foundation is in talks with Absher Construction, the company that built the hospital, to design the plans. The garden was planned for development since 2014, but has taken longer than other projects to get started.
“The gift shop is a newer idea. If you think about a healing garden it involves benches, trees, landscaping, it’s not necessarily that it will take longer but it’s about getting the design and plans in place,” Green said. “I am very excited for that. It’s going to be a fantastic addition to the hospital and it’s going to be a unique draw for community members.”
Working with the hospital
Before starting public relations work for the Snoqualmie Valley Hospital, Green was the sales manager for the Issaquah Press for seven years. Through that job she found her way to Snoqualmie.
“I met with Rodger (McCollum, the former CEO of the hospital), I was his sales rep. I got to know him and he knew that I had a good work ethic and follow through,” Green said. “I have a journalism background, he told me about this new position they wanted to write articles, manage the website and handle the ad campaign. I felt this was a good fit for me.”
Balancing roles
Starting in 2012 as the hospital’s public information officer, Green worked with Fritz Ribary, who was then the marketing director. When Ribary left the position in 2012, Green was promoted to marketing director. Now she handles the marketing side of the hospital and manages the foundation.
“I manage the website, write all of the press releases, manage media relationships, come up with flyers and advertising campaigns and plan those, and maintain our branding consistently,” she said. “I thrive on being busy and the challenge of the next exciting thing, and even when I worked for the Press I was juggling 30 different jobs at the time. You have to be precise, organized and detailed. I thrive in that environment.”
When former executive director Eric Kaltenbacher left the foundation in 2014, Tom Parker, then COO of the hospital considered Green for the role. Kaltenbacher developed a five-year strategic plan for the foundation and Green worked with him to revise the plan in 2014, including a fundraising golf tournament.
“When Eric was here in 2014 he put together a five-year strategic plan,” Green said. “So there are plans to add new events and new fundraising opportunities, the healing garden and the golf tournament are the main ones they want to focus on.”
Green is very thankful for her colleagues who collaborate and work with her on her various projects.
“The great thing is the people that I work with,” she said. “I’ll have marketing meetings and they are just so willing to dive in and give me ideas on what they can see the patients need and I don’t feel alone at all, we all collaborate and work together. To make sure people know about (the hospital) and come here.”
