About Us | Board Members

Board Members

Our board members include parents, friends, and professionals who have a deep desire to help younger adults with disabilities reach their full potential.

President

• Therese Vafaeezadeh, MSN, ARNP

  Executive Director
  Tavon Center
  Therese is the Executive Director of Tavon Center. She is the mother of a 28-year-old young woman with disabilities. Therese has been a nurse for over 30 years and a nurse practitioner for eight years. She has spent most of her career at Seattle Children's, working with children and teens with disabilities. She currently works part time in the Autism Center.

Chairman

• Cathy Dempsey

  Construction Manager
  Hines NW
  Cathy is a construction manager for a development company in Seattle. She has three daughters and is involved in Tavon because she wants to see young adults with disabilities have something they can look forward to each day. She also wants to see parents of children with disabilities get some relief from their daily challenges by having a place they know is safe and educational for their children.

Members

• Bill Dempsey, Sr.

  Retired
  Tavon Center Chairman Emeritus
  Bill is a retired Boeing Aerospace Engineer. After retirement, Bill has been active in small property development projects in the greater Seattle area. He and his wife, Joan, have a personal interest in seeing that The Tavon Center succeeds in that they have a young adult granddaughter with developmental disabilities.

• Bill Dempsey, Jr.

  Vice President
  Lakeside Industries
  Bill is an executive at an Issaquah-based paving company. He is the uncle of a young adult with disabilities and brings expertise in the construction field to the Tavon project. Bill is married with two sons.

• Molly Dempsey

  Senior Marketing Communications Manager
  Microsoft
  Molly cares deeply about filling the gap in services for young adults with disabilities and thier families. The mother of two sons, Molly has a niece with severe developmental disabilities and has seen first-hand the importance of creative, inclusive, vibrant programs like Tavon Center. As a board member, she contributes by maintaining the Tavon Center web site and managing communications and creative projects.

• Sheila Giaudrone

  Sheila has a background in education.  She has been an elementary and middle school teacher. She has also worked as a special education teacher, working with students with cognitive, physical and emotional disabilities in a self-contained classroom and as a resource room teacher.  Sheila feels privileged to be on the board of Tavon as it strives to improve the quality of life for young adults and their families. She is married with two sons and is a proud new grandmother.

• Janet Morse

  Janet's involvement in the world of disabilities began unexpectedly eighteen years ago when her son was born with Down syndrome.  It has evolved into a passion for helping children and adults with disabilities lead full and meaningful lives.  Janet has a background in business, educational advocacy, and community volunteerism.  She and her husband, John, are the proud parents of five children.

• Susan Parker

  Sue is the mother of three children.  Her oldest daughter, Leah, is 26 years old and has Cerebral Palsy.Through Susan's committed dedication and advocacy, Leah has become a contributing member of the community.

• David Rimmer

  Member Solutions Manager
  Verity Credit Union
  David has worked in the banking industry for forty years.  He has extensive experience volunteering as the chairman of the finance committee for a variety of non-profit organizations.  David has three grown children and four active grandsons. Having had a sister who suffered from severe birth defects, David understands the importance of the programs provided by Tavon and supports their mission.

• Maggie Rimmer

  Retired
  Maggie recently retired from HomeStreet Bank after a long career in banking services and real estate lending. She is enjoying being able to spend more time with her grandsons. Maggie has always donated generously of her time, talents and resources in support of groups and organizations which assisted children in need. She has been an active supporter of the Tavon auctions and is honored to be a member of the board.

• Erin Varriano, JD

  Attorney
  Lee Smart
  Erin is an attorney at a local law practice and has an adult cousin with a disability. She provides legal advice to Tavon Center.