Cascade Medical Board Welcomes two new Commissioners

When longtime Cascade Medical Board Member Helen Rayfield made the announcement to step away from her position, the Board of Commissioners faced the challenge of finding a person who could continue the large contributions Rayfield made while on the board.

It turned out the Board didn’t find just one well qualified candidate. In Gustavo Montoya and Jessica Kendall, they found two. Choosing between them would have been a difficult challenge, had Board Member Mary Helen Mayhew not decided to move up some plans she had. “I had planned on retiring in the next year or so and had not anticipated leaving at this moment. But, when you find good candidates that would carry on our values and look out for the values of our community, it seemed I could start that process quicker. At the end of the day, I’m glad we have some strong new commissioners, and believe they will bring their best to Cascade Medical.” Cascade Medical CEO Diane Blake said she was touched by Mayhew’s decision: “Mary Helen’s decision to step aside a bit earlier than she’d planned to allow the CM Board to grow in a new direction beautifully illustrates her attributes as a servant leader. She brought tremendous strength, insight, expertise, and collaboration to her many years of service as a commissioner, and I am deeply grateful for both her personally, and her contributions.”

So, in short order, one retirement announcement became two. On August 24, Montoya and Kendall were both sworn in as the newest members of the Cascade Medical Board of Commissioners.

According to Board Commissioner Bruce Williams, Montoya, and Kendall both bring needed attributes and perspective to the group. “When we were recruiting, we looked for individuals who were committed to our community, but also had lived experiences that would help us represent and serve the entire community and provide perspective that current commissioners might not provide. Gustavo has a strong business background, understands the Latino community, and is of a different demographic than our current commissioners. Jessica holds a master’s degree in Public Health, whose professional career has focused on increasing access to health care, and also is the parent of a young child. These are all essential voices we need in this room. We are excited to work with and learn from both of them.”

Kendall said she hopes to use her career-spanning experience with health and access for the benefit of Cascade Medical and the community it serves: “I think that across the country our health systems, and health care in general, have been in crisis for quite a while. I think Covid exacerbated that, through my professional work I’ve spent a lot of time working around the country and seeing how things are done. I don’t know how to run a hospital, but I do know how to ask questions. I can learn what’s actually going on here and I can share lessons learned from other places to lift up the great work that Cascade is doing.”

As for Montoya, it’s not just about using his voice on the Board, it’s about the voices he carries with him. “I think the last 10 years working with the community though the newspaper El Mundo gave me a good connection of who we are in our community, and at times I have found that positions of leadership do not have full representation of all people in the community. So, sometimes positions like this are not always how you get there, it is who you’re bringing with you. So, that’s part of my contribution - I have quite a bit of knowledge with the Latino community in our area, so I think that area of contribution and the overall vision can be a positive impact to the organization.”

Blake said she’s thrilled with the makeup of the new board. “Cascade Medical belongs to our whole community.  Our organization, and our board, consistently strive to increase access and connections for and to all members of our community.  The board’s vision to seek out leaders to give voice and perspective to more areas of our community is beautifully carried out by the appointments of Jessica and Gustavo.  Both will enhance and carry forward the exceptional work of the CM board.  I am excited to work with them in service to the community.”

For the moment, both new appointees said they’re excited to attack their learning curve. Montoya said, “I’ll be in listening mode. I want to learn. If I learn, then I can understand, and if I understand, then I can hope to make a difference.” Kendall agreed: “For me, I’m hoping I can listen, learn, and add perspective from a demographic that hasn’t been typically engaged or represented in this type of leadership.”

Kendall added, “The more we reach the broadest swath of folks, the healthier our community is going to be.”