Washington Political Action for Candidate Election (PACE)
Contact the committee by clicking here.
The Washington PACE Committee members carryout state candidate endorsement and build grass roots networks through member political education and mobilization.
Adrian Bruton, LICSW. ACSW, OSW-C
PACE Committee Chair
Adrian Bruton is a transplant from Alabama to Olympia. She is a certified oncology social worker. She is in the process of working towards her DSW from The University of Alabama.
Ann Allen, LICSW
Western Washington Region
Ann Allen (LICSW) received a masters degree in social work in 1988 from the Michigan State University. She works in Seattle in integrated behavioral health care at a healthcare clinic focused on working with Asian-Pacific Islanders and immigrants at International Community Healthcare Services. She is a behavioral health provider and a specialist in high utilizers of emergency services, complex care, homeless, and co-occurring disorders. She is also a practicum instructor for Seattle University and the University of Washington advance degree programs.
Nichelle Curtis-McQueen, MSW
Legislative Action Committee Chair
Nichelle earned her BSW from the University of Indianapolis and MSW from Simmons University (formally Simmons College). Nichelle is originally from Indiana and has lived in Washington since 2012. She lives in Federal Way, serves as the co-chair the City of Federal Way Diversity Commission, and works for the State of Washington Juvenile Rehabilitation as a compliance manager.
Garrett Hebel, MSW, LICSW, SUDP
Chapter President 2021-2023
With a Bachelors in Social Work and Spanish from Loras College in Dubuque, IA, and a Master of Social Work from Loyola University of Chicago, Garrett moved to Seattle in 2016 when he joined Harborview Medical Center in Seattle to serve as a Mental Health Practitioner, in which he provides outpatient assessment, case management, referral, and group and individual therapy for clients with mental health and substance use disorders. Garrett holds licenses in WA as an Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker and Substance Use Disorder Professional.
Brigitte Folz, LICSW
Western Washington Region
Brigitte Folz has been a social worker since 1982 when she graduated with her MSW from the UW. She is proud to join the Legislative Action Committee. Brigitte was a child immigrant during the post WW2 migrations and resettlements of the 1950s and was the first in her family to attend college. This shaped her commitment and career dedicated to serving vulnerable populations. Behavioral Health has been her area of career focus and commitment. She retired from Harborview Medical Center in 2020. She remains active in her role of affiliated UWSSW faculty as clinical assistant professor; Brigitte served on the NASW-WA chapter board for many years, most recently as VP for Finance and currently serves as PACE treasurer.
Christine Ingersoll, MSW, ACSW, LICSW
Western Washington Region
Christine has been a social worker since 1976, working first in residential treatment for children, special needs foster care and adoption, and then transitioning to hospital based medical social work and then to home based hospice care. After retiring from full time work, Christine continued with a small practice providing individual supervision for social workers working towards licensure. She is a strong advocate for social work, and has mentored many people in the profession.
Midge Levy, LICSW
Western Washington Region
Midge Levy retired from many years of working in Seattle at Group Health Cooperative as a social work manager in Home Health and Hospice, also as a member of the HIV/AIDS team. She served on the board of NASW WA for many years as well as the board of End of Life WA, and worked on the successful passage of the WA Death with Dignity law in 2008.
Michelle Landrum, LSWAIC
Membership Engagement Committee Co-Chair, Western Washington
As a Membership Engagement Committee Co-Chair, Michelle would love to spread the word and bring more social workers into this valuable organization. Michelle has been on the Membership Engagement Committee since she began as a MSW Student Rep in the fall of 2019. Michelle currently works within Indian Child Welfare. Michelle earned her BSW from Northern Arizona University and MSW is from UW-Seattle. Go Dawgs!
Vernon Loke, Ph.D.
Eastern Washington
Vernon Loke, PhD, is currently the Associate Dean at the College of Professional Programs, and Professor of Social Work, at Eastern Washington University. Vernon’s practice and research focus on program development and evaluation, financial empowerment, asset building, legislative engagement and advocacy, and consumer protections. He also volunteers on the boards of several social service organizations and advocacy groups.
Allison Weide
BSW Student Representative FY 2023
Allison cares about the standards and values of the NASW and the profound impact social workers have. She is working towards her BSW with concentrations in Trauma Studies and Substance Use Disorder. As the first President of my university’s Student Social Work Association, she appreciates collaborating with people who share the same values and are held to the same ethical standards. She believes individual struggles are the result of larger systemic injustices and we must attend to immediate needs while simultaneously working to change the system and remove the barriers that maintain social inequalities. Volunteering on multiple school boards in different communities has cultivated her ability to work with diverse groups of people. Past work as a Preschool Director strengthened indispensable skills like time management, adaptability, and attention to detail. Allison is confident that her education and experience will make her a well-qualified candidate for this position.