Board:
Noell Krughoff, she/her, Treasurer, is a new transplant in the State of Washington, moving with her husband, Tom, from Indiana to Tacoma in 2019 to be near family. Noell serves on the Policy Committee of the Friends Committee on National Legislation and worked previously with the Indiana Friends Committee on Legislation. Noell is a current member of Tacoma Friends Meeting and formerly Indianapolis First Friends Monthly Meeting, Western Yearly Meeting. Contact Noell Krughoff.
Ranae Hanson, she/her, Clerk of the Environmental Stewardship Working Group, is a member of Minneapolis Friends Meeting and, since moving to Seattle in 2021, an attender of University Friends Meeting. She’s the author of Watershed: Attending to Body and Earth in Distress, which weaves a love-song to the waters of her homelands together with stories from her climate-refugee students. Threaded through the book is the tale of Ranae’s own dying beta cells and stories of the despair and determination that allow many to live with type 1 diabetes and, similarly, through climate disaster. Contact Ranae Hanson.
Sam Merrill, he/him, Clerk of the Criminal Justice Working Group, began attending Quaker meeting in Pennsylvania in 1974, and joined Olympia Friends Meeting in 2004 when he retired and moved to Washington State. He is also active in the Audubon Society and Citizens’ Climate Lobby. Professionally, he has authored or co-authored three books on mathematical methods in political science. Contact Sam Merrill.
Susan Cozzens, she/her, Clerk, lives in Redmond, on the east side of the Seattle area. A retired policy professor, she has served on the Board of the American Friends Service Committee and the general committee of the Friends Committee on National Legislation and coordinates a network of Quaker state-level legislative action groups. She is a member of Eastside Friends Meeting in Bellevue. Contact Susan Cozzens.
Terry Thorsos, Clerk of Finance and Fundraising, is a native Washingtonian. After attending Quaker meetings for worship in Rochester, NY, she found her spiritual home in Eastside Friends Meeting upon returning to Greater Seattle. She is extraordinarily appreciative of the accomplishments of Quaker Voice and its prior incarnation and has provided administrative support for Quaker Voice policy advocates since 2000. Contact Terry Thorsos.
Verna Lilly, she/her, Clerk of the Economic Justice Working Group, is a retired Licensed Practical Nurse who volunteers for several non-profit agencies that work with underserved groups and populations as well as disaster/emergency services. Verna began attending San Antonio Friends meeting in in 1993, became a member of the Luxembourg Monthly Meeting (London Yearly Meeting) in 1997, and is currently clerk of Tacoma Friends Meeting. As part of a personal effort to be a more active Quaker citizen, she stepped up her work in Quaker Voice in 2020. Contact Verna Lilly.
Staff:
Paul Benz, he/him, Senior Legislative Advocate, has been a long-time social justice leader in Washington state’s religious community. Over his 10 years with the Faith Action Network (2011-2021), he marched with people in the streets and halls of power related to a $15 minimum wage, farmworker safety, cutting gun violence, addressing climate catastrophes, fighting a Muslim ban, welcoming refugees, declaring that Black lives matter, challenging policies that perpetuate poverty, assuring food security, increasing affordable housing, standing with the voiceless, caring for neighbors, improving health care, reforming immigration policies, caring for children, seniors, women and more. In addition to Quaker Voice, he is working as the lead lobbyist for the Washington Coalition for Police Accountability. Before his time as Co-Director of Faith Action Network, he served as director of the Lutheran Public Policy Office of Washington (2000-2010). He is an ordained minister of the Evangelical Lutheran Church in America. Contact Paul Benz.
Jacob Squirrel, they/them, Legislative Advocate. The focus and discipline Jacob developed as a child in a caring mixed ethnic family carried over to a number of different callings as an adult: martial arts instructor, artist, ecological designer, and carpenter. A love of people and collaboration has given Jacob decades of experience in group process and community. Their current passion is organizational development with a focus on Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging. Jacob attends Olympia Monthly Meeting, and currently serves as Finance Committee Chair. Jacob enjoys gardening, board games, and fixing things. Contact Jacob Squirrel.
Gabi Clayton, she/her, Webspinner, is a nontheist Quaker in Olympia, Washington. She is a ‘red diaper baby’, a visual artist, graphic and website designer, the ‘digital publication manager’ of OLY ARTS magazine, and co-owner/publisher of Mud Flat Press. Contact Gabi Clayton.