Trustee
Laura Crooks was named the first Chief Executive Officer at Yakima Children’s Village in January 2019. Children’s Village provides 35 specialty pediatric healthcare services to children with medical and behavioral health needs and their families throughout the Yakima Valley region. She has also been appointed to the Board of Directors for Rod’s House, a Yakima non-profit focused on providing services to homeless youth with the goal of ending youth homelessness, as well as Triumph Treatment Center, which is focused on serving persons experiencing substance use disorder with a particular focus on pregnant and parenting women. She also serves on the executive committee for the Kittitas Health Network.
Before her current role, Laura dedicated 25 years of her career to Seattle Children’s Hospital. She began as an Occupational Therapist, specializing in children with complex medical needs and their families. Her journey at the hospital saw her overseeing various departments, culminating in her Senior Director of Experience role. In this capacity, she led the hospital in enhancing the human experience of care and fostering better relationships between providers, staff, patients, and families.
On a personal level, Laura and her husband, Todd, have taken a proactive stance on mental health. They established the Chad’s Legacy Project, a non-profit that champions improved care for those living with mental illness. The project focuses on education and research for effective treatment and cures. Their efforts were pivotal in organizing the Washington State Mental Health Summit, a collaborative platform that brings together stakeholders from education, healthcare, insurance, and government to drive innovations in mental health care across Washington.
