From left to right, Companis Worker Mary Hsu, ELC Manager Debbie Carlsen, and ChildStrive CEO Mary Cline-Stively.
High-quality early learning opportunities shape the future of our children, yet access to affordable child care and strong advocacy for early educators remain critical challenges. That’s why Companis is proud to be a partner with the Snohomish County Early Learning Coalition (ELC), which is dedicated to addressing these issues, ensuring every child has the support they need to thrive. With the help of dedicated long-term volunteer placements from Companis, the ELC has been able to grow and advance its mission.
The Power of Skilled Volunteers
When ChildStrive, the nonprofit fiscal sponsor of the ELC, realized they needed dedicated resources to expand the coalition’s work, they turned to Companis.
“We reached out to Companis because we were not in a position to make a hire, and knew we needed dedicated resources that a Companis placement could bring,” says Mary Cline-Stively, CEO of ChildStrive.
We placed Debbie Carlsen with the ELC in 2023 in the role of program manager. With a background in advocacy and a growing passion for early childhood education, Debbie was eager to take on the challenge.
“When Companis approached me with the opportunity to grow the ELC, I reflected on where my passion lay. I realized that, after having a child, I was led to early childhood development and early learning, and I was excited to learn more and be of service to early learning,” says Debbie.
Debbie’s leadership was instrumental in securing funding to build out the coalition, and once those funds were in place, she was officially hired into the role full-time. Recognizing the need for additional expertise to support the coalition’s growing work, Debbie contacted Companis.
Expanding the ELC’s Impact
We introduced Companis Worker Mary Hsu (pronounced Shoo) to fill the role of Executive Assistant. Mary’s experience brings invaluable knowledge to the coalition.
“Mary Hsu has been amazing. The wealth of professional background she brings with her is something we could never have been able to hire. She provides professional advice, she knows systems, she knows things a seasoned professional knows, and we needed to get up and running quickly,” says Debbie.
For her part, Mary enjoys the work, which has presented her with a fun challenge. “When you volunteer, you tend to have a one-way view of the experience, as in ‘What can I bring to the nonprofit as a volunteer?’ But I’m looking at it this way: while I’m there, I’m getting the opportunity to learn new things while I still get to bring my best skills along,” Mary says. “Staying curious and learning new things is exciting to me and sustains my service.” The ELC role is Mary’s fourth through Companis over the past few years. She retired from public service after playing lead Executive Assistant roles with the King County Executive’s office, as well as the Seattle City Council.
With the support of skilled volunteers, the ELC has been able to focus on its core mission: advocating for early childhood education, supporting early learning professionals, and pushing for policies that benefit children and families across Snohomish County.
Strengthening Nonprofits, Strengthening Communities
More recently, Companis Worker Emily Felix has joined the small team, assisting with communications work. The growth of the ELC highlights the impact that dedicated professionals can have when they step in to support nonprofit work. By matching skilled volunteers with organizations in need, Companis is instrumental in helping build capacity, allowing our partners to serve their communities more effectively.