State Advisory Council on Homelessness (SACH)

Vivian Obah is the CEO and founder of Helping Hands Project Organization, a nonprofit based in Everett, Washington, that provides culturally responsive housing, food, and behavioral health services to vulnerable and marginalized communities. With a background in community health and lived experience advocating for justice-involved individuals, Vivian brings a unique lens to her work that blends systems change with deep empathy. Her commitment to uplifting historically overlooked voices and addressing homelessness through a lens of equity and dignity inspired her to join the State Advisory Council on Homelessness. Vivian believes sustainable solutions begin with centering the people most impacted and designing programs that honor their resilience and potential.

Mary A. Pacheo has been Executive Director for over five years for Domestic Violence Services of Benton and Franklin counties in Kennewick, Washington. She has worked in non-profits and city and state government for over 37 years in Washington, Idaho, New Mexico and California as Executive Director for housing authorities and management of other community health center programs for low-income, homelessness and migrant needs.

Mindy Woods is a Desert Storm Navy Veteran and single mother. She uses her and her son’s lived experiences of homelessness, poverty, and other challenges to lift her community. Mindy serves on multiple boards and commissions within Washington and on a national board. She is the Human Services Program Manager for the City of Edmonds, a position she advocated for. She is a founding member of the Resident Action Project in Washington, a state-wide, resident-led network of people who’ve experienced housing insecurity and injustice, who organize and use civic engagement, education, and storytelling to affect policy change. Everything Mindy is involved with is looked at through a lens of equity. She is a tireless housing and social justice organizer who believes everyone should have access to an affordable, safe, accessible, and healthy place to live in thriving communities of their choice.

Washington State Department of Commerce Housing Division Policy Director, Tedd Kelleher, has managed the implementation of Department funding for local homeless crisis response systems, and led efforts to create data collection and performance measurement processes for those systems. With the creation of a dedicated housing division, he is now focused on surfacing and promoting polices that will supply abundant and affordable housing options for everyone in Washington state.

Spokane County Commissioner Amber Waldref has engaged local community members and state and national leaders for over 20 years in designing community solutions and helping organizations invest in people and places to create measurable, positive change. Born and raised in Spokane, she has deep experience in the non-profit sector and served eight years as a Spokane City Council member. Amber has a long history of volunteer and community service, currently serving as Chair of the Spokane Regional Health District Board of Health, the Hanford Advisory Board, Priority Spokane, and the University District Public Development Authority. As an advocate for investment in affordable housing and working regionally to reduce homelessness, Commissioner Waldref is honored to serve on the State Advisory Council for Homelessness to offer solutions and learn from others’ efforts to create greater impact at a state and local level.

As an advocate and proud enrolled member of the Yurok Tribe, Charles focuses on local and state advocacy. He is a Legislative Policy Analyst for the Tulalip Tribes, focusing on Education, Housing, and Indian Child Welfare. Charles also serves as an elected Everett School District school board member. From his childhood on the Yurok reservation, he was sent to one of the remaining Indian Boarding Schools, where his experiences helped inform his fight for social and economic justice. Charles left home at 15 and soon found himself homeless through high school. Charles’ passion for helping others like himself led him to earn a degree and rise to prominence in the political community. His experience encompasses roles such as Health Policy Director for the Children’s Alliance and Vice President of Federal Affairs for the Washington Students Association. He is the Vice Chair for the City of Everett’s Planning Commission and serves on several boards, including the Children’s Campaign Fund. He previously served on the board of the Washington Student Association. One of his proudest career achievements is authoring and successfully lobbying for the passage of Senate Bill 5800, which launched a pilot program in which colleges provide additional assistance for homeless and food-insecure students.

Rachel Grant is a Thurston County Commissioner and a member of the State Advisory Council on Homelessness (SACH), where she serves as a representative with lived experience of housing instability. Her commitment to housing justice is both personal and professional, informed by her own journey and by decades of community advocacy. She brings a unique perspective to regional and statewide policy conversations grounded in equity, compassion, and real-world experience. Rachel joined SACH to help ensure that the voices of those directly impacted shape housing policies.