Board of Directors
Larry Sykes, President
"I am so fortunate to get to be doing such good work with a wonderful organization that is working hard to give homeless and at risk people a simple tool that can give them access to jobs, housing, healthcare and social services and a better life."
Larry was most recently the Program Manager for Dallas Community Voice Mail, a program of the Stewpot. Larry spent 32 years prior to his work with CVM in the commercial real estate business which included time spent in the brokerage, development, management and ownership aspects of the business. Along the way Larry was involved on the board of Planned Parenthood of North Texas, a member of Leadership Dallas.
David Sieminski, Vice President
Dave Sieminski is the managing director of Express Advantage, the non-profit affiliate of Express Credit Union; a low income credit union designed to provide affordable financial services to low and moderate income people in King County and in so doing help them build assets and achieve financial stability.
Dave has over 20 years experience in program management in both the private and non-profit sectors. Previous to joining Express Dave spent nine years leading all aspects of United Way of King County’s asset building priority including the development and management of a countywide individual development account program and a large scale free tax and EITC Campaign.
Dave serves on the board of directors of the Washington State Asset Building Coalition, Community Voice Mail and the Washington State Budget and Policy Center.
Dave has an undergraduate degree in economics from Western Washington University and a master’s degree in public administration from the Evans School of Public Affairs at the University of Washington.
Debbi Lewang, Treasurer
Debbi is a financial consultant to the not–for-profit sector. Prior to striking out on her own, she worked for various organizations including the Pacific Northwest Ballet, Planned Parenthood, the Seattle Art Museum and NPower. She holds a Master in Nonprofit Leadership from Seattle University and a Bachelor of Accounting Science from the University of Calgary and is happy to bring her breadth of accounting experience to CVM.
James Foster, Affiliate Director (Vancouver, BC CVM)
"Helping marginalized people to set goals--to say 'I can" again--and believe in themselves is what CVM means to me. What a rare honor it is to serve with so many like-minded people wh obelieve in the human spirit, the importance of self-determination and dignity for all."
Jamie joined the Community Voice Mail National Board in February 2011. He is the manager for the Vancouver, BC CVM program hosted by Lu'ma Native Housing Society. As well as managing Canada's first CVM site, Jamie is also a member of the Aboriginal Homelessness Steering Committee of Greater Vancouver.
Gary Leaf, At-Large Director
Gary joined the Community Voice Mail National Board in May 2008. Gary is the Chief Information Officer at King County Housing Authority which serves over 18,000 households in the nation’s 14th most populace county. Gary brings a wealth of experience in information technology spanning several industries.
Sarah McCrum, At-Large Director
"Community Voice Mail is a lifeline for thousands of individuals. We all have received a voicemail that brightened our day, CVM messages save lives."
Sarah McCrum joined the CVM board in January of 2012. She is a Relationship Banking Officer in the Nonprofit Services Group at Pacific Continental Bank. Prior to banking, Sarah worked in public health and fundraising consulting. She also currently volunteers at Grace Seattle and Operation Nightwatch. Her commitment is to see people in need access resources and feel a sense of connection and belonging.
Sarah holds two bachelor's degrees from the University of Washington in International Studies and Community and Environmental Planning as well as a Certificate in Nonprofit Management.
Lauren McGowan, At-Large Director
Lauren joined the Community Voice Mail in September 2010. Lauren is currently the Associate Director of Ending Homelessness at United Way of King County. She recently led the development of United Way’s Response to Basic Needs, a strategic response to the economic downturn. Additionally, she led community partners in the development of the Hunger Relief Now! Plan, a county-wide effort to reduce hunger.
Lauren is actively involved in the development of the WA State Benefits Portal which is working to streamline enrollment in a wide range of public benefits. She also works closely with United Way Worldwide and the National Community Tax Coalition to implement United Way’s economic stability strategies.
In 2006 Lauren joined the Board of Directors at Solid Ground, and currently serves as the President of the Board.
Lori Hobbs Morton, Affiliate Director (Tulsa CVM)
"I am very proud to be a member of the CVM Federation and to serve as a National Board member. I have the privilege of connecting people with CVM service every day and to witness the powerful impact it has on their lives. CVM truly makes a difference. I feel blessed to be a part of this organization and am excited about expanding and extending our services.”
Lori spent over 20 years, prior to her work with CVM, as an educator and advocate for young children. She has taught in Oklahoma, Ohio, and Georgia. Lori helped launch the Tulsa CVM program in 2008 at the Tulsa Day Center for the Homeless. She joined the CVM National Board in 2009.
Robert "Bard" L. Richmond, At-Large Director
Robert Richmond is the chairman of the Robert L. Richmond Foundation and on the boards of several software startups. Bard was the chairman and chief executive officer of Active Voice Corporation, a leading manufacturer of PC-based voice processing systems purchased by Cisco in 2001. A pioneer in the voice processing industry, Richmond built Active Voice from a small, three-person operation into a 400 employee public company that won numerous industry awards.
In 1994, Richmond was named the "Northwest Software Entrepreneur of the Year" and in 1990, Teleconnect magazine named him the "Telecom Person of the Year". In 1999, he was awarded the Presidential Service Award by President Clinton for his work with Community Technology Institute (Community Voice Mail).