Teri McKeehan
Teresa “Teri” McKeehan became President of the VCS Board in November 2020 bringing with her more than five decades of professional experience. As a parent of a child living with severe autism, who is a participant in VCS’s Residential Supported Living programming, she is able to offer a first-hand understanding of the complexities that parallel serving the VCS client population along with a deep appreciation and passion for the services being offered. In the capacity of Board President, Teri facilitates the Board’s monthly meetings; ensures that all Board members are properly onboarded and provided with ongoing continued enrichment opportunities for training; provides the tools to ensure each Board member is capable of being successful in their respective roles; informs and leads the Board to approve and champion the strategic plan; and communicates with the Executive Directors to monitor the agency’s effectiveness.
Teri is currently employed with the Arc of Snohomish County, supporting families and individuals with information concerning adult services, guardianship, SSI, transition services, work support, and connecting to their communities.
It is Teri’s goal to grow and diversify members of the VCS Board so that the organization remains viable now and into the future. In doing so, she would like to see VCS’s philosophy of compassionate leadership and psychological safety continue to elevate the standards and practices of all VCS employees, while also expanding the growing awareness of VCS throughout the Pacific Northwest region.
In her free-time, you can often find Teri enjoying a good book, gardening, or doing crafts. She is married with three children; two grown, twin boys who are living wonderful and accomplished lives as well as a daughter who lives with severe autism. They all live and work near Arlington, which is where they call home.
With the mindset that it does no one any good to play small in life, especially to one’s self, Teri’s favorite quote is: “Our deepest fear is not that we are weak. Our deepest fear is that we are powerful beyond measure. It is our light, not our darkness that most frightens us. We ask ourselves, who am I to be brilliant, gorgeous, talented, fabulous? Actually, who are you not to be? You are a child of God. Your playing small does not serve the world […] As we are liberated from our own fear, our presence automatically liberates others.”