PiPE’s mission is to partner with houseless, street-dependent, and marginalized survivors to reduce harm, provide opportunities to heal from trauma, fight systemic oppression and build lasting connections for our community.
Meet Our Board
Thalia Vaillancourt (she/her) is the Director of Equity and inclusion at Centralia College. She holds a master's in public administration from The Evergreen State College. Queer, nonbinary, a survivor of domestic and sexual assault and houselessness, Thalia brings both lived and professional experience to Partners in Prevention Education. Before working at Centralia College, she facilitated a certification for domestic and sexual assault advocates for the Office of Crime Victims. In her spare time, she hangs out with her dog, Willow, and catches a hockey game or a concert.
​Thalia Vaillancourt
Board President
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Chelsea Keefe
Board Member
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Chelsea Keefe is a long time DV/SA/Trafficking professional who has been serving survivors for almost a decade. She first dipped her toes in the field during undergraduate studies when she completed an internship with the Kansas City-Anti Violence Project. It was this agency that caused her to realize her own survivorship and set her on a path of advocating for survivors, as well as marginalized communities. It is her goal to combat prejudice, discrimination and violence in the community.
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She has been privileged to serve as a volunteer for Court Appointed Special Advocates, advocate in several different DV shelters, and then worked her way up into program management. She graduated with her Master's of Public Administration in Non-Profit Management in 2019 from Park University and moved to WA State in 2020. After relocating, she managed Thurston County's only confidential Domestic Violence shelter for almost three years, facilitating the lowest amount of staff turnover in the shelter and better client outcomes through an ADA perspective.
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Chelsea is a wife and mom of one--with three fur babies as well! She spends her free time painting, going to the farmer's market with her family, and trying to garden. Her family are avid foodies and love to sample what the PNW has to offer.
Riley works as a Civil Rights Investigator for the Washington State Human Rights Commission, enforcing Washington’s anti-discrimination laws. Riley is a graduate of the Evergreen State College with a focus on journalism and political science. Because of his strong belief in equity, social justice, and an egalitarian social safety net, Riley is active in his union, and is a dues-paying member of the Democratic Socialists of America. A long-time Olympia resident and ally to the houseless, LGBTQIA+ community, and other marginalized groups, Riley got involved with PiPE as a way to directly advocate for social justice in the community.
Riley Wessels
Board Member
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Lizz Borbas
Board Member
Lizz Borbas is a first-generation child of parents from different countries, was born in NY, grew up in Los Angeles and has traveled within the States quite a bit before landing in Olympia. Lizz completed a Bachelor of Arts at The Evergreen State College and has earned a Master’s in Library Science from Texas Woman's University. Lizz's career has been dedicated to supporting and uplifting marginalized communities, and working extensively with street-involved foster youth, survivors of sexual assault, and domestic violence survivors, and other marginalized groups while at non-profits and as a Librarian.
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"In my role as a librarian, I am passionately committed to building community and providing safe spaces for marginalized groups. Advocacy and community building is at the core of what I do/who I am." -Lizz
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Lizz is also a parent to a curious and adventurous six-year-old who loves to explore and go on adventures, and constantly challenges Lizz to see the world through fresh eyes. Lizz also loves and has studied various dance forms (in another lifetime) but still loves a good dance party.
Eve Griggs is a survivor of the International Adoption Industry, adopted to the U.S. in 1982 from South Korea. She’s an Evergreen Alumni, graduating with a B.A. in Humanities with a focus in Music Performance and Political Economics. Post undergrad she worked in various restaurants in downtown Olympia, following her passion for culinary arts. Her time working in Olympia restaurants over 20 years gave her many opportunities to connect with housing insecure and houseless folks. With an intention to retire out of kitchens, she pursued an accounting degree. After attaining a Masters in Accountancy she has taken a deliberate (slow) pivot into the Finance space and is now a Bookkeeper with Bon Appetit Management Company at St. Martin’s University food services. She is
inspired by the mission of PiPE, its crucial role in our Community, and looks forward to collaborating and offering her skills in the financial realm and with a nurturing approach as enabled by her love to feed the people in all the many capacities that this transpires.
Eve Griggs
Board Member
Board Member Summary
The Board of Directors is responsible for ensuring that the organization is well-managed and financially responsible. The Board is the governing body of the organization and is responsible for establishing the mission and goals for the organization so everything runs smoothly as a whole. In addition, the Board sets the organization’s policies which provide the parameters for the agency’s work.
General Responsibilities
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Organization Management: To ensure the organization is responsibly managed (in accordance with the organization’s by-laws and policies) and is compliant with legal and contract requirements.
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Fund Raising: To ensure that the organization has the resources it needs to pursue its goals. In order to fulfill this responsibility, Board Members must determine how the organization will raise funds, participate in fundraising events, donate money, recruit and solicit donors, and identify potential funding sources.
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Budget Management: To ensure that the resources of the organization are raised and spent in a responsible manner. Board Members must help create and approve the agency budget, set financial policy, acquire adequate insurance, and arrange for an annual financial audit.
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Hiring: To work with HR and staff to hire appropriate Executive Directors and other staff, as PiPE needs, to make sure PiPE continues to run smoothly.
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Supervising: to supervise the Executive Directors with support from HR
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Representative: To serve as the organization’s representatives in the community.
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Determine Priorities: To fulfil other responsibilities, Board Members must establish the organization’s strategic plan and long term goals. In addition, the Board must evaluate the organization’s progress towards its goals.
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Recruitment: To evaluate and assess Board composition, identify and recruit potential Board Members.
Your Individual Responsibilities
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Personal Commitment: It is expected that you make a personal commitment to PiPE’s mission when participating in Board activities.
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Time Commitment: Board members are initially elected to serve a two-year term and may serve up to three consecutive terms. Board members are expected to:
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Attend monthly board meetings
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Participate in any committee meetings that you are on
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Advocate for PiPE and promote its programs and activities. Participate in PiPE’s events and training as appropriate to their time and availability.
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Spend two to four hours a month reviewing papers and keeping up to date on emails.
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Transparency: You are expected to bring forward any conflicts of interest as they arise.
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Program oversight: It is expected that you stay informed about the goings-on of the organization, including reading the financial and program reports.
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Financial review: Ensure maintenance of sound financial records, operation within budgetary constraints and compliance with legal and regulatory standards
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Fundraising: Board members are encouraged to make an annual monetary contribution to the organization at a level they deem meaningful. Board members may support staff efforts to solicit funds from a variety of sources and ensure that the organization has the resources to accomplish its work.
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Events: It is expected of you to attend and participate in any special events the organization puts on.
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Training Events: You are to attend Board training events in order to participate in continuing education.
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Team Building: It is expected that you work with the Board and Staff to strive towards the goals of the organization as a whole.
Join Our Board
​Serving on our board can be a rewarding way for you to get involved in your community and lend your skills to building a world free of violence
with houseless and street-dependent people in Olympia.
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Still have questions or just want to sit in on a Board Meeting to get a feel for things? Call for meeting location and time. If you are interested in attending
please contact us at (360) 357-4472 or email info@pipeolympia.org