Thurston County Board of Health adds three members

Thurston County welcomed three new members to its Board of Health (BoH) – Heidi Knadel, Perla Newton, and Tanzania Zenzali-Marshall, as reported in a county press release yesterday, January 9,

The new members, formally introduced at a ceremony yesterday during the BoH meeting, were added to expand the board in compliance with House Bill 1152.

Knadel has experience in public mental health. She is also the services director of Catholic Community Services of Thurston, Mason, and Lewis Counties.

The press release states that Knadel is interested in collaborating on behavioral health challenges and their indicators.

Newton, who has ten years of experience as an emergency medical nurse, “believes her lens of identifying with historically marginalized and underrepresented communities will help bring voices to the table that normally do not have one.”

Zenzali-Marshall, a United States Army veteran, is a credentialed holistic health practitioner. She is the program manager for the Public Health Equity Department at the Urban League of Metropolitan Seattle.

The BoH now includes 12 members including the five members of the Board of County Commissioners members (BoCC), one elected city official (Robin Vazquez, of Lacey), one member representing public health facilities and providers (Beth Harvey), two members representing community stakeholders (Lynn Nelson and Heidi Knadel) and two community members representing public health consumers (Perla Newton and Tanzania Zenzali- Marshall).

“The Board of Health is excited to welcome these community leaders who have dedicated their careers to the betterment of Thurston County. Their diverse backgrounds and expertise will undoubtedly enhance the board’s ability to address and navigate the unique health challenges our community faces,” the press release stated.

Update, January 11, 2024 -- This story was updated to include more details about the seven members of the board who are not also county commissioners.