FIRE Panel Discussion: Standing Strong. Staying Apart. Drawing Spiritual Strength.

Even though the FIRE Dinner Dialogue scheduled for April 5th, 2020 was postponed due to COVID-19 outbreak, we still want to stay in touch as we face the COVID-19 challenge.

You are invited to an online panel discussion to hear from a city government official, a local faith leader, a social worker, and King County public health officials. They will share perspectives on the current situation, get us updated, and engage in a question and answer session as we seek clarification and guidance to continue Standing Strong, Staying Apart and Drawing Spiritual Strength.

WHEN: 5:00 PM Monday April 27, 2020
WHERE: Zoom Conference
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/77728476629?pwd=K0hpZml4WnNhQTd0RjJxamEzcFpRQT09
https://us02web.zoom.us/j/77728476629, Meeting ID: 777 2847 6629 , Password: 5k38aG
https://www.iman-wa.org/live

PANELISTS: Jim Lopez, Assistant City Manager City of Kirkland; Rev. Michael Anderson, Pastor, Holy Spirit of Lutheran Church; Kendra Petkau, Kirkland Nourishing Network; Debra R. Baker, King County Public Health; Shannon Harris, King County Public Health

James (Jim) Lopez is the Assistant City Manager for the City of Kirkland where he oversees the city’s civic engagement, communications and economic development programs. Prior to his current role, Jim was responsible for the administration of the city’s self-insured health plan and he is one of the architects of the Consumer Driven Medical Home model of care. Before coming to Kirkland, Jim served as Senior Advisor to Deputy Secretary Ron Sims at the Department of Housing and Urban Development in Washington DC. Prior to his time at HUD, Jim served as Deputy Chief of Staff to King County Executive Sims.

For the past three decades Michael Anderson has been pastor at Holy Spirit Lutheran Church located just two blocks from Life Care Center where he would regularly visit patients.  Recently,  he has been helping to lead his congregation to cope with all the difficulties and opportunities the pandemic had presented to all of us.

Kendra Petkau has lived on the Eastside for fifteen years with her husband and two sons, now in middle and high school. She was a Kirkland Nourishing Network food box donor at the North Kirkland location for several years before establishing an additional location in 2014 to serve schools in South Kirkland. Kendra enjoys working with KNN donors and volunteers to help meet the needs of food-insecure students and their families.

Debra R. Baker is an Organizational Development Practitioner with King County Human Resources.  She was reassigned to King County Public Health to set-up and lead Speakers Bureau, which is part of the COVID-19 Community Mitigation Branch.

Shannon Harris has served in King County Government in various capacities.  She is currently working in the COVID-19 Community Mitigation Branch in King County Public Health, where she is a co-lead in the Business Task Force.

The panel discussion and Q&A will be moderated by Jawad Khaki, President of Ithna‐asheri Muslim Association of the Northwest (IMAN).