Skagit Regional Health is excited to share that Nicole Watts, Manager of Acute Care and CCU at Cascade Valley Hospital, graduated from Leadership Snohomish County on June 1. 

About Leadership Snohomish County

Leadership Snohomish County (LSC) is known for its nine-month signature program that is designed to foster collaboration and trust, encourage holistic understanding, promote real-world application, inspire transformational leadership, and facilitate community engagement.

A cornerstone of the program is the Community Impact Projects, which provides participants with a platform to effect meaningful change within their communities. Projects are team-based and grounded in the realities of each participant’s community.

Nicole’s Project and Learnings

Nicole’s team decided to do their Community Impact Project on the Everett Recovery Café. The Everett Café is a community space in Everett, WA that provides a safe haven for individuals in recovery, offering support, connection, and a welcoming environment to all who visit.

In early 2020, The Everett Café moved into a new space. It was white and bare, which was said to be triggering for their members, reminding them of hospitals, rehab or prison. Nicole’s team agreed to paint the walls, do a land acknowledgement mural and decorate the counseling room. The goal of this project was to make a space that was inviting and welcoming to old and new members.

“The community is growing greatly as we all know. I was able to examine challenges, growth, and obstacles facing Snohomish County,” said Nicole. “By looking through this lens, it allows me to focus on areas I can advocate for in my community. It also gave me inspiration to get more involved in my local community.”

The team was able to secure several companies to donate all the paint and supplies, and a few companies to do the labor. With limited budget available, the project was broken out into phases and is still ongoing. The team was also able to set The Everett Café up with the resources to eventually do the land acknowledgement and to add décor as the rooms continue to get completed.  

When reflecting on her experience with LSC, Nicole shared the following: “I am so thankful for the opportunity to develop leadership skills that I wouldn’t have had the opportunity to do without this amazing program. I learned what my personal leadership strengths are and how I can build on them to make me a more effective leader. I feel that I am a more authentic leader that will use everything I learned to grow a strong team.”

Congratulations Nicole on your accomplishments and thank you for investing in our communities! To learn more about the Leadership Snohomish County program, visit LeadershipSC.org.