Susan Arland

Susan has a Bachelor's degree in Business Administration from Walla Walla College.  She has been with the Gambling Commission since 1996.  She is the Commission’s primary media contact and editor of the Commission’s licensee newsletters and brochures.  She also coordinates changes to gambling rules.

The Commission recently completed a three year project to “Plain Talk” all gambling rules (WAC 230) so they are easier to use and understand.  In total, more than 600 rules were rewritten.  The number of words in the rules was reduced by more than 83,500 words or forty-nine percent.  Rewriting gambling rules using plain English techniques was one goal of the Gambling Commission’s Strategic Plan. It is also in line with Governor Gregoire’s Executive Order asking agencies to “Plain Talk” their communications with the public.

Rick Benson

Rick has had extensive experience with problem and compulsive gamblers. He has worked with gamblers for the past 23 years and presented seminars nationally on the gambling addiction and recovery.

A 1971 Cornell University graduate, Rick is a Nationally Certified Gambling Counselor, (NCGC), an American Certified Compulsive Gambling Counselor ((CCGC), a clinical supervisor for the Canadian Gambling Certification Board (CPGC) and an executive board member of the North Carolina Council on Compulsive Gambling. He is also certified in the Practical Application of Intimate Relationship Skills (PAIRS) seminar and a regular facilitator of Emotional Healing Intensives.

Rick is a New Jersey native with prior experience in hospitality management, specifically in the organizational development activities in the human resources field.

As the Chair of the Commerce and Labor Committee, and as a proud Democrat, Representative Steve Conway is committed to protecting the rights and best interests of our citizens – great schools, affordable health care for all, a healthy environment, and a strong economy, all contribute to the quality of life here in Washington. Our state’s workers – and those who will one day be joining the workforce - need to know they have an advocate for them in the Legislature. Representative Conway is proud to take on that role.

BILL EADINGTON is Professor of Economics and Director of the Institute for the Study of Gambling and Commercial Gaming, and holds the Philip G. Satre Chair in Gaming Studies at the University of Nevada, Reno. He is an internationally recognized authority on the legalization and regulation of commercial gambling, and has written extensively on issues relating to the economic and social impacts of commercial gaming.

Dr. Eadington holds a Bachelor’s degree in Mathematics from Santa Clara University, and an M.A. and Ph.D. in Economics from Claremont Graduate School. He has been with the University of Nevada, Reno since 1969. In leaves from UNR, he has twice served as an Academic Visitor to the London School of Economics. He has also served as a Visiting Professor at the Center for Addiction Studies, Harvard Medical School, and as a Visiting Lecturer at the Kennedy School of Government, Harvard University. Since 1994, he has served as Visiting Professor to the Centre for the Study of Gambling and Commercial Gaming at the University of Salford (U.K.). He is presently working with universities in China, Macau, Canada, Slovenia, the U.K., and Australia to develop courses and programs in Gaming Management and Gambling and Public Policy.

Eadington has served as the organizer of the First through Thirteenth International Conferences on Gambling and Risk Taking, dating since 1974, the most recent of which took place at South Lake Tahoe, Nevada, in May, 2006. He has edited or co-edited a number of books, including Optimal Play: Mathematical Studies of Games and Gambling (forthcoming), The Downside (2003), Finding the Edge (2000), The Business Of Gaming (1999), Gambling: Public Policies and the Social Sciences, (1997); Gambling and Public Policy: International Perspectives, (1991); Gambling and Commercial Gaming, (1992); Gambling Behavior and Problem Gambling, (1993); Gambling and Society, (1976); Indian Gaming and the Law, (1990); and Tourism Alternatives, (1992). He was also a primary contributor to the recent European Commission report, Study of Gambling Services in the Internal Market of the European Union (2006.)

Eadington has served as a consultant and advisor for governments and private sector organizations throughout the world on issues related to gaming laws, casino operations, regulation, gambling legalization, and public policy. He is a founding member of the International Academy for the Study of Tourism, and a former Associate Editor of the Annals of Tourism Research. He developed the Executive Development Program for Senior Casino Management through the University of Nevada, Reno, which has been offered annually since 1991.

In 1989, Eadington was recognized by the National Council on Problem Gambling as the recipient of their Outstanding Research/Education Award and in 1990, he was awarded the University Foundation Professorship at the University of Nevada. Since 2004, Professor Eadington has held the Philip G. Satre Chair of Gaming Studies at the University of Nevada, Reno. He also serves on the Board of Directors for the National Council on Problem Gambling, the Nevada Council on Problem Gambling, and on the Advisory Board of the National Center for Responsible Gambling (USA) and South Africa’s National Responsible Gambling Programme.

Kathryn Elliot – Hudson

Kathryn Elliott-Hudson, a nationally certified counselor (NCC), is licensed in substance abuse treatment, having worked in this area for almost 20 years. Additionally, she has worked as a rehabilitation counselor, a school counselor, in private practice, and in hospital settings in Michigan and Pennsylvania; she has also taught psychology, human behavior, and peer facilitating. She began treating gamblers in 1998 as a State of Michigan gambling treatment program provider and is one of the few nationally certified compulsive gambling counselors in Arizona. She holds a master’s degree in counseling from Penn State University and has done advanced study at Michigan State, University of Michigan, Arizona State University, and Rutgers School for Alcohol Studies.

Since 2003, Kathryn has been affiliated with ABC Wellness Centre in Scottsdale, Arizona, where she is a provider in the State of Arizona Treatment Assistant Program for gamblers and facilitator of addiction/codependency groups and an addictions group for members age 55+. She has facilitated trainings and presented nationally and locally. She holds memberships in the National Council on Problem Gambling, Arizona Association of Alcohol and Drug Counselors, American Counseling Association, and Iota Alpha Delta Counseling Honorary. An advocate for senior issues, she is a member of the Regional Leadership Council for the Desert Southwest Chapter of the Alzheimer’s Association and chairs the Diversity Subcommittee. Special interests include legal issues as they impact families of gamblers and the effect of Alzheimer’s disease on families. Other interests include women’s issues, adult children of dysfunctional families, and Pathological Internet use.

Linda Farley

Linda Farley was born in Springfield, Illinois. Linda grew up in a large family where money was scarce. She was the sixth child of eight and had the responsibility of raising her younger siblings. Linda is now married and resides in her hometown with her husband whom she has been married to for forty two years. Linda has had stories published in various magazines. She has volunteered for different organizations through out her life. Linda  Farley continues to write about her life experiences.
Resume:
Linda Farley's Awards, Fellowships, Grants and Honors:
Consolidated Communications Inc., WICS volunteer 20 award for outstanding service to our community. 1997 Agency Volunteer of the year award for outstanding leadership and service on behalf of those in need from the Central Illinois Food Bank, Inc. 1998 Volunteered at Saint Patrick's school for eight years. Helped establish and volunteered at Saint Martins Deporres Center for the needy for twelve years. Invented pillows for the disabled. A United States Patent issued by the United States Patent and Trademark office. Patent number - 6,367,105 - 2001
Linda Sommer Farley's novel, A Childhood Taken Away by a Mother and Grandfather was the February 2006 Featured Book at WomensSelfEsteem.com.
PublishAmerica
www.PublishAmerica.com
writers@publishamerica.com
Member of the Association of American Publishers
P.O. Box 151 Frederick, Maryland 21701 Fax (301) 631-9073

Judge Mark G. Farrell

Judge Mark G. Farrell is the Senior Justice in the Amherst, New York Criminal and Civil Court, which operates in the largest suburban jurisdiction in New York State. Judge Farrell also serves in the capacity of an Acting City Court Judge in the City of Buffalo Court. In terms of academic appointment, Judge Farrell is an Adjunct Clinical Professor of Law at the State University of New York at Buffalo School of Law teaching a senior practicum entitled ATherapeutic Justice@ and is also a Research Associate Professor in the School of Social Work at the State University of New York at Buffalo as Principal Investigator on a Robert Wood Johnson Foundation 3-year clinical intervention grant. Judge Farrell=s research initiatives in this area are focused on establishing the first national protocol for the proper triage and referral to treatment of mentally ill defendants who are also co-morbidly drug and/or alcohol dependant in a Drug Court setting.

Judge Farrell founded the first suburban Drug Court in the United States in 1996, the first Domestic Violence Court in Erie County in 1997 and currently operates the nation=s only Gambling Treatment Court which opened its doors in 2001. Judge Farrell is a Distinguished Alumnus of the State University of New York at Buffalo and a graduate of both the National Drug Court Institute and the National Judicial College. Judge Farrell is also on the Board of Directors of the National Council of Problem Gambling, the Board of Directors of the New York State Drug Treatment Court Professional=s Association and the New York State Compulsive Gambling Council. Judge Farrell is also a member of the New York State City Court Judge=s Association and is the current President of the New York State Magistrate=s Association.

Judge Farrell has received numerous national, regional and local recognitions for his judicial innovations, especially in terms of intervention into the realm of compulsive gambling within the Criminal Justice System. His work has been highlighted on the front page of the New York Times, as well as numerous other media publications around the United States. Prior to his extensive Judicial career, he spent many years practicing and teaching as a Trial Lawyer in the areas of Professional Malpractice and Professional Licensure, Product Liability and Environmental Law. Judge Farrell has also been certified for many years as an Arbitrator and Mediator in both the commercial and civil arenas. Additionally, Judge Farrell was recently accorded a further distinction by being designated a member of “Who’s Who in American Law” in 2007.

Martha Frankel

I grew up in a warm and loving family of die-hard gamblers, where my father's poker games and my mother's mahjongg blended with big pots of delicious food and endless gossip and storytelling. As kids my sister, Helene, and my cousins and I bet on everything--which of our Weight Watching mothers would lose the most every week, who could hold their breath longest underwater or eat the most matzo, Maris versus Mantle. I went with my father and uncles to the track most Tuesdays, carrying the Daily Racing Form in my book bag, and when I was twelve and predicted a big race, they anointed me "The Grecian," in honor of odds maker Jimmy the Greek.

But by the time I turned eighteen, I convinced myself that the gambling gene had passed me by. I went off to the University of Miami, looking to find a life that didn¹t include perusing the sports section and making bets on anything that caught my fancy.

I left college because my advisor told me that English majors had to go on to become English teachers. I didn't want to be a teacher. I wanted to be a writer. Although I had never trusted anyone in authority, I did believe that idiot advisor.

So for years I wrote funny little newsletters for my friends, sent missives that had people howling, had pen-pals far and near. And then I got lucky. I met editor Annie Flanders, who was just starting the original DETAILS Magazine. She either saw potential in me or felt sorry for the miserable state of my life, I'll never be sure which. But she took me under her wing and had me start writing for the magazine. Annie's only mandate was that you were passionate about what you wrote. I had passion in abundance.

I started as DETAILS book reviewer. I spent hours on my couch, reading literary memoirs and scary mysteries, short stories and deep works of fiction. I went to sold-out readings and book signings, big book conventions and tiny underground poetry slams. I got to go to The Miami Book Fair, where I met Jane Smiley, TC Boyle, Richard Ford, Ray Carver and other writers who were so inspiring to me. My column, Book 'Em, was a complete joy to write each month. I wrote the first Knifestyles of the Rich and Famous, a first-person, on-going column about plastic surgery for DETAILS. This was in the mid-80's, when plastic surgery was still in the closet. I had my breasts made smaller (one of the highlights of my life), and met women and men who had every single part of themselves transformed. These people told me their stories, both successes and failures. Knifestyles was both uplifting (no pun intended) and very frightening-- when plastic surgery goes wrong, it goes horribly wrong.

Then I interviewed Aidan Quinn, my first "celebrity" interview. Aidan was so funny and charming, and we went on to become good friends. I started doing more entertainment pieces. I did a cover story on Elizabeth Taylor and went to her house for a bar-b-que, interviewed Nic Roeg, whose films (Don't Look Now, Performance, and Bad Timing) I so admired, and got a tour of the newly opened Tribeca Film Center with a very chatty Robert De Niro.

In 1990, I started writing for other magazines. I traveled around the world-- to Paris to interview Roman Polanski and then Juliette Binoche, to Berlin to spend a week with Anthony Hopkins, to Rome for an afternoon with Susan Sarandon. I flew back and forth from New York to Los Angeles, and met actors at every stage of their careers-- I did one of the first interviews with Leonardo DiCaprio when he was 19, went club-hopping with Mike Tyson when he was still heavyweight champion of the world, went to Washington DC to interview Republican strategist Lee Atwater, who had put partisan politics aside for a brief second so he could put out a CD of classic blues songs. Thinking we would have nothing in common, I was completely bowled over by Atwater's's sense of humor and encyclopedic knowledge of music. When he had trouble forming words during our interview he invited me to come along to the hospital, where he was diagnosed with his life-threatening brain tumor. Our friendship continued until his death.

I covered Jennifer Lopez's first wedding (to Ojani Noa) for In Style, and helped zip her into her Escada dress. For a Cosmo cover, I saw Pamela Anderson's breasts (okay, who hasn't?). In the course of my stories, I've picked through Elle MacPherson's closet, shared lunch with Johnny Depp, Michelle Pfeiffer, Jamie Lee Curtis, Lindsay Lohan, Meg Ryan, Andy Garcia, and hundreds of other actors whose films I've watched over and over again. I interviewed Angelina Jolie when absolutely no one knew who she was, and JJ Abrams before his huge success.

I've danced with Christopher Walken, gone CD shopping with Jeff Bridges, and out-run the paparazzi with Sean Penn. I took Sherilyn Fenn to see a storefront psychic during her time on Twin Peaks, and interviewed Mariah Carey the night before her nervous breakdown. And no, I don't think I had anything to do with it. And never, not for one second, have I stopped pinching myself and reminding myself how very lucky this girl from the Bronx has been. This is the point most people thank god. Me? I'll just thank Annie Flanders.

My work has appeared in magazines as diverse as the original DETAILS, The New Yorker, Fashions of the New York Times, Japanese and German Men's Vogue, The Goodguys Gazette, Redbook, Cosmopolitan, and Movieline's Hollywood Life.

I have been an on-air contributor to VH1's Sexiest Movie Moments, Entertainment Tonight, and Inside Edition. For the past fifteen years I have been the co-host of the Woodstock Roundtable, a Sunday morning radio talk-show on WDST in Woodstock, NY. The host of the show, Doug Grunther, has been another mentor to me.

Since the inception of the Woodstock Film Festival in 2000, I have been the moderator of the Actor's Dialogue. Among the people who have participated in these always sold-out events are Aidan Quinn, Lily Taylor, Stanley Tucci, Steve Buscemi, Liev Schreiber, Olympia Dukakis, David Strathairn, Marcia Gaye Hardin, and Peter Reigert. Order your tickets early!

I am a winner of a NYFFA Award in creative nonfiction, was the 1997 Philip Morris Fellow at The MacDowell Colony, and the 2003 Artist-in-Residence at SUNY Ulster, where I taught a class in memoir writing.

My aunt Tillie always told me that our family was more interesting than the people I interviewed. I used to roll my eyes at her, but then I started writing Hats & Eyeglasses, my memoir about my love affair with gambling. Damn if my aunt Tillie wasn't right. It will be published in winter 2008 by Tarcher/Penguin.

Joanna Franklin , M.S., CAC,

Joanna is one of the truly committed in problem gambling treatment and education; having first worked in the field in 1979 at the John Hopkins Center for Pathological Gambling. At that time she was part of a dynamic team with Dr. Robert Custer, Susan Darvas and others.

In recent years, Joanna has been North America's most sought after trainer of problem gambling clinicians. She has provided training in 42 States and 9 Canadian Provinces, consistently earning the highest praise for presenting state of the art information in an engaging style. Ms. Franklin is a leading expert on multi-cultural gambling treatment issues, Joanna has also consulted and provided training for over 15 different native american nations within the context of their cultures. She has consulted with numerous state and federal governmental agencies on the design and implementation of state of the art gambling treatment programs. She has consulted and trained for the Navy, the FBI, CIA, the Pentagon, casinos, racetracks and lottery agencies. No other trainer can match the breadth and depth of her experience or her ability to engage students in the learning process.

Edward Gottheil, M. D., Ph.D.
& Clayton Neighbors, PhD

Edward Gottheil, M. D., Ph.D.

(Bio not available)

Clayton Neighbors, PhD

Dr. Clayton Neighbors is Associate Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavior Sciences at the University of Washington. He received his doctorate in social psychology at the University of Houston in 2000. Dr. Neighbors research interests center on social and motivational influences in etiology, prevention, and treatment of health and risk behaviors. Social influence constructs of interest include social norms, conformity, peer influences, and social anxiety. Motivational constructs of interest include self-determination, motives, and expectancies. Outcomes of interest include alcohol and substance abuse, problem gambling, body image and eating disorders, intimate partner violence and aggressive driving. Support for this research has been provided by the National Institute on Alcohol Abuse and Alcoholism, the National Institute on Drug Abuse, the National Institute on Mental Health, the University of Washington Alcohol and Drug Abuse Institute, and the Institute for Research on Pathological Gambling and Related Disorders. Dr. Neighbors holds membership in several professional organizations, including the American Psychological Association (APA), the Association for Behavior and Cognitive Therapies (ABCT), and the Research Society on Alcoholism. He is the current president of the ABCT Addictive Behaviors Special Interest Group and won the 2007 Award for Distinguished Scientific Early Career Contributions from APA, Division 50 (Addictions), and is a member of the Advisory Board for the National Institute on Social Norms. Dr. Neighbors has co-authored more than 80 peer-reviewed scholarly publications, the majority of which have focused on etiology, prevention, and treatment of addictive behaviors among young adults.

Dave Grift

Dave Grift has 15 years experience in the addictions field and currently works for the Addictions Foundation of Manitoba (AFM) as an Education and Prevention Consultant in Problem Gambling Services. Dave is a certified counselor with a specialization in addiction studies. Dave is an AFM course facilitator for staff and other caregivers on understanding problem gambling, rehabilitation and prevention.

Dave is involved in the development and delivery of several Responsible Gaming initiatives in Manitoba including Customer Assistance Training for VLT site holders, Responsible Gambling Awareness Training for lottery retailers and the Responsible Gaming Information Centres at the two Winnipeg Casinos. Responsible Gaming initiatives in Manitoba are directed at employees, site operators and retailers in the Gambling Industry as well as individual players on the Casino floor.

Dave is part of several AFM developmental teams, including the touch screen kiosks at the Casinos of Winnipeg, the new getgamblingfacts.ca website, and the get gambling facts CD. The get gambling facts CD contains three computer applications along with facilitator notes which can be used to demonstrate how gambling works and the average long term costs of  play, both in prevention training as well as with individual gambling clients.

Roger Humble

Roger has extensive experience in the health care and addiction field.  He has 25 years combined experience and has been working with Gamblers for 2 years in the Residential setting.

Roger started his career as a Navy Corpsman at age 18.  He has worked in various capasities both in the military and as a civilian Vocational Nurse.

Roger himself is in recovery with 10 years of continuous sobriety.  Roger had many treatment contacts while struggling with his own addictions.

Roger has been a certified addictions counselor for 5 years and is pending certification for his gambling certification.

Roger’s experience in the addictions field has been exclusively in the residential setting.  Roger is considered a “residential expert” and is very effective at mileau management and developing ciriculum for a successful residential experience.

Marilyn Lancelot

My name is Marilyn Lancelot and I am a recovering compulsive gambler. I visited my first casino in 1984 at the age of 53. For seven years, my boyfriend and I made the four-hour trek from Yuma, AZ to Laughlin, NV every weekend. I learned early on how to lie to my family and friends and how to sign my employers' name to company checks. I considered suicide and planned it so it would like an accident.

Then one day the auditors discovered my embezzling. Horrified, I watched seven police cars pull into my driveway to take me away in handcuffs. I lost my job, home, life savings, my retirement, and my freedom. I had progressed from a Mrs. Cleaver type housewife to a Ma Barker type criminal. The judge sentenced me to two years in prison and I'll be paying restitution to my former employer for many years.

Until the morning of my arrest, my family had no idea of my gambling addiction. I remembered a statement I heard in AA years ago: If I did not take care of my problem, society would. And society had. The closest GA meeting was in Phoenix so we moved there so I could attend GA. I told myself that if I got sentenced to prison, I would some day go back to Yuma and start a GA meeting.

I spent ten months in an Arizona State Prison where there were no GA meetings. I vowed that one day I would return to prison and start a GA meeting. After my release, I watched new women struggle at the regular GA meetings, unable to identify with the card playing, sports betting male gamblers. One day another gal and I started a women's meeting in my apartment and the women came and the women stayed. They felt comfortable at the women's group.

I returned to Yuma with GA friends and started a meeting there and also at the Perryville prison. With the help of GA sisters, I publish a Women Helping Women Newsletter on the Internet. I try to give back to GA what the program has given me. I retired at the age of 72 and I've worked part-time for several years after my retirement to re-pay my victim. I now have more than sixteen years of recovery, One Day at at a Time.

Sen. Vickie D. McDonald (District 41, St. Paul)

Appointed to Nebraska Legislature: Aug. 10, 2001, to replace Richard N. McDonald, who died; elected 2002, 2004

Committees: General Affairs (chairperson); Agriculture; Judiciary; Executive Board; Reference; Legislative Performance Audit (vice chairperson)

Dave Malone

Dave Malone has been with Miller, Malone & Tellefson since October of 1999 after spending the previous five years with the Washington State Attorney General's Office. He is well versed in government relations and administrative law having represented the Department of Natural Resources and State Parks and Recreation Commission. As an Assistant Attorney General, Dave provided legal counsel on such issues as the DNR Habitat Conservation Plan (a 70 year forest management plan for nearly 2 million acres of state trust land), the Parks Commission's decision to arm park rangers, and various aspects of the state's salmon recovery efforts. Dave also took part in litigation at the state and federal level involving the Habitat Conservation Plan, the Loomis State Forest, and aquatic lands.

Dave’s practice at MM&T includes regulatory licensing matters before the Washington State Gambling Commission, Washington State Liquor Control Board, and Tribal Gaming Agencies.   Dave has also represented clients in over fifty administrative proceedings before these and other agencies.  In addition to representing clients in licensing and administrative proceedings, Dave has advised gaming clients on projects in Canada, Mexico, and Israel, as well as the states of California, Nevada, New Jersey, Michigan, Louisiana, Massachusetts, Maryland, Montana, Rhode Island, Florida, Kentucky, Ohio, New Hampshire, Connecticut, Iowa, and Oregon.  Dave has also consulted and advised on several internet gaming projects.

Dave earned a Bachelor's of Arts with distinction from the University of Washington, a JD from Seattle University School of Law (formerly the University of Puget Sound School of Law), and a Master's degree from the University of Washington's School of Marine Affairs. In addition to being admitted to practice in Washington State, Dave is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Washington, the U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of Washington, and the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals.

Dr. Benjamin Morasco

Dr. Benjamin Morasco is a licensed clinical psychologist and directs the gambling treatment program at the Portland VA Medical Center. He is also Assistant Professor in the Department of Psychiatry at Oregon Health & Science University. Dr. Morasco has experience providing direct treatment for pathological gambling, as well as training other practitioners in evidence-based approaches for the treatment of problem and pathological gambling. Dr. Morasco has also conducted clinical research examining the effectiveness of interventions for gambling disorders, adverse consequences associated with gambling, and psychological factors associated with the cessation of gambling.

Lia Nower, J.D. Ph.D.

Dr. Lia Nower is an Associate Professor and Director of the Center for Gambling Studies at the Rutgers School of Social Work. Her research focuses on the etiology and treatment of problem and pathological gambling and co-morbid addictive disorders and gambling-related policy issues. Dr. Nower has served as an NIH pre-doctoral fellow, a Fulbright fellow, and a research intern at the National Research Council at the National Academies.  She is currently Co-Editor of International Gambling Studies and a consultant and grant reviewer for international, national and state agencies. Dr. Nower is also a member of the certification and research boards and a clinical supervisor for the National Council on Problem Gambling in Washington D.C.

A former criminal prosecutor, she serves as a forensic consultant in state and federal court cases involving gambling-related crimes and is developing a court-sponsored program to address the needs of problem gamblers in the court system. Relevant studies include developing a sub-group specific screening instrument for problem gamblers, exploring risk and resiliency factors among youth gamblers, and investigating the pathways to homelessness among youth aging out of foster care.  Dr. Nower has also co-authored several policy initiatives, including a model for self-exclusion programs and an industry framework promoting informed-choice in gambling venues.

LIEUTENANT GOVERNOR
BRAD OWEN
Honorary Chair

Born in Tacoma, Washington on May 23, 1950, Lieutenant Governor Owen graduated from Frankfurt American High School in 1968.  Upon returning to the U.S. after graduation, he moved back to his birth state of Washington and then later settled in Shelton.  During the next 22 years, Owen was a small business owner and became a prominent member of his community. 
Brad Owen was elected as Washington State’s 15th lieutenant governor in 1996 and re-elected in 2000 and 2004.  Lieutenant Governor Owen serves the state as president of the Senate, and is the acting governor in the absence of the governor.  Prior to his election as lieutenant governor, Owen served as Shelton finance commissioner from 1976-1979, as a member of the Washington State House of Representatives from 1976-1982, and in the Washington State Senate from 1983-1996.
Lieutenant Governor Owen has dedicated his term of service to provide leadership in the field of public health and safety, with an emphasis on substance abuse and prevention.  He is the co-chair of the new Washington State Mentoring Partnership, as well as the chair of the Legislative Committee on Economic Development and International Relations.  He serves on the advisory board for the Drug Free America Foundation. He has conducted many foreign trade and goodwill missions and promotes stronger ties among Washington State’s economic and international communities.  Additionally, as president of a non-profit organization called Strategies for Youth (SFY), he develops and delivers positive messages about substance abuse and bullying awareness to youth, as well as to the community at large.  In 2002, he received an Honorary Doctorate of Letters (Humanities) from Walla Walla College for his years of public service and work with kids and communities.

Lieutenant Governor Owen is an avid outdoorsman, hunter, and fisherman, and enjoys playing a variety of musical instruments including the guitar, drums, and sax.  Mr. Owen and his wife, Linda, live in Shelton.  They have six children: Shanie, Dana, Sherri, Mark, Adam, and Royce and 13 grandchildren.

Colleen Patrick writer/director

Colleen is an award-winning writer-director. She has produced, written and directed some 14 short films, one of which, Life As Art, was not only seen at the Seattle International Film Festival and other venues internationally, but was an official entry in the 1997 Academy Award competition.

In addition to The Herbalist, she has written several other feature film scripts, including Mixing Karma, which was produced in Seattle and Into Thin Air, which was optioned by a successful production company in Hollywood.

Currently, her comedy feature script The Lonely Goatherd is being considered by a noted Hollywood production company. Other feature scripts being considered include her first animated feature, Home For Christmas and the romantic comedy Nothing But The Truth.
 
She is the camera acting columnist for MovieScope magazine, an international filmmaking magazine headquartered in London, interviewing such luminaries as Alec Baldwin.

She is the author of two books, The 100% Solution and Mind Over Media.

She also coaches writers and camera actors.

Colleen has taught writing, camera acting and media classes at the University of Washington and several community colleges in the Northwest.

She has worked as a news director, reporter, anchor, talk show host and commentator at local television and radio stations as well as done work for networks ABC, CBS and NBC as well as the Associated Press; she has also been a columnist as the Reader Advocate/ombudsman at the Seattle Times.

Her blog at colleenpatrick.com receives up to 200,000 hits a month.

Colleen is owned by 3 Pomeranians and an Allie Cat in her bungalow snuggled in a little known woodsy area of North Seattle; she loves to sing and enjoys the Northwest out-of-doors. She loves to go hot air ballooning, speaks and reads French and German for fun, and believes we can all be the people we want to be if we each know and understand our true identity, what makes us who we are.

Jennifer Shatley

Jennifer Shatley has been the Program Vice President of the Code of Commitment for Harrah's, the largest U.S. casino operator, since 2001.  Her duties include implementation and administration of the company's responsible gaming programs, as well as development of employee training and information technology to support the responsible gaming policy.  She has been with Harrah’s since 1997 and was previously the Senior Manager of Market Research.  In addition to her role at Harrah’s, she serves on the board of directors of the National Center for Responsible Gaming and as the treasurer for the Nevada Council on Problem Gambling.  She earned a B.A. in English from Christian Brothers University, an M.S. in Communications from the University of Tennessee, and attended law school at Louisiana State University.

Renee Siegel

Renee Siegel, who received her undergraduate degree from the University of North Carolina in psychology, has always had a strong interest in integrating body, mind and spiritual principles in working with clients in counseling. After receiving a master’s degree in marriage and family psychology from Wayne State University, she began her career treating individuals and families affected by drug and alcohol problems. Renee worked in a several inpatient, outpatient, intensive outpatient, and private practice settings. She also worked with a variety of patient populations including women, men, adolescent and dually diagnosed.

Renee is a nationally certified gambling counselor. She has specialized in treating gamblers since 1994 and has a special interest in helping family members. Because of her compulsive gambling expertise, Renee has presented locally and nationally, appeared in the media, trained other treatment professionals, and published articles.

Renee is Executive Director and owner of ABC Wellness Centre, which has locations in both Scottsdale ad Mesa, Arizona. The “ABC” part of the Centre’s name refers to Awareness, Balance and Connection, the formula Renee believes is the framework for a strong recovery program. Comprehensive treatment utilizing the wellness philosophy is available for individuals and families struggling with addictions and other compulsive behaviors.

Representative Carolyn Tomei (D-Milwaukie District 41)

Representative Carolyn Tomei is serving her fourth term in the Oregon Legislature. Prior to election as State Representative, Tomei served as Mayor of Milwaukie. She had been on the City Council and was also on the Planning Commission. Before working in public service as an elected official, Representative Tomei worked as a Child Development Specialist for Portland Public Schools, a School Consultant for Multnomah County Mental Health, and a Group Home Specialist for Adolescents for the Children's Services Division. She also taught at Portland Community College.

Representative Tomei serves as Chair of the Human Services and Women's Wellness Committee, as well as the Vice-Chair of the Transportation Committee, in the current legislative session of the Oregon House of Representatives. She is a leader of the Oregon Women’s Health and Wellness Alliance, a voluntary alliance of legislators, advocates, health care professionals and agency personnel seeking to enhance the physical health, safety and economic wellbeing of women.

Representative Tomei has a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Portland State University and a Master’s degree in Social Work from PSU as well. She and her husband Gary Michael live in Milwaukie, Oregon.

Keith Whyte

Biographical Sketch

Keith Whyte is the Executive Director of the National Council on Problem Gambling, the national advocate for programs and services to assist problem gamblers and their families. Keith has been involved in gaming and problem gambling issues for more than twelve years, and has over eighteen years of public policy experience at the national level. He has written extensively on gaming policy and serves on numerous editorial and advisory boards. Keith frequently comments on gambling-related issues in media worldwide.

Biographical Profile

Keith S. Whyte became the Executive Director of the National Council on Problem Gambling (NCPG) in October 1998. The NCPG is the national advocate for programs and services to assist problem gamblers and their families.

Previously, Mr. Whyte served as Director of Research for the American Gaming Association where he was responsible for research and public policy issues, including problem gambling. Prior experience includes the American Bar Association’s Section of Individual Rights and Responsibilities where he dealt with policy issues relating to civil rights, human rights, healthcare, and immigration law. He worked in the office of the Assistant Secretary for Planning and Evaluation at the United States Department of Health and Human Services on healthcare policy issues. Keith graduated from Hampden-Sydney College with a B.A. in History and a Certificate in International Relations. He also studied at Leiden University, the Netherlands.

Mr. Whyte has written numerous articles, studies and book chapters on various aspects of gaming policy and presents frequently at national and international conferences. In addition, he has testified before the United States Congress on gambling-related legislation. He regularly discusses gaming issues in national and international print, radio and broadcast media. He is a member of the Editorial Board of the Gaming Law Review and the Editorial Advisory Board of the Responsible Gaming Quarterly. Keith also serves as a reviewer for the Journal of Gambling Issues and the Alberta Gaming Research Institute, and sits on the Advisory Boards of the International Centre for Youth Gambling Problems and High-Risk Behaviors at McGill University, the Center for Gambling Studies at Rutgers University and the Even Centre in Hong Kong.

Sharon Williams

Sharon has worked professionally with gamblers for the past six years.  After over 35 years in the insurance business, Sharon decided in 2001 she wanted to work with compulsive gamblers. 

Sharon is a Nationally Certified Gambling Counselor II; Oregon Certified Gambling Addictions Counselor II and a Certified Alcohol & Drug Counselor I.  Sharon was part of a team who developed and implemented the opening of Oregon’s only residential gambling treatment program – BridgewayOregon.  From the opening day, Sharon has worked as one of two Residential Gambling Counselors.

Currently Sharon is Secretary-Treasurer and Member at Large of the Oregon Gambling Addiction Treatment Foundation (Oregon Affiliate of the National Council on Problem Gambling).  Other achievements include providing all services for the Gambling Evaluation and Reduction (GEAR) program (a minimal intervention program); and co-development, implementation and facilitation of the GEAR program for female inmates at Coffee Creek Correctional Facility. 

Sharon is a strong advocate for increasing awareness of the gambling problem and providing treatment for compulsive gamblers.  Over the years she has served on various community councils and boards and has been a spokesperson to legislature, treatment programs, churches, civic organizations and to the media.