Children’s Home Society of Washington (CHSW) has added a new community leader to our Board of Trustees, Shayla Kern. The mother of three, who has personal experience with CHSW services in the Walla Walla region, will provide invaluable insight to the board.

“I was introduced to CHSW by First Steps when I was pregnant with [my third child] Evelynn,” said Shayla. “I have grown tremendously within this program and have amazing parenting skills because of everything I have learned, to be able to apply to our lives.” First Steps is part of CHSW’s early learning programming.

Her involvement with Children’s Home Society of Washington burgeoned from benefiting from services to include guest speaking at the annual Walla Walla SweetHeart for Kids benefit luncheon, participation in and co-chairing of the policy council for the past three years and involvement in the hiring process for high-profile roles in her community.

“Adding a new member to our Board of Trustees whose firsthand experience and knowledge of one of our core service offerings allows us to infuse deeper empathy in our work, and underscores CHSW’s commitment to making a difference in the lives of more children and families in communities throughout Washington state,” said Dave Newell, president and CEO of Children’s Home Society of Washington. “We are enthusiastic about deepening our diversity, equity and inclusion work with the support of relatable perspectives from new members like Shayla.”

Shayla is a student at Walla Walla University, currently earning her bachelor’s degree with plans to continue in pursuit of a master’s degree in social work.