Dear Lifelong friends and family,
I’ve been inspired by my time at Lifelong and humbled to see everyone’s shared dedication to this organization and our community. It is with a heavy heart that I announce I’ll be stepping down from my position as CEO of Lifelong. This was an extremely difficult decision: it has been my privilege and honor to work with Lifelong and our partners to remove barriers to health for those facing illness and injustice. Like so many other people in our community, my family has had significant health challenges over the last two years, and I’ve come to the unavoidable conclusion that I need to leave in order to focus on my loved ones.
While I know you all will understand the need to prioritize health and family, it does not make leaving at this time any easier. We have made great strides is setting a new vision, mission, and values and building strong connectivity and partnerships, and yet there is still so much work to do. We are on the cusp of approving our new strategic plan, and I have all the confidence in the world that our leadership team will carry this important work forward.
Bela Biro will be stepping into the interim CEO position beginning on December 15. He has served on Lifelong’s Board of Directors for the last five years, most of the time as President, and will bring continuity and stability while we find the right future leader. Bela has extensive leadership experience in advancing health for vulnerable populations and is passionate about Lifelong’s vision. Most recently, he served six years as the Executive Director of Accountable Care Services for Swedish. Previously, he served as the President at Molina Healthcare of Washington and in Chief Financial Officer roles with organizations including The Polyclinic, First Choice Health Network, and a local Blue Shield health plan. Bela is well poised to shepherd the organization through this transition.
Over the next few weeks, the Board will be hiring a search firm and beginning the process to identify the next CEO. Our team will keep you updated as this process progresses.
Thank you again for all you've done to support this organization and our mission over the years. Although I’ll be on the other side of the country, my heart will always be with the compassionate and resilient Lifelong community.
All my best,
Claire Neal
Lifelong CEO