About Us

Meet our Leadership Team

Executive Director Paul Weil	We are pleased to announce the appointment of Paul Weil, MBA, MA as the new Executive Director of The Chaplaincy. Paul will lead the agency in our efforts to serve others with impeccable spiritual, emotional and physical care and will be accountable to the board of directors for meeting operational, programmatic and financial objectives. He is a seasoned hospice and health care administrator with degrees in pastoral ministry, health systems administration, and economics. Board President Alayne Heck said, “Paul's education, professional background and spiritual grounding are well aligned with the vision, mission and values of The Chaplaincy. We look forward to working with him to provide the standard of excellence that this community has come to expect of the agency.” Paul replaces Bette Cooper, who retired March 1, 2013.

Director of Hospice Services Judy Westerberg	It is an honor to be part of the Leadership Team at The Chaplaincy. As Director of the Hospice Program I am proud of the hospice staff who is committed to bringing support, comfort and education to patients and their families at the end of life. These highly qualified professionals are here because they claim hospice work as their personal calling and it shows in all that they do. They are well supported in kind by the agency’s values which include a commitment to offer a supportive work environment and an opportunity for personal and spiritual growth. The results are our ability to provide impeccable care to our patients with humility and passion. I am also humbled by the outpouring of affection that we receive from the community. Without their support we would be a very different agency. I am very grateful to be part of this organization.

Director of Business Operations and Development Gary Castillo	I am proud of our commitment to this community and the services that we provide. It is amazing to see that a vision born 40 years ago to serve those at the end of life or experiencing the loss of a loved one is still alive. Our mission statement and values were developed by our staff and they truly are reflected in our work. It is a privileged for me to be a part of that vision and to work with such a committed and amazing staff.

Director of Chaplain Services Tom Adams	Growing up I loved Star Trek. “Space: the final frontier… to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.” At the same time, the explorers had to work within the constraints of the “prime directive.” No new culture could be given or exposed to any existence of extra-planetary life, lest this exposure alter the natural development of the civilization. In the Christian tradition, a person from outside our time-space continuum intercepted us. When the infinite became incarnate, our fortunes changed. Everything we understood about being a finite person changed. Human worth changed. History set a new course. What had been closed was opened. What had been endings were new beginnings. What had been limits became possibilities. Chaplains embody that daring. Chaplains go where few dare. They go to bedsides of despair, the dungeons of the imprisoned, the chaos of a crisis, the healing of survivors, and they bring hope, light, tools of coping, transcendent meaning, and a deeper connection with the life that holds us. And contrary to the prime directive, things change for the people they visit. Serving the chaplains and the faith communities of the Tri-Cities that support them, is humbling and exhilarating. “Directing” is a term applied to this endeavor loosely. Setting a course to the unknown and helping interpret what we encounter along the way might be a better description. As for the management team, I say it’s great to have company and to know I’m not alone at the helm. I’m not even the Captain. For me its an honor to serve with this staff as one of the Lieutenants.

Director of Spiritual Formation Wes McIntyre	The leadership team at The Chaplaincy seeks to look toward that which is greater than ourselves; that which has been and is present within and among us since our inception; that which inspires in us creativity, compassion, courage, and wisdom; that which takes us beyond the poverty of our own opinions, viewpoints and egos and centers us in a spirit of service to our community. We are faith based and that means, among other things, we trust beyond ourselves for divine guidance, providential leading, and inspired service. We are humbled when we miss this divine presence and connection but we are also humbled when we lead into that calling and discover a path that leaves us in awe, knowing that what is occurring transcends us all. It is a privilege to work together in service to our community.

Director of Human Resources Esther Schmidt	At The Chaplaincy, we are a diverse family of individuals who have a number of attributes in common. These include compassion, integrity, humility, passion and spirituality. The types of people who thrive at The Chaplaincy are highly committed and skilled caregivers who place high value on service to others and strive for improvement on a daily basis. Our rich heritage and Mission inspire us. As well as our core values, we expect our staff to embrace the critical importance of healing relationships. Our hope is that each person finds meaning, satisfaction and blessing in the work they do.