ABOUT US:

Your Community

Our Mission
& Vision

Our VISION is to provide a community gathering place where older adults are empowered to choose and develop more joyful, healthy, and meaningful lives. To achieve our vision, our MISSION is to promote relationships and activities that enhance the well-being of older adults so they feel as important to their community as younger generations. Imagine ways to find inspiration from older Sammamish adults in the future:

  • Competing in the Senior Olympics
  • Winning national bridge tournaments
  • Celebrating a “Walk for the Cure” team of seniors
  • Volunteering as reading mentors in elementary schools across the city
  • Representing their age cohort at a Farmer’s Market booth
  • Helping middle and high school students develop STEM strengths
  • Serving on advisory councils to enhance current

Contact
Us

Please reach out if you need help in any way. Contact us by email, phone, or become part of our Facebook community. We look forward to getting to know you!

Joyce Bottenberg 425-444-1892 & Tom Ehlers 206-734-5836
SammamishSeniors@gmail.com

Meet Our
Fearless Leaders

Our board and leadership are volunteers who believe an organized, strong and active community of older adults is incredibly important in order to further the health and happiness of adults 50+ in Sammamish. They, and all of us at Sammamish Seniors, are here for you.

Sammamish Seniors Leader 2020

Sally
Farrell

  • Sammamish Seniors, 3+ years, starting in winter 2018
  • Built program foundation for Eastside Friends of Seniors from 2000-2005 (Faith in Action Issaquah).
  • Trained boards for regional and national Faith in Action programs (Robert Wood Johnson Foundation).
  • Created national outreach programs for The National Council on Aging and AARP; served as National Training Director.
  • Served as Development Officer for Elder and Adult Day Health (Puget Sound Region)
  • Co-founded Songea’s Kids, grassroots NPO based in Sammamish that fully supports orphans in Songea, Tanzania, East Africa and builds infrastructure to support them and their communities.

Joyce
Bottenberg

  • Sammamish Human Services Commission, current chair
  • Sammamish Rotary Club & Foundation, past president
  • Sammamish Seniors, Winter 2018 through Rotary’s community service committee (chaired)
  • City of Sammamish Volunteer of the Year 2021
  • Career – Executive Director: American Red Cross/Boston; Epilepsy Assoc. of WA; Medic One Foundation; Development/Program: American Red Cross/Seattle; Boys & Girls Club of King County, Child Care Resources, Starlight Children’s Foundation; PR/Marketing: Itek Corp/Boston; Rendle Associates/Boston; Metro/Seattle; American Preparedness
  • Nonprofit Volunteer – Red Cross FA/CPR PIO; National Ski Patrol/Alpental, King County Search & Rescue; Special Olympics; American Red Cross Overseas Association – past national president; American Red Cross Retirees Association/Washington, past president

Margaret
Rosenow

  • Sammamish Seniors, 3+ years
  • Private school board member
  • Board member Eastside Friends of Seniors (previous Faith-in-Action)
  • Sammamish Art Commission
  • Hospital fundraiser. President of one of the branches
  • P.T.S.A. executive board member and treasurer
  • Pre-teens, teens in church, community, 4-H, and foreign student exchange programs
  • Validator for accreditation of childcare centers by National Academy of Early Childhood Programs, a division of the National Association for the Education of Young Children
  • Co-founder of several preschools
  • Church council member
  • Flight attendant, translator, employee counselor, real estate medical insurance fields
  • College Instructor: Parent Education, Early Childhood Education, Family Life
  • Director Parent-Child Center, Shoreline Community College

Don
Gerend

  • Sammamish Seniors, 3+ years
  • City of Sammamish, founding council member; 19 years on council, four times Mayor
  • Past Board of Sound Cities Association (treasurer), Puget Sound Regional Council (Transportation Policy Board and Executive Board), Association of Washington Cities (former President of Board), Eastside Fire and Rescue, Eastside Transportation Partnership (former chair), numerous city and region and state and national municipal government related boards, Community Home Health Care
  • Founding member of Kokanee Work Group and early member of Sammamish Friends
  • Past Precinct Committee Officer (Republican and Democratic), Democratic State Convention delegate
  • Former rocket scientist, Physics and Astronomy Professor at Seattle University, Real Estate Syndicator and securities broker, Private phone company founder

Tom
Ehlers

  • Sammamish Seniors, 3+ years, starting in winter 2018
  • Issaquah Food and Clothing Bank Board (2013-Present), Chair (2017-2021)
  • City of Sammamish: Human Services Commission (Chair 2018-19; Vice Chair 2020); Human Services Task Force (Chair 2016-17)
  • Good Samaritan Episcopal Church: Faith-in-Action Chair (2009-present), Youth Group co-leader (2011-16), General Board Chair (2007-9, 2022 -)
  • Past Volunteer – Habitat for Humanity (Guatemala)
  • Professional Career Highlights: Starbucks Coffee Company VP/GM, CKE Investments, LLC co-founder (real estate), Seattle University Adjunct Professor (Business)

Our Partners