Island Time Activities is celebrating 20 years by emphasizing our outreach and programs serving Kitsap County
Personal Growth & Community Inclusion
for Teens and Adults with I/DD
Meet Our 2021 Board
Pat Callahan, Current Chair: As Founder and Chief Executive Officer, Pat Callahan drives the vision, strategy and overall direction at Urban Renaissance Group (URG), a leading Seattle-based full-service commercial real estate investment and development company with an operating platform of more than 12 million square feet. The firm has a presence in Seattle, Bellevue, Portland and Denver, with more than 190 employees and approximately $6 billion of assets under management. Pat has nearly 30 years of commercial real estate experience.
Sheila Meidell, Current Vice Chair: Sheila moved to Bainbridge Island in the 90's, raising two kids with twice-exceptional needs, who are now off to college and grad school. She recently finished service on a board advocating for gifted students. She served BISD on District-level committees such as the DBAC, focusing on Highly Capable Advisory. She served multiple terms on school Site Councils; led and coached the Math Olympiad program; led and taught the Art Docent program; developed a Math Enrichment program for lower elementary; tutored students as a college admissions advisor; served as parent support for IEP meetings; and most recently advocated for autistic inclusion at the high school grade level.
Sheridan Ley-Mackey, Current Treasurer: Sheri is the mother of an ITA member and local attorney. She provides legal services to families of individuals with developmental and other disabilities. Additionally she and her husband co-own Kimo Mackey Design, an underwater ship propeller engineering business. As one of the founders of the Bainbridge Island Special Needs Foundation, she has advocated on behalf of disabled students and citizens with the Bainbridge Island School District and City of Bainbridge Island. Her years of volunteerism include serving on the Port Madison Water Company Board and running the sailing program at the Pt. Madison Yacht Club. She and her family have lived in Port Madison on Bainbridge Island for 31 years.
Sarah Brandt-Erichsen, Current Secretary: Sarah is a parent caregiver and recreational farmer. From a background in government affairs and issues advocacy, she has years of experience in nonprofit work, focusing the last 20 participating in multiple island organizations and the Bainbridge Island School District. Her volunteerism has focused primarily on childhood education/recreation and special needs accessibility. Sarah lives with her family and furry friends on Bainbridge Island.
Denise Vestman, Immediate Past President: While raising 5 children, Denise and her husband owned Vestman Construction where she worked as secretary and bookkeeper for 23 years. She has owned and operated a catering business specializing in providing hot lunches in private schools. She served on the Board of Trustees for the Washington State School for the Blind for 4 years which her son, an ITA member, attended. Denise still participates with several Kitsap charity organizations and is the recipient of multiple awards for her volunteerism in the North Kitsap School District. She and her family live in Poulsbo.
James Forsher:
James has been producing non-fiction programming focusing on Hollywood for over 4 decades. His television programs include the twenty-six part “Hollywood Chronicles” for the Discovery Channel (1990) and the thirteen part “The 1960’s” for Encore! His feature length specials include “Hollywood Uncensored” and “Hollywood Ghost Stories,”which have aired on such systems as Cinemax and The Movie Channel. He is the author of The Community of Cinema: How Cinema and Spectacle Transformed the American Downtown Praeger, 2002). James is also a retired Associate Professor in Communication, having taught at The University of Vienna, California State University, East Bay, Seattle University, Temple University, and Florida State University. He maintains an invaluable private archive of over 5,000 video, film, and print titles that has served as a resource for hundreds of documentaries, rock videos, and commercial television productions for nearly 30 years.
Jeff Sharp: Jeff recently retired from a long career focused on project and development management. He moved to the Pacific Northwest in 1981 to enroll in the University of Washington’s Masters Program in Architecture. His career path led him into project management and real estate development. His focus initially was on ambulatory healthcare projects such as clinics, imaging centers, surgery centers and multi-specialty clinics. After a brush with retirement, he pursued projects such as Fisher Plaza (home to KOMO TV’s studios and data centers) and numerous urban infill projects as a development manager for Vulcan Real Estate. Projects have ranged from feasibility studies to $200,000,000 mixed use high rise ground up developments. He has served on the board of Hyla Middle School as Vice President and then President. His current philanthropic efforts continue as a board member of Vitalize Kitsap utilizing his experience with capital facility projects.
Doug Leonard: Doug has been a supporter of Vitalize Kitsap since our early days as Island Time Activities, when he was our banker at Union Bank. He's currently at First Federal on Bainbridge Island, and brings his financial world expertise to our Board along with his dedication to our program and personal connection to our Members.