YES Hires Kirkland Resident as Fund Development Director

Kirkland resident Monica Elenbaas, a longtime non-profit professional, has been hired as director of fund deveopment and community relations by the service agency Youth Eastside Services.

She replaces Mel Baer, who retired in May.

“I am excited to return to the Eastside and help YES with fundraising and community outreach," said Elenbaas, who lives with her husband on North Rose Hill. “My experience, local contacts and knowledge will benefit the organization and those we serve.”

Elenbaas has spent three decades working for non-profit groups in a variety of leadership roles, including in program delivery, community outreach, public relations and special events. For the past 19 years, she has worked with the YMCA in Olympia, Greater Seattle and most recently at national headquarters in Chicago.

 “We conducted an exhaustive search and find her strong background in fundraising, communications and strategic planning, as well as her knowledge of the Eastside community, an excellent match for YES,” said said Patti Skelton-McGougan, executive director of the group.

Elenbaas has served as a volunteer on numerous other boards and task forces, including Bellevue Youth Symphony Orchestra, the North American YMCA Development Organization, Seattle Women’s Chorus, Campfire and Girl Scouts.

She and her husband Jamie Elenbaas are graduates of the University of Puget Sound. Their grown son and daughter are and Western Washington University graduates.

Founded in 1968, YES is based in Bellevue, with offices and Redmond, and provides a variety of youth counseling and substance abuse services on the Eastside.

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Information for this report came from a YES press release.