Lance Christian recently announced his retirement as Executive Director. Let’s celebrate his legacy with 22 Days of Giving in honor of his 22 Years at ALS Northwest!
From January 10 through his last day on January 31, let’s build a robust budget for our care services, research and advocacy efforts this next fiscal year starting on February 1, 2025.
Under Lance’s visionary leadership, we now serve 600+ people annually, offer expanded multidisciplinary care through ALS Clinic partnerships, and consistently fund ALS research that is changing the landscape of treatments available. So much has been built in large part because Lance simply said, “Yes, we’re going to do it.”
A few long-standing staff and board members shared their memories of Lance:
(Remember to share your own memories and photos on Lance’s Kudos Board as we prepare to send him off!)
“Our journey with Lance began when the proceeds from our very first walk allowed us to hire him. As a social worker and a gifted communicator, he was exactly what we needed to build meaningful connections with people living with ALS (PALS). In those early days, we worked out of a small start-up incubator, sharing a bench with no desks. Later, we moved to a space provided by The Oregon Community Foundation, paying just $100 a month—humble beginnings that highlighted our need for resourcefulness.
Lance rose to the challenge, creating programs like support groups at Providence with guest speakers from their team, while personally visiting every one of our PALS.
Lance’s ability to forge relationships was extraordinary. He collaborated with Dr. Kim Goslin and Dr. Lou Libby to pursue the dream of a multidisciplinary ALS clinic. Kim and Lance decided to start small, opening an office at Providence and growing the clinic from there. Their combined passion, determination, and the support of Lou made an extraordinary difference for the ALS community.
Lance’s presence was transformative, not just for our organization but for me personally. In moments of grief or overwhelm, I could count on him for an emotional ‘tune-up.’ We were very different people, but we learned so much from each other. I’m profoundly grateful for his impact, not only on the lives of the PALS he served but also on everyone fortunate enough to work alongside him.”
– Cindy Burdell, Founder
“One of my favorite memories of Lance is actually from when I interviewed for the Care Services Coordinator role. I remember feeling like working with the ALS community would be such a great fit for me, and the conversation I had with Lance during that interview really stuck with me. His vision and the way he talked about the work made me feel so reassured about stepping into the role. It also meant so much knowing that Lance himself was a licensed social worker who really understood what it means to support people and families impacted by ALS.
Having worked with Lance now for almost 8 years, I have really appreciated how dedicated he is to ensuring people with ALS are at the center of everything we do, and how much heart and passion he brings to his work. We’ve since had the opportunity to collaborate and come up with new ideas together. It’s been an honor to work alongside someone as dedicated and thoughtful as Lance.”
– Cassy Adams, Senior Director: Mission and Operations and incoming Executive Director
“When I first started as the Development Director in 2005, Lance was understandably cautious. I was in my mid-20s with no nonprofit experience, and it took time for us to build trust. Once we did, we became a dynamic duo, collaborating to tackle opportunities and challenges from both the perspective of the families we supported and the families that supported us. Lance always had my back, and for that, I’ll be forever grateful. Watching him grow in his leadership and fundraising skills, while staying true to his social work roots, was nothing short of inspiring.
From the events, the strategic planning retreats, the board meetings, the home visits, and more, Lance has worked tirelessly and will always be dedicated to helping people live better lives despite the devastating diagnosis of ALS.”
– Aubrey McCauley, former Development Director
“As a founding Board Member, I still remember the day we hired Lance as the organization’s very first Care Services Coordinator in 2002. He was very young! Clearly bright and energetic. Over the years, we met frequently and became lifelong friends through that process.
Stepping up as the Executive Director in 2008 was one of Lance’s hardest pivots to make. He ended up having no trouble—it went great, and the exponential growth of the organization reflects his renewed focus in this administrative direction.
Lance’s extraordinary ability to diversify our event offerings was also great for the organization. In the early days, we only had the Walk and the Gala. Lance loved riding bikes, so he helped get the ALS Ride started.
22 years changing the landscape from no programs, to taking care of nearly 600 people every year… It’s amazing how he helped change the ALS world.”
– Lou Libby, MD, Board Member