Seattle, Washington, United States, February 2026 — Mary Alida Brisk has taken on the role of Vice President of People & Culture at Lifelong, strengthening the organization’s leadership as it continues its mission to fight health inequity and remove barriers to healthcare, housing, and food.
In this new role, Mary will lead enterprise-wide people strategy, culture development, talent management, learning, and organizational effectiveness initiatives. Her mandate includes aligning Lifelong’s workforce strategy with its mission-driven focus on advancing health equity and delivering comprehensive services to communities across Seattle.
Prior to joining Lifelong, Mary served as Chief Talent & Learning Officer at Ann & Robert H. Lurie Children’s Hospital of Chicago, where she led strategic human resources, learning, and talent initiatives across the organization. During her tenure, she also stepped in as Interim Senior Vice President and Chief Human Resource Officer, overseeing enterprise HR leadership, workforce strategy, and operational excellence for one of the nation’s leading pediatric healthcare institutions.
Earlier, she held senior leadership roles at Seattle Children’s, where she led Talent Management, Organizational Effectiveness Consulting, Leadership Development, HR Operations, and Learning for a workforce of over 11,000 employees. She also served as Director of Client Services at Virginia Mason Institute, providing strategic talent management and advisory services to healthcare organizations globally.
Mary’s earlier career includes leadership and consulting roles at Exemplary Performance, LLC, where she delivered large-scale performance improvement programs for Fortune 500 organizations, and at Watermark Credit Union, where she served on the senior leadership team driving organizational effectiveness and leadership development. She began her professional journey in the United States Air Force, serving as a Jet Engine Mechanic and Non-Commissioned Officer.
With decades of experience spanning healthcare, consulting, nonprofit, and financial services sectors, Mary Alida Brisk brings deep expertise in strategic human resources leadership, operational excellence, and mission-aligned workforce transformation to Lifelong.
About Lifelong
Lifelong is a Seattle-based nonprofit organization dedicated to fighting health inequity and ensuring healthcare, housing, and food are treated as basic human rights. For over 40 years, Lifelong has worked with relentless compassion to remove barriers to health through comprehensive services including food and nutrition programs, healthcare navigation, aging and disability support, and housing connection services.
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