Hopelink director to step down

Nearly 14 years ago, Doreen Marchione interviewed for a job with a human-services agency that seemed to have great potential but was struggling with its funding.

Marchione had recently finished an eight-year stint as the mayor of Redmond and was looking for a new challenge. As it turned out, the organization, now known as Hopelink, offered her all the challenge she could have hoped for.

"They were financially in trouble at the time — I didn't realize how much when they hired me," Marchione said. "In my mind, the problem was that we needed to let the managers do their jobs, and look to the community and government for fundraising."

As Hopelink gears up to celebrate its 35th anniversary, Marchione, the agency's president and CEO, announced on Wednesday she plans to retire from her post by the end of the year.

Marchione has been a dynamic force behind the Eastside's largest human-services organization and a leader within the broader human-services community, say those who have worked with her.

Under her leadership, Hopelink went from a $9 million operating budget to a $40 million operating budget. It grew from an agency that helped 20,000 people annually, to serving more than 50,000 people.

Others credit Marchione with building an organization that delivers services with little "waste" since 92 percent of all funds raised go to serving clients.

"I like the fundraising and the advocacy and meeting with people in the community or the county and City Council people — I think I'm a good connector of people." Marchione said.

Marchione's commitment to helping those in need became apparent to Rita Ryder who, along with Marchione, is among a group of human-services executives who meet for dinner once a month.

"Human-service-agency executives need to be community leaders, and Doreen has done a good job of that," said Ryder, who is the president of strategic initiatives for YWCA of Seattle, King and Snohomish counties. "She has a very solid commitment to improving the lives of people in our community."

"She makes people feel like they belong to the organization, so they contribute the maximum of their ability," said Pat Vache, the newest member of Hopelink's board of directors, and a Redmond City Council member who worked with Marchione when she was mayor. "She has been key in raising funds in easy and difficult economic climates."

Marchione said she loves hearing of how Hopelink helped those in need overcome obstacles.

One of her favorite examples is of a local woman with three sons who left her abusive marriage, sought out drug treatment for her substance-abuse problem, and got into a domestic-violence program through Hopelink. She received job training and was able to get back on her feet.

"She has since remarried and she's volunteering for a domestic-violence shelter herself now," Marchione said.

Marchione will be a hard leader to replace, said Leah McCollough, chairwoman of Hopelink's board of directors. The organization bears the stamp of Marchione's personality, McCollough said.

"It's an emotional link. It's hard to understand how to replace a top executive," she said. "It's like replacing a heart. This is an opportunity for a new leader with vision. But before you know their heart and what they care about, you can't imagine someone being able to do it the way Doreen was able to do it."

Marchione, 67, plans to stay on as the board looks for her replacement, and make sure the transition is as smooth as possible, she said.

But she is beginning to dream of what to do with her upcoming free time.

"Instead of rain next winter, I want to go some place with more sunshine," Marchione mused. "I have friends who go to Tucson or Hawaii, and I thought that sounded good."

Rachel Tuinstra: 206-515-5637 or rtuinstra@seattletimes.com