CLS staff and board wish a fond farewell to Brenda Carlstrom, a longtime CLS Community Board Member. Brenda has been with CLS since it’s inception when then Evergreen Legal Services split into two organizations – CLS (who would carry on the work that Congress prohibited federally funding legal aid programs from doing including class actions, legislative policy, union representation and assisting people who are incarcerated or who are undocumented) and the Northwest Justice Project (who would receive government funding). Brenda has served the board in every capacity from committee chair to out spoken client advocate to board president. Her unwavering dedication to CLS’s mission is unmatched. Brenda always brought the client perspective to the board, particularly for people with disabilities. She has appreciated the way CLS supports community board members by providing needed tech equipment like a computer, travel support, and providing information in an accessible format. In true Brenda fashion she thanks the board and CLS rather than focusing on her contributions –
“Thank you for all the support you have given me throughout my tenure as a very appreciative Community Board Member. Your generosity and accommodations so that I could participate in the meetings, events, and conferences did not go unnoticed for this traveling quadriplegic and her care provider (usually her sister, Bonnie, also living with a disability). I will miss the tag team of the two Brendas who voiced their opinion of the other side of ‘legal’. And, you always listened and took our observations to heart.”
–Brenda Carlstrom
As a board member Brenda says she has “…experienced a great deal, suffered through tough decisions, weathered the financial storms, redirected our mission and vision numerous times and seen too many great people come and go from our organization.” This was a difficult decision for her as CLS has been a part of her life since the 1990s and she a part of CLS’s journey for her, “I have been blessed to be part of this journey. We’ve experienced so much in the civil justice arena.” But now, “It’s time to pass the baton,” says Brenda. She is humbled to have been such an integral part of CLS for so long.
Board President Jeffrey Grant says “it has been a great pleasure to work with Brenda over these many (yes, many) years. She has been a powerful advocate for CLS in many ways. She always focused on the mission and the clients in all her board work. We will greatly miss her contributions. She has left a legacy of making board service and CLS more accessible and bringing a disability rights perspective to all of our work. She has been a wonderful partner in this work.” Brenda is fearless and not afraid to speak truth to power. When the new Executive Director (ED) started, she reached out to ensure that the community board members’ voices would be heard. The new ED, Merf Ehman says that “Brenda is a delight to work with. She is smart, funny, and committed to justice. I will miss her thought partnership and perspective on all things CLS.”
Brenda brought to CLS what she says in her email signature “light, love, and laughter.”
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