About Us

Meet our Leadership Team

Executive Leadership Team

Executive Director

Bette Cooper - Inspired by something infinitely greater than ourselves and founded in spiritual care, The Chaplaincy serves from a place of faith in all of its programs. Our convictions say to those of us who work here that our vocation serves a purpose greater than ourselves. In that, we recognize the sacredness of the work we do together. The Chaplaincy is a place where our souls fill our individual roles within the organization.

I am privileged to serve with a board and leadership team that embraces the deeper meaning of our work. I am humbled and honored by the relationship of this organization to our larger community, always aware of their devotion to the work we do together. Over our thirty six year history, our community has continued to provide strength and direction to our mission.
Each day I am inspired by the stories of our work and I am grateful to be a part of it.

Chief Financial Officer

Brant Baker – The Chaplaincy means many things to many people. For me,
I truly feel blessed to have an opportunity to work with so many talented individuals who are willing to share their skills, dedication and faith for the common good.

Director of Hospice Services

Gary Castillo – As Director of The Chaplaincy Hospice Program, I feel both humbled and privileged to lead our team of Hospice providers. The dedication and passion that they bring to this work is truly amazing. As a community based program, our connection to the community stems from our Mission Statement and Values. The base of that Value system is supported by Humility and a Passion for the Work. We then add our Connection to the Community, Supportive Work Environment and our commitment to the Personal and Spiritual Growth of our staff. These building blocks support our highest Value, providing Impeccable Client Care. By making a connection to our patients and families we can be present for them during this part of life’s journey. Hospice…it’s about “living life to the fullest”!

Director of Chaplain Services

Tom Adams – Growing up I loved Star Trek. “Space: the final frontier… to explore strange new worlds, to seek out new life and new civilizations, to boldly go where no man has gone before.” At the same time, the explorers had to work within the constraints of the “prime directive.” No new culture could be given or exposed to any existence of extra-planetary life, lest this exposure alter the natural development of the civilization. In the Christian tradition, a person from outside our time-space continuum intercepted us. When the infinite became incarnate, our fortunes changed. Everything we understood about being a finite person changed. Human worth changed. History set a new course. What had been closed was opened. What had been endings were new beginnings. What had been limits became possibilities.

Chaplains embody that daring. Chaplains go where few dare. They go to bedsides of despair, the dungeons of the imprisoned, the chaos of a crisis, the healing of survivors, and they bring hope, light, tools of coping, transcendent meaning, and a deeper connection with the life that holds us. And contrary to the prime directive, things change for the people they visit.

Serving the chaplains and the faith communities of the Tri-Cities that support them, is humbling and exhilarating. “Directing” is a term applied to this endeavor loosely. Setting a course to the unknown and helping interpret what we encounter along the way might be a better description. As for the management team, I say it’s great to have company and to know I’m not alone at the helm. I’m not even the Captain. For me its an honor to serve with this staff as one of the Lieutenants.

Director of Spiritual Formation

Wes McIntyre – The leadership team at The Chaplaincy seeks to look toward that which is greater than ourselves; that which has been and is present within and among us since our inception; that which inspires in us creativity, compassion, courage, and wisdom; that which takes us beyond the poverty of our own opinions, viewpoints and egos and centers us in a spirit of service to our community. We are faith based and that means, among other things, we trust beyond ourselves for divine guidance, providential leading, and inspired service. We are humbled when we miss this divine presence and connection but we are also humbled when we lead into that calling and discover a path that leaves us in awe, knowing that what is occurring transcends us all. It is a privilege to work together in service to our community.

Director of Human Resources

Esther Schmidt - At The Chaplaincy, we are a diverse family of individuals who have a number of attributes in common. These include compassion, integrity, humility, passion and spirituality. The types of people who thrive at The Chaplaincy are highly committed and skilled caregivers who place high value on service to others and strive for improvement on a daily basis. Our rich heritage and Mission inspire us. As well as our core values, we expect our staff to embrace the critical importance of healing relationships. Our hope is that each person finds meaning, satisfaction and blessing in the work they do.