Archbishop Paul D. Etienne appoints former DSHS Secretary Jilma Meneses to lead Catholic Charities agencies serving more than 100,000 people each year.
SEATTLE, February 11, 2025 – Archbishop Paul D. Etienne announced the appointment of Jilma Meneses effective March 1 as the new President and Chief Executive Officer for the family of Catholic Charities agencies serving Western Washington. She will oversee this charitable arm of the Catholic Church by leading three distinct nonprofit organizations: Catholic Community Services of Western Washington (CCS), the Archdiocesan Housing Authority (AHA), and the Catholic Charities Foundation. Together CCS and AHA are the state’s largest private provider of social services, directly assisting more than 100,000 individuals, families and communities each year in diverse rural, suburban and urban communities. CCS/AHA is one of the top Catholic Charities organizations in the U.S. and employs over 4,000 staff who provide quality, integrated services and housing.
“I’m incredibly grateful that Jilma is living out her faith and putting her professional talents to use by serving families and individuals suffering from poverty on behalf of the Catholic Church,” Archbishop Etienne said. “Jilma’s professional work within the health care, government and charity sectors, along with her expertise leading strategy and operations for large organizations, makes her a providential fit for this complex and mission-critical role.”
In this role, Meneses will be responsible for setting and executing a strategic vision for the organization, overseeing policy formation and risk management to respond to current issues and challenges, and governing a leadership team that includes all agency and system directors for CCS Northwest, CCS King County, CCS Southwest, Long-Term Care, Family Behavioral Health and AHA’s Catholic Housing Services and Coordinated Care Agency. She will also hold a central leadership role in key organizational initiatives, including addressing affordable housing, homelessness and the meth/fentanyl epidemic. “It brings me great joy at this point of my career to apply my years of experience and training to lead an organization where I can serve and build hope for our neighbors, children, families and communities struggling with poverty, economic injustice, marginalization and racism,” said Meneses, who has spent most of her life combating global poverty. “As a practicing Catholic, I have dedicated my career to this journey, and I am passionate to serve with this amazing group of people to honor and respect the dignity of the human person in everyone CCS/AHA serves.”
With more than 25 years serving others, Meneses recently completed a term as the secretary for the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services. Appointed by former Gov. Jay Inslee, Meneses oversaw the largest state agency with nearly 20,000 employees serving 2 million clients. Prior to working for Washington state, she served as the chief executive officer at Catholic Charities of San Francisco, Marin and San Mateo, the most comprehensive direct human services and behavioral health agency in the Bay Area. She also spent time in leadership roles at Concordia University Portland, Portland State University and Oregon Health & Science University.
“Jilma’s unique expertise is a perfect blend for CCS/AHA, which remains steadfast in its commitment to serving communities experiencing poverty and marginalization across Washington,” said current president and CEO, Michael Reichert, who will be named President Emeritus after having served the organization for almost 45 years. “I cannot image a better candidate for this role than Jilma, and I am excited to see how the organization, our programs and those we serve flourish under her leadership.”
In addition to her expansive career, Meneses spends her personal time volunteering and supporting nonprofit organizations including The Forgotten International, alleviating poverty worldwide. She also founded Our Family in Africa (OFA) in the Democratic Republic of Congo, where she supported several orphanages and co-founded a school in a remote village that provided housing, education, food security and clean water for hundreds of children.
“My life’s work has centered on my dedication to excellence, honesty and care for others with dignity and respect,” she said.
“Under my leadership, we will be a place where everyone feels a sense of welcome, belonging, and safety for generations to come,” said Meneses. “I am honored to serve as the new president and CEO and will do so in a manner consistent with the principles and practices of Catholic life.”
About Catholic Community Services of Western Washington
Catholic Community Services and the Archdiocesan Housing Authority are the Catholic Charities agency for the Archdiocese of Seattle, which has been providing outreach and support to neighbors in need in Western Washington since 1918. With nearly 200 programs and more than 4,000 employees, the impact of this organization on the local region is tremendous with services for more than 100,000 people each year. Each year, tens of thousands of people are served through housing, food and basic needs services, mental health care, job skills training and many more services that bring hope and help to those struggling with the challenges of poverty, intolerance and racism. Find out more about the organization at www.ccsww.org.
About the Archdiocese of Seattle
The Archdiocese of Seattle encompasses all of Western Washington, stretching from Canada to Oregon and from the Cascade Mountains to the Pacific Ocean. There are 74 Catholic Schools, 174 parishes, missions and pastoral centers in the archdiocese, with more than 500 weekly Masses celebrated in eight languages. Archbishop Paul D. Etienne leads the archdiocese with his auxiliary bishops, Bishop Eusebio Elizondo and Bishop Frank Schuster. For more information about the Archdiocese of Seattle, please visit www.archseattle.org.
Mary Brown
Catholic Charities of Western Washington
MaryBr@ccsww.org | 206-324-6025
Helen McClenahan
Archdiocese of Seattle
helen.mcclenahan@seattlearch.org | 206-375-5679