Friends of Youth honored three retiring board members – Jeff Barager, Nick Merriam, and Rick Antezana – who each completed their sixth and final year of service at the agency’s monthly Board of Directors meeting June 24. During the past six years, all three board members helped to advance the agency’s mission of delivering a broad range of services to youth and their families to improve their emotional stability and self-sufficiency.

Jeff Barager is the Strategic Program Lead for the Gates Archive, and he served as Vice-chair of the Board for three years. As a drummer in a local band, Barager and his band held a benefit concert to raise proceeds for the Friends of Youth capital campaign that funded the development of the Kirkland Campus.

Nick Merriam, who worked at a Friends of Youth housing program early in his career, is currently the Director of Operations of Vittana – a Seattle-based organization that specializes in international microfinance loans for students. During his last year of service on the Board, Merriam served as Chair, providing leadership for the Board’s work.

Rick Antezana is the Vice President of Dynamic Language Center. Antezana’s company has helped support the agency’s interpretation efforts to make services more accessible for non-English speaking clients. Antezana was also instrumental in organizing a Thanksgiving food program that provided Thanksgiving meals to clients at Friends of Youth’s housing programs.

“The commitment demonstrated by Rick, Jeff, and Nick over the six years of their board service is inspiring,” said Friends of Youth President and CEO Terry Pottmeyer. “We are so grateful for their leadership, service, and heart for children.”