I first encountered autism when my son Nate was diagnosed in 1994. My husband Jeff and I became involved with Families for Effective Autism Treatment (FEAT) of Washington soon after its founding in 1996, shortly after we moved stateside from Tokyo, Japan. Because of the profound positive impact FEAT had on my family’s life, my involvement continued to deepen until I became Executive Director in 2001.I hold a business degree and was head of marketing for a large hotel chain in the Philippines. My work at FEAT is a natural evolution of my interests in non-profit work. This interest was sparked by a partnership with the Anglican Church in Mumbai, India to establish a daycare center for children of domestic helpers in the suburb of Bandra, where Jeff and I lived for 2 years; and later, the establishment of an English-language pre-school in Tokyo. In FEAT, I am especially gratified to lead an organization that has seen itself grow several times over in the past few years and establish itself as one of the important autism resources in the Greater Seattle area.