Board of Commissioners

Commissioner Marion Jouas is certified in Health Care Governance (Level 2) by the Washington State Hospital Association and the Association of Washington Public Hospital Districts. She also holds a certification in Rural Hospital Board Membership by the National Rural Hospital Association.

She is a career registered nurse, having served in both civilian and military health systems. She holds an associate’s and a bachelor’s degree in Nursing as well as a master’s degree from Georgetown in Health Systems Management.

She served a total of 21 years in the United States Air Force, excelling in positions from bedside to management, retiring as a LtCol. Her background includes Intensive Care, Trauma, Burn care and Emergency nursing.

As an Air Force spouse she served on many different non-profit organizations from volunteer to board leadership. Since arriving in 2015 Marion has been enjoying island living with her husband, Jan-Marc, in their home on South Whidbey.

Dr. Kirk Gasper is a graduate of Whitman College and the Washington University School of Medicine, with more than 30 years of experience as a practicing family physician and extensive leadership in hospital oversight.

During a 20-year career in Navy Medicine, he supervised a broad range of hospital services, including serving as:

• Director of Healthcare Business at Naval Hospital Yokosuka, where he oversaw referral management and business operations;
• Chair of the Medical Staff at Naval Hospital Naples;
• Director of Medical Services at Naval Hospital Oak Harbor, managing outpatient primary care urgent care, and mental health services.

Following his retirement from the U.S. Navy as a Captain, Dr. Gasper has practiced telemedicine for more than six years. He has lived in Oak Harbor since 2009 with his wife, Michele, a practicing pediatrician.

Katherine Nelson is an attorney with noteworthy experience in health law. Before retiring from full-time practice, she was the Chair of the U.S. Healthcare Regulatory Enforcement and Compliance practice for the global firm DLA Piper LLP (US).

Previously, she represented elected and appointed state and local officials and served as Chief Counsel for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission Office of Inspector General, which was responsible for oversight of all state health and human service programs.

She moved to Central Whidbey after retirement. She continues to work as a health dispute arbitrator and expert witness and enjoys the abundance of outdoor activities on Whidbey Island.

Commissioner Marcy Shimada has more than 40 years of healthcare leadership experience in a variety of settings, including medical groups, consulting firms, and health plans.

With 20 years as CEO of a Seattle-area medical group, she gained a particular interest in primary care and community engagement as a means to drive health improvement. The medical group achieved recognition for both high-quality care and patient satisfaction. Her ability to build collaborative relationships benefited the medical group in their risk contracts. Her background also included assisting boards in solidifying their visions.

She is a graduate of Cardinal Stritch University with a degree in business management and education. Focusing on training medical assistants was a key to building the medical group staff and launching others in healthcare careers.

Marcy has enjoyed living in Clinton for the past 22 years with her husband, Paul. Joyfully, her children have returned to the island as adults and live nearby. She believes the spirit of neighbors-helping-neighbors can be a catalyst to impact health on Whidbey Island and to best utilize the financial resources of the hospital district.