Mark Judy
July 17, 1947 - March 25, 2023
Former Cascade Medical leader remembered for commitment, philosophy
Mark Judy served as Cascade Medical’s chief executive officer from 2009-2011, bringing with him decades of healthcare leadership experience. He served as CEO of Everett General Hospital from 1983-1994 and of Valley General Hospital from 2000-2009. He also served on the Washington State Hospital Association Board of Trustees from 2001 to 2011. He was awarded the Joe Hopkins Memorial Award in 1996.
He and his wife, Terri, also were involved in mission work. Through the late 1990s and again after leaving Cascade Medical in 2011, they worked with various roles for the Africa Inland Mission in Kenya, East Africa.
After retiring, Mark Judy remained an integral part of multiple foundation and mission boards, including Cascade Medical Foundation and Bethany of the Northwest.
At the time of his death, he was Cascade Medical Foundation’s treasurer.
Following his passing, many of those whose lives were influenced by Mark’s leadership made donations in his memory to Cascade Medical Foundation. Board members, looking for a way to honor his legacy, proposed using those donations to establish a fund to help Cascade Medical staff with much-needed resources for everything from ongoing education to training for a specific new program or service.
“He encouraged and mentored leaders at all levels. The education fund would be incredibly meaningful to him,” said Terri Judy, who continues to serve on the CMF Board.
hangs in Cascade Medical's Arleen Blackburn Conference
room, the meeting space for both Cascade Medical's
elected commissioners and the volunteer Foundation
Board Members.
Mark’s leadership style incorporated the Zulu concept of Ubuntu as described in Desmond Tutu’s book “No Future Without Forgiveness.”
In essence, it means “a person is a person through other people,” Terri Judy said. “There is no Cascade Medical without Mark and there is no Mark without Cascade Medical. He dedicated his life to service and he always strived to influence in positive ways each person in his sphere.”
Current CM CEO Diane Blake agreed. She worked with Mark during his tenure as CM CEO and during his years of service on the Foundation board.
“It is because of him that I became CFO and then CEO,” she said. “He had a way of seeing the potential in people and encouraging and inspiring growth. His belief in me allowed me to see beyond what I saw of myself and trust that I could learn and grow and do more.”
Her leadership style was shaped by Mark Judy.
“He was the best role model a person could hope to have, and a person I feel blessed to have worked with and learned from,” she said. “He gave people trust and grace and he was kind and also clear on what was the ‘right thing.’”
He likely would “be a little embarrassed” at putting his name on an education fund, she said, but pleased that it could help others.
“It was never about credit for him,” she said. “I don’t think I ever saw him sit at the head of the table in a meeting, for example. His humility as a leader and wanting to send the message in as many ways as possible that he respected each person’s voice remains impactful to me to this day.”
He would be “delighted and happy beyond measure,” though, at the purpose of the fund.
“He was so good at seeing people’s potential and encouraging them – to have a vehicle to take the next step and help financially encourage would be a lot of perfect icing on an already great cake,” she said.
During Mark Judy’s tenure as CEO, Cascade Medical implemented a student loan reimbursement program.
“He believed in education and giving people the space and lift to make the most of themselves,” she said. “I’m sure that was because he could see and want both the best for the person and then also the ripple of good things that extended to others around that person. It’s a lovely way of consistently making the world a better place. This is a great way to honor him, to have financial lift available in perpetuity, for helping individuals and thus the world.”
“Bringing people together is what I call 'ubuntu,'
which means 'I am because we are.' Far too often
people think of themselves as just individuals,
separated from one another, whereas you are
connected and what you do affects the whole
world. When you do well, it spreads out; it is
for the whole of humanity.”
— Desmond Tutu
Go here for information about the Mark Judy Memorial Caregiver Education Fund.
What is the impact of the Mark Judy Memorial Caregiver Education Fund for Cascade Medical staff?
I hope it’s a way to envision a bright future with room to grow while being able to continue to be rooted in a community they love. And, to have that belief in their potential be affirmed through financial support is, I hope, an inspiring and uplifting experience — and self-affirming. Incredible people make up the CM family and I am excited that the Foundation is finding a way to celebrate people’s unique talents and potential in this amazing way.
— CM CEO Diane Blake
What is the impact of the Mark Judy Memorial Caregiver Education Fund for Cascade Medical?
For Cascade Medical it means more opportunity to grow our workforce and, ultimately, ensure we have the right resources to provide the best care for our community over the long term. To be able to have a tool to help development be attainable for people who are already valued team members is very exciting. There’s big benefit to the organization to have a stable, rooted team for so many reasons.
— CM CEO Diane Blake