First Choice In-Home Care started as a small, family-based organization and soon began to grow rapidly as the company's reputation for providing care you can trust spread throughout the community.

Today, First Choice In-Home Care provides services to over 4,500 clients annually throughout King, Pierce and Snohomish counties and provides over 1.5 million service hours annually to our population of adults and children in need.

 
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Michael Howard

Executive Director

I was born and raised in the Chicago area before relocating to Washington State in 1989.  In 1998, I received my bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Washington and then attended law school at DePaul University in Chicago, where I graduated with honors in 2001.   

Prior to joining First Choice In-Home Care in 2018, I worked for over seventeen years as an attorney in Seattle, representing individuals and commercial entities in civil litigation matters, including claims as varied as wrongful death, breach of contract, workplace injuries, employment discrimination/harassment, and insurance bad faith.  As a litigator, I arbitrated dozens of cases and conducted multiple jury trials in state and federal courts with consistently favorable outcomes for my clients.  Most recently, I tried a property damage subrogation claim resulting in a directed verdict for my client and payment of my client’s attorney’s fees and costs through trial.  Most rewarding to me in my legal practice are the approximately 100 cases I have settled, where I worked diligently with opposing counsel to negotiate a compromise satisfactory to all parties. 

Notwithstanding the success I found as an attorney, I always aspired to do something professionally that would allow me to make a real, lasting impact in my community.  That opportunity came when First Choice In-Home Care founder Jim Lord offered me the chance to succeed him in his role as First Choice’s Executive Director.  Although this is a monumental career change, as it turns out, it’s the best decision I have ever made and I have not looked back since. 

I’ve seen firsthand the difference First Choice is making in the lives of our most vulnerable community members, from children with developmental disabilities, to our ever-expanding aging adult population, to our disabled Veterans.  While there will always be challenges, none is too great for our Client Services Team and high quality Caregivers to tackle head-on.  This is not by accident—First Choice’s entire focus is on providing the very best personalized care services possible for our clients, and those who work here are united in that goal.

I arrive to work each day with the drive and purpose that what we do matters, and I could not be prouder to be part of First Choice’s continued evolution as an industry leader. 

See Michael's Bio
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Steve Hay

Director of Operations

I attended the University of Colorado and majored in Chemical engineering and manufacturing production management. I became very interested in computers and programming during his time there and spent time working in their computer lab on one of the few CDC 6400’s in the world at the time.

After 10 years in real estate, I formed a computer consulting business and spent most of the next 20 years specializing in customer relationship management systems. My customers included some of the largest insurance companies in Washington State as well as numerous associations and hospitality related businesses. I became a full time employee of the largest Dell reseller in North America in 2007 as their Senior Database Engineer.

I joined First Choice in 2012 and applied my skills automating business processes to the Home Care business and helped First Choice deliver a more efficient, data driven service than any other Home Care organization in the State of Washington.

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Brenda Davis, VP Finance

Brenda Davis

Vice President, Finance
From September of 2005 to April of 2023, Brenda was employed by The Polyclinic/Optum.  Brenda was originally hired as an Accountant, promoted to Sr. Financial Analyst, then promoted to the position of Finance Manager and finally, in 2019, Brenda was promoted to the position of Finance Director.

Brenda joined the First Choice In-Home Care Sr. Management Team as the company’s VP of Finance in June of 2023 and brings to First Choice a clear and detailed understanding of Finance including Financial and Operational Analysis, Forecasting/Budgeting, Reporting, Capital Analysis & Planning, Revenue Cycle Analysis & Optimization, ROI and Risk Analysis and Financial Modeling & Auditing.

After graduating from Charleston Southern University in Charleston, South Carolina, Brenda relocated to Washington in 2004. In her free time, she enjoys spending time with her dog, hiking Washington trails, and traveling with friends.

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TJ Lord

Director of Human Resources and Program Director.

My association with First Choice In-Home Care all started 17 years ago when our founders, my parents, cemented a methodology for locating quality Caregivers for the Agency’s first Client, my brother Corey. As they moved to assist other in-need members of our community, each family they helped made it possible to continue on and assist the next.

My responsibilities started small; accounting reconciliation projects after school, filing paperwork and other administrative tasks. When it came time for me to choose a career path, I knew there was only one direction I could go and when I was offered the opportunity to work as a Direct Care Supervisor, managing the daily needs of one of our Client Caseloads, I took it and haven’t looked back.

As the Director of Human Resources, my overarching responsibility is to ensure that our Client Services Team has access to a high volume of quality Caregivers to directly service their Client Caseloads. I take pride in my HR Team’s ability to drive candidates and identify those special characteristics that make a dependable, trustworthy and successful member of our Caregiver ranks.

See TJ's Bio
Missy Hoffman—Home Care Manager

Missy Hoffman

Program Manager
My interest and dedication to social work began while working with youth in the Spokane area. While attending college, I volunteered with several organizations allowing me to reach out and assist with at-risk populations. I focused my attention on the vulnerable populations in my community as they related to the criminal justice system and specifically ways to best utilize the system to reach out and assist those greatly in need.

After graduating from Washington State University with a degree in Criminal Justice and Psychology in 2017, I moved to the Seattle area to join First Choice In-Home Care as a Direct Care Supervisor, responsible for connecting our clients with our caregivers and ensuring our clients’ personal care needs are met. I am now a Home Care Manager, supporting our passionate Client Services Team in providing excellent care to our clients. I love working with people who are endlessly compassionate and share my desire to make a difference in people’s lives. I could not be more grateful to work for First Choice In-Home Care which aligns so strongly with my core values and I end each day with a sense of accomplishment, knowing that we do work that matters.

See Missy's Bio
Ashley-Williams-FCIHC

Ashley Williams

Home Care Manager
I was born and raised in northwestern Pennsylvania.  I began working in a facility setting while still in high school and I knew immediately that I was meant to help others.  I graduated from California University of Pennsylvania with a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work.

Since then, I have continued to work in direct care and administrative positions assisting vulnerable adults.  I have experience working with clients in their homes as well as dementia patients in a facility setting.  

While working in home care in my native Pennsylvania, I was promoted to an administrative position responsible for hiring caregivers and completing intakes for new clients.  Although I loved this job, I visited Washington State and wanted to make it my home.  After relocating, I was fortunate to land a position with First Choice In-Home Care that I love just as much.  At First Choice, I am able to continue helping those in need find the resources to help them maintain their independence and I have built meaningful connections with others that find the same joy in giving back.

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Jolie Baldwin—Senior Direct Care Supervisor

Jolie Baldwin

Home Care Manager

My career in social services began with my first job ever – an in-classroom tutor for a young boy with autism. Since then, I’ve made it my goal to diversify and expand my experience in social services. 

Throughout my college career, I was a home care aide myself, working with high-needs foster children as I pursued a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology with an emphasis in Human Services from Whitworth University. I interned at an after-school care center in a low-income neighborhood focused on providing homework aid, supervision, educational opportunities and positive mentoring to children of immigrant parents. Prior to working at First Choice, I was a services coordinator at the Downtown Emergency Services Center’s Crisis Solutions Center, assisting people in crisis with stabilizing, accessing mental and physical health services and pursuing employment. I began a career with First Choice to better understand the process of coordinating and providing services to a wider array of people, from young children to adults to the elderly, and ensuring that they are receiving the best care possible.

See Jolie's Bio
Annie Polis FCIHC

Annie Polis

Home Care Manager

I was born in Southern California and raised primarily in Texas and Southeast Asia. I received a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work and a Minor of Sociology from Angelo State University and graduated Magna Cum Laude and President of the Social Work Honor Society. While in Texas, I gained valuable experience through aiding law enforcement as a member of the Tom Green County Sheriff's Office Crisis Intervention Unit, interning at a local high school counseling center, and mentoring a group of adolescents within my local community for years.

Throughout my time traveling and volunteering around the world, I developed a rich understanding of the human condition from many different social, economic and cultural perspectives, which provided me with a better understanding and empathy for those around me and the plethora of struggles people face. I now strive to create a positive and respectful impact in my community while always seeking to continue learning from others.

As someone seeking to empower those around me, I am proud to be a member of the First Choice Management Team. First Choice enables me to be a part of a passionate and dedicated group of like-minded individuals working towards making a positive imprint on those that need it most within our community. As a Home Care Manager, I support our diligent Client Services Team in providing reliable care to our clients that promotes their health, safety, and independence. I value the relationships fostered with clients and staff and am privileged to be entrusted with maintaining their health and wellbeing. Working at First Choice In-Home Care allows me to grow within my passion to help and serve others while working for an agency striving to be the first choice for anyone in need.

See Annie's Bio
Sabrina Enders FCIHC-1

Sabrina Enders

Home Care Manager

I was born in Norfolk, Virginia and spent most of my childhood in Jacksonville, Florida. As the oldest of five children, I have spent much of my life in the service of caring for and mentoring others. In my youth, I attended a magnet school for the performing arts in Florida where I developed a deep love for reading, writing, and editing. In 2013, I earned a Master of Science in Family Studies from Central Washington University, and then remained at CWU as an adjunct lecturer in the same department.

I have also spent time teaching in preschool classrooms, which is where I really came to understand what I have to offer in social services. My first classroom was a small, family-run, Montessori preschool in Ellensburg, WA. I learned so much in that position about patience, compassion, resilience, and the essence of what it means to promote child development holistically and with the entire family system in mind. My first experience as a classroom lead was at a prestigious private school in Falls Church, Virginia. In this position I learned many lessons about teamwork, delegation, and tact. I returned to Washington to serve as the lead teacher in an Early Childhood Education and Assistance Program (ECEAP) classroom in Snohomish County, which was disrupted by the pandemic. Having the opportunity to work with these children in a virtual modality was transformative in how I have come to understand social service programs and the people they serve, as I witnessed firsthand a community pulling together to make the best of a very challenging time. 

I am thankful to have found a new opportunity for service through First Choice where I am able to apply skills from my career in education in an exciting new light. Facilitating human connection is one of the most important parts of my work; I cherish connecting clients with vital care that benefits their daily lives. At First Choice, I look forward to seeing my compassionate colleagues each day, and to working with our clients and caregivers to ensure we provide the best possible care.   

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Jim Lord, Executive Director First Choice In-Home Care

Jim Lord

President

In 1999, my wife, Rhona and I founded a small home care agency that got started by providing personalized care to our six incredible clients. We called this company First Choice In-Home Care and created it to serve the needs of our vulnerable communities located throughout King, Pierce and Snohomish counties in Washington State.

A lot has changed since then, and today we provide in-home personal care to over 4,500 clients annually and employ over 1,500 of the finest, best trained and respectful home care aides, nursing assistants and registered nurses in the industry…who do work that matters every single day.

One thing that hasn’t changed is our purpose; which is to provide responsive, respectful and caring services and to ensure that First Choice In-Home Care is a company that in all ways is all about helping people.

As the founder of First Choice In-Home Care, I have the great privilege of developing and implementing concepts, structures and methodologies that allow us to deliver services in a manner that is state-of-art and always mindful that our job is to maintain the health, safety and happiness of each person we serve.

Our Home Care Agency has grown tremendously over the last several years. In 2002, First Choice In-Home was awarded a contract with the Division of Developmental Disabilities (now called the Developmental Disabilities Administration) in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties. This contract allows us to provide care to our population of children and adults with very special care needs. Now in 2018, we are the largest provider serving this wonderful population in the State of Washington, a job that is always rewarding.

In 2010, we were awarded home care contracts in King, Pierce and Snohomish counties to provide services to our aging adult population. These contracts with City of Seattle Human Services, Pierce County Community Connections and Snohomish County Human Services require a great deal of State and Federal mandated compliance, which includes three comprehensive audits of our home care agency each year. 

In 2014, we were awarded a Home Health Aide contract through the Veterans Administration and now have the honorable privilege of providing care to our Veterans who served our country so proudly.

At First Choice In-Home Care, we are a group of highly motivated individuals, who have come together to do as a team, the one thing we all do naturally in our daily lives…which is to help people.

Thank you for your interest in First Choice In-Home Care. Whether you’re seeking to learn about home care for a loved one, exploring partnership opportunities or considering employment with us, I’m confident you’ll find the information you need as you explore FCIHC.com. 

See Jim's Bio