2026 WSSHE Spring Symposium Speakers
April 15-17, 2026 | Campbell’s Resort at Lake Chelan | Chelan, WA
Keynote Speakers
In 2025, the WSSHE Board established a committee of six long-serving members to assemble in digital form the historical facts, photos and descriptions of various activities to include Conferences, Officers, Awards and other key issues of each year of WSSHE history. The work took over 200-hours and will be available on the website as an easily accessible source by year. This presentation will share the committee's work and tell the stories describing where we came from, our progress and today’s WSSHE World.
Before Jason Sudeikis ever dreamed of playing the beloved character Ted Lasso, he found inspiration in his high school basketball coach, Donnie Campbell. Though obscure outside Kansas, Coach Campbell planted seeds of wisdom in young Jason as his Shawnee Mission West coach back in the 90s. Decades later, those lessons of leadership and integrity blossomed on the Emmy-winning show Ted Lasso.
When Sudeikis revealed the origin story behind the sitcom’s lead to Stephen Colbert, Coach Campbell was thrust into an unexpected spotlight. The math teacher and coach built a championship career by uplifting student athletes on and off the court. His mentoring approach centers on instilling confidence through accountability and empathy.
Today, in addition to shaping young lives daily, Coach Donnie Campbell shares his brand of compassionate leadership with corporations and conferences. Blending wit and wisdom, he inspires audiences to define their core values and nurture talent from the inside out. His keys to success echo through the fictional AFC Richmond locker room: respect everyone, work tirelessly, and believe in each other.
Boasting 36 years of coaching under his belt, Donnie graduated college on a football scholarship. Though initially obscure, he developed championship teams and mentored future NBA stars by staying true to his positive principles. Audiences connect with the accidental foundation of television's "ultimate good guy" Ted Lasso.
General Session Speakers
Biophilic Design is being used across multiple industries such as education, commercial and residential. This course will focus exclusively on the healthcare industry and will show how the usage of nature, color and lighting can promote healing and positive mental health in Architecture and Design.The course will provide evidence in the form of photography, multiple studies, lighting, color theory and natural materials, that Biophilic Design provides benefits for physical recovery, mental health, healthcare companies and healthcare staff.
- Upon completing the course, identification of the varying benefits of nature and the benefits for physical recovery, mental health, healthcare companies, and healthcare staff, when nature, color and lighting are incorporated into their designs in the Healthcare Industry.
- To understand how to improve the standard of care by implementing simple design changes for healthcare facilities.
- To acquire basic knowledge of Biophilic Design styles.
With over 24 years of experience, Mike James has identified, developed, and managed construction of energy-related building improvements totaling over $250M since graduating from Washington State University with a B.S. in Mechanical Engineering. A Washington State Licensed Engineer, Lead Accredited Professional, and a Certified Energy Manager, Mike leads Custom Energy’s team to provide Clean Buildings consulting, energy solutions, and energy analysis services for private building owners and public agencies.
At first glance, the Clean Buildings Act can feel like just another heavy lift for building owners and facility managers. But look a little closer, and it reveals something far more valuable: a practical framework for smarter planning, lower energy costs, and healthier buildings over time.In this session, Michael James will break down how Clean Buildings Performance Standards (CBPS) can be leveraged—not just complied with—to extend equipment life, reduce operating expenses, and create a clear, achievable roadmap for building improvements. Attendees will learn how Operations & Maintenance (O&M) plans and Energy Management Plans (EMP) can become powerful allies, transforming regulatory requirements into tools for long-term capital planning, proactive maintenance, and measurable energy savings. Rather than viewing the Clean Buildings Act as a burden, this session reframes it as an opportunity to gain control, clarity, and confidence in your building’s future.
The healthcare industry faces unique challenges in energy consumption, primarily driven by its critical 24/7 operational demands and stringent space requirements for patient care and operating rooms. These factors contribute to significantly higher Energy Use Intensity (EUI) compared to other commercial sectors. The State of Washington Clean Building Performance Standards address existing Healthcare buildings in Tier 1 and 2 compliance cycles.This presentation will provide an overview of current healthcare regulatory requirements, energy reduction goals, and substantial savings opportunities achievable through advanced HVAC control upgrades. Our discussion will cover specific strategies including chilled water system optimization, demand-controlled ventilation, and airside optimization for non-critical areas. We will share successful case studies and lessons learned along the way to make these strategies real. Attendees will gain insights into actionable strategies for enhancing energy efficiency, reducing operational costs, and supporting sustainability goals within healthcare facilities.
With a strategic, relationship-driven approach, Christelle has a proven track record of growing key accounts and aligning facility services with the evolving needs of healthcare systems. Her expertise includes infection prevention protocols, environmental services optimization, and integrated facility solutions.
Christelle also serves as a Board Member and speaker with the Washington State Society for Healthcare Engineering (WSSHE), where she contributes to advancing best practices in healthcare facility management. She is passionate about the role environmental services play in infection prevention and improved patient outcomes.
Her approach is grounded in real-world experience, identifying where processes break down, where training is misunderstood, and where small gaps can lead to significant consequences. Jordan is known for translating technical standards into practical, actionable steps that teams can confidently apply in fast-paced environments.
She is passionate about elevating the role of cleaning professionals, helping them recognize the critical impact their work has on safety, health, and infection prevention every single day.
Dale Lyman, CFPS is a senior fire protection professional with more than 35 years of experience in fire safety, regulatory compliance, and healthcare occupancies. He is a Senior Fire Protection Consultant with Telgian Engineering & Consulting, specializing in life safety compliance for healthcare facilities and ambulatory surgery centers nationwide.Dale has served in leadership roles including Fire Chief, City Emergency Manager, and Fire Marshal, bringing practical, real-world experience to code application and enforcement. He is a former member of the NFPA 99 Health Care Facilities Code Technical Committee, contributing to the development of code provisions that address real-world challenges in healthcare environments.
Since 2013, Dale has conducted hundreds of CMS/Medicare life safety surveys for ambulatory surgery centers as a Life Safety Code Surveyor with Accreditation Association for Ambulatory Health Care and Quad A. His hands-on experience provides unique insight into survey readiness, compliance strategy, and practical implementation of NFPA and CMS requirements.
Mr. Li is a Regional Practice Leader of Fire Protection Engineering for Telgian Engineering & Consulting’s (TEC) Seattle office. He provides leadership for the region, oversees project execution using established performance metrics, and supports diverse fire protection engineering and consultation projects. Additionally, he drives business development efforts, fosters client relationships, and ensures TEC’s services align with fire protection codes, risk standards, and client needs.
Prior to joining TEC, Mr. Li served as a Project Executive at Columbia Fire LLC, where he improved project efficiency by streamlining processes, managing budgets, and implementing best practices. His leadership resulted in on-time and on-budget project deliveries, improved collaboration, and cost savings.
Mr. Li has extensive experience in fire sprinkler system design, 3D modeling, BIM coordination, and process improvement. He is proficient in tools such as AutoSprink and AutoDesk software and skilled in construction project management, operations oversight, and leadership training.
Hospitals and healthcare systems across the region are increasingly adding Ambulatory Surgery Centers (ASCs) to their campuses to expand outpatient services, improve throughput, and reduce costs. While these projects often move smoothly through local plan review and inspection, many organizations are surprised when accreditation or CMS surveys uncover life safety and NFPA 99 deficiencies that delay opening or disrupt operations.
These gaps frequently stem from applying hospital or local code assumptions to ASCs—without fully accounting for how CMS applies the 2012 NFPA 101 Life Safety Code and NFPA 99 to freestanding or hospital-based ASCs. The result can be condition-level deficiencies, idle operating rooms, postponed cases, and unplanned rework after construction is complete.
This session is designed for healthcare engineers and facilities leaders who are planning, designing, constructing, or operating ASCs on hospital campuses. Using real-world case examples, attendees will learn where life safety breakdowns commonly occur in on-campus ASC projects, how emergency power systems, fire and smoke barriers, hazardous areas, egress, and life safety documentation are frequently misapplied, and how to close the gap between local approval and accreditation readiness.
Participants will leave with a practical, engineering-focused roadmap to integrate life safety and NFPA 99 requirements early in ASC projects—and to sustain survey readiness once the ASC is operational.