Jeff THOMAS

1961 - 2023

Jeff Thomas, a key architect of the region's transformation to integrated behavioral healthcare, died on August 25 of respiratory complications. He was 62.

As Chief Executive Officer of Frontier Behavioral Health, Jeff successfully guided the agency through the challenges of healthcare reform and became a leading advocate for integrated mental and physical healthcare. In his 11 years as CEO, he transformed FBH into the region's lead provider of comprehensive behavioral healthcare with a staff of more than 700 serving thousands of clients each year.

Despite the vastness of the agency and his many projects and initiatives, Jeff retained an easy-going manner and was known for his sense of humor and fierce loyalty to staff and clients.

"It's our job to help our clients make their way around the bases in their lives, to reach their goals as they deal with the challenges of mental illness," he often said, referring to a poignant video about a women's softball game in which an injured runner is carried around the bases by opposing players for a home run. "We've got to help people feel hope, or none of this works. We have to be the ones who hold the hope for them. It's not our story. It's not our lives. We're here to help them."

Before becoming CEO at FBH in 2012, Jeff was executive director of Family Service Spokane. Before that, he was associate director at Excelsior Youth Center in Spokane, director of a residential treatment program for boys in Davis, Calif., and program director for an adult day health center in Sacramento.

Throughout his time at FBH, he served on numerous boards and advocacy groups including Better Health Together, Empire Health Foundation, Washington Council for Behavioral Health, Greater Spokane, Inc., and was a founding partner of Fourfront Contributor, an advocacy group comprised of four of the largest behavioral healthcare providers in Washington state.

In recent years, as historic workforce shortages in the behavioral healthcare field became a pressing issue statewide, Jeff took an active role in advocating for the state Legislature to approve increases in Medicaid rates that could be passed on to staff as compensation.

Jeff's loyalty to staff, his consistent recognition of their hard work, and his willingness to answer questions about the agency's strategic plans endeared him to everyone from customer service representatives to program directors. In multiple Facebook posts following his death, current and former staff called Jeff the "heart" of the agency.

"Our community has suffered a huge loss," read another tribute on social media. "He was so committed and put so much energy into providing services for those with behavioral health issues. He had a passion for this work."

Jeff was born on May 26, 1961, in Bozeman, Mont., to Leslie and Shirley Thomas. Jeff and his brother Eric grew up in Pullman, Wash.

In high school, Jeff played basketball and thought he might want to be a journalist. Although he graduated with a bachelor's degree in journalism from Whitworth University, he decided between his junior and senior years that he would rather be working in social services than writing about it. He kept that commitment his entire professional life, receiving a master's degree in social work from Eastern Washington University in 1985, and a doctorate in education from the University of the Pacific in 1991.

Jeff met his wife, Reggy, at EWU and they married in 1985. They had 38 wonderful years together, most of which were spent in Spokane. They had many interests in common and were best friends-enjoying the time they spent together.

They adopted their daughter, Chessey, in 1992 from Chile and she was the light of Jeff's life. Jeff was Chessey's biggest cheerleader and they spent many hours together during Chessey's childhood at sports practices and events and playing golf. As Chessey describes it, Jeff was the rock of the family and both Reggy and Chessey will miss him deeply.

Jeff was preceded in death by his parents.

He is survived by his wife Reggy, his daughter Chessey, and his brother and sister-in-law, Eric and Judi Thomas.

A celebration of life will be held on Tuesday, Sept. 5, from 3-5 p.m., at Barrister Winery. In lieu of flowers, please consider making a memorial contribution in Jeff's name to the Evergreen Club, a mental health clubhouse for individuals recovering from mental illness, which is operated by Frontier Behavioral Health.