Board Members

The Chair and Board Members (pdf) are appointed by the Governor to serve five year terms (RCW 9.95.003). Staff support the Board by providing case analysis, maintaining inmate records, and providing administrative assistance.

Kecia Rongen - Chair

Kecia has worked within the criminal justice system for 25 years, specializing with individuals who have committed sex offenses as well as co-occurring disorders (mental health and substance abuse disorders). Just prior to coming to the Board, she served as the Administrator for Sexual Offender Programs within the Juvenile Rehabilitation Administration. In addition, she has served on a number of legislative workgroups related to policies for people who commit sex offenses. She has served as the Chair of the statewide Sex Offender Policy Board twice, a Board Member for the WA Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (WATSA) and is currently the Vice-President for the Association of Paroling Authorities. In 2016, she was awarded the Philip L. Russell Ph.D. Achievement Award for Outstanding Contributor to the Field of Sex Offender and Victim Rehabilitation by WATSA. She has a BA in Psychology and a MA in Counseling. The Governor appointed her to the Board in 2012 and appointed her as Chair in September of 2015.

Elyse Balmert - Member

Elyse has worked for more than 27 years in social services with the primary focus on victim services. She was the Department of Social and Health Services Program Administrator for the Victim/Witness Notification Program since 2003. She has been a member of the Department of Corrections Victim Services Committee since its inception, and the Washington Coalition of Sheriffs and Police Chiefs VINE Committee. She was a voting member on the End of Sentence Review Committee and the Sexually Violent Predator Sub-Committee for over 25 years. She was a voting member on the ESRC Juvenile Subcommittee since its inception. She has worked on a number of Legislative and policy advisory groups. The Governor appointed Elyse in April of 2017.

Jeff Patnode - Member

Jeff worked within the criminal justice system for 24 years before coming to the Board and his formal education is in the field of psychology. He has a breadth of experience in the criminal justice system, specializing in work with the sexual offender population, evidence-based programs, sentencing alternatives, and quality assurance development. He has received specialized training in a variety of cognitive behavioral treatments to include Dialectical Behavioral Therapy, Functional Family Therapy, Moral Reconation Therapy, and Aggression Replacement Training. Most recently, he served as the State’s Administrator for Juvenile Sex Offender Programs as well as the Governor Appointed Commissioner for Interstate Compact for Juveniles. He has served as the Vice-Chair for the Sex Offender Policy Board, Chair of the End of Sentence Review (ESRC) Juvenile Subcommittee, Chair of the Washington State Council on Interstate Compact for Juveniles and voting member of the ESRC and Sexually Violent Predator Subcommittee. He has worked with the sexual offender population in a variety of capacities to include direct service and program administration in both institution and parole/community programs. Since being on the Board, he has continued to receive specialized training in post-conviction release assessment and criminal justice actuarial assessments. The Governor appointed Jeff to the Board in December of 2015 and he was appointed to a second term in April 2019.

Lori Ramsdell-Gilkey - Member

Lori is an enrolled member of the Northern Arapaho Tribe. She began her career working as a Puyallup Tribal Officer after completing the BIA Law Enforcement Academy. Later she worked at Western State Hospital (WSH) for 3 years in the Forensics Unit. After receiving her BA in Law and Justice from CWU in 1989, she began working for the Department of Corrections. During her 26-year career she held many positions which included work as a Community Corrections Officer with a specialized caseload of sexual offenders, working at Reynolds Reentry, facilitating treatment programs in the community, conducting Statewide staff training, an appointment as the Hearings Unit Administrator for several years and Program Manager of the Law Enforcement Notification Unit. Lori was a participant on the Sex Offender Policy Board, the End of Sentence Review Committee, the Gender Responsive Initiative workgroup; PREA Implementation; and the WASPC Sex Offender Notification and Registration Committee. The Governor appointed her to the Board in April 2015. Since coming to the ISRB Lori has received specialized training in the use of actuarial tools to determine risk such as the STATIC99R and VRAG. She has twice attended the International Association of Paroling Authorities Conference as well as ATSA and WATSA conferences to remain updated on current practices in parole and sex offender treatment. The Governor appointed Lori to the Board in April of 2015 and to a second term in April of 2020.

Jill Getty - Member

Jill has worked in the criminal justice field for 20 years, predominately with individuals who have committed sexual offenses and individuals with mental health disorders. She has spent 15 years with the Indeterminate Sentence Review Board (ISRB) where she began as a Hearing Investigator and was later appointed as the Executive Director. Jill also previously worked with the Department of Corrections as a Community Corrections Officer supervising a caseload of individuals convicted of sexual offenses, and as a Program Specialist with the Civil Commitment Program. She was a voting member of the End of Sentence Review Committee for several years and has conducted numerous statewide trainings. At the ISRB, she has also worked on program development and policy implementation and has been involved in many committees and legislative groups. The Governor appointed Jill to the Board in March of 2023.

Corey McNally - Executive Director

Corey has worked with individuals convicted of a sexual offense for the past 14 years. He earned his BA in psychology in 2005 and his MS in clinical psychology in 2007 both from Eastern Washington University and he is a Licensed Mental Health Counselor. He began working at the Special Commitment Center (SCC) in 2008 and remained there until 2015 as a clinician, treating those deemed to be Sexually Violent Predators. Additionally, while working at the SCC he served on the Crisis Negotiations Team. In 2015, he began working for the Department of Corrections (DOC), as the Quality Assurance and Training Manager for the Sex Offense Treatment and Assessment Program (SOTAP). In this role, he researched and developed and with the help of the SOTAP leadership team implemented a modern up to date treatment program statewide. He is also a certified trainer in the Static 99R, Stable and Acute 2007 sex offender risk assessments. He has been active in policy development and working with the legislature and outside agencies to continuously improve the management of individuals convicted of a sexual offense in the community.