Douglas T. Picha

Douglas Picha was appointed to the Washington State University Board of Regents in January 2023. 

After serving as President of the Seattle Children’s Foundation since its establishment in 1982, Regent Picha stepped into retirement in January 2022. Before his retirement, Regent Picha also served as a senior executive with the Seattle Children’s healthcare system. In that capacity, he oversaw an extensive effort to attract volunteers and private philanthropic support for the benefit of Seattle Children’s. Before his retirement, he helped lead a comprehensive “It Starts With Yes” campaign which, when completed, totaled over $1.4 billion in donations. Seattle Children’s Foundation has consistently been ranked as one of the largest healthcare philanthropic organizations in the country. 

In 1990, Regent Picha founded the Woodmark Group, which is comprised of twenty-nine of the world’s largest children’s hospitals. From this organization, he founded a North American $10,000 annual gift program known as the Children’s Circle of Care. This initiative was launched in September 1995, with over 600 major donors. In 2023, there were nearly 8,000 CCC-level donors who together gave $830 million to their respective children’s hospitals.

Regent Picha served on the Board of Trustees of the College Success Foundation (CSF) in both Washington State and Washington D.C. from 2007 – 2019. CSF primarily serves first generation college students from around the country.

Along with his current service on the Washington State University Board of Regents, he also serves as a Board of Trustees Member of the Seattle Times’ Community Impact Fund.

Regent Picha is a 1975 graduate of Washington State University where he received the Alumni Achievement Award in 2002. In 2006, Regent Picha was the recipient of the Association for Healthcare Philanthropy’s Si Seymour Award, which is the highest honor given to an individual in the healthcare philanthropy profession.

He resides with his wife, Cassie, on Bainbridge Island, Washington. They have four grown children and eight grandchildren. 

Office: Member
Term Expires: September 30, 2029