“I associate the PNA with family; it’s a treasure in North Seattle.” Mary Lou Dickerson with her dog Tammy.
By Amanda Coba, PNA’s Membership and Outreach Manager
Mary Lou Dickerson has lived in North Seattle since 1969. She’s watched the neighborhood change and knows how she’s helped shape it. From her early days as a social services executive director, to her years in the Washington State Legislature, and now as an artist and activist, Mary Lou has followed an internal compass that points consistently toward justice, compassion, and community.
“If I get the call, I have a fairly loud internal voice telling me, boy–I should do that–that’s a good idea. I’ve followed that and it’s been rewarding,” said Mary Lou.
Answering the Call
That voice spoke when she was a young woman earning a Master’s in Social Work in Honolulu, unsure what direction her career would take. She returned to Seattle and found herself drawn to community organizing and youth work. Her first role was at Echo Glen, working with young people in the juvenile justice system.
“When I was thinking about getting my first job out of graduate school, I thought the only job I didn’t want was to work with delinquent boys,” she says. “And that’s who I ended up working with. Life throws us what we need…it’s great for learning.”
Building from the Ground Up
She went on to lead North Seattle Youth Services, where she helped transition the organization from a city-run agency to a nonprofit. Regan-era budget cuts destroyed funding for youth programming, so Mary Lou recruited a nonprofit board and took responsibility for raising funds. Under her leadership, the center provided counseling, education support, and juvenile justice advocacy.
When asked why she gravitated towards leadership positions consistently throughout her career, she said, “I’m not afraid to make decisions, I like working with people, and I like drawing people out.”
Founding Treehouse
That spirit of building would guide her next venture: founding Treehouse, a now nationally recognized $25 million nonprofit that supports children in foster care with essentials and enrichment opportunities. Once again, Mary Lou recognized a gap between what the state was providing and the needs of the community. She leveraged her experience at North Seattle Youth Services and convinced the Regional Director of the Children Administration into starting a non-profit that was a private/public partnership.
At that point, “the state only paid for very essential items for children in foster care,” she explained. “They didn’t pay for things other kids routinely got: Christmas presents, birthday presents, funds to take a music class, sports fees. We wanted to help them feel more like valued, regular kids.”
Mary Lou Dickerson painting in her home studio.
Mary Lou Dickerson presents a check to then Executive Director Ed Medeiros, alongside Representative Frank Chopp, securing the Phinney Center as a hub for community connection for years to come.
A Voice for Children and the Environment
Mary Lou’s deep commitment to children and families eventually led her to the Washington State Legislature, where she served Seattle’s 36th District. There, she became a fierce advocate for child welfare reform and environmental issues such as climate change and environmental toxins.
Unsurprisingly, Mary Lou proved to be a savvy strategist. When a majority-backed bill threatened to narrow the legal definition of child abuse, she organized a press conference featuring grandparents of abused children—and held up photos of injuries the bill would no longer consider abuse. “My first degree was journalism, so I saw the possibilities,” she said. “There is ample opportunity for outreach to the media.” It worked. The sponsor of the bill withdrew his support immediately. Now retired from public office, Mary Lou has turned to landscape oil painting to express her deep spiritual connection to nature. Some of her most powerful works address climate change. “I feel a closeness to nature. I see the beauty of nature all around and the power of nature.”
Rooted in Community
Throughout her career, Mary Lou stayed grounded in her home neighborhood and deeply involved in the Phinney Neighborhood Association (PNA). She joined the board in the 1980s, drawn in by her friend Ed Medeiros, PNA’s founding Executive Ddirector. “Ed cared just as I did about the well-being of the community,” she said. “He was driven by desire to do things to make a strong community with real neighbor connections.”
Mary Lou even played a pivotal role in the PNA’s journey to become the proud owner of the former John B. Allen School—now the Phinney Center. Alongside former Speaker of the House Frank Chopp, she presented Ed Medeiros with a check from the state, securing the building as a hub for community connection for years to come.
Mary Lou sent her daughter Chloe to childcare programs run by the PNA and even got married at the Phinney Center (the first wedding reception ever in the building!).
“I associate the PNA with family,” she says. “It’s a treasure in North Seattle.”
Her activism hasn’t slowed down either. Every Thursday, Mary Lou and her husband John Birnel can be found at the Weekly Rally for Democracy gatherings they organize on Greenwood and 73rd St, waving signs and American flags and ringing a cowbell. “We love our country, and we want to save it as a democracy.” she said. “It’s important to let other people know they’re not alone in their feelings about this and there’s a real force that will stand up.”
As she looks to the future, Mary Lou sees urgent needs ahead: for coordinated human services, immigrant support, childcare, and robust civic engagement. She believes the PNA can – and should – be part of meeting those needs.
Mary Lou Dickerson’s life is proof that change is possible—when we follow our convictions, work together, and refuse to give up. When asked what inspires her and keeps her going, Mary Lou says, “Nature, people taking risks for noble purposes, the faces of children, neighbors smiling at one another as they take their regular walk down the street to Greenlake. Inspiration is all over the place. You have to be in a mindset to take it in.”
Like Mary Lou, each of us has the power to answer the call of community. Her legacy is one of action, love for community, and a belief that change is always possible. Today, you can carry forward that spirit by supporting the Legacy Makers Campaign. Your gift ensures that the PNA remains a treasure in North Seattle for decades to come.
Mary Lou says, “It’s important to let other people know they’re not alone in their feelings about this and there’s a real force that will stand up.”
Our Goal: $100,000 Help us get there!
The Power of Community: Legacy Makers fundraiser supports the full breadth of PNA’s work – from the Greenwood Senior Center, Memory Loss, and Village programs to community meals and community spaces like the Phinney Center Campus and beyond. Your generosity helps us continue creating welcoming places and meaningful programs for all neighbors at every life stage.
