About Us – Nashi

Say HELLO to our team

Nashi Immigrants Health Board is a registered non-profit organization founded by people in the community in partnership with WA DOH

Mission: We partner with Ukrainian and Russian speaking communities in WA state to meet the broad range of health and social needs of our people and advocate through community engagement, empowerment and connection to resources.

Vision: We seek to understand, support and empower our community and provide for a healthy future for “Nashi” (our community) through a lens of health equity and social justice.

You can mail us at P.O Box 40662 Bellevue, WA 98015
or email us admin@nashi.support

Lev Sapogov

Project Manager

Lev Sapogov is the project manager of the nonprofit organization Nashi Immigrants Health Board. He works closely with team members and everyone who is involved in the process of helping the community thrive. His passion is ensuring Russian and Ukrainian-speaking communities have representation and their needs are met. He helps NASHI with event planning, meeting organization, and keeping track of all activities and projects that are happening.

Tamara Cyhan-Cunitz, MN, RN

Executive Director

Co-Founder of Nashi Immigrants Health Board, Tamara is a Registered Nurse and Assistant Teaching Professor at the University of Washington School of Nursing, with a graduate specialty in Cross-cultural nursing. She also has a BA in Psychology. She is passionate about preparing nurses for community health work and decreasing barriers to health and wellness for Ukrainian and Russian speaking immigrant and refugee communities in Washington, through her research, community outreach and nursing practice.

Olena Bidovanets, MD

Secretary

Co-Founder of Nashi Immigrants Health Board, Olena is a physician, psychotherapist and infectious disease researcher from Ukraine. She is also a visiting Fullbright Scholar in the Global Public Health Program at UW School of Public Health. Olena is dedicated to understanding and promoting health for Ukrainian and Russian speaking immigrants and refugees. Her holistic approach to health includes mind, body and spirit.

Ekaterina Teterina, BA, MPH (Candidate, 2023)

Consultant

She has a BA in Community Psychology and Health Studies and is currently pursuing her Masters of Public Health with a focus in Community-Oriented Public Health Practice. In collaboration with members of the Nashi Health Board, Ekaterina developed a community needs assessment survey which will help guide future outreach work. She is passionate about serving the Russian and Ukrainian speaking community and making sure that community needs are at the center of all outreach work in public health. By adapting a holistic lens, Ekaterina strives to make community voices heard through compassionate conversations and cultural representation.

Anastasiia Bennett

Partner

Anastasiia Bennet works for the Snohomish County Health District as a Community Health Worker and contributes to Nashi as a translator of medical records, outreach liaison, event planner and through various other avenues as she strives to improve health outcomes for Ukrainian refugees and Slavic communities across Washington

Olga Okhapkina

Volunteer

Olga Okhapkina is the co-founder of the nonprofit organization Nashi Immigrants Health Board. She is a local Ukrainian activist involved in organizing cultural and educational activities related to public health in Washington state. She has 2 bachelor's degrees as a music teacher and epidemiologist. Her life credo: "No one can destroy a dream, and you can rebuild your plane again." Olga is currently working as a health services consultant at the Washington State Department of Health and is also an active volunteer for Nashi!

Nataliia Tymchyshyn

Project Assistant

Hi, everyone! My name is Nataliia Tymchyshyn and I’m a project assistant on the Nashi team! I’m a 22 year old student, a human rights activist and am originally from Lviv. Thank you for being here!

Svitlana Kryshtanovska

Certified Clinical Medical Assistant

Iryna Serhiychuk

Project Assistant

Iryna holds a BA in Russian Language, Literature, and Culture from the University of Washington. Born in Ukraine and raised in Washington, she is dedicated about bridging the language barrier for Ukrainian and Russian speaking community members trying to access healthcare and other necessary services. Her motto in life is, “The secret of getting ahead is getting started.”

Olena Martyniuk

Designer, Translator

Hi! I'm Olena Martyniuk, I've been with NASHI since its creation as a volunteer designer and translator.
I lived in Ukraine when russians invaded my country on the 24th of February, 2022. The war forced me to leave my home. Since my family has been living in the US, they and many other kind-hearted people helped me to reunite with my family. It took me two months to get to the US from Lviv, the Czech Republic, and Canada. I am really lucky and grateful for all the support and kindness I received from various people. Now I work as a full-time designer and translator for NASHI. I also support the Ukrainian community of Washington state as a volunteer on Ukraine related events such as rallies, concerts, and meetings, and try to help other Ukrainian refugees who come to America as much as I can.

Svetlana Konotopchik

Community Outreach Worker

Hello! I am WSU Certified Nutritionist, Certified Russian language interpreter. I work at Tacoma-Pierce County Health Department as a Community Outreach Worker. I always worked with diverse communities at all my jobs. I Love working with and helping people. I've helped plan and organize events with Nashi Immigrants Health Board and am always looking forward to future projects!

Larysa Slobodian, MA

Equity and Inclusion

Larysa Slobodian is an executive coach, leadership consultant, organizational development consultant and facilitator. She is passionate about helping leaders, teams and organizations improve their leadership practices. She seeks to build bridges with local Ukrainians here in the Seattle area while also raising awareness about helping Ukraine remain a free and independent country. Her focus at NASHI is to work towards a more inclusive culture that welcomes diversity in our communities here, especially for our members who may not always feel welcome.