Our Story
About Lift Every Voice Legacy
WHO WE ARE
The Mission of Lift Every Voice Legacy is to inspire, embrace and develop models of a Beloved Community which promotes grassroots community involvement centered on love, social and economic justice. A Beloved Community embodies a dynamically nourishing environment free of hatred, injustice, poverty and is inclusive of all people.
HOW WE DO IT
We inspire and create spaces for fostering inclusion, cultural pluralism, and caring communities free of hatred, injustice, and poverty.
WHAT WE VALUE
Lift Every Voice Legacy (LEVL) values love, community, justice, redemption, and faith as modeled in the words and deeds of the Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr., in his Beloved Community ideals.
WHAT WE DO
Lift Every Voice Legacy (LEVL) creates programs and opportunities throughout the year using spoken word, music, and dance as well as other forms of artistic expression. These programs include but are not limited to:
The Annual Tribute to Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King Jr. programs of spoken word, music, and dance
Juneteenth Festival of Freedom Celebrations
Readings and book events such as One Book/One Community
Community-Building Programs for Children and Families such as free vaccinations and health awareness clinics
Donnie has enjoyed a 33-year career as an executive in business, government, and non-profit organizations.
His 20-year management tenure with US WEST Communications, included positions as Managing Director of Community Affairs & Corporate Contributions and General Manager of the 911 Public Safety Group. In government, he served as Agency Chief Deputy Director for the Oregon Department of Human Services, a 10,000 -employee organization with a $4 billion annual budget. He also was the Tribal Administrator for Social Services, Education and Tribal Eldership Programs for the Morongo Band of Mission Indians in Banning, CA.
He is a co-founder of the non-profit Choose 180 Program, a Seattle area faith-based inspired partnership with the King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office to divert low level juvenile offenders away from the criminal justice system. And he has served on the Edmonds Diversity Commission and the Edmonds Center for the Arts. Donnie recently founded the Lift Every Voice Legacy group (LEVL), inspiring Beloved Community values as envisioned by Rev. Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr. throughout South Snohomish County, and chairs the Board of Directors of DADS, a South Seattle-based fatherhood enrichment program.
In addition to his Bachelor’s degree in Communication from Washington State University, he holds a Master’s degree in Management from Antioch University Seattle and is a graduate of the Master Class for Leadership Educators Program at Harvard University’s Kennedy School of Government – Center for Public Leadership. Donnie and his wife, Ross, live in Edmonds, WA.
Donnie Griffin
Founding Principal of LEVL
LEVL Board of Directors
Donnie Y. Griffin - Chair/President
Patricia Valle - Vice Chair
Keith Gustafson - Secretary
Steve Woodard
Robin Ullman