1. Pamela A. Mullens PT., PhD
5623,57th Avenue N.E.
Seattle WA 98105
Phone206 524 1743
FAX 206 524 2024
E-mail pamelamullens@mac.com
To Whom It May Concern.
Re: Jon Botten.
I have known Jon Botten for the past 17 years as the CEO of Children's Therapy
Center (CTC) in Kent. During this time I served on the Board of Directors of the
organization and for two consecutive terms as Board President.
The growth of the CTC in the last 17 years is a testament to Jon's skills as an
administrator and as CEO of the organization. When he came to CTC it was a small
organization with a staff of approximately 25 people (including the administrative
and therapy staff) and a small budget. It seemed that each year in the spring, we
were concerned about having insufficient funds to cover the payroll. The Center
was housed in a one-story converted house.
Today CTC has a staff of approximately 130, there is a new building on the Kent site
with well-designed rooms for physical occupational and speech therapy, for
educational programs, medical and parent consultation and other activities
appropriate for a facility serving children with developmental disabilities and their
families.
In addition, there are satellite facilities in Tacoma and Burien, and CTC is presently
seeking property in the Enumclaw area to house the rapidly expanding early
intervention program developing in that area. The number of children and their
families served by CTC has grown exponentially.
In addition to growth in size, the reputation of CTC has also grown. Many of the staff
members teach nationally and internationally, and products such as SPIO (a line of
pressure garments used as an adjunct to therapy) has international as well as
national markets.
Although Jon Botten provided the leadership needed for the growth of CTC, he was
not alone. He inherited a staff of dedicated professionals who founded CTC in order
to provide a service that included and empowered the families of the children, as
well as providing state of the art therapy, educational and medical services. They
selected the area South of Seattle to establish CTC because children with disabilities
were poorly served there at the time. The staff operated on a collaborative
management model, they were innovative and excellent in their approach to
therapy, and they fostered strong interpersonal and interdisciplinary collaboration.

2. Jon recognized and embraced this culture, maintained its essence through the
growth of the organization and combined his leadership with the energy and
dedication of the staff to create CTC as it is today. From my association with Jon and
from input received from staff members, Jon is loved and highly regarded by both
staff and Board.
The history of the growth of CTC has not always been an easy path. Changes in
legislation, changes in the healthcare environment, as well as downswings in the
local and national economy affect CTC financially. As a Board member, I have seen
Jon detect these changes early, and work together with the staff and Board to make
timely adaptations that assured the continued fiscal health of CTC. At this time last
year insurance reimbursements were reduced. Jon and the staff worked in concert
to streamline the operations of the organization so that staff productivity increased.
This not only increased income, but also the amount of direct service offered to
children and families.
In summary, under Jon's leadership CTC grew from a small organization with poor
financial stability to an organization with a large staff, sound fiscal stability, satellite
facilities in Burien, Tacoma and more recently the Enumclaw area.
Jon showed excellent communication skills with staff and Board. He is an artist with
video productions and used this skill to enhance communication. He used video to
describe the nature of the work at CTC and his videotapes were used for auctions,
fundraising lunches etc. Films of the children showed great artistry in highlighting
the playfulness, the persistence and the attractiveness of the children in the
program.
It has been a great pleasure to serve on the Board of Directors of CTC with Jon
Botten as the CEO. His contribution to the growth of the organization is a vital part
of the history of CTC, and will be remembered. I recommend him highly and wish
him well in all future endeavors.
Pamela A. Mullens. PT., PhD
Board Member CTC Board of Directors.