About me
Teresita Ignacio Batayola serves on the White House Commission for Asian Americans, Native Hawaiians and Pacific Islanders. She is also on the Board of Trustees of the Seattle Colleges. She recently retired from International Community Health Services (ICHS), Washington state’s largest Asian and Pacific Islander non-profit health center providing medical, dental, behavioral health, pharmacy, acupuncture and other health services.
During her tenure, ICHS won awards for quality and outstanding care. Under her leadership, ICHS received the Washington State Governor’s Warren Featherstone Reid Award for Excellence in Health Care, and is recognized as a National Quality Leader by the US Health and Resources Services Administration in 2014, 2015, 2017 and 2018. Batayola has also received numerous individual awards such as the National Association of Community Health Centers Award for Grassroots MVP and induction into its Hall of Fame; the Puget Sound Business Journal Award for Outstanding Business & Philanthropic Contributions to the Puget Sound Community; the Northwest Asian Weekly Lifetime Achievement Award; the University of Washington’s Women’s Center Woman of Courage Undaunted; and the Filipino Community of Seattle Bayanihan Lifetime Achievement Award.
Batayola’s family immigrated from the Philippines in 1969. She is married to Dionnie Dionisio and has 2 daughters, Gabriela and Ariana Dionisio. She received her Bachelor of Arts in Public Affairs from Seattle University in 1973, and her Masters of Science in Urban Administration in 1988 from Bucknell University in Pennsylvania. She was a National Urban Fellow in 1979 – 1980, serving a stint as staff to a US Cabinet member. She is a long-time community volunteer and came into health care with a professional background in economic development, community and international development, and strategic planning. She has worked for different levels of national and international government. She is an active speaker on leadership, health care, equity and diversity.
