Compass Health CEO honored with Lifetime Achievement Award from Vistage, the world’s largest CEO coaching and advisory organization
The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes a veteran member of 10+ years with a track record of bold decisions benefitting the company, community and beyond
EVERETT, Wash., Sept. 29, 2025 (GLOBE NEWSWIRE) -- Compass Health CEO and President, Tom Sebastian, was recently honored with the Vistage Lifetime Achievement Award. Vistage is the world’s largest CEO coaching and peer advisory organization for business leaders in pursuit of organizational and community transformation, and comprises of over 46,000 executives. The Vistage Member Excellence Awards recognize standout members for their successful leadership.
As president and CEO of Compass Health, Tom Sebastian leads an organization that directly addresses Northwest Washington’s most crucial needs by providing comprehensive behavioral health services to nearly 12,000 low-income and homeless individuals annually throughout Snohomish, Skagit, Whatcom, Island and San Juan counties.
The Lifetime Achievement Award recognizes a veteran member of 10+ years with a track record of bold decisions benefiting the company, community and beyond. In his 18 years serving as CEO, Sebastian has led Compass Health through an extraordinary chapter of growth and transformation, steering the organization through some of the most challenging and pivotal moments in its history.
He has expertly navigated the merging of 4 local community behavioral health centers, doubling their locations and increasing the budget from $35M in 2006 to $88M in 2025. Recently, Sebastian's vision has driven the Broadway Campus Redevelopment, including an 82-unit supportive housing facility and the upcoming Marc Healing Center, a 70,000-square-foot facility for intensive behavioral health services in downtown Everett, Washington. In collaboration with his dedicated 600+ person team, Sebastian is a catalyst for transformational change, ensuring that evidence-based mental health and substance use services keep pace with the region’s rapidly growing needs.
“Tom Sebastian embodies what it means to be a visionary, servant leader,” said Claire Bonilla, Vistage Chair. “His bold, strategic decisions have transformed Compass Health into a beacon of hope for Northwest Washington, as well as elevated his Vistage peers. This Vistage Lifetime Achievement Award is a fitting tribute to Tom’s unwavering commitment to innovation, advocacy, and world-class leadership—a legacy that’s still in the making.”
Sebastian began his career at Compass Health in 1987 as the coordinator for the Crisis Respite Residential Program. Over the next eight years, he was promoted to manager, supervisor, and then in 1995, to the director for Adult and Older Adult Extended Care Services in Snohomish County. Then, in 2000, Sebastian moved into the role of associate director for of Skagit, Island and San Juan Counties, where he played an integral role in the partnership and merger with Community Mental Health Services. A later merger in 2014 with Whatcom Counseling & Psychiatric Services solidified Compass Health as the most comprehensive provider in the North Sound Region and resulted in a 40% growth of the organization.
In 2005, Sebastian developed the role of chief operating officer, overseeing all clinical services before moving into the role of president and CEO in 2007. To this day, he continues directing Compass Health and its team to build a better system of care that empowers all clients and communities.
“To be recognized with the Vistage Lifetime Achievement Award for my work with Compass Health—work that started nearly four decades ago—is one of the most fulfilling recognitions of my career,” said Sebastian. “Alongside the team of passionate and talented individuals I work with, we’ve made great strides in advancing the field of behavioral health for our neighbors in need in Northwest Washington. I’m honored Vistage sees and celebrates the work we’ve done—and the work we continue to do every day.”
For more information on the initiatives Sebastian and his team at Compass Health are driving, visit https://www.compasshealth.org/
About Compass Health:
Compass Health is Northwest Washington’s behavioral healthcare leader. A community-based healthcare agency, Compass Health integrates behavioral health and medical care services to form a key section of the community safety net and serve clients and others in need of care and support. From comprehensive mental health treatment to crisis prevention and intervention, supportive housing, children’s services, community education and much more, the non-profit organization serves people of all ages throughout Snohomish, Skagit, Island, San Juan, and Whatcom counties.
About Vistage Worldwide, Inc:
Vistage is the world’s largest CEO coaching and peer advisory organization for small and midsize businesses. For more than 65 years, we’ve been helping CEOs, business owners and key executives solve their greatest challenges through confidential peer groups and one-to-one executive coaching sessions. Today, more than 45,000 members in 40 countries rely on Vistage to help make better decisions for their companies, families and communities. The results prove it: Vistage CEO members grew their annual revenue on average by 4.6% in 2020, while nonmembers with comparable small and midsize businesses saw revenue decrease by 4.7%, according to a study of Dun & Bradstreet data. Learn more at vistage.com.
Media Contacts:
Annie Alley
Firmani + Associates Inc.
Compasshealth@firmani.com
(206) 466-2713
Lauren Nicksic
Compass Health
Lauren.nicksic@compassh.org
A photo accompanying this announcement is available at https://www.globenewswire.com/NewsRoom/AttachmentNg/4896bd24-ff69-45c5-9094-417a0fce5d14
Tom Sebastian Headshot
Compass Health CEO Tom Sebastian
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