Amara is proud to be led and supported by a stellar cast – our Board of Directors, Advisory Councils for King and Pierce counties, and staff.
Board of Directors
Robin Rothe, President
Trustee, Thomas C. Wright Foundation
Hillary Carey, Vice President
Chief Business Officer, Rwanda Girls Initiative
Paul Abodeely, Treasurer
Community Volunteer
Dan Absher
President, Absher Construction
Libuse Binder
Executive Director, Stand for Children Washington
Juan Cotto
Director of Social Impact, Bloodworks Northwest
Ben Danielson, MD
Medical Director, Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic
Anne Bryson Doyle
Foster-Adoptive Mother and Mentor
Paul Goebel
Chief Operating Officer, Coordinated Care
Lori Langston
Community Volunteer
Billie Riggs Otto
Chief Strategy and Risk Officer, Absher Construction
Cathy Pew, MD, Secretary
Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington
Ginny Trethewey
Community Volunteer
Jamal Whitehead
Attorney, Schroeter Goldmark & Bender
In Gratitude
We were honored to have had Walt Zabriskie as our Board Treasurer and dear friend of Amara for over 10 years. His commitment to children and our community was incomparable and he will be forever missed.
Pierce County Advisory Council
Dan Absher, Chair
President, Absher Construction, Amara Board of Directors’ Advisory Council Liaison
Frank Cuthbertson
Pierce County Superior Court Judge
Bruce Dammeier
Pierce County Executive
Fahren Johnson
Greater Tacoma Community Foundation Program Manager of Expanded Learning Opportunities
Michael Mirra
Executive Director, Tacoma Housing Authority
Lyle Quasim
Retired Secretary Washington Department of Social and Health Service
Scott Selden
CEO, Selden’s Furniture
Victoria Woodards
Mayor, City of Tacoma
Jeff Woodworth
President, Woodworth Capital
Dee Wilson
Child Welfare Expert (Casey Family Programs, State of Washington),Retired
King County Advisory Council
Alan Frazier, Chair
Chairman and Founder, Frazier Healthcare Partners, and Managing Partner, East Seattle Partners
Dean Allen
CEO, McKinstry
Joel Benoliel
Senior Vice President, Administration & Chief Legal Officer, Costco Wholesale (ret.)
Justice Bobbe J. Bridge (ret.)
President and CEO, Center for Children & Youth Justice
Brad Brown
Senior Vice President, Digital Retail and Customer Support, REI (ret.)
Phyllis Campbell
Chairman, JPMorgan Chase & Co., Pacific NW Division
Jean Enersen
Anchor, KING 5 (ret.)
Steve Graham
Managing Partner, Seattle Office, Fenwick & West, LLP
Fred Jarrett
Senior Deputy King County Executive
Robert Moser
President and CEO, Laird Norton Wealth Management
Representative Eric Pettigrew
Washington State House of Representatives
Paul L. Wyckoff
Tech Infrastructure Designer
African American Outreach Advisory Council
Carla Saulter
Community Advocate
LaShaun Bellamy
Marketing Consultant
Zynovia Hetherington, MSW, M.Ed
Director of the Child Welfare Training and Advancement Program University of Washington, School of Social Work
NaKeesa Frazier-Jennings
Community Advocate
Amara Staff
Kara Andersen
Family Support Specialist
Liesl Arceneaux
Therapeutic Childcare Specialist
Carrie Bassett
Development Manager
Kristina Bates Greene
Foster Care Services Supervisor
Danielle Blechert
Therapeutic Childcare Specialist
Brenda Bobadilla
Foster Care Specialist
Deshanna Brown
Foster Care Specialist
Martha Buchta-Spevack
Therapeutic Childcare Specialist
Julianne Bukey Peterson
Associate Director, Program Impact and Evaluation
Theo Calhoun
Family Time Visitation Specialist
Erin Chambers
Pierce County Development Manager
Deborah Collins
Associate Director, Foster Care Services
Lindsay Craven
Emergency Sanctuary Program Manager, King County
Katie Davis
Annual Giving and Stewardship Officer
Quenby Delgado
Foster Care Specialist
Alyssa Farber
Therapeutic Childcare Specialist
Katie Ferguson
Fostering Family Manager
Constanta Florescu
Staff Accountant
Christina Gaydos
Therapeutic Childcare Specialist
Danielle Hammond
Family Time Visitation Specialist
Mari Halpert
Foster Care Specialist
Kari Hanson
Family Outreach Coordinator
Sarah Hasbrook
Foster Care Specialist
Samantha Headley
Therapeutic Childcare Specialist
Branik Healow
Emergency Sanctuary Program Coordinator, King County
Julie Hoffman
Best for Babies Program Coordinator
Anne Holloway
Foster Care Specialist
Whitney Hunt
Therapeutic Childcare Specialist
Cynthia Isabell
Foster Care Specialist
Marilee Jolin
Communications Specialist
Laura Keating
Therapeutic Childcare Specialist
Destiny Keenan
Therapeutic Childcare Specialist
Devon Kerr
Therapeutic Childcare Specialist
Rena Konomis
Confidential Intermediary
Tricia Lambie
Foster Care Services Supervisor
Michelle Lopez
Therapeutic Childcare Specialist
Melinda Lowe
Events Manager
Colleen Madsen
Foster Care Specialist
Claudia Marchen
Post-Adoption Program Coordinator
Anna McKnight
Administrative Support Specialist
Maria Mello
Family Time Coordinator
Kelly Merdinger
Therapeutic Childcare Specialist
Emily Neal
Emergency Sanctuary Program Coordinator, Pierce County
Michelle Newton
Therapeutic Childcare Specialist
Jamie Morrow
Foster Care Specialist
Emily Pringle
Foster Care Specialist
Trey Rabun
Foster Care Services Supervisor
Analis Rivasplata-Newton
Therapeutic Childcare Specialist
Alex Ropes
Volunteer Manager
Bethany Ruggles
Therapeutic Childcare Specialist
Emily Scofield
Operations Manager
Laura Shell
Lead Therapeutic Childcare Specialist
Mary Schlichter
Foster Care Services Supervisor
Emily Sigler
Client Services Coordinator
Danielle Small
Therapeutic Childcare Specialist
Gretchen Stewart
Foster Care Specialist
Emily Stochel
Therapeutic Childcare Specialist
Chelsea Talbert
Pierce County Program Administrator
Elyse Thomas
Foster Care Specialist
James E. Thompson
Corporate and Foundation Grants Manager
Taylor Trujillo
Volunteer and Philanthropy Coordinator
Cristina Tzintzun
Family Time Visitation Specialist
Jenny von Veh
Child Placement Coordinator
Jennifer Wheeler
Foster Care Specialist
Sarah Wheeler
Emergency Sanctuary Program Manager, Pierce County
Kristen Wilson
Foster Care Specialist
John Morse
Chief Executive Officer | 206.260.1701
Jen Kamel
Chief Clinical Officer | 206.289.0047
Dong Nam
Chief Financial Officer | 206.260.1704
Ruth Tollefson
Chief Philanthropy Officer | 206.438.3938
Lauren Firchau
Director of Finance and Administration | 206.395.4931
Ross Hiranaga
Director of Children’s Services | 253.533.2980
Nicole Mazen
Director of Foster Care Services | 206.260.1720
Amie Newman
Director of Communications and Outreach | 206.260.1718
Maureen Sorenson
Pierce County Director | 253.235.4875
Angela Tucker
Director of Post-Adoption Services | 206.260.1741