Board of Directors
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.
Robin Rothe, President
Trustee, Thomas C. Wright Foundation
Hillary Carey, Vice President
Chief Business Officer, Rwanda Girls Initiative
Nora Duffy, Secretary
Owner, Optimum Business Consulting
Holly Johnson, Treasurer
Community Volunteer
Paul Abodeely
Community Volunteer
Dan Absher
President, Absher Construction
Libuse Binder
Executive Director, Stand for Children Washington
Sheila Capestany
Strategic Advisor for Children and Youth, Department of Community and Human Services, King County
Ben Danielson, MD
Medical Director, Odessa Brown Children’s Clinic
Anne Bryson Doyle
Foster-Adoptive Mother and Mentor
Dorothy Graham
President, The Graham Group Consulting Services
Paul Goebel
Chief Operating Officer, Coordinated Care
Lori Langston
Community Volunteer
Billie Riggs Otto
Community Volunteer
Staci Pendergress
Community Volunteer
Cathy Pew, MD
Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington
Ginny Trethewey
Community Volunteer
Jamal Whitehead
Attorney, Schroeter Goldmark & Bender
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.
In the image to the left, Walt observes the beautiful bench at Amara’s headquarters thanking him for for his devotion to the children Amara serves.
Pierce County Advisory Council
Dan Absher, Chair
President, Amara Board of Directors Liaison, Absher Construction
Frank Cuthbertson
Pierce County Superior Court Judge
Bruce Dammeier
Pierce County Executive
Susan Hettinger
Amara Board President Emerita
Michael Mirra
Executive Director, Tacoma Housing Authority
Scott Selden
CEO, Selden’s Furniture
Marilyn Strickland
Former Mayor of Tacoma
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
Deanna Oppenheimer
CEO, CameoWorks
H. Stewart Parker
Principal, Parker BioConsulting
Representative Eric Pettigrew
Washington State House of Representatives
Paul L. Wyckoff
Tech Infrastructure Designer
African American Outreach Advisory Council
Nora Duffy
Amara Board Member
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
Ida McRae
Mental Health Counselor at Therapeutic Health Services/Program Facilitator at Somali Family Safety Taskforce
Amara Staff
Kara Andersen
Family Support Specialist
Liesl Arceneaux
Therapeutic Childcare Specialist, Relief
Carrie Bassett
Development Manager
Kristina Bates Greene
Foster Care Specialist
Danielle Blechert
Therapeutic Childcare Specialist, Relief
Caroline Brandau
Pierce County Engagement Specialist
Rebecca Brazell
Therapeutic Childcare Specialist
Martha Buchta-Spevack
Therapeutic Childcare Specialist, Relief
Diana Bui
Therapeutic Childcare Specialist, Relief
Julianne Bukey Peterson
Foster Care Program Manager
Deborah Collins
Foster Care Specialist
Lindsay Craven
Program Coordinator
Katie Davis
Development & Events Coordinator
Monica Dehnert
Foster Care Specialist
Quenby Delgado
Foster Care Specialist
Denden Embaye
Therapeutic Childcare Specialist, Relief
Joel Feller
Therapeutic Childcare Specialist
Katie Ferguson
Project Manager
Christina Gaydos
Therapeutic Childcare Specialist
Mari Halpert
Foster Care Specialist
Kari Hanson
Family Outreach Coordinator
Sarah Hasbrook
Foster Care Specialist
Branik Healow
Therapeutic Childcare Specialist, Relief
Patti Hedges
Development and Grants Administrator
Anne Holloway
Foster Care Specialist
Cynthia Isabell
Foster Care Specialist
Marilee Jolin
Communications Specialist
Ryan Karnoski
Foster Care Specialist
Devon Kerr
Therapeutic Childcare Specialist, Relief
Tricia Lambie
Foster Care Specialist
Tim LeBeau
Therapeutic Childcare Specialist
Becca LeafMeeker
Foster Care Specialist
Michelle Lopez
Therapeutic Childcare Specialist
Claudia Marchen
Post-Adoption Program Coordinator
JoLee Melink
Therapeutic Childcare Specialist, Relief
Maria Mello
Family Time Coordinator
Kelsey Moore
Therapeutic Childcare Specialist, Relief
Cheri’ Paillet
Foster Care Specialist
Nate Pringle
Emergency Sanctuary Program Manger, King County
Trey Rabun
Family Outreach Specialist
Alex Ropes
Volunteer Manager
Emily Scofield
Operations Manager
Eunice Setiawan
Therapeutic Childcare Specialist, Relief
Laura Shell
Therapeutic Childcare Specialist
Ivvie Shellhorn
Therapeutic Childcare Specialist
Emily Sigler
Client Services Coordinator
Gretchen Stewart
Foster Care Specialist
Emily Stochel
Therapeutic Childcare Specialist
Elyse Thomas
Foster Care Specialist
Missy Trull
Therapeutic Childcare Specialist, Relief
Cristina Tzintzun
Family Time Visitation Specialist
Maria Vachlon
Therapeutic Childcare Specialist, Relief
Jenny von Veh
Child Placement Coordinator
Tanzanika Walker
Foster Care Specialist
Jennifer Wheeler
Foster Care Specialist
Sarah Wheeler
Emergency Sanctuary Program Manger, Pierce County
Kristen Wilson
Foster Care Specialist
John Morse
Executive Director | 206.260.1701
Megan Walton
Chief Operating Officer | 206.260.1704
April Johnson
Chief Philanthropy Officer | 206.438.3938
Jen Kamel
Chief Clinical Officer | 206.289.0047
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