True change takes place when our community comes together to hear one another, dream big, and share our unique skills and passions. We are grateful for our dynamic team who work together to support the well-being of children in foster care, adoptees, and their families.
Julie Hoffman
Best for Babies Program Coordinator
Jason Gortney
Interim Chief Executive Officer | Chief Program Officer
206.395.4931
Amie Newman
Director of Communications & Outreach
amaracomms@amarafamily.org
206.260.1718
Chelsea Talbert
Pierce County Partnership and Engagement Manager
Kari Hanson
Family Outreach Coordinator
Katie Ferguson
Communications & Partnerships Manager
Taylor Trujillo
Volunteer Coordinator
Fathi Karshie
Director of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
amara@amarafamily.org
206.260.1709
Dong Nam
Chief Financial Officer
amara@amarafamily.org
206.260.1704
Dinah Slattery
Staff Accountant
Emily Sigler
Compliance and Administration Manager
Steve Hill
Operations Coordinator
Nicole Mazen
Director of Foster Care Services
amara@amarafamily.org
206.260.1720
Anne-Marie Holloway
Foster Care Specialist
Bethany Ruggles
Family Time Visitation Specialist
Brenda Bobadilla
Foster Care Specialist
Cristina Tzintzun
Family Time Visitation Lead
Danielle Hammond
Child Screening and Family Support Specialist
Deborah Collins
Associate Director of Foster Care
Deshanna Brown
Foster Care Specialist
Jennifer Diaz
Family Time Visitation Specialist
Jenny von Veh
Child Placement Coordinator
Kristen Wilson
Foster Care Specialist
Kristina Bates Greene
Foster Care Services Supervisor
Mari Halpert
Foster Care Specialist
Maria Mello
Foster Care Specialist
Martha Buchta-Spevak
Family Time Visitation Specialist
Mary Schlichter
Foster Care Services Supervisor
Michelle Lopez
Family Time Visitation Specialist
Quenby Delgado
Foster Care Specialist
Sarah Hasbrook
Foster Care Specialist
Theodore Calhoun
Family Time Visitation Specialist
Trey Rabun
Associate Director of Kinship and Community Services
Tricia Lambie
Foster Care Services Supervisor
Veronica Huff
Foster Care Specialist
Ruth Tollefson
Chief Philanthropy Officer
amaragiving@amarafamily.org
206.438.3938
Carrie Bassett
Philanthropy Officer
Erin Chambers
Philanthropy Officer
Melinda Lowe
Individual Giving & Events Officer
Angela Tucker
Director of Post-Adoption Services
postadopt@amarafamily.org
206.260.1741
Claudia Marchen
Post-Adoption Program Strategist
Kara Andersen
Family Support Specialist
Rena Konomis
Post-Adoption Program Manager
Julianne Bukey Peterson
Associate Director, Program Impact and Evaluation
Sara Wong, President
Senior Director of WW Enterprise Commercial Sales, Microsoft
Lori Langston, Vice-President
Community Volunteer
Ginny Trethewey, Vice-President
Community Volunteer
Peter Woodward, Treasurer
Vice President – Private Wealth Management, Goldman Sachs & Co
Cathy Pew, MD, Secretary
Clinical Professor of Pediatrics, University of Washington
Dan Absher, Executive Committee Member At-Large
President, Absher Construction
Paul Abodeely
Community Volunteer
Libuse Binder
Post-Secondary Success and Advocacy Consultant
Hillary Carey
Chief Business Officer, Rwanda Girls Initiative
Juan Cotto
Director of Social Impact, Bloodworks Northwest
Ben Danielson, MD
Pediatrician, UW Medicine
Frankie Johnson
Director of Property Management, Tacoma Housing Authority
Rao Lakkakula
Executive Director, JPMorgan Chase & Co
Srilata Remala
Executive Director, The Maternal Coalition
Jamal Whitehead
Attorney, Schroeter Goldmark & Bender
Dean Allen
CEO, McKinstry
Joel Benoliel
Senior Vice President, Administration & Chief Legal Officer, Costco Wholesale, Ret.
Bobbe J. Bridge
WA State Supreme Court Judge, Ret.
President and CEO, Center for Children & Youth Justice, Ret.
Brad Brown
Senior Vice President, Digital Retail and Customer Support, REI, Ret.
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
Dan Absher, Chair
President, Absher Construction, Amara Board of Directors’ Advisory Council Liaison
Frank Cuthbertson
Pierce County Superior Court Judge, Ret.
Dr. John Gaines
Community Relations Manager, TPU & President, PDLA
Bruce Dammeier
Pierce County Executive
Fahren Johnson
Senior Program Officer, Greater Tacoma Community Foundation
Maureen Sorenson
Clinical Director, Elevate Health
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), Ret.
Kyle Trethewey, President
Senior Corporate Counsel, True Blue
Deanne Bryan, Vice President
Founder, Selah Event Consulting, Inc.
Brett Flegg, Secretary
Principal Software Architect, Microsoft
Kohei Yamamoto, Treasurer
Partner, Cowan Miller & Lederman
Nan Jackson
Director of LiveBallot, DemocracyLive
Chris Kagi
Assistant Director, Savills
James Truitt
Azure Specialist – Data & AI, Microsoft
Sara Wong
Senior Director of WW Enterprise Commercial Sales, Microsoft
Peter Woodward
Vice President – Private Wealth Management, Goldman Sachs & Co
Sadie Zeller
Business Consultant and Community Leader
Rufina Beem Holcombe
Esquire and Adoptee
Susan Ito
Author and Adoptee
Joanna Ivey
Our Chosen Child, Adoptee and Adoptive Mother
Lesli Johnson
Therapist, MFT and Adoptee
Della Kostelnik-Juarez
Genealogist
Jenni Tupu
Fulbright Scholar, Adoptee and Adoptive Mother
Carole VandenBos
Confidential Intermediary and Birth Mother
Marissa Zwelling
Social Worker, MSW, LCSW, Adoptee and Adoptive Mother
Cierra Campos
Felicia Dennis
Taralee Ellis
Keisha Harris
Toby Joseph
Colleen Laupola
Brittney Lee
Claudia Miller
Tara Newton
Kathie Nguyen
Raven Nyland
Stephen Percer
Laurie Pugh-Larson
Hannah Strickler
Dominique Taylor
George Zantua
Driven by our community, our staff works toward meaningful change every day – in our systems, in our culture, and within ourselves. Join us!
Share your time, experience, and skills! We offer a variety of volunteer opportunities in Seattle and Tacoma and would love to have your support.
Seattle Office
5907 Martin Luther King Jr Way S
Seattle, WA 98118
(206) 260-1700
Hours: M-F, 8:30am-5pm
Tacoma Office
3501 104th St. E
Tacoma, WA 98446
(253) 444-0121
Hours: Please call ahead
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