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
Christina Pizaña
Capital Projects and Facilities Manager
Scarlett Aldebot-Green
Chief Executive Officer
206.260.1701
Marisa Melton
Executive Administrative Assistant
206.260.1706
Jason Gortney
Chief Innovation Officer
206.395.4931
Nicole Mazen
Chief Program & Policy Officer
206.260.1720
Deborah Collins
Associate Director of Programs (Family Time)
Lacey Allison
Program Coordinator (Family Time)
Martha Buchta-Spevak
Family Time Visitation Specialist
Michelle Lopez
Family Time Visitation Specialist
Michelle Perry
Family Time Visitation Specialist
Dong Nam
Chief Financial Officer
amara@amarafamily.org
206.260.1704
Kelly Lenard-Holcomb
HR Manager
Stephen Grose
Staff Accountant
Steve Hill
Operations Coordinator
Anne-Marie Holloway
Foster Care Specialist
Alex Packard
Foster Care Specialist
Brenda Bobadilla
Foster Care Specialist
Emily Emerson
Foster Care Specialist
Emily Sigler
Client Services and Compliance Manager
Fiona Lloyd-Muller
Program Coordinator – Family Connections Program
Jenna Abbassi
Foster Care Specialist
Jenny von Veh
Child Placement Coordinator
Katie Biron
Family Connections Program Manager
Katherine McManus
Foster Care Services Supervisor
Kristen Wilson
Foster Care Specialist
Kristina Bates Greene
Foster Care Services Supervisor
Leroy Pascubillo
Certified Lead Mentor Family Connections Program
Mari Halpert
Foster Care Specialist
Mary Schlichter
Foster Care Services Supervisor
Quenby Delgado
Foster Care Specialist
Sarah Hasbrook
Foster Care Specialist
Tricia Lambie
Associate Director of Programs (Foster Care)
Veronica Houff
Foster Care Specialist
Brittney Lee
Kinship Retention & Support Specialist
Trey Rabun
Associate Director of Programs (Kinship Care)
Carrie Bassett
Donor Relations Officer
Domi Watkins
Development and Communications Coordinator
Katie Ferguson
Donor Relations Officer
Marcia Jacobs
Communications Manager
marcia@amarafamily.org
206.260.1718
Ruth Tollefson
Chief Philanthropy Officer
amaragiving@amarafamily.org
206.438.3938
Danielle Hammond
Family Support Specialist
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
Shannon Perez-Darby
Founder and Community Advocate, Accountable Communities Consortium
Sheila Ater Capestany
Director, Children, Youth and Young Adult Division, King County
Libuse Binder
Post-Secondary Success and Advocacy Consultant
Hillary Carey
Chief Business Officer, Rwanda Girls Initiative
Ben Danielson, MD
Pediatrician, UW Medicine
Alyssa Farber
Consulting CFO, Seattle Foundation
James F. Johnson
Attorney, Emery Reddy
Caitlin Harren
Director, Amazon Sustainability Solutions and Social Responsibility
Chris Kagi
Associate Director, Savills Corporate Real Estate
Rao Lakkakula
Executive Director, JPMorgan Chase & Co
Claudia Miller
Family Engagement Coordinator, Franklin Pierce Schools
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
Senior Staff Engineer, Google
Kohei Yamamoto, Treasurer
Partner, Cowan Miller & Lederman
Jamie Adachi
Maternal-Child Mental Health Program Manager, UW Medicine
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
Joanna Ivey
Our Chosen Child, Adoptee and Adoptive Parent
Lesli Johnson
Therapist, MFT and Adoptee
Angela Tucker
Influencer, Author and Adoptee
Jenni Tupu
Fulbright Scholar, Adoptee and Adoptive Parent
Carole VandenBos
Confidential Intermediary and Birth Parent
Marissa Zwelling
Social Worker, MSW, LCSW, Adoptee and Adoptive Parent
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.
