Staff
Our team
Regardless of what brings you to Amara you will always be supported by a team of caring and dedicated professionals. We are committed to serving children, youth and families in the greater Puget Sound area.
Executive Director
John Morse, MBA
While much of John’s professional life has been spent in the for-profit sector, as a founder of Fratelli’s Ice Cream and former part-owner of Pyramid Breweries, he is no stranger to the nonprofit world. He served for six years as a board member for Kindering Center, and spent two years working with Global Partnerships. John joined Amara six years ago. John’s interests at home reflect those at work: family. In his case, that includes his wife, five children, eleven siblings, and an extended family in the Seattle area.
Social Services
Carol Mikkelsen, MA in Public Administration
Director of Programs and Administration
Carol brings to her job the combined perspectives of direct service and government management, with a Bachelor’s of Social Work and Master’s of Public Administration. Carol has a long and varied professional background in the private, public, and nonprofit sectors. Her management style shows a strong focus on partnership, program development, and quality assurance. She loves sparring with her daughter, dancing with her partner, learning to play in a circle of drummers, and getting outside.
Jenny Bouldry, MSW
Pregnancy and Parenting Specialist
Jenny has served youth and families, including at-risk and homeless adolescents, experiencing trauma or crisis for more than six years. Jenny’s resourceful and collaborative mindset benefits all of her clients. When not working, Jenny finds enjoyment exploring the Northwest and is appreciative of living in a place where sights of mountains and salt water are in the same view.
Julie DiMartino, MSW
Adoption and Foster Care Specialist
Julie has four years of social work experience, focusing on the needs of children and families. She has worked in a bilingual clinic and in schools providing children and adults with resources, crisis intervention, and counseling. Julie enjoys traveling, cooking, biking, and exploring the Pacific Northwest. She plays field hockey on a local team and watches Red Sox games to maintain her East coast roots.
Chris Gaston
Program Assistant
Chris’s twenty years of administrative work experience make her a key component of our team. The hours she has logged maintaining records and tracking required paperwork have rendered her an expert on the adoption process. Chris enjoys researching history and genealogy, traveling, reading, attending concerts and operas, studying French, gardening, and exploring nature.
Gretchen Langmaid, MSW
Adoption and Foster Care Specialist
Gretchen has seven years of experience serving children and families. Aside from her four years at Amara, she has worked with children diagnosed with cancer and their families, she has counseled pregnant women and their families, and she has mentored children in foster care. Outside of work, Gretchen enjoys hiking with her husband and dog, cooking vegetarian recipes, reading for her book club, and going to brunch with friends.
Cathy Olson, BSW
Child Placement Coordinator
Cathy has worked in child welfare services for over fifteen years and has extensive experience working with foster care, child protection, licensing and special needs adoption. Outside of work, Cathy enjoys spending time with her husband and three teenagers and walking in the park with the family dogs. Other favorite pastimes include hiking, watching football, and reading.
Sarah O’Neill, MSW
Adoption and Foster Care Specialist
Sarah has over five years of social work experience, with a focus on counseling children and families. Sarah brings strong counseling skills to the team, and is a master at writing Home Studies. Sarah spends her free time doing various creative activities such as visual art, the occasional dancing, enjoying the outdoors, practicing yoga, and spending time with her husband.
Anne-Marie Patrick, MSW
Adoption and Foster Care Specialist
Anne-Marie, an adoptee, went into the adoption field to help fulfill dreams for children in need of loving forever families. For more than eight years, Anne-Marie has served children and families. This includes children in therapeutic foster homes, who need intensive case management. Anne-Marie enjoys reading, traveling, spending time with her family and friends, knitting, and searching Seattle for the best mac ‘n’ cheese.
Trey Rabun, MSW
Adoption and Foster Care Specialist
Trey has five years of experience serving children and families, including children in foster care, foster-to-adopt families, and gay and lesbian parents. Outside of work, Trey enjoys cooking, discovering new restaurants, spending time with friends, and relaxing with his lovely partner and Pug Wally.
Jennifer Schwinn, MA
Pregnancy and Parenting Specialist
Jennifer has over twelve years of experience working with children, women, and families in social work and mental health fields both in the USA, Guatemala and Nicaragua. She also has done a variety of volunteer work, including the Girl Scouts of America. On her free time, Jen enjoys being outside, reading, traveling, cooking and eating good food, studying Spanish, and spending time with her family and friends.
Emily Sigler, MSW
Client Services Coordinator
Emily has been working in the child welfare field for eight years. She spent two years at Childhaven where she worked with abused, neglected, and drug-affected children. In her spare time, Emily enjoys traveling, reading, scrapbooking, and spending time with friends, family, and her cats.
Marika Vanderlinden, MA Child Couple and Family Therapy
Adoption and Foster Care Specialist
A former counselor with children in foster care, Marika brings a deep understanding of and insight into children with trauma histories to the Amara team. Marika has worked with families and children for twelve years. She was born in the Netherlands and grew up in the United States. Outside her work, Marika enjoys being outdoors, reading, yoga, golf, and spending time with her friends, family, and dog.
Jenny von Veh, BA
Adoption and Foster Care Specialist
Jenny has served children and families for over fourteen years. She brings an extensive experience of working with children who have special needs to the Amara team. In her leisure time, Jenny enjoys reading, knitting, cooking, yoga, and spending time with her husband and two teenage daughters.
Cynthia Williams, MA Mental Health Counseling
Adoption and Foster Care Specialist
Cynthia has over twenty-five years experience working with children, youth, and families—most of these years spent at Amara. She educated teen parents on parenting and child development and spoke on regional and national levels about developing mentor programs. Cynthia, a former foster parent, is an adoptive mother of three wonderful children—all adults now. When not working, Cynthia enjoys reading and listening to music.
Dianna Zaorski, MSW
Adoption and Foster Care Specialist
Dianna has spent five years serving women, children, at-risk youth, and victims of domestic violence. She has done so in the position of social worker, mentor, and community volunteer. In addition, Dianna brings fifteen years of non-social work experience in communications and business development to Amara. She enjoys reading, cooking, listening to music, and spending time with her husband, son and dog when she isn’t working.
Development
Martha Lunbeck, MBA
Director of Development
For more than fifteen years, Martha has helped people connect with their community and their values through philanthropy. Her experience includes fundraising and leadership roles with health and human service nonprofits and several years running a social mission program for Ben & Jerry’s. Outside of her work, Martha enjoys reading, playing ultimate Frisbee, and exploring Seattle with her husband and two daughters.
Megan MacCrellish, BA
Donor Relations Manager
Megan has a passion for creating engaging events and a knack for bringing people together around a common goal, skills honed during her summers as a counselor and theatre director at Camp Wohelo in Maine. After earning her degree in Economics from Middlebury College, Megan worked in the development office at The Center for Wooden Boats. In addition to her work at Amara, Megan enjoys skiing and hiking in the Pacific Northwest and traveling with her beau.
Communications
Danielle Hermeler, MBA
Communications Manager
Danielle has been designing and managing marketing communications strategies in the nonprofit field for fifteen years, including a symphony orchestra. She works diligently to generate awareness of the need for permanent families for vulnerable children. Danielle also plays the cello, attends live art performances, reads books in her mother tongue (Dutch), and spends time with her husband and three children.
Amy Babcock
Community Outreach Specialist, part-time
Amy is passionate about connecting people with available resources and services in their communities. She has over eight years of community outreach and relations experience including roles with Public Health – Seattle & King County and American Cancer Society. Amy enjoys growing her own food in her small city garden, cooking, exploring the outdoors, and spending time with her partner and their young daughter.
Finance
Adrienne Farrow
Finance Manager
Adrienne has worked at Amara for fifteen years and loves being a part of the agency’s mission. When she is not working, Adrienne enjoys cooking, gardening, playing piano, reading and playing with her three cats. Most of all, she enjoys spending time with that special person in her life, family and friends.
