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Staff
Amara's staff
John Morse, Executive Director
(206) 260-1701
Martha Lunbeck, Director of Development
(206) 260-1703
Carol Mikkelsen, Director of Programs and Administration
(206) 260-1720
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Adrienne Farrow, Finance ManagerAdrienne has worked at Amara for more than 10 years. Prior to accepting the position of Finance Manager, Adrienne held a job as a bookkeeper for a manufacturing company for 10 years. Adrienne loves everything about her job at Amara, especially being part of the agency’s mission and interacting with the supporting staff. |
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Alethia Mead, Pregnancy and Parenting CounselorAlethia joined Amara in 2001 and after five years on the clinical team, she took time off for a family of her own. She rejoined Amara in 2009 to work with women and their families, assisting them in achieving their parenting or placement goals. She has worked in adoption and child welfare for over 14 years, holds a B.S. in Social Work and Early Childhood Development, plus a Master’s Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy. In her free time, Alethia enjoys reading, boating, cooking, baking and being outside with her husband, daughter and dog. |
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Anne-Marie Patrick, Adoption and Foster Care SpecialistAnne joined Amara in 2006 after four successful years of working with foster children in Eastern Washington at a residential treatment facility and at a private agency providing intensive case management for children in therapeutic foster homes. She holds a Bachelor’s of Psychology from Central Washington University and a Master’s of Social Work from Eastern Washington University. Anne, an adoptee, went into the adoption field so she could work fulfilling dreams for children in need of loving forever families. Anne enjoys reading, knitting, playing with her dog at the dog park, spending time her family and friends, and traveling. |
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Carol Mikkelsen, Director of Programs and AdministrationCarol first joined Amara in 2002, serving as Operations Manager for more than two years. After a brief hiatus with the City of Seattle, Carol was delighted to be welcomed back to Amara as Director of Programs. With a UW Bachelor’s of Social Work and Master’s of Public Administration, Carol brings to her job the combined perspectives of direct service and management. Carol has a long and varied professional background in the private, public and nonprofit sectors, plus many years of experience volunteering with children, youth, and young adults. She loves sparring with her teenage daughter, dancing with her partner, learning to play in a circle of drummers, and getting outside. |
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Catherine Olson, Adoption and Foster Care SpecialistCathy joined Amara in July 2007. She brings with her numerous years of professional experience in child welfare services and special needs adoption. She has worked for public, private and nonprofit organizations working with foster care, child protection, licensing and, in the most recent five years, with special needs adoption. She earned her Bachelor’s of Social Work from Moorhead State University in Minnesota. Cathy and her family moved to Seattle after working in North Dakota for the past fifteen years. Cathy enjoys spending time with her husband, three children and the family dog, engaging in activities like camping, biking, walking, and watching movies together. |
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Cynthia Williams, Adoption and Foster Care SpecialistCynthia has worked her entire professional career to educate, support and empower families and communities to nurture and raise children to reach their fullest potential. Cynthia is committed to help equip families, either biological or adoptive, to have success with the greatest job on earth; to love or help a child. She has a degree in Health Education and Behavior Change and a Masters Degree in Mental Health Counseling. Her passion in life is to see a child or youth as they grow and become our next generation of healthy adults. |
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Danielle Hermeler, Communications ManagerDanielle brings to Amara a strong background in PR, outreach and marketing. Prior to Amara, she successfully designed and managed outreach strategies at a symphony orchestra and an educational institute in the Netherlands. Over the years, Danielle volunteered for many non-profit organizations in the arts, including with On the Boards, a contemporary performing arts center in Seattle. Danielle holds an MBA from the University of Phoenix and a Master's of Art in Theatre, Film, and Television Studies from the University of Utrecht. Born and raised in the Netherlands, Danielle appreciates living in Seattle. Danielle enjoys going to theater and dance performances, and—most importantly—spending time with her three children and husband. |
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Dianna Zaorski, Adoption and Foster Care SpecialistDianna joined Amara in January, 2008 and brings several years of professional experience working primarily in the for-profit sector. Dianna’s passion for the welfare of children led her to volunteer on the advisory board of a homeless shelter for women with children and to become a mentor for at-risk youth in community, ultimately leading her to the field of social work. Dianna earned a Bachelors degree in Sociology from Rutgers University, a Masters degree in Public and Corporate Communications from Seton Hall University, and a Masters of Social Work degree from the University of Washington. Dianna enjoys reading, cooking, music, running, traveling, and spending time with her husband, son, and dog. |
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Emily Sigler, Administrative SpecialistEmily worked for Amara as a work study student from 2003-2005 while finishing her Bachelor’s of Social Work from Seattle University. She then spent two years working for Childhaven as a Therapeutic Child Care Worker for children who had been abused, neglected or drug affected, many of whom were in foster care. Emily worked for Amara again as a work study student from 2007-2008 while finishing her Master's degree. After briefly working for the DSHS, Emily was welcomed back to Amara. Emily enjoys traveling, reading, scrap booking, TV watching, spending time with friends and family, and petting her cats Sabrina and Oliver. |
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Gretchen Langmaid, Adoption and Foster Care SpecialistGretchen joined Amara in January 2007 after serving as a social worker at the University of Washington (UW) Medical Center. Her passion is working with families. Her career has included working with families of children with a cancer diagnosis at Seattle Children's Hospital, with pregnant women and their families at the Department of Public Health, and as a mentor to a child in foster care at Ryther Child Center. Gretchen earned a BA in Psychology at Pomona College and a Master's of Social Work at the UW. A native of the California Bay Area, Gretchen has lived in Seattle for several years. She enjoys vegan baking, cooking with her partner, hiking, frequenting farmer’s markets and local coffee shops, and attempting house projects. |
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Jeannie Patterson, Grant DeveloperJeannie joined Amara’s development team in February 2010 bringing four years of fundraising experience for nonprofit organizations in Minnesota. Previously she worked as an Assistant Director of Admissions for the University of Portland. She studied rhetoric at the University of Puget Sound, where she earned her BA in Communication Studies. In her free time, she enjoys running up and down the hills around her home on Bainbridge Island, reading books, making her children giggle, and exploring the Pacific Northwest with her husband. |
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Jessica Lofton, Adoption and Foster Care SpecialistJessica earned her Bachelor's of Social Work from Seattle University in 2005 and earned her Masters of Social Work in 2006 from the University of Illinois at Chicago. Jessica has over four years of experience working in the child welfare setting, spending the last three years as a specialized adolescent foster care case manager. In addition, Jessica has experience as a youth counselor and an emergency service provider working with families at risk of homelessness. Jessica enjoys traveling, shopping, reading and spending time with her friends and family. |
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John Morse, Executive DirectorJohn's background includes a Sociology degree from Northwestern University and a Master’s of Business Administration from the University of Washington. Much of his professional life has been spent in the for-profit sector, as a founder of Fratelli’s Ice Cream and as one of the owners/directors of Pyramid Breweries. His nonprofit experience includes six years on the board of Kindering Center and two years working with Global Partnerships. John feels that it's truly a privilege to have a chance to participate in Amara’s mission of ensuring that children grow up in permanent, nurturing environments. John was born into a family that eventually numbered twelve children and he now parents five children with his wife, Janet. |
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Joy Patzke, Adoption and Foster Care SpecialistJoy comes to Amara with six years of experience in the social services arena along with a love of working with nontraditional families and children with special needs. Her background includes several years providing intensive therapy to children with Autism, working with youth that have emotional and behavioral issues, and providing therapy and case management to children in the foster care system. Joy has also served as a mental health clinician for couples, families, and individuals with chronically mental disorders. She earned a Bachelor’s of Psychology from the University of Colorado and a Master’s of Marriage and Family Therapy from Pacific Lutheran University. Joy enjoys spending quality time with friends and family, traveling, reading, napping, attending live sporting events, and shopping. |
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Lois Billig, Clinical Program ManagerLois joined Amara in January 2010. She has extensive background working in Seattle non-profit organizations, primarily in healthcare (local hospitals and in-home hospice). She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from the State University of New York, Purchase College and a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. In her spare time, she enjoys socializing with friends and family, attending local theater and exercising in Zumba dance-aerobics classes. |
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Lon-Marie Walton, Adoption SpecialistLon-Marie first became involved with Amara’s Teenage Pregnancy and Parenting Program in 1992 as a teen parent educator with the Seattle Public Schools, and became an adoption social worker for Amara in 1999. Lon-Marie has a Master’s of Education, specializing in early childhood special education and needs assessment. She has over 20 years of experience working with children, teen parents, and families in a variety of roles, including: childcare teacher, supervisor, program manager, and parent educator. She has also worked in hospice with grief and loss, as well as with the homeless. Lon-Marie is an avid gardener and occasional weaver of rugs. |
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Martha Lunbeck, Director of DevelopmentMartha is passionate about helping people connect with their community and their values through philanthropy. She joined Amara in January 2009, after moving to Seattle from Burlington, Vermont. In her time back East, Martha worked in nonprofit fundraising and leadership with health and human services organizations, and spent several years leading a social mission program for Ben & Jerry’s. She studied Classics at Brown University and earned an MBA from the University of Michigan. Martha enjoys crossword puzzles, outdoor adventures, shopping second-hand, sampling local coffee and chocolates, and exploring Seattle with her husband and two young daughters. |
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Mary Lingenfelter, Adoption and Foster Care SpecialistMary joined Amara in January 2007 after many years of working in the social services field. She's spent her career working with at-risk youth, domestic violence survivors, homeless families, and chronically mentally-ill individuals. She was adopted at age three from South Korea and grew up in the Seattle area. Mary holds a BA in Sociology from the UW, and an MA in Counseling from Seattle University. Her graduate research focused on clinical adoption issues and she conducted a therapeutic group for adult adoptees. Mary has experience with international and domestic adoption, and is thrilled to be part of the Amara team with its innovative vision and commitment to excellence. Mary enjoys rollerblading with her dog, running, watching movies, volunteering with animals, and knitting. |
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Megan MacCrellish, Development CoordinatorMegan joined Amara in September of 2009. Originally from Boston, Megan moved to Seattle in 2008 after graduating from Middlebury College with a degree in Economics. Megan’s experience includes working as events coordinator at the Center for Wooden Boats on Lake Union and as director of theater and sailing at a summer camp in Maine. She is thrilled to be a part of Amara and strongly believes in the organization’s values. In her free time, Megan enjoys exploring the Pacific Northwest, learning to play guitar, skiing at Stevens Pass, and spending time with friends and family. |
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Sarah O'Neill, Adoption and Foster Care SpecialistSarah came to Amara having recently completed her Master's of Social Work at Smith College. She has worked and interned in various settings, including a residential treatment program, a public school, and various counseling and crisis centers. Prior to Amara, Sarah provided therapy and case management to adults, children, and families at the Harborview Center for Sexual Assault and Traumatic Stress. A semi-recent transplant from Massachusetts, she adores the Pacific Northwest. Sarah enjoys hiking, cross-country skiing, dancing, crafting, and spending time with her husband, friends, and family. |
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Vanessa Gutierrez, Work StudyVanessa joined Amara in November 2009 as a freshman work study student from Seattle University. She was raised in San Antonio and adores living in Seattle. She previously took part in a mentorship with Texas Family and Child Protective Services where her knowledge and passion for social work grew immensely. Vanessa enjoys exploring Seattle, photography, music, movies, making lists, random facts, and being with her family and friends. |
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Lianabell Soto, Work StudyLianabell, a student at Seattle University, began in her work study with Amara in October 2009 and has loved it. She wants to be a doctor one day and join Doctors Without Borders. She is originally from Peru and moved to California at age 13. In her free time she enjoys cooking (especially seafood), walking, exploring big cities, dancing with her boyfriend, doing puzzles, eating frozen yogurt, drawing and traveling. |
