YouthCare is grateful to the following individuals for committing their time and energy to serving on our Board of Directors and leading us in our mission to end the youth housing crisis.

Board of Directors

Dr. Amy Barden is the first Chief of Seattle’s third public safety department, called CARE (Community Assisted Response & Engagement). She directs the work of Seattle 911 and the CARE community crisis responders, behavioral health specialists responding to appropriate 911 calls. Amy holds advanced degrees in ethical leadership, administration, and organizational learning, most recently completing a doctorate at Vanderbilt University where she honed skills in data science and behavioral research. She has spent twenty years in leadership at human service organizations in Washington, Oregon, Pennsylvania, and Ohio, consistently driving positive change to ensure more people are availed of services and interventions that work. Amy has been valued for her aptitude in community-driven design, cross-team collaboration across a wide range of stakeholder groups, and demonstrated belief that every life has equal value. She is a member of the Seattle University Criminal Justice Advisory Council, the Georgetown Law Alternative Response Research Collective, the CSG Expanding First Response National Commission, and The Meadows Caruth Police Institute Advisory Board.

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Early in her career Shawli first learned about YouthCare when she was working with youth and young adults aging out of the foster care system. YouthCare provided a critical lifeline to vulnerable youth during one of the most important yet daunting times of their lives. Later on Shawli managed a team of AmeriCorps members and placed members at YouthCare. Through these experiences Shawli learned more about YouthCare and grew to deeply respect the positive impact the agency has in the community. Currently Shawli serves as the Interim Director of Resident Services at King County Housing Authority and joined YouthCare’s board to pursue her passion of ending youth homelessness. In her free time Shawli enjoys playing competitive tennis and immersing herself in a good book.

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Jennifer noticed YouthCare’s Orion Center driving from teaching and seeing patients as a family doctor at Kaiser. Shortly after, she collaborated with YouthCare staff for a needs assessment, and found that youth wanted to “learn about health” and have a “clinic onsite.” Thus began “Doc Talks,” and later, Kaiser added a clinic (2016) which has grown to be part of the Kaiser clinical care system, also now including a to treat youth struggling with substance use disorders. She runs the Community Medicine training for the residents and sees patients at the “Orion Clinic” and NeighborCare’s Rainier Beach Clinic. While at YouthCare, Jennifer has come to appreciate the challenges faced by youth as they move successfully into adulthood without the supports most of us take for granted: functional, supportive family, a place to live, education, and access to health and mental health care. Jennifer is amazed by the resilience and determination seen in youth and the staff; YouthCare’s “care” makes a difference, and now, Jennifer has joined the Board to get more deeply involved and ensure support continues to be equitably available to all who need it.

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YouthCare’s mission combines several things that Becka deeply cares about: equity and social justice, mental health, homelessness, and supporting the young people in our communities. Over the last twelve years, Becka has managed budgets and led policy analysis for some of the region’s largest government agencies. Currently, Becka oversees half of King County’s budget and works to advance environmental, mobility, equity, and social justice priorities. Previously, at the University of Washington, she promoted equitable access to higher education and led the UW’s analysis of state policy and budget proposals. Becka regularly volunteers for a number of local organizations, including on the Board of Doney Coe Pet Clinic, which provides care to the animal companions of people experiencing homelessness. She previously worked in mental health research for Stanford University and has mentored students from low-income communities over the last two decades. Becka is excited to support YouthCare in ensuring that all young people can thrive and is committed to centering and amplifying the voices of those who have lived experiences with homelessness. Outside of work and volunteering, Becka enjoys adventuring with her cat, Edgar, as well as spending time outdoors and cheering on the Mariners.

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Tierra found YouthCare while searching for organizations that support young people, social justice and equity. She was hoping to connect her passion of investing in future leaders to a new place she would soon call home, Seattle, WA. Tierra is originally from Philadelphia. She’s dedicated the last 13 years of her life to social impact and specifically, youth focused. In the early stages of her career, Tierra founded a nonprofit in Philadelphia, Attract Philly Inc. Tierra has held several volunteer and advisory committee roles to support local nonprofits and grassroot projects to advance education equity and mentoring. Tierra is committed to empowering the youth and being a part of Youthcare board allows that commitment. She’s also the principal fundraising consultant at Nonprofit Development Hub, a women owned consultant agency that assists black and brown led nonprofits with fundraising and grant writing services. Beyond volunteering and fundraising, Tierra enjoys traveling, learning and exploring different foods–her favorite is food from the soul!

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Grant Lahmann is a public policy and civic advocacy leader with nearly two decades of experience working to build more equitable communities across the Pacific Northwest. Throughout his career – from leading political and advocacy campaigns, advancing worker protections, advocating for underserved small business owners, and working in Congress – he has focused on centering the needs of people who too often go unheard in the policy process. Previously serving as a Chief of Staff in the King County Council, he helped shape county legislation and budgets on human services, housing, and social equity, and he currently serves as Chief of Staff for Transit Operations at Sound Transit. When he’s not cheering his two young daughters on at one of their many, many activities, Grant volunteers as a high school rugby coach and has seen firsthand how mentorship and opportunity can shape a young person’s trajectory. Coaching grounds his belief that every young person in our community deserves stability, opportunity, and someone in their corner, which is why he is honored to serve on the YouthCare Board and contribute to their important mission.

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Greg joined the board of YouthCare as a director in 2020, currently serving as the chairperson of the Capital Campaign and Development Committee. Working in the financial industry, he is currently the Chief Compliance Officer of Pugh Capital Management, and throughout his career he has had two passions in serving the community: education and helping the disadvantaged. To him, YouthCare is one of the rare organizations that embodies both. He believes that interceding in the lives of youth when they require it most is vital for the long-term health of our community. He has many years of experience serving in leadership positions and founding organizations that serve people affected by HIV, as well as bringing people together in support of LGBTQ communities. He previously served as the chairperson of his prior firm’s global LGBTQ employee network, has been a major financial and volunteer supporter of the scholarship programs of the GSBA and Pride Foundation, and a founder of EmRG, an organization in Seattle that brought together DEI leaders from many Seattle metro area corporations for the purpose of serving the community and fostering inclusive corporate cultures. In his free time, he is involved in the visual and performing arts, fitness and nutrition, writing, and travel..

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Ken was introduced to YouthCare during a day of service through his company when they served lunch at The Orion Center. It was such a great experience that they started doing a monthly lunch. That led to helping out the Barista program with resume writing, job hunting skills, and interview skills. The next step was naturally to start hosting a yearly luncheon table. Those powerful experiences with young people made him realize that he wanted to have a greater, more thoughtful impact with youth and YouthCare as an organization. Fast forward to 2018 and Ken’s professional life in development led YouthCare to connect him to the Real Estate Committee, and soon thereafter he joined the Board. He also enjoys volunteering for The One Eighty Foundation and in the past with Treehouse, Gay City, and Seattle International Film Festival. Ken and his husband, Tony, a Professor of Educational Studies at University of Washington, live in Seattle.  Ken enjoys architecture and design, travel, reading, and cooking.

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Bio coming soon

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Angie Thibault is a dedicated and passionate advocate for youth empowerment and community development. Angie discovered YouthCare while serving as Washington State Ms. Leather 2009 and found a non-profit committed to addressing many of the systemic issues facing LGBT homeless youth. As a board member of YouthCare, Angie is committed to advancing the organization’s mission of providing critical services and support to homeless and at-risk youth. They believe in the power of collaboration and are dedicated to working with fellow board members, staff, and community partners to make a meaningful impact. As a member of the LGBT+ community, Angie emphasizes the importance of connecting with young people who have been rejected by their families, letting them know they are loved, wanted, and that there is so much in store for them in the future.

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Joe was first introduced to YouthCare while attending an annual fundraiser in 2022. The organization’s work resonated with him, having served on non-profit advisory boards with similar areas of focus – youth advocacy, mentorship, and housing support. With both Friends of the Children and Ronald McDonald House, he had observed that many of the program participants were perpetually battling housing instability, which aggravated nearly every other challenge that the programs’ models sought to address. With the City of Seattle’s Community Surveillance Working Group, he saw how the most at-risk populations for civil liberty violations were frequently diverse communities with high rates of housing instability and – as a result – limited means / awareness of social justice threats from new surveillance technologies. As a result, Joe was eager to get further involved with YouthCare, ultimately joining the Board of Directors in 2025. He has spent the last eight years at Amazon, largely focused on corporate expansion initiatives and real estate. Prior to Amazon, he worked in corporate development at a venture-backed start-up in San Francisco, focused on licensing transactions and specialty investments. He began his career as a management consultant focused on financial analytics and product marketing for large technology clients.

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John first became more familiar with YouthCare when his younger son started dropping into the Orion Center to receive services.  John and his husband, searching for a non-profit agency to partner with in developing low-income housing, started conversations with YouthCare’s CEO.  The result was James Place Studios. Though retired, he was the CEO of Verity Credit Union.  There, he focused on creating strong & resilient communities by financing change. John’s non-profit journey began in the 80’s as volunteer and board chair of Shanti, which provided one-on-one emotional support to persons with AIDS. John currently sits of the board of Business Impact NW, which trains and lends to new entrepreneurs, with a focus on women, veterans, and minorities. John’s family includes his husband, Jerry, son, Buckey, and their eldest son, James, who died in January 2019. YouthCare’s James Place Studios is named in his honor. John enjoys cooking, theater, hiking, and biking.  Because he has three German grandchildren, he is attempting to learn German.  

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as of January, 2026