Degale Cooper, MSW, (She/Her/Hers)
CEO & President
Degale Cooper joined YouthCare as the Chief Program Officer in June 2018. Her thirty-year professional history in the non-profit sector includes an array of direct clinical services, program development and implementation, international consulting on issues of child welfare, and executive-level experiences within organizations dedicated to eliminating racism and empowering women, improving foster care systems, and eliminating experiences of homelessness for youth, young adults, and families. She has held leadership positions at The Mockingbird Society, The YWCA, Treehouse, and Youth Eastside Services.
Degale received her Master of Social Work degree from the University of Washington, B.A. in Psychology from Seattle Pacific University, and clinical supervision certification from the University of Washington. With over fourteen years as a foster parent, Degale passionately engages in her community as a mentor and support for children, youth, and families. In her free time, Degale enjoys fishing and squid jigging, camping, designing great food, traveling, and spending time with her family and friends.
Sophia Hernandez, (She/Her/Hers)
Chief Operating Officer
Sophia comes to YouthCare as an innovative Non-Profit Executive leader and finance professional with 10+ years of experience specializing in budgeting, analytics & reporting, and strategic planning. She has been fortunate to be a part of some Seattle institutions like Pearl Jam, Urban Artworks, and Molly Moons Homemade Ice Cream. Through sound financial ability and collaborative leadership, she provides non-profits, businesses, and entrepreneurs with the ability to be who they say they are and reach their goals. She is passionate about integrity, diversity, and equity in all her work and is looking to support organizations with similar missions.
William Wiggins (He/Him/His)
Chief People & Culture Officer
William joined YouthCare in July 2024 as Chief People and Culture Officer, bringing a wealth of experience as an HR leader with a strong focus on staff and labor relations, talent acquisition and management, employee benefits and compensation, performance management, and employee engagement. His Human Resources experience with Mercer Human Resources Consulting, Kaiser Permanente, Virginia Mason, Williams-Sonoma, and the SEIU Benefits Group has shaped his belief that an organization’s talent is its greatest asset. A committed advocate for positive employee experiences, William champions strategic initiatives in Diversity, Inclusion, and Belonging to build a more inclusive and engaging work environment.
With a degree in Business from the University of Gloucestershire in Cheltenham, UK, and international study experience at the National University of Colombia in Bogotá, William brings a global perspective to his role. His approach highlights the strategic importance of HR in fostering supportive, high-performance workplace cultures that serve both employees and the communities they impact.
Megan Davies, MSW (She/Her/Hers)
Deputy Operations Officer – Service Delivery
Megan Davies joined YouthCare in 2020 as a Reporting & Evaluations Manager. Before YouthCare, Megan worked for 10 years in mental health settings and Head Start. Megan’s work in mental health focused on supporting young people in inpatient settings through the most difficult seasons of their lives. Megan then transitioned to supporting families in Head Start, combining her passion for family systems and working with all ages of young people. Fueled by a combination of direct service and leadership experiences, Megan chose to pursue her Social Work degree at University of Washington, finding a passion in systems building and systems improvement across non-profit and social settings.
Megan supports YouthCare in building meaningful and impactful systems, designing programs that best serve homeless young people throughout King County, and supports YouthCare’s funding model through public grant procurement and management. Now, as the Deputy Operations Officer for Service Delivery, Megan draws from her experience across youth work, her skills in operational systems building and leadership and her Masters in Social Work to support YouthCare in designing and implementing impactful services for all homeless young people. In her free time, Megan enjoys taking care of her “farm” (horses, dogs, cats), reading, and is welcoming her first child in December 2024!
Deputy Officers
Amber Aman, (She/Her/Hers) | Deputy Operations Officer – Finance
Carlos Espinoza, (He, Him, His) | Deputy Marketing & Communications Officer
Jim Laugen, (He/Him, His) | Deputy Fund Development Officer
Directors
Allison Barber, (She/Her/Hers) | Director of Human Resources – Operations
Daniel Lugo, (He, Him, His) | Director of Government Affairs
Eric Sysak, (He/Him/His) | Director of Information Technology
Gabrielle Darcuiel, (She/They) | Director of Housing Resources
Jose Pizarro, (He/Him, EI) | Director of Engagement Services
Kevin Parker, (He/Him, His) | Community Campaign Director
Manuel Zuleta, (He/Him/El) | Associate Director – SSYC
Rhina Navas, (she/Her/They) | Associate Director – Casa
Scott Myricks, (He/Him/His) | Director of Facilities
Shaina Lippard, (They/She/Them) | Director of Centralized Client Services
Stacey Fernandez, (She/Her/Hers) | Director of Employee Experience
Vanessa Sanchez-Mexicano, (She/Her/Hers) |Director of Adolescent Services