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.
Emma York-Jones, (She/Her/Hers)
Chief Program & Impact Officer
Emma is driven by the principle that everyone deserves a safe and warm place to call home, and she believes that through data-informed work and performance improvement, housing equity can be achieved. Emma began her career with YouthCare in 2009, providing direct service to youth and young adults in housing programs. Since then, Emma has held various leadership roles, overseeing YouthCare’s Young Adult and Adolescent Housing Departments and the agency’s performance and quality improvement efforts, respectively. She has also led YouthCare’s capacity building Project EQTY and has presented nationally on topics related to serving LGBTQ homeless youth and adolescents transitioning to independence. Prior to launching a career at YouthCare, Emma was a health education volunteer in the United States Peace Corps in Tanzania.
Emma, originally from North Carolina and a graduate of Roanoke College, moved to Seattle in 2008. Today, Emma and her wife are raising two boys, who in their free time enjoy camping, hiking, traveling, coaching youth sports, and cheering for local soccer teams and the US Women’s National Team. As a family, they have had the opportunity to attend two World Cup Championships and look forward to many more!
Sophia Hernandez, (She/Her/Hers)
Chief Financial 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.
Sophia was most recently with The Sophia Way, a nonprofit serving homeless women in east King County, where she served as the Executive Director – Finance & Operations and is currently the treasurer of the board of directors at Pongo Poetry Project, a nonprofit organization that helps young people experiencing trauma heal through poetry. In her free time, you can find Sophia in her backyard, which she has turned into a little urban vegetable farm (much to her husband and daughters’ amusement). She has a little teacup yorkie named Boba who is her favorite companion (other than her human family of course 😊).
Travis Shumaker, (He/Him/His)
Chief People & Culture Officer
Travis has a passion for happiness science and how to apply it in the workplace, with a focus on agency culture and functioning for a thriving environment. He brings a commitment to empowering the people and processes of YouthCare in order to strengthen their work in supporting the youth of our community. Before joining YouthCare, Travis worked in Wireless Tech and IT during which time he had an epiphany that he “likes HR stuff”. He then crossed over to HRIS management while earning his Masters in HR from the University of Pheonix. Travis’ work history includes T-Mobile, Xerox, Avvo, Nile, Teleion, and Reverb. He served as VP of HR at Wireless Data Services where he headed a team of twenty-two people across four countries.
Travis grew up between Michigan and Arizona, where he found support at the Boys & Girls Club as a child. His love for volunteerism and service has led him to over a decade of board membership with the Boys & Girls Club as well as the Lake Washington HR Association. Travis loves to stay active with his two boys and his family, and he likes nearly all types of sports.
Directors
Allison Barber, (She/Her/Hers) | Associate Director of Benefits & Compliance
Audra Laymon, (She/Her/Hers) | Senior Director of Workforce Development & Engagement
Brandin Tolbert, (He/His/They/Them) | Associate Director of Community Based Housing
Debbie Adams, (She/Her/Hers) | Associate Director of Transitional Housing
Eric Sysak, (He/Him/His) | Information Technology Director
Erin Chapman-Smith, (She/Her/Hers) | Senior Director of Housing
Jessie Friedmann, (She/Her/Hers) | Director of Public Policy and External Affairs
Jose Pizarro, (He/Him, EI) | Associate Director of South Seattle Youth Center
Kevin Parker, (He/Him, His) | Community Campaign Director
Mariam Abarientos, (She/Her/Hers) | Senior Director of Finance
Megan Davies, (She/Her/Hers) | Senior Director of Program Quality & Impact
Melanie Hetherington Mayo, (She/Her/Hers) | Director of Strategy & Integration
Randi Eseltine, (She/Her/Hers) | Director of Community Engagement
Randy Corradine, (He/Him/His) | Director of Diversity, Equity, & Inclusion
Rebecca LaNasa, (She/Her/Hers) | Director of The Orion Center
Sara Berner, (She/Her/Hers) | Associate Director – Adolescent Housing Services
Scott Myricks, (He/Him/His) | Director of Facilities
Tashina Kreilick, (She/Her/Hers) | Director of Development
Vanessa Sanchez-Mexicano, (She/Her/Hers) |Director of Adolescent Services
For media inquiries, please email media@youthcare.org