Meet Our Team

We are a diverse, passionate group of individuals working as a team and united by a shared commitment to equitable solutions to homelessness.

Staff

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Katherine Bicknell

Communications Specialist

Katherine Bicknell manages communications efforts with a focus on digital/social media strategy.

Katherine.Bicknell@BuildingChanges.org
(206) 805-6118

Kayla Blau

Senior Education Strategist

Kayla Blau, MSW, leads Building Changes’ work in education and student homelessness.

Kayla.Blau@BuildingChanges.org

Terra Chen

Director of Communications

Terra Chen oversees Building Changes' communications efforts and strategy.

Terra.Chen@BuildingChanges.org
(206) 805-6121

Atlas Fernandez

Manager, Community Capacity Building & Grantmaking

Atlas Fernandez manages grantmaking and capacity building within the organization's housing crisis and health areas of work.

Atlas.Fernandez@BuildingChanges.org
(206) 805-6123

Dimitri Groce

Director of Practice Innovation

Dimitri Groce, MSW, oversees the Practice Innovation team and leads programmatic strategy development and implementation related to housing, education, and health.

Dimitri.Groce@BuildingChanges.org
(206) 805-6139

Daysha Gunther

Senior Research Associate

Daysha Gunther, MPH, leads research, evaluation, and data analysis projects, with a focus on qualitative and equitable design.

Daysha.Gunther@BuildingChanges.org
(206) 805-6122

Holly Kusler

Administrative Specialist

Holly Kusler maintains Building Changes' in-office and virtual workspaces and supports the People & Culture, Operations, and Finance teams.

holly.kusler@buildingchanges.org
206.805.6141

Kyle Lane

Development Associate

Kyle Lane supports efforts to raise funds in support of the organization's mission through individual and institutional giving.

Kyle.Lane@BuildingChanges.org
(206) 803-4014

Liam McEvilly

Senior Strategy Specialist, Education & Housing Grants

Liam McEvilly leads grantmaking and capacity building efforts with a focus on Homeless Student Stability Program and Washington Youth & Families Fund grantees.

Liam.McEvilly@BuildingChanges.org
206.805.6107

Betsy Naymon

Senior Research Associate

Betsy Naymon leads research, evaluation, and data analysis projects, with a focus on education systems and student homelessness.

Betsy.Naymon@BuildingChanges.org
(206) 805-6124

mandy park

Head of Operations

mandy park oversees internal operations and board relations, while also tracking Building Changes' programmatic workplans and strategic direction.

mandy.park@buildingchanges.org
(206) 805-6128

Jaclyn Pueyo

Controller

Jaclyn Pueyo oversees all accounting activities for Building Changes and also helps guide strategic financial decisions.

Jaclyn.Pueyo@BuildingChanges.org
(206) 805-6132

Bree Quatacker

Senior Contracts & Grants Manager

Bree Quatacker supports Building Changes' technical grantmaking strategy, leads administration of incoming and outgoing contracts and database management, and provides risk assessment and advisement.

Bree.Quatacker@BuildingChanges.org
(206) 805-6144

Joyce Saldanha

Senior Manager, Accounting

Joyce Saldanha manages essential accounting functions and supports account analysis, research, and process improvement.

Joyce.Saldanha@BuildingChanges.org
(206) 805-6120

Mehret Tekle-Awarun

Managing Director of Strategic Initiatives and Partnerships

Mehret Tekle-Awarun oversees programmatic initiatives and partnerships in support of Building Changes’ 2021-2025 Strategic Plan. She leads the directors and their teams in Practice Innovation, Research & Evaluation, Policy & Advocacy, and Communications. Mehret serves as the “dot connector” aligning information, opportunities, operations, and workflow across our housing crisis, education, and health project areas.

Mehret.Tekle@BuildingChanges.org
(206) 805-6155

Miranda Vargas

Senior Health Strategy Specialist

Miranda Vargas, MPH, leads Building Changes' work in health, focusing on developing strategies to meet the health and housing needs of children, youth, and families experiencing homelessness.

Miranda.Vargas@BuildingChanges.org
(206) 803-4120

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Manami Wakuta

Staff Accountant

Manami Wakuta maintains and supports internal controls associated with cash receipts, accounts payable, accounts receivable, and other accounting processes.

Manami.Wakuta@BuildingChanges.org
(206) 805-6145

Tasha West-Baker

Director of People & Culture

Tasha West-Baker oversees and guides Building Changes' employee relations and race equity initiatives.

Tasha.West-Baker@BuildingChanges.org
(206) 805-6134

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Kalyn Y.

Director of Research & Evaluation

Kalyn Y., MPH, oversees Research and Evaluation, including research, evaluation, and data analysis for housing and health projects, with a focus on the Washington Youth & Families Fund.


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Edith Yang

Assistant Director of Communications

Edith Yang leads media relations and helps develop and oversee the organization's communications strategy.

Edith.Yang@BuildingChanges.org
(206) 620-1875

Aaron Yared

Director of Policy & Advocacy

Aaron Yared, MA, JD, oversees Building Changes' policy and advocacy work, including developing and advancing a state legislative agenda that supports the organization's strategic goals.

Aaron.Yared@BuildingChanges.org
(206) 803-3839

Daniel Narváez Zavala

Executive Director

Daniel Narváez Zavala, JD, MA, oversees all aspects of Building Changes' operations and leads the organization's efforts to advance equitable responses to homelessness. Prior to assuming the role of executive director, Daniel served as director of policy and strategic communications.

Daniel.Zavala@BuildingChanges.org
(206) 805-6119

Board of Directors

J. Wesley Saint Clair

President

Retired, King County Superior Court Judge


T’wina Nobles

Vice President

President & CEO, Black Future Co-op Fund; Washington State Senator, 28th Legislative District

She/Her/Hers


Rogers Weed

Immediate Past President, Interim Treasurer

Managing Director, Clobotics Corporation

He/Him/His


David Wertheimer

Secretary

Retired, Director of Community & Civic Engagement, Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation

He/Him/His


Chad Swaney

Head of Advertiser Support Performance, Amazon

He/Him/His


Michael Brown

Chief Architect of Civic Commons, The Seattle Foundation

He/Him/His


Rhonda Hauff

CEO, Yakima Neighborhood Health Services

She/Her/Hers


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Tracy Hilliard

Director, ORS Impact


Diane Lee

Senior Manager, Amazon


Lupe Mares-Rojas

Executive Director, Communities In Schools of Benton-Franklin

She/Her/Ella


Malena Fairlight Pinkham

Attorney, Northwest Justice Project Foreclosure Prevention Unit


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Travis Walter

General Manager, Worldwide Retail Stores, Microsoft


Erica Wiley

Director of Development, Weld Seattle


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