Ashley Buerger (she/her), Executive Director
Ashley is a Bellingham resident born and raised in Whatcom County, living for a short time in Hawaii as a young child. In her free time, she enjoys backpacking, road trips, hanging out at concerts in the park (when they are allowed again), and going for long bike rides. Ashley attended WWU for her Bachelor’s degree in Therapeutic Recreation and received a Master’s degree in Healthcare Administration from The University of Washington. Her formal training includes; crisis de-escalation, trauma-informed care, harm reduction, equity and inclusion, and DBT skills in addition to the clinical education she received for her certification as a Recreation Therapist. Ashley has a strong background working with individuals from early childhood education to aging adults and memory care. In her most recent years, she has worked in an inpatient behavioral health setting, which has fueled her passion for driving change for individuals in crisis. Her primary focus is helping individuals improve the quality of their lives and live a life truer to their goals. Ashley is thrilled to have the opportunity to dive into projects for Road2Home.
Heidi Theisen (she/her), Gardenview Case Manager
Heidi earned her BA in Psychology and Sociology from WWU and has 20 years of experience in mental health care. It has been the joy of her experience to meet people where they are at and advocate for the underserved of all age groups over her career. Heidi joined Road2home as the unsheltered are underserved and often unseen in our community and she felt lead to lend her energy here. Heidi is excited to join a new team and get to work uplifting the residence at Gardenview in their growth and fulfillment of goals.
Heidi lives in Blaine with her partner and 3 kids. She is happiest barefoot and outside; gardening, kayaking, playing, and caring for her beehives (shoes on for that one).
Carol Ouellette (she/her), Gardenview Case Manager
Carol’s excitement at joining the team at Road2Home is infectious.
In her role of case manager at Gardenview, she brings enthusiasm to
everyone she interacts with. Carol holds a BA in Human Services
from WWU, and she’s passionate about helping the unsheltered
population in our community find the resources they need to live
fulfilling lives.
Her home is located outside of Ferndale, surrounded by berry fields
and tall pines. When she’s not working, you can often find her
playing with her three grandchildren who are the joys of her life.
Other favorite pastimes include: travel, taking walks down country
roads, reading good books with a cat curled up on her lap, and
hanging out with family and friends.
Keegan Curry (he/him), Associate Director
Keegan is a recent transplant to Washington, born and raised in Arizona after which he spent time in Portland, Germany, and the Netherlands. He relocated to Bellingham in 2021 to continue his education in Urban Planning at WWU. He discovered a passion for service and community building while working at Gardenview Tiny House Village.
When not working or studying, you can find him spending time with his wife and 2 dogs, or engaging in one of too many collected hobbies: traveling, film photography, bread baking, writing music, sewing, painting or rock climbing! He is still working on a method to do all at once.
Connie Sparks (she/her), Volunteer Coordinator
As an Americorp Vista Volunteer, Connie Sparks is currently assigned to Road2Home in Bellingham, WA. Having recently retired from her lengthy career as a nonprofit communications officer in South Carolina, she quickly realized that her passion for helping others was not ready to be sunsetted.
In June of 2023, Connie relocated to Washington State and began working as a Volunteer Coordinator for Road2Home. The goal of her assignment is to build a sustainable volunteer program which includes recruiting, retaining, recognizing and rewarding the efforts of community volunteers. Accomplishing this goal will require good communication, organizational skills, teamwork, software and social media awareness along with lots of energy.
Connie is grateful for the opportunity to be involved in the mission of Road2Home and for the opportunity to work among such a supportive network of committed co-workers who have built a community of compassion and support for those who depend on them.
Mary Humphries (she/her), Director of Philanthropy
Mary is originally from Vancouver, British Columbia and obtained her B.A. in English from the University of Toronto. She has worked as a fundraiser in the non-profit sector for 35 years and has extensive experience raising funds from private foundations, individuals, and government entities. Mary gets great joy from building relationships with the many generous people she meets and cares deeply about helping those without shelter who live in our beautiful northwest home.
When not writing grants or meeting with donors, Mary can often be found with her hands in the dirt, improving and maintaining her garden beds, or sitting outside with a good mystery novel or work of historical non-fiction.
Elen Mannion (she/her), Billing & Office Manager
Elen was born and raised in a small town in rural Wales, and since then has lived in various European countries. She spent many years working for a humanitarian aid non-profit in the Balkans, focused on providing essential support to refugees and migrants passing through the region. There, she met her U.S. born husband. Together they decided to move to Bellingham in 2023, for its beautiful forests, mountains, and sea. Elen joined Road2Home as a supervisor for the winter shelter program, and has now transitioned into a permanent role. In her free time she enjoys hiking, camping, gardening and anything outdoors!