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.
Nota Tsitsiragos (she/her), Ally Program Manager
An island girl at heart, Nota grew up on Guemes Island in the San Juans. Born and raised in such a small and tight-knit environment, she learned at an early age the profound positive impact that a supportive community can have on its members. She moved to Bellingham in 2015 to attend school at Western Washington University, majoring in Therapeutic Recreation. Nota strives to bring a sense of community connection to those involved in the Ally Program. She enjoys spending time outside with her fiancé and 2 dogs. When she’s not out riding her mountain bike on Bellingham’s finest trails, you can find her working together with Taylor to train volunteers and thoughtfully pair participants and volunteers in the Ally Program!
Rebecca Van Brasch (she/her), Winter Shelter Program Manager
Rebecca is a California native, who moved to Washington in early 2023. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology and Public Administration. Rebecca has almost ten years of experience working within mental healthcare and social services, most recently managing a shelter for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence. She is a fierce advocate for social change and is committed to serving the community. In her downtime, Rebecca loves to spend time with her partner and son, particularly taking walks to the park with their pitbull dog, Rex. Her favorite food is all things cheese related. Rebecca also loves to read, crochet, and embroider.
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.
Kilmeny Miller (she/her), Gardenview Case Manager
My name is Kilmeny Miller and I’m originally from Ohio. I moved to Washington a couple of years ago to do more hiking. I fell in love with Bellingham and the people who live here. Before I was hired at Garden View I worked at the Lighthouse Mission on the outreach team. I would take supplies and food out to people who are living on the streets and in camps. I had the privilege of meeting and interacting with so many amazing people. I’m excited to now be a part of the case management team at Garden View to continue those relationships and hopefully help people find permanent housing.
Taylor moved to the PNW with her family in 2014. She was drawn to Road2Home because of the way R2H engages with the work they do and her desire to connect with the local community. As a veteran of the United States Coast Guard, and being married to a veteran of the United States Coast Guard she values the importance of supporting folks who work in stressful environments. Her educational background in Psychology and a Master’s in Mental Health Counseling allow her to bring and apply a varied set of skills into her work.
Taylor loves living out in the county, spending time in the natural world, and caring for goats. She’s always open to talking about what folks are currently reading, watching, or listening to.