Meet The Team

Matilda was born and raised in Sweden but moved permanently to the US in 2020 right before the pandemic. Matilda has a bachelor’s degree in Behavioral Sciences and has prior experience in the social worker field as both Governmental Case Manager and Group Home Assistant for individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. 

 

Matilda started her role as BISNF's Program Coordinator in August 2021, and is now the Executive Director of BISNF.

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In her free time, Matilda enjoys spending time with her golden retriever Stella (who is a frequent visitor at Stephen's House), and hike in the Olympic National Park.

Kianna moved to Poulsbo in June of 2021 with her husband and three dogs. She grew up volunteering and had previously volunteered at a camp for disabled individuals.

 

Combining her love of helping people and supporting others with their emotional, physical, and mental well-being Kianna finds working at The Stephens House to be a wonderful and fulfilling opportunity.

Lori, her husband Josh, and their extended family have lived on Bainbridge Island for the past 16 years.  After moving from the east coast, they chose Bainbridge as their home due to its sense of community.  In addition, they felt it would be a great place to raise their family and a welcoming environment for Lori’s brother-in-law, Chris, who has Down’s Syndrome.

 

Lori has worked for Nordstrom for the past 27 years.  She is currently a Senior Vice President of Merchandising at Nordstrom.  She joined the Bainbridge Island Special Needs Foundation Board in 2021 to help keep their mission alive after seeing firsthand how vital the program is for adults with disabilities, like her brother-in-law Chris, a member.

Paige was born and raised in Colorado, then moved to Baton Rouge, Louisiana before finding her forever home in Poulsbo, WA. Paige is the Director of Human Resources for a local non-profit agency. Paige also has a passion for animals, and lives on a farm with her husband Grant, daughter Harper, and 3 dogs, 3 miniature goats, and 3 chickens. 

 

Paige is excited to serve on the BISNF board as the treasurer. Paige has seen firsthand how Stephens' house has greatly impacted her cousin Devan’s life, and looks forward to continuing to contribute to this very important organization. 

Shane's passion for supporting individuals with disabilities began when she volunteered in a special education classroom at Ordway Elementary School while in high school. After several roles within education (paraeducator, classroom teacher, business owner, researcher, graduate instructor, and autism consultant) as well as a brief detour working as a program assistant at ESPN, Shane is back at Ordway as a classroom teacher.

 

Shane's hobbies include passionately rooting for all Seattle sports teams, reading, traveling, drinking coffee, and spending time outdoors with family and friends.

Raymond was born and raised in Brooklyn, NY. Raymond is Half Puerto  Rican, Italian and German. Raymond majored in Health Promotion/Health Science at St. Francis College in Downtown Brooklyn. Ray’s internship was at Rivington House AIDS Hospice in 2002 in Manhattan as the assistant nutritionist and case manager. Raymond then went on to work for Child and Family Services at their Housing Opportunities for Persons with AIDS at the Institute for Community Living for 10 years. Other roles were in Adult Mental Health, and special needs adults and children. Raymond also received his Masters in Public Administration and Affairs from Metropolitan College of NY in Manhattan 2014. Ray interned at the United Nations 2014-2015 at the African Congress.

 

Raymond moved to Seattle Washington in 2015 as a program manager for Special Needs Residences at Volunteers of America in Shoreline, Seattle. 

 

In 2017 Raymond worked for the Navy and moved to Bremerton in 2018 as a Federal Civilian worker GS-11 as the Regional Program Manager for special needs family members of all Active Duty serving 2,300 families in Kitsap, Whidbey Island and Everett. Raymond joined Goodwill October 28, 2022 as the New Employment Specialist.

Tanith was born and raised in South Africa and lived in Ireland for 14 years before relocating to Bainbridge Island where she has lived for 5 years with her husband and two children. Tanith currently works for the Bainbridge Island School District as a paraeducator and has almost finished her Bachelor of Arts in Special Education. She is excited to serve on the BISNF board and contribute to enriching the lives of this wonderful organization within our community.

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Tanith’s hobbies include gardening, learning new things, drinking coffee, being outdoors with her friends and family, and traveling. 

 

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Brian is the dad of three adult children (including an autistic son), two rescue cats, and one rescue dog who loves to visit Stephen's House. Brian and his autistic son have lived on Bainbridge Island since early 2021. Brian's other two kids are in college: one at the University of Washington and the other at North Seattle College.

 

Brian has advocated for inclusion of neurodivergent community members for over 20 years. In 2023, Brian launched Neurodiversity Allies, a nonprofit focused on bringing the joy of live theatre to everyone. Brian is also on the board of Ovation! Performing Arts Northwest and the Community Advisory Group of Seattle Theatre Group. Brian's day job is at Google. In Brian's free time, he enjoys attending or performing in musical theatre. You can frequently spot Brian running from a Seattle theatre to the Bainbridge Island ferry late at night, after attending a show.