Meet The Team

Meet Our

Staff

Vennisa Gomez-Gerberg

Executive Director

Adriane Driscoll

Grants & Finance Officer

Amanda Bawcom

Family Support Specialist

Maghan Ouimette

Facilities & Inventory Manager

Noelle Zimny

Programs Assistant

Maya Cardoso

Executive Assistant

Anne Bumbalough

Director of Programs

Meet Our

Board of Directors

Chylon Pappas

Board Chair

Meagan Kimball

Member at Large

Hannah Wood Donohue

Board Secretary

Ben Grimm

Board Member

Luke Goble

Finance Chair

Kristi Rice

Member at Large

Allie Roth

With Love Founder

Jessica Poehler

Board Member

Sunita Szabo

Member at Large

Ava Palmquist

Member at Large

Danielle Baldwin

Member at Large

Guillermo Sandoval

Board Member

Retired Board Members

Emily Rose

Member at Large

Therese Abrams

Board Treasurer & Finance Chair

Missi Thurman

Management Chair

Vennisa Gomez-Gerberg

EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR

As a transracial adoptee, resource parent of 14 years caring for children of all ages, and a kinship guardian, Vennisa is passionate about those impacted by foster care.

She believes we all have something to contribute to uplifting the most vulnerable near us and has committed her life to advocating and championing children and families.  She has seen first hand the needs of children when first entering care and has benefited from the support offered by With Love.

Vennisa is eager to bring her collaborative spirit to the team at With Love. Most recently Vennisa served as the Associate Director of Every Child PDX a local non-profit With Love has partnered with closely since inception.

Favorite book: Anything self help! Vennisa loves a good audio book or podcast that challenges her to think differently, lead with excellence and serve with humility.

Favorite piece of advice: “Be yourself, everyone else is already taken!” – Oscar Wilde

“You don’t know what you don’t know, once you know…do better.”

Adriane Driscoll

GRANTS & FINANCE OFFICER

As a former elementary school teacher, Adriane has long been playing a positive role in children’s lives. A long-time friend of Allie’s, she was immediately drawn to With Love and the organization’s mission.

In her spare time, Adriane enjoys spending time with her family, reading, sewing and visiting Central Oregon.

Favorite book: To Kill a Mockingbird

Favorite piece of advice: “Don’t be afraid to give your best to what seemingly are small jobs. Every time you conquer one it makes you that much stronger. If you do the little jobs well, the big ones will tend to take care of themselves.” – Dale Carnegie

Amanda Bawcom

COMMUNITY ENGAGEMENT SPECIALIST 

As a graduate of UO’s School of Journalism and Communication, Amanda has a deep reverence for storytelling, and is passionate about seeing our lives as the series of stories we get to tell; 

knowing that there are inherently chapters of joy and celebration that are equal to those of struggle and strife – Amanda can’t help jumping at the chance to help others cope with the difficult chapters of their own, and is working on earning her Masters of Counseling in Clinical Mental Health in addition to working at With Love.

Amanda joined With Love because she seeks to surround herself with people who strive to “help the helpers,” and protect our most vulnerable populations. It takes a village to raise a child, and Amanda is deeply honored to be included in your village – even if only obliquely.

Favorite book: Untamed by Glennon Doyle.

Favorite piece of advice: “The truth about who we are lives in our hearts. Our call to courage is to protect our wild heart against constant evaluation, especially our own. No one belongs here more than you.” (Brene Brown, Braving the Wilderness).

Maghan Ouimette

Facilities & Inventory Manager

Maghan joined With Love in 2022 with the goal of providing a happy, healthy experience for foster families. She wants to make sure that all of the kids are loved and feel like they are being heard and seen. 

In her spare time, she likes to spend it going to the beach with her family, she likes to paint, she loves home design and decor.

Favorite books: The Heart of the Buddha’s Teaching. 
Orangutan Teeth by Trev Cimenski.

Favorite piece of advice: We have an Idea of Happiness. We believe that only certain conditions will make us happy. But it is often our very own idea of happiness that prevents us from being happy. We have to look deeply into our perception, in order to become free of them.

 

Noelle Zimny

PROGRAMS ASSISTANT

Before joining With Love, Noelle has spent time as a dance teacher as well as working and interning for different farms around Portland. She has found that connecting with our communities, taking care of each other, and utilizing our resources to help one another is vital to our prosperity in life.

Noelle continued her education and graduated from the OHSU-PSU School of Public Health in 2022. Following this, Noelle set out to cultivate her knowledge and passion for creating access to safe and available resources for families by pursuing a role at With Love. Protecting the well being of children is important, and she believes that every child deserves the best quality of life possible. Outside of work, Noelle loves to get out in nature, especially on the Oregon coast. She also likes to play ukulele, hike and spend time with friends. In the summertime she spends her free moments outside working on a friend’s local flower farm.

Favorite book: The Seven Husbands of Evelyn Hugo.

Favorite piece of advice: Growing means: accepting power, telling the truth, creating miracles, and making the most alive choices.

Maya Cardoso

EXECUTIVE ASSISTANT

Maya, a local Oregonian and former resource parent, comes to With Love knowing the struggles of being prepared for and caring for children experiencing foster care.

She is passionate about supporting resource families in their ability to say yes to every child and maintain the placement. She’s seen firsthand how With Love’s services facilitate that ability through their supportive staff, network, and community. 

Her career background includes over a decade of owning and operating a successful local PDX restaurant, which taught her the need for community and trained her in the multitasking and self-starter mentality necessary for success in small organizations. Currently, she lives with her husband and family of two young children and enjoys the Pacific Northwest Wonderland as often as they can together.

Favorite book: Even Cowgirls get the Blues by Tom Robbins.

Favorite piece of advice: “With all your power,  What would you do?” 

The Flaming Lips.

Anne Bumbalough

DIRECTOR OF PROGRAMS

Anne is excited to bring 8 years of volunteer management, event coordination, and communications to the With Love team; believing all kids should have a place to belong and be seen.

Anne first engaged with foster care by volunteering monthly at Foster Parents’ Night Out – providing respite care for part of that time – then becoming a certified foster parent with her husband in 2015. Having experienced With Love’s giving and care firsthand; Anne values the encouragement With Love instills in oneself as a resource parent and the kids you’re caring for. 

Outside of work, Anne enjoys getting outside with her spouse & 2 kids, supporting their schools, spending time with dear friends, going to yoga, eating yummy food, traveling, and visiting family in Tenessee.

Favorite book: A good human-interest story or nonfiction is my go to; though I love children’s books as well (reading them to my kids) and getting lost in their pages at Powell’s or the library. Maybe You Should Talk to Someone, Quiet: The Power of Introverts, and so many more…

Favorite piece of advice: “You are less than no one, and no one is less than you.”

Chylon Pappas

VP OF CORPORATE & GOVERNMENT RELATIONS FIRST TECH FEDERAL CREDIT UNION

After witnessing the power of With Love, Chylon pledged to support the organization in any way she could. 

She has experience serving on the community board of two other local organizations, March of Dimes Greater Oregon Chapter and the American Marketing Association Oregon Chapter.

In her spare time, she loves spending time with her family and staying active.

Favorite book: To Kill a Mockingbird.

Favorite piece of advice: “I’ve learned that people will forget what you said, people will forget what you did, but people will never forget how you made them feel.” Maya Angelou.

Meagan Kimball

MEMBERS AT LARGE

Meagan was inspired to join WL when her friend had three very young girls join their home very suddenly.

Having grown up sheltered from most things, foster care was something she certainly knew about, but had never witnessed first hand. Being a part of bringing these three girls into a safe place was life changing. She became aware of the needs, challenges, and joys of foster care, and how much the system is stretched to the max. Joining WL felt like a simple, realistic, and great way for her to support the foster care community.

Meagan loves to travel. She and her husband have been to far off places like Nicaragua and Belize, and have been lucky enough to take their whole family on trips to places like Hawaii and Disneyland. If there’s a trip to go on, Meagan is there! She also adores live theatre, and that her husband and kids want to come with her. Meagan thinks her kids’ sporting events, getting crafty with her Cricut or sewing machine are some of the best ways to spend time.

Favorite book: I have lots of favorite books! I usually love an autobiography of a person who has lived through tough times and come out triumphant.
“Born a Crime” by Trevor Noah, “The Sound of Gravel” by Ruth Wariner, and “The Glass Castle” by Jeanette Walls were some of my favorites!

Favorite piece of advice: “Surround yourself with good people.”

Hannah Wood Donohue

BOARD SECRETARY

After attending With Love’s annual benefit dinner, Hannah was blown away by the organization’s mission, programs and impact.

She immediately felt inspired and empowered to bring positive and tangible support to foster families in the area. With years of leadership and customer service experience, Hannah is excited to leverage her expertise to help broaden With Love’s community base. In her spare time, Hannah enjoys looking through extravagant recipes, listening to audiobooks and researching world travel.

Favorite book: All the Light We Cannot See.

Favorite piece of advice: Success is built on relationships.

Ben Grimm

BOARD MEMBER

Ben has been involved in organizations that have been focused on supporting foster families for over a decade now.  Along with his wife he founded a non-profit (GLORIFY), helped spearhead Foster Parent’s Night Out (FPNO) at Beaverton Foursquare Church, and served as the site coordinator for that FPNO site from 2013-2019. 

When presented with the opportunity to join the board at With Love it was a no-brainer given his conviction that we may not all be called to be foster parents, but we certainly can do something to make a difference in the lives of foster families.  Ben hopes that his experience as a sales executive at various tech startups will make an impact on the development efforts here at With Love.  

Favorite Book: Beneath A Scarlett Sky.

Favorite Advice: When you meet someone, assume they’re your friend until they give you a reason to believe otherwise. 

Luke Goble

MEMBER AT LARGE

Luke studied English Literature at Harvard University (undergrad/BA) and holds a PhD in American Cultural Studies from SUNY Buffalo. 

He served as VP and Chief Innovation Officer at Warner Pacific University, where he had extensive interaction with the board of trustees, co-chairing a board committee.

He served as VP and Chief Innovation Officer at Warner Pacific University, where he had extensive interaction with the board of trustees, co-chairing a board committee. Currently employed by The Contingent (Every Child), Luke continues to interact with and provide support to the board. Additionally, he has served on the board of Wayfinding Academy, a startup educational nonprofit.

As a foster/adoptive parent, Luke’s family directly benefited from the work of With Love for several years. They have been faithful supporters of With Love, attending the annual benefit for the last several years. Luke’s wife, Jillana, got to know Allie as they were both at the beginning of startup ventures related to foster care around the same time. With Love also provided Christmas gifts and clothes bags at Foster Parents’ Night Out at Imago Dei, where Luke’s family attends church.

Luke expresses a deep love for the mission and work of With Love, emphasizing the importance of providing tangible support to families amidst chaos, who are loving and serving vulnerable children. Having known Allie, Missi, Emily, and Vennisa for several years, Luke felt that the organization was in a place where some of his gifts and skills, particularly in strategic planning and evaluation, could be of service.

Kristi Rice

MEMBER AT LARGE

A graduate of University of Oregon, Kristi Rice brings extensive volunteer and entrepreneurial experience to With Love.

Her career has included a wide range of experiences, from working at US Bank as retail market district manager, co-launching a small catering business, to working with Lake Oswego School District as an educational assistant substitute and test proctor.  Along the way, Kristi has given her time and expertise in various capacities to several nonprofits, serving as a liaison to the Lake Oswego School District Board as a Special Services parent, as well as providing her leadership to PTO boards and enrichment efforts.

Kristi was initially introduced to With Love after her high school son signed up to volunteer.  Immediately impressed, Kristi dove into various volunteer opportunities and currently serves as an Organizing Angel. Kristi is thrilled for this new role as Board member and loves the opportunity to work with like minded individuals with a common goal – to serve children.

Allie Roth

WITH LOVE FOUNDER

For Allie, With Love is more than an organization with a cause, it’s a must-have movement. Since 2013, she has brought love and dignity to the forefront of foster care, changing the lives of thousands of families and kids in the community.

Prior to starting With Love in her living room, she taught grades four and five, and worked as a supervisor for student and first-year teachers in Marylhurst University’s education department. In Allie’s spare time, she enjoys being around friends and family.

Favorite book: Fall of Giants.

Favorite piece of advice: Every person wants to be seen and known.

Jessica Poehler

BOARD MEMBER

Jess, a native Oregonian, has dedicated the past 20 years to a successful career in banking while actively contributing to her community. She has supported local youth as a volleyball and softball coach and recently served as the treasurer on the board for Tigard Blast.

Jess was recently introduced to With Love and immediately fell in love with their mission and the incredible opportunities available to help foster families in our community. 

Jess has a deep passion for fostering as her dad was a child in the foster system who was fortunate enough to find his forever home with the most loving humans. Jess, her husband, Steve and their two daughters extended that legacy by opening their own home to foster a family member and learned firsthand how many resources are required to provide adequate support to provide adequate support to children in foster care.

Favorite book: As a voracious reader, it’s hard to choose just one, but Jess loves Kristin Hannah’s works, including The Great Alone, The Women, and Four Winds.

Favorite piece of advice:  “Focus on what you can control and don’t waste your energy on things you cannot”. 

Sunita Szabo

MEMBER AT LARGE

Sunita graduated from Portland State University with a BA in Communication and holds a TESL Certificate.

She has a background in working for nonprofits, including Portland Rescue Mission and The Contingent, specifically involved in the Every Child Oregon initiative and Foster Parents’ Night Out. Sunita has dedicated 20 years of volunteering to Royal Family Kids Camp, serving both as a counselor and volunteer recruitment coordinator.

Her introduction to the work of With Love came through Every Child Oregon. Sunita deeply admires the heart and work of With Love, recognizing the beauty and practicality of providing tangible needs during a transitional and vulnerable time. She sees it as a way to share kindness and compassion within the community. Serving kids and families impacted by foster care has been one of the joys of Sunita’s life.

Ava Palmquist

MEMBER AT LARGE

Ava’s desire to make a difference in the lives of children who need love led her to With Love in 2017.

The organization’s commitment to dignity, integrity and personal value resonates with Ava in a way that goes far beyond the providing of material supplies. In her spare time, she likes hanging out with her family – specifically her sons before they feel too old to do so.

Favorite book: Saffron Sky.

Favorite piece of advice: Integrity is choosing courage over comfort; choosing what is right over what is fun, fast, or easy; and choosing to practice our values rather than simply professing them.” – Brene Brown.

Danielle Baldwin

MEMBER AT LARGE

Danielle earned her Bachelor of Science degree from Central Washington University, majoring in Administrative Office Management and Fashion Merchandising.

As a first-time board member and newcomer to the nonprofit sector, she is eager to contribute to With Love and looks forward to gaining experience in volunteering for the organization.

Danielle expresses excitement about this opportunity, especially noting the recommendation from her good friend, Ava Palmquist. She feels honored that the team or group believes she would be a good fit for the organization. Recognizing With Love as an amazing organization, Danielle is enthusiastic about the chance to bring her skills and contributions to further support its mission.

Guillermo Sandoval

BOARD MEMBER

Guillermo and his wife Nikki are proud adoptive parents of three energetic boys, aged 10, 11, and 12. With over five years of experience as a resource family, joining the board of an organization that mirrors their personal beliefs and values was a natural step for Guillermo.

With a robust banking career spanning over 20 years, Guillermo has dedicated himself to supporting underserved communities through the Community Reinvestment Act and various community initiatives. When he’s not immersed in banking, Guillermo loves spending quality time with his kids, whether it’s playing basketball, enjoying video games, catching the latest movies, or visiting the library. He’s a fan of epic sagas like Star Wars, Lord of the Rings, and anything Marvel.

Favorite book: While I’m not much of a traditional reader, I thrive on learning through podcasts, documentaries, microlearning, and engaging with people to absorb their lived experiences.

Favorite piece of advice: I pursued my MBA later in my career, and though I was initially nervous about returning to school, I quickly found my groove. It’s never too late to go back to school, whether you’re aiming to complete an associate’s degree, undergraduate studies, or even higher education. It is never too late!

Emily Rose

MEMBER AT LARGE

Emily discovered With Love in 2015 when the organization helped her prepare for her first foster child, a 3-month-old girl. She began volunteering shortly after and, in 2017, she joined the board of directors.

When she’s not spearheading event planning, you can find her hanging out with family or catching up on her guilty pleasure shows: “The Bachelor” and “Keeping up with the Kardashians.”

Favorite book: Love Does.

Favorite piece of advice: Don’t be afraid to make mistakes, and when you feel your heart leading you to something, follow your gut!

Therese Abrams

BOARD TREASURER & FINANCE CHAIR

Inspired by With Love’s commitment to bring dignity to children in foster care, Therese joined the organization to tangibly serve children and their families.

Her previous experience includes roles in public, private and non-profit organizations. Therese holds a bachelor’s degree in business administration from Oregon State University. In her spare time, she enjoys reading, spending time with family and working on home improvement projects.

Favorite book: Narnia series.

Favorite piece of advice: Appreciate how far you’ve come, and then keep going.

Missi Thurman

MANAGEMENT CHAIR

Missi has been working with children in foster care for over 15 years as a public school teacher, instructional coach and consultant.  In 2015, she got involved with supporting foster families through With Love and became a full time foster parent in 2017.

A big fan of our mission – specifically of giving dignity and respect to little ones – Missi knows that all too often our children are offered the leftovers, the hand-me-downs, the things that everyone else is “done” with or doesn’t want anymore thus sending a message to kids again and again that they are somehow “less than” because of the circumstances of their birth families. They need the community to show them the exact opposite and With Love does that in the tiniest and cumulatively, the biggest of ways.  In her spare time, Missi loves to volunteer. It fills her soul in a way nothing else can.  Other than that, she enjoys a good game night or summertime BBQ.

Favorite book: Beyond the Numbers.

Favorite piece of advice:  “We have two ears and one mouth so that we can listen twice as much as we speak.”

However, over the years I have learned that listening is just as much about truly seeing a person as anything else. It’s often what someone doesn’t say that means the most.