volunteer
volunteer
staff
Our team is made up of knowledgeable, compassionate individuals who can help in just about any situation. We are here from 8:00 to 5:00 seven days a week.
dustin johnson, CFRE
Executive Director
Dustin@AnacortesFamily.org | 360.682.1601 | Leadership Team Lead
Dustin has served as the Anacortes Family Center‘s Executive Director since 2013. He worked in nonprofit management and fundraising for over a decade in Seattle, specializing in supporting nonprofits to establish new programs or helping to stabilize struggling programs. Dustin enjoyed serving in a variety of positions for some of Seattle‘s leading nonprofits: the Pioneer Square Community Association, the Seattle Symphony, and Bellwether Housing. Prior to joining AFC, Dustin worked as the Deputy Director and Development Director for Family Law CASA (Court Appointed Special Advocates), a nonprofit that provides legal advocacy for abused and neglected kids. Today Dustin is proud and honored to work with a committed staff, board, and community to help AFC clients achieve lasting self-sufficiency and personal success.
beatriz de la rosa perez
Program Director
Beatriz@AnacortesFamily.org | 360.682.1618 | Leadership Team
Beatriz heads our program team, the group that provides direct service to clients seven days a week. She has served in this role since 2017, after four years as our Case Manager. Leading our talented program team, Beatriz ensures that clients successfully navigate AFC‘s program from intake to graduation. She also oversees clients in our Family Transformation Center. Beatriz has her degree in human services and is a tireless advocate for AFC, representing client interests in the community, growing resources to facilitate success and health, and establishing and fostering relationships with other providers. Prior to joining AFC, Beatriz worked in case management for a variety of organizations including school districts and county-wide nonprofits.
As the lead of our operations team, Heather works to provide a safe, welcoming, and smooth running facility that supports our clients’ journey to self-sufficiency. Alongside our Executive Director, Heather also ensures AFC has adequate resources to fulfill our mission through fundraising and in-kind donations. Heather joined our staff in April 2017 with a wealth of nonprofit and corporate experience, including five years with the American Heart Association‘s Oahu Chapter as an Events Coordinator. She has also worked in sales and support functions with various insurance companies and medical programs, but her passion is truly helping people.
Ella Nacht, m.c.
Director of Supportive Services
Ella@AnacortesFamily.org | 360.293.2993 ext. 117 | Leadership Team
Ella has been working with Anacortes Family Center staff and clients since 2017. She is a retired counselor and provides support to the center in a variety of ways. Ella does in-service training for staff and teaches Life Skills classes for the Emergency Shelter and Transition Building clients. Ella also meets with staff and clients individually as needed. Ella has a Masters in Counseling from Seattle University where she also taught for ten years. She was in private practice for 25 years in Kirkland, WA. When she moved to Anacortes, WA, she decided to spend her time volunteering with The Anacortes Family Center rather than open a private practice. She feels very blessed to be working with such a gifted group of people who are dedicated to helping families become self-sufficient and find permanent housing.
Rachel joined AFC’s program team as the Emergency Shelter Case Manager in April of 2022. Rachel graduated from Skagit Valley College’s Human Services program with a degree in Human Services and an emphasis in chemical dependency counseling. She most recently worked in Island County for a nonprofit flight museum. Rachel is committed to providing AFC’s emergency shelter clients with individualized case management that supports each family or individual to become self-sufficient and permanently housed.
Karen has worked for AFC since our founding in 2009, and she brings a diversity of experience to her role as Program Coordinator. Karen manages AFC‘s volunteer engagement, including overseeing our weekly Life Skills classes, led largely by community members. Karen‘s career has been dedicated to the children and families of Anacortes, where in the past she served as the Director of an early learning program. As AFC‘s point person for volunteers, Karen brings her experience in community collaboration and volunteer development to her role.
Peter joined AFC in 2024 as our Community Resource Manager. As our Community Resource Manager, Peter is charged with adding families to the County’s coordinated waitlist of clients in need, keeping AFC’s emergency Shelter waitlist updated, and intaking new clients into AFC’s Emergency Shelter. Peter retired after 22 years in active duty service as a Chaplain. Most recently Peter served as a Hospice Chaplain and has been a volunteer in the community serving as a mentor with Youth Connect and several programs that provide assistance to low income residents. Peter is excited to be part of AFC’s Program Team and support Anacortes’s families in crisis.
Taunya moved to Anacortes when her husband got a job as Anacortes Fire Department's Chief. Soon after, Taunya switched industries -- having a strong retail background -- but wanted to make a difference in her community. In the Operations Coordinator role, Taunya is the first person many people will encounter when interfacing with the organization: at our front desk, answering the main phone line, or responding to inquiries from online! Taunya is also tasked with helping supporters that wish to donate tangible items; please never hesitate to reach out if you have an item you'd like to donate! Taunya's email is Taunya@AnacortesFamily.org.
Ashley Wick
Resource & Care Coordinator
Ashley@AnacortesFamily.org | 360.682.1620
Ashley joined the AFC staff in June of 2023, starting as our “Resource & Care Coordinator”. Within that role, Ashley works alongside the unsheltered clients in need of services and support within our community. Prior to AFC, Ashley was an “Outreach Specialist” with Community Action of Skagit County, where she discovered her love for helping our community's most vulnerable. Before Community Action, Ashley was a “Recovery Navigator” for Underground Ministries; at Underground Ministries Ashley helped incarcerated individuals connect with resources to help their re-integration upon release. Ashley will be graduating in the Spring of 2024 with her degree in Human Services, specializing in Substance Use Disorder Counseling. Ashley is beyond excited and grateful to be a part of such a meaningful mission alongside such an incredible group of people.
Kate began with the Anacortes Family Center back in 2019 as a regular weekly volunteer, and in 2022 she was officially hired as AFC's Facility Coordinator. In this role she works closely with all members of the Operations Team to make sure all of the AFC buildings and facilities are in good working order. This includes coordinating volunteers to assist with projects, scheduling and tracking all building maintenance needs, inspecting units in our Emergency and Transitional shelters to assess readiness for incoming clients, and processing all furniture donations for use in our program.Prior to joining AFC, Kate worked part-time as a substitute para-educator in the Anacortes School District. She also regularly volunteered at AFC, and continues to volunteer at the Anacortes Senior Center with the Meals on Wheels program.
David is AFC’s Operations Manager, joining our staff in early 2023. In his role, David oversees management of AFC’s 43 affordable apartments, as well as managing AFC’s contracts, reporting, and accounts receivable and payable. David moved to Anacortes in 2018 from just across the water in Port Angeles, where he was the tennis coach for the City of Port Angeles Recreation Program. In Port Angeles David merged his passion for tennis with his desire to give back and volunteered teaching tennis to vulnerable youth. Prior to joining AFC, David has worked in supply chain management, and in providing back office administrative and financial support in the restaurant industry. David is excited to merge his desire to support our community with his professional attributes including his strong attention to detail, and his passion for researching to fully understand each situation.
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Pat is a retired school social worker from Chicago. Her education is in behavioral science with a Masters in Social Work. She is trained in counseling at-risk youth, emotional and behavior disorders in children, trauma, crisis prevention, and special education. She first joined AFC in 2022 as a volunteer working one-on-one with adolescents. She then started the weekly teen group. Pat was hired in 2022 as the Anacortes School District McKinney-Vento/ Foster Care Liaison, responsible for identifying students in unhoused situations, enrolling them in school, and giving them full and equal opportunity to succeed. She also connects the families with community resources. Pat works to establish strong collaborative relationships with school staff to help support these students and their families. In 2024, Pat became Associate Director of Youth Services at AFC. She is pleased to be part of such a caring team.
Kelli began working with the Anacortes Family Center after becoming a tenant in our new affordable housing complex, The Landing. Kelli became interested in AFC's work and wanted to support, and when a position that was very much in line with her previous work, she jumped at the chance to apply. Prior to joining AFC's team, Kelli worked in a variety of roles in retail establishments and in the hospitality industry. When not turning units to make them clean and stocked for our new families, Kelli enjoys the outdoors -- especially working with plants, flowers and landscaping. Kelly has been a member of AFC's team since 2024.
Gina joined AFC in late 2024, as the Data, Contracts & Systems Coordinator. Having worked in homeless services for the last five years, Gina is tasked with streamlining and optimizing all data-related processes within the organization. Gina works to create efficient workflows, ensuring that AFC can make informed, data-driven decisions in its efforts to serve the community. Gina is honored to be working with the dedicated and passionate team at AFC, working together to provide comprehensive transformational services to our most vulnerable neighbors. Gina is married, has an adult daughter and two spoiled rotten kitties.