Zachary joined The Mockingbird Society in April 2021.

Dr. Zachary D. Wood works as an Assistant Professor in the Department of Public Affairs and Nonprofit Leadership at Seattle University. His research centers on issues of community development and urban social policy, applying critically-grounded frameworks to interrogate the structural power and resource arrangements that shape community access to power and decision-making.

Dr. Wood is a passionate advocate for vibrant and collective expressions of democracy and social justice, with an eye toward centering the voices and lived experiences of groups consistently excluded from decision-making and economic structures.

Additionally, Dr. Wood has more than a decade of experience working in homeless services in numerous leadership capacities, and also serves on the Board of Directors for the national youth advocacy organization, Youth Collaboratory.

Brian joined The Mockingbird Society in June 2021.

Brian is a teaching associate and field instructor for Master of Social Work students at the Child Welfare Training and Advancement Program in the University of Washington's School of Social Work.

He became a supporter of the Mockingbird Society over a decade ago while working as an adolescent unit social worker and supervisor in Washington's child welfare system. In 2021, he joined the Mockingbird Society's Board of Directors. Having worked closely with the youth in the child welfare system, Brian witnessed the tremendous impact that Mockingbird had on their lives.

He saw firsthand how the implementation of Washington's Extended Foster Care program, the Prudent Parent Standard, and various other Mockingbird initiatives brought about a fundamental change in the experience of young people in the child welfare system almost overnight. Moreover, Brian observed how MOCKINGBIRD FAMILY™ framework supported foster parents by providing them with a necessary support system and community.

It also welcomed birth parents into the constellation for visits and events, leading to successful parent-child reunifications for families Brian worked with on multiple occasions. Brian is proud to be a part of the Mockingbird Society's Board of Directors because of the transformative work it has done in the past two decades.

Levongia joined The Mockingbird Society in September of 2020.

For more than 30 years, Levongia Carrera, CPA, MBA, has thrived—domestically and internationally—as a senior executive and industry leader in finance and accounting for multinational companies including Whirlpool and PricewaterhouseCoopers. Currently, the Senior Principal of Financial Reporting at Airbnb, Levongia is a dynamic expert who combines her business acumen with her technical expertise in SEC and U.S. GAAP to deliver operational strategy, financial acumen, and regulatory compliance that transforms and elevates organizations with excellence and integrity.

Levongia holds her CPA license in Washington (transitioned from California), and she is a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants, Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and the National Association of Black Accountants. Additionally, she earned her MBA from Seattle University and her Bachelor of Arts in Accounting from Sonoma State University.

Dawn joined The Mockingbird Society in January of 2024. 

Dawn Ehlke brings her experience as a foster parent and 15 years in technology to her role at Mockingbird. Dawn first learned about Mockingbird Society when she was approached about becoming a Hub Home with MOCKINGBIRD FAMILY™.

Dawn has spent much of her personal and professional life building communities to support kinship caregivers, foster children and women in technology.  Dawn enjoys being outdoors, traveling, gardening, cooking, reading and spending time with all manner of family she has picked up throughout life.

Shelby joined The Mockingbird Society in September of 2024.

Shelby brings a robust background in nonprofit leadership and strategic growth. Currently the Director of Business Development at BDA, Shelby specializes in building impactful partnerships with the world’s most iconic brands. She seamlessly blends this corporate expertise with a lifelong commitment to service, having held significant leadership roles in fundraising and development for the Houston Rodeo, the American Cancer Society, and the Junior Leagues of Houston and Seattle.

Shelby is deeply motivated by Mockingbird’s commitment to youth-led advocacy. She believes that those with lived experience are the most powerful architects of change and is dedicated to amplifying youth voices to further Mockingbird's mission of transforming foster care and ending youth homelessness.

Shelby has been married to her husband, Jeff, for 15 years and treasures time spent with her niece and nephews. Outside of work, you’ll find her planning her next trip, keeping her Duolingo streak alive, or cheering on the Texas Longhorns.

Taj joined The Mockingbird Society in June 2026. 

Taj Benford is an accomplished financial services leader and community partner based in Seattle, Washington. With roughly 20 years of dedication to the banking sector, Taj currently serves as Financial Center Manager at BMO Bank, where he oversees retail operations, drives strategic growth, and manages high-value client and institutional relationships across the greater Puget Sound region.

Throughout his two-decade career in commercial and retail banking, Taj has established a reputation for driving operational excellence while championing equitable financial systems. His deep expertise spans credit administration, small business development, risk management, and building high-performing teams. He specializes in designing accessible pathways to commercial capital and expanding standard retail banking services to diverse populations. 

Taj continues to shape a more inclusive economic landscape for underserved communities, startups, and families throughout the Pacific Northwest.

Dr. Natalie joined The Mockingbird Society in September of 2024.

Dr. Natalie Ellington is an international teacher, speaker, and author with a wealth of administrative, managerial and organizational experience in diverse industries. Her background includes corporate experience as the West Coast Director of Professional Activities with Motown Industries; Director of Marketing and then Assistant Dean of Enrollment Management with Oral Roberts University; Vice President and Dean of Dominion College; Principal of Christian Faith School in Seattle, WA, CEO of Ellington Consulting and Founder and Executive Director of Eileen & Callie’s Place.

Established in 2014 as a non-profit 501(c)(3) Eileen & Callie’s Place is an organization committed to empowering, educating and training young women aged out of foster care. Her goal is to create a new normal for these young women through self-actualization (empowerment), create a personalized education plan based on their desired outcome (educate), and then walk alongside them until she achieves stability.

A strong advocate of community service, Dr. Ellington has served on the King County Women’s Advisory Board, the Federal Way/Auburn Boys and Girls Club Board, the King County Advisory Council on Aging and Disability Services, and The Hope House Foundation. She is currently on the Board of Directors of City Ministries and The Mockingbird Society and a mentor in the Federal Way School District.

Amy joined The Mockingbird Society in January of 2024.

Amy is a seasoned social work practitioner with a deep commitment to social justice and equity. She braids her experience working with nonprofit organizations, local government and philanthropic organizations when partnering with communities to build community power and local capacity - rooted by healing and love.

Amy was a Youth Justice Leadership Institute Fellow with the National Juvenile Justice Network, a JustLead Washington Fellow, and served as a Seattle Human Rights Commissioner. Amy earned her Master's degree in Social Work and Bachelor’s in American Ethnic Studies from the University of Washington.

Shikha joined The Mockingbird Society Board of Directors in 2025.

Shikha is a global talent acquisition executive with more than 20 years of experience building high-performing teams and developing talent strategies for some of the world's most innovative organizations. She currently leads Global Technology Talent Acquisition at Intuit, where she partners with leaders across the company to build diverse, future-ready teams that drive innovation and growth. Prior to Intuit, Shikha spent more than 15 years at Amazon, leading talent acquisition strategies across technology, operations, and emerging business lines.

Throughout her career, Shikha has been passionate about creating opportunities for people to reach their full potential. She is particularly inspired by Mockingbird's commitment to empowering young people with lived experience to shape policies and systems that impact their lives. She believes that every young person deserves access to the support, opportunities, and community needed to thrive and is honored to contribute to Mockingbird's mission of transforming foster care and ending youth homelessness.

Based in the Seattle area, Shikha enjoys mentoring emerging leaders, supporting community initiatives, and spending time with her family.

Dr. Tamarie Willis joined The Mockingbird Society in March of 2025.

Dr. Tamarie Willis is faculty at the University of Washington School of Social Work and a recent Society for Research in Child Development and American Association for the Advancement of Science Public Policy Fellow at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. She previously served as Manager for Reentry Initiatives at Wayne State University’s Center for Behavioral Health and Justice, overseeing projects supporting reentry programming.

As lead evaluator, she managed a multi-site reentry initiative for individuals with co-occurring substance use and mental health conditions across several prisons and jails in Michigan. The program expanded access to treatment and recovery supports for returning citizens to help reduce overdose and relapse risk and improved mental health outcomes. Dr. Willis’s research examines the intersection of the criminal legal system and child welfare policy, including the impacts of incarceration on parents and outcomes for children in state care.

Her published work also addresses permanency competencies and transition-to-adulthood supports for foster youth, as well as police interactions with individuals experiencing mental illness and substance use disorders, crisis intervention training, and use-of-force practices.

She holds a Ph.D. in Social Work (minors in criminal justice and statistics) from Wayne State University, certificate in Mixed Methods Research Analysis from the University of Michigan, and a certificate in Entrepreneurship from Cornell.

Heather joined The Mockingbird Society in March 2026. 

Heather Hooper brings 15+ years of accounting and financial reporting experience to her role at the Mockingbird Society. Currently, she is the Senior Director of SEC Reporting at TrueBlue, Inc., after spending many years with Ernst & Young, and holds a CPA license in Washington state. She earned her Masters in Accountancy from Wake Forest University and Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Davidson College.

Heather was introduced to the Mockingbird Society in 2025 and was inspired by their mission of transforming foster care and ending youth homelessness, and even more so how – by challenging those with lived experiences to share their voice and effect meaningful change. She’s excited to join the Board and contribute in any way she can.