OuR TEAM

Staff

Colleen Carmichael
Executive Director

Colleen Carmichael joined the Quixote team as our new Executive Director in September 2021. She offers an extensive background in homeless housing, finance, community outreach, and fundraising. She was the co-founder and Executive Director of Reach for Home, a nonprofit  in Healdsburg, California, that provided services to vulnerable people throughout Sonoma County. Colleen has a history of successful non-profit leadership and is committed to service in her personal and professional life.  She has a BS in Business Management from Notre Dame de Namur.  In her free time she likes to hike the forests, kayak on the Sound and read both fiction and non-fiction books.

Jaycie Osterberg-Brown
Associate Director

 Jaycie was born and raised in the Pacific Northwest in Port Angeles, Washington. She earned both her degrees (BA in Social Work and Masters in Public Administration) at the Evergreen State College in Olympia. Jaycie has worked for Quixote Communities since June 2015, starting as the Case Manager at Quixote Village. She believes housing is a basic right and that everyone deserves a place where they feel they belong. In her spare time, Jaycie likes to go on walks with her dog, spend time with family and friends, and read with her book club.
Jaycie received the Thurston County Homeless Housing Hero Award in March of 2019 for her work at Quixote and the community at large, and the Homes First Heroes for Housing Award in October 2019.

Ken Bailey
Program Manager

Tamra Ingwaldson
Community Support Specialist

Ken grew up in King County, Washington before moving to Olympia to attend the Evergreen State College, earning his degree(BA in Computer Science). Before landing at Quixote Ken worked in homeless outreach with the City of Olympia and as a peer counselor in inpatient behavioral health.
He spends his free time with family and friends playing games, cooking, watching cartoons and reading.

Tamra joined the QC team in November 2022 after being in retirement. She has extensive experience in nonprofit management and development including her work with the United Way of Kitsap County and United Way of Mason County. She is currently earning her BS in Business Management at WGU. She believes a strong sense of community, belonging, and connectedness is key to helping each of us feel safe in our homes and neighborhoods. She is heavily involved in her local community in Mason County and loves to volunteer. She currently volunteers at the Lewis Mason Thurston AAA Advisory Council, HOA Board of Directors and Litter Patrol, Saint David's Episcopal Church and Choir, Kiwanis Club of North Mason, and Precinct Committee Officer for Lake Limerick South. She is a proud single-parent of 2 daughters.

QUIXOTE VILLAGE - OLYMPIA, WA

Hailee Saxton
Program Supervisor

​Hailee was born and raised in Minnesota, and before relocating to Washington in May of 2021, earned a B.A. in Political Science and minors in Philosophy and Criminal Justice. Prior to coming to Quixote, Hailee worked in homelessness housing, substance use disorder, and mental health services. They believe access to safe housing, no matter your circumstance, is a fundamental human right, and their work with substance use disorder and mental health has provided a necessary understanding of the systemic foundations of homelessness and substance use, as well as a driving desire to make positive change. With their free time, Hailee enjoys reading, spending time with their partner and pets, and gaming with friends."

Marissa Finn
Case Manager

​Marissa earned her AA at SPSCC and BA in sociology and law and justice from Central WA University. She began her journey in the social work field working for DSHS and after 3 years, decided to change her approach to social services, trusting and supporting the permanent supportive housing model QV provides. “I think this model brings a more efficient approach to homelessness, with impacts and results happening much faster.” She has had training in Trauma Informed Care, Motivational Interviewing, Crisis Response, and Emergency Management.
Marissa spends free time with her family and animals, tinkering around the house, cooking/baking/eating, and enjoying the outdoors in the PNW. ​

Alexandria Johnson
Case Manager

David Portugal
​Case Manager

Alexandria is our newest team member at Quixote Village. She earned her BA in Human Services with a minor in Psychology from Columbia College. Alexandria has a great working knowledge with children, adolescents, adults and families. Before joining Quixote Village Alexandria worked with the Department of Children, Youth, & Families (DCYF) as a Social Service Specialist. While in this role she supported various families and individuals to ensure their needs were being met by providing evidence based practices (parent child interaction, incredible years, Homebuilders - intensive family preservation services). Alexandria works towards providing sufficiency and improving people's quality of life. Alexandria spends her free time shopping, traveling, cooking and tasting various cultured foods.

David earned BA in social work at the University of Washington in Tacoma. He enjoys spending time with friends and family, listening to and collecting music. He believes in the power of community and knows firsthand the mighty strength it can bring to a person's life. Being a case manager here at QV allows him to promote independence and achievable goal-setting for each resident. 

 ORTING VETERANS VILLAGE - ORTING, WA

Leah Miller
Program Supervisor

Leah Moore grew up in Texas and came to WA to attend St. Martins University, where she received a BA in Criminal Justice. She spent twelve years in the WA Air National Guard as a Medic and then as a Training Manager. Leah worked as a Corporate Trainer for the Department of Homeland Security and various non-profits. Her time as an Executive Director of the WA Community Chaplain Corps gave her a decade of experience with veterans, homelessness, and vulnerable populations. She has a Masters in Religious Studies from Corban University and a Masters in Education. Leah loves to read, draw, and write but most of her free time is spent with her two daughters and their goofy little dog Bean.

Elizabeth Kessler
Case Manager

​Elizabeth was born and raised on the Washington coast. Her parents were both Navy Veterans and she is the youngest of 8 children. She has 4 children of her own, a daughter and 3 sons. She also owns 2 Sphynx cats, a Maine Coon, and a hedgehog. Her house is busy and she loves every minute of it. She worked in banking for 6 years before getting into the childcare business. She recently received her certification as an SUDPT and worked as a youth counselor. She will be starting the Fall semester at PCC to get her degree in Social Work with a certificate in Chemical Dependency. In her free time (which is rare!) she likes thrifting, photography, rock hunting, and reading.

SHELTON VETERANS VILLAGE - SHELTON, WA

Dave Redman
Program Supervisor

Samantha Yarbrough
Case Manager

Currently Hiring
Case Manager

Dave hails from the East Coast.  He is married and has two daughters. He retired from the U.S. Army in 2015 as a Signal Corps Major after spending 16 years overseas learning about different cultures.  He holds a Bachelors of Science degree and an M.B.A.  He loves to learn, and is constantly trying new things: his passions include anything in the outdoors, woodworking, cooking, welding and many others. 

He is also a general contractor, spending most of his weekends buying, fixing and flipping houses. He loves to use the skills he has learned to benefit the residents of the Orting Veterans Village, their community and surroundings.

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Samantha has come a long way in her own struggles with homelessness and wants to give back to her community. She worked at a Family homeless shelter in Shelton for 5 years as a Case Manager. She left the homeless field for a short while and found she really missed it and couldn't have asked for a better opportunity to rejoin the community! She enjoys helping people meet their goals and seeing how far they can go. She is about to finish building her very first home for her and her family and looks forward to helping our Veterans feel safe, stable, and welcomed into our new community.

​Board of Directors

Beth Doglio
President
Elected January 2021

Lonnie Spikes Jr.
Vice President
Elected July 2020

Beth Doglio is a State Representative, community organizer and mother of two.  Throughout her career, Beth has worked for a thriving, sustainable, just and compassionate future for all.
 
Serving in the Legislature from 2017 - 2020 and being recently elected again in 2022, Beth has led on the environment, housing, gun safety, and issues facing working families. She helped lead the passage of groundbreaking legislation to empower workers through higher wages and improved protections; to make Washington a leader in the fight against climate change; and to provide more resources to address homelessness.
 
As Vice Chair of the Capital Budget committee, she secured millions in funding for infrastructure projects, land preservation and recreation, housing, and clean energy. She was a member of the LGBTQ Caucus serving on Transportation, Energy and Environment, Labor and Workforce Standards and the Technology and Economic Development Committees.
 
After graduating from Indiana University with a degree in Political Science and Telecommunications, Beth moved to Washington state in 1987.  Beth’s environmental leadership in our state began three decades ago as the founding Executive Director of Washington Conservation Voters (WCV). Following her time at WCV she worked for the National Abortion and Reproductive Rights Action League (NARAL), Audubon Washington, the City of Seattle and Climate Solutions.  She also volunteered at the Noel House Homeless shelter and served on the Board of Directors of Solid Ground, giving her keen insight into the homelessness and affordability challenges facing our region today.
 
Currently she serves as a consultant focused on climate, housing and community projects.  Beth is a current Board Member of Win With Women, the YMCA, Victory Fund and serves as the President of the PARC Foundation.  She loves back country skiing, backpacking, canoeing, yoga, good food, and laughter.

​Retiring after 22 years in the military, Lonnie has been living in the Pacific NorthWest since 2006. Lonnie has over twenty years of leadership as a Senior Advisor to Commanders, Directors, and Executive Management. In the Army, Lonnie has held positions ranging from Squad leader, Platoon Sergeant, First Sergeant and Task Force Non-Commissioned Officer in Charge (NCOIC).
 
Lonnie currently works as the Human Resource Director of a large agency. Lonnie holds as Master of Science in Human Resource Management, a Graduate Certificate in Organizational Leadership and Change Management. Lonnie has worked in HR for over 14 years, as a Leave and Worker’s Compensation Consultant, Safety, Wellness, Diversity Coordinator, and now the Human Resource Director.
 
Lonnie’s successes in HR include achieving “back to back” Governor’s Employer of the Year Award for Disability for 2015 and 2016. Lonnie has received recognition for his work with veterans in 2016 and receiving the YesVets 2017 Award for employing the most veterans in the five county area. Lonnie helped to found and was elected by his peers to lead the 2015-2016 Washington State Veteran Employee Resource Group (VERG). This was recognized by Governor Inslee.
 
Lonnie was also twice elected by both private and public sector peers as the 2011 and 2013 Society of Human resource Management (SHRM) Olympia Chapter President provided leadership and facilitation to over 170 chapter members. During this time, the chapter hosted the first Washington State Disability Conference (2010) and achieved SHRM’s highest levels of national awards for excellence. Lonnie also founded and is one of the leader’s on Washington State’s Blacks United In Leadership and Diversity (BUILD), an employee resource group for Washington State employees. 

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Brendan VanderVelde
Treasurer
​Elected January 2018 

As VP of Operations at Hemphill-O’Neill Company Brendan manages and directs the planning, budgeting and operations for all forestland activities in close collaboration with other members of the executive management team. Prior to that, Brendan served as the Budget Director for the State of Washington’s Attorney General’s office, overseeing the AG’s budget development, expenditure projection and reporting, as well as billing and cash flow management. Brendan received a Bachelor of Commerce in Finance and Accounting from the University of Ottawa, and an MBA from the University of Washington. He is keen to serve the local community and explore and implement thoughtful and effective solutions to present day issues. He lives in Rochester, Washington, with his wife Erin, and their 4 young children.

 Arin Mower
Secretary
​Elected April 2019

 Hi. My name is Arin Mower. To better understand why I chose to be a part of the Quixote Communities board, you have to know a little bit about my story. In 2012, I lost everything due to a house fire. I found myself homeless and lost in my addiction. I came across a tent city called Camp Quixote. Four months later, it transitioned into permanent housing call Quixote Village in Olympia, Washington. There I was able to get my life back together. I got clean off drugs. I addressed my mental health issues. My anxiety and paranoia subsided. I became a leader for my community. I was one of the original residents and lived at Quixote Village for the next four years. QV changed and saved my life! Having affordable stable housing is exactly what I needed to better my life and bring me to a point of stability. In 2017, I left my tiny home and moved on, giving someone else a chance to get off the streets. I have a passion for the homelessness and people who are still stuck in their addiction. I have overcome the challenges of my mental health issues and addiction. I took care of my mom as her caregiver for the last 4 years of her life. I got married September 2022. Today I work for Providence Medical Group as an outreach worker. I bring healthcare and other resources to people, helping them overcome their own barriers. Outside of work, I enjoy gardening, photography, hanging out with my husband, nature hikes, volunteering, and working a program of recovery.
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Gina Chamberlain
Elected July 2020

Gina Chamberlain has worked in affordable housing for over 25 years, primarily in single family homeownership in rural areas. Gina has worked at Rural Community Assistance Corporation since 2018 and current is the Homeownership Program Manager. Prior to joining RCAC, Gina worked in rural Appalachia with local, regional, and national nonprofits creating programs, leading advocacy efforts, and providing technical assistance all focused on the needs of affordable housing for low-income families. She also was the founding director of a local nonprofit focused on affordable energy efficiency home retro fits, playing the role of rehab specialist and energy audit.
 
Gina has been a USDA Rural Development 502 Direct Certified Packager instructor since 2009, presenting over 30 trainings across the country. Additionally, she is a Certified HUD HOME Specialist and continues to provide technical assistance on how HUD, USDA, WA State, and local funds are be used to meet the local communities needs. Gina is also a member of the WA Policy Advisory Team a subcommittee of the WA Affordable Housing Advisory Board.

Ekaterina Henyan
Elected January 2023

Darcy Huffman
Elected April 2021

Ekaterina Henyan immigrated from Minsk, Belarus and has lived in the Pacific Northwest for the last 25 years. She earned her BA degree in Business Management with a concentration in International Business from Western Washington University. She enjoys personal and professional development in mental health through psycho-spiritual integration, social purpose business development, and fundraising.
Ekaterina is the visionary owner and operator of Soul Retreat SPC, A Social Purpose Company. Its
purpose is to provide events, retreats, products and services with intention of sharing and enabling
vitality through naturopathy, psychosynthesis and many other modalities practiced in fostering optimal health. She is also an avid entrepreneur and holds a steak in other ventures.

Ekaterina has been supporting Quixote Communities since March 2022 on the Partnership & Development Committee and collaborating on the Mental Health Program at the Olympia's Quixote Village. She spends much of her time with family and friends enjoying the outdoors, biking, hiking, kayaking, gardening, cooking and traveling. She considers herself a spiritually-centered global citizen with an attitude of servitude to humanity.

​Darcy has made her home here in Olympia for the last 25 years. While she has lived in a number of places throughout her life, she has always known that Washington was “her dirt.” She has more than 25 years of experience in banking, finance, and risk management and for almost 10 years she was the Communication and Resource Director for The Lutheran Church of The Good Shepherd in Olympia. It was through Good Shepherd that she first became involved with Quixote Village.
 
Through her faith community, Darcy has spent almost 20 years advocating for those experiencing homelessness, food insecurity, and a lack of quality healthcare.
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In 2021 Darcy was elected to the Olympia School Board as a representative of District 3.
 
In her spare time she loves to garden, read, and travel with her husband, Trevor. 

Denis Leverich
Elected January 2023

Shelby Payne Shier
Elected July 2020

Denis is retired from the military after serving 28 years as an electrical Engineer and Leadership Instructor, Squad Leader, Platoon Sergeant, 1st Sergeant, and Battalion Motor Sergeant. He has advanced leadership skills and has served all over the world in a variety of units. 
After Denis’s time in the military, he retired after 22 years with the State Department of Corrections. He has performed duties as a Master Weapons Instructor for advanced SWAT team tactics, Emergency Response Teams Tactics, and Train the trainer, Correctional Officers Academy Instructor, Facility In-Service Instructor, a facility Shift Sergeant, Correctional Lieutenant and State Extradition Lieutenant. Denis was selected as a Correctional Officer of the Year awarded by the Governor.
Denis earned his BS in Criminal Psychology from the Evergreen State College and BS in Criminal Justice from Kaplan University, and AA in Architectural Engineering. After retirement Denis devotes much of his time volunteering with a variety of nonprofit organizations such as Skookum Rotary Club, Mason County Veterans Advisory Board, Crossroads Housing for homeless families, Veterans of Foreign Wars, American Legion, Disabled American Veterans, 40-8, and Mason County Forest Festival and restoring his 1936 Lasalle Automobile.
Denis has a large background in team building, leadership development, envisioning, diversity leadership and a passion for homelessness and youth development. At the present time Denis is the Youth Protection Officer for his Rotary club and has served as the Club President, Youth Services Director, and the club scholarship director for two Rotary clubs in Shelton. He also is the scholarship director for Mason County Forest Festival and a past Vice President for Crossroads Housing.
Success is based on the ability to achieve ones goals and the ability to set achievable goals.



Shelby is a longtime resident of Olympia whose passion for Thurston County continues to grow abundantly. She graduated from Western Washington University in 2017 with a BA in Sociology, a minor in Geography, and a minor in Communication Studies-- complete with a large dream of changing the world through human connection, sustainable development, and a community founded on robust services for everyone. Promptly after graduating, she found herself back in Olympia to work in local politics and pursue a career in the social services sector. Currently, Shelby is the Village Coordinator at Hope Village, a transitional tiny house village in Olympia. With the help of her husband, Zack, they built their very own tiny house which they have lived in for the last year and a half. Together, they love to garden + raise chickens, explore on skis, bikes, surfboards, cook delicious food, and spend time with their wonderful community. When she is not having fun with Zack or working with Hope Village, she is a wedding + portrait Photographer and runs a small-scale pottery business. 

Jim Schwartz
Elected February 2020

Joe Shorin
Past President 
​Elected January 2017

​Jim is a retired attorney and former banker.  He is widowed with one son and grandson.  Jim likes gardening, practicing guitar, and doing volunteer work. 

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​Joe Shorin has a passion for public service. For more than 30 years, Joe served as legal counsel for several state agencies, boards and commissions, focusing on environmental, natural resources, real estate, and tribal law. Joe has also served as a member of several non-profit and advisory boards, including the Thurston County Volunteer Legal Clinic, the Cooper Point Association, the Thurston County Parks and Recreation Advisory Board, the Olympia Unitarian Universalist Congregation, the Washington State Bar Foundation’s Loan Repayment Assistance Advisory Committee, and the NOVA School. Joe’s other passions include cooking, gardening, backpacking, cycling, reading, racquet sports, home improvement/repair, and reading books about dead presidents.  Joe received his BA in Environmental Studies from Rollins College in Winter Park, Florida, and his law degree, with emphasis in Natural Resources Law, from the University of Oregon.