"The continuous availability of a caregiver to provide psychological support and comfort should be a key component of all intrapartum care programs"
Guidelines on Dystocia. Society of Obstetricians and Gynaecologists of Canada, 1995.
The Board of Directors
Erica Nixon Mack
President
Ty Watanabe
Treasurer
Bios
Kelly Beeken, MD
Kelly began her journey becoming a birth doula in 2002. She worked as a doula for six years prior to and during medical school, graduating from the University of Virginia with her medical degree in 2008. Her special interest in the Open Arms mission came from her work with the PALS Doulas doula referral services in the early 2000s where she worked as a doula for underserved women. She was part of the planning meetings for beginning Open Arms before she went to medical school in 2004. She is currently an OBGYN resident in Tacoma, WA.
Sharon Cunnington
Sharon is a Senior Director at Microsoft where she works with engineers around the globe in developing their skills, improving team collaboration, and ultimately increasing innovation. She is a long-time supporter of women’s programs and actively coaches employees. She lived in Europe for 3 years and became familiar with the variety and disparities in health and maternal care. After having a doula during her pregnancy, she realized the benefits emotionally, physically, and logically. Sharon now enthusiastically supports and promotes perinatal services and believes every woman and child should be supported.
Chiemi Davis, MSW
Chiemi Terasawa Davis is the Managing Director of the Technical Assistance Unit within Systems Improvement at Casey Family Programs in Seattle, Washington where she has been employed for the past 16 years. Throughout her career, Chiemi has been a community advocate and educator dedicated to improving the lives of children and families within the arena of education, perinatal and health care, substance abuse, mental health, and child welfare. She has worked alongside many families, community advocates and professionals to address the issues of disproportionality of children of color in the child welfare, health and education systems. Chiemi’s passion and dedication stem from her perspective as an adopted child and her commitment to making a valuable contribution and difference to children, families and communities.
Peggy Fitzgerald, M.Ed
Peggy has over fifteen years of work experience in the areas of education, communication, and project management in the medical and high-tech fields. In 1999, she left the corporate world to become a certified doula after seeing how women's birth memories, positive and negative, stay strong and have influence for a lifetime. Peggy holds a B.A. from Wellesley College and an M.Ed from the University of Washington. She lives in Seattle with her husband Charles and their triplet daughters.
Barbara Gorham
Barbara is a lawyer and public policy professional who has spent her career working for social change in the nonprofit sector, in the three branches of government, and at the state and federal levels. She first became interested in safety net programs as a congressional aide early in her career. Now, as the mother of three children, including a set of twins, she knows firsthand that early support and education makes a huge difference for children and families. She was delighted to join the Open Arms board in 2011.
Emily Kane
Emily is a mom of three and founder of milkmakers, a company that helps nursing mothers reach their breastfeeding goals by eating delicious cookies that increase milk supply and replenish key nutrients moms need. Halfway through her first pregnancy, a friend introduced Emily to midwifery and doula support. After the birth of her first daughter she went on to attend the First Weeks Series of classes at the Community Birth & Family Center and found the information and community support incredibly valuable. That eventually led to a position on the CB&FC Board. Emily wants every woman to have the opportunity to explore all available birth options, increase their chances of a positive birth experience, and to have the support throughout pregnancy, delivery, and immediately after that is critical to a successful family in the future. After receiving a BS in Psychology from the University of Washington, Emily traveled to over 60 developing nations and currently resides with her family in the Seattle neighborhood of Ravenna.
Reese McGillie
Bio coming soon.
Jay McLean-Riggs, MD, MPH
Jay is faculty in Global Health at Seattle University and at Seattle Central Community College. She has an MD and MPH from Yale University with an emphasis in Global Health. Jay has extensive experience in public health and secondary and higher education in most Southern and East African countries, focusing on primary health, empowerment of girls and public community mobilization. Jay is committed to the idea that social justice is the cornerstone of good health practice and disparities and inequities are the source of the high maternal and infant mortality and morbidity we experience in Seattle. Jay supports fully the work of Open Arms in reducing those disparities in perinatal services. She lives in Seattle and has two wonderful daughters.
Erica Nixon Mack
Erica Nixon Mack started on the Board of Open Arms in 2008, while pregnant. She brings 16 years of experience in the medical and non-profit sector. She earned a degree in Physical Therapy and has worked as an outdoor educator with Outward Bound. Her last 5 years have been spent with Passages Northwest, running programs that support, recognize, and foster courage in girls. Erica believes education regarding pregnancy, healthy birth and parenting is a wise investment. She serves on the steering committee of the Non-Profit Anti-Racism Coalition (NPARC) on behalf of Open Arms and is deeply committed to cultural competency and racial equity. Erica has two strong, bright, and beautiful children who were born at home with the support of her partner, midwives, and a doula.
Sarah Pulliam, LICSW, MPH
Sarah is a clinical social worker with expertise in perinatal mental health, adoption, parenting, and living with chronic health issues. Currently working at Seattle Children's, she has a strong interest in the cultural and societal influences on health. A member of the Islamic community, she is also a trained doula and longtime facilitator for bereaved parents' groups for the Journey Program. Sarah is a mother to two girls, and is "expecting" a third by international adoption.
Sabrina Urquhart
Sabrina Urquhart has worked at Casey Family Programs for six years and is currently their Director of Communications, Creative Services. Prior to working in the area of foster care, she supported the needs of youth ages 16 – 24 as a Project Manager for Job Corps. Sabrina earned a B.A. in Communications from the University of Washington. Her professional career began with display advertising sales, but quickly transitioned to non-profit organizations. Sabrina’s résumé includes staff positions at the Seattle Times, Seattle Weekly, Big Sisters of King County, Big Brothers of King County and Puget Sound Blood Center. Sabrina has served on the Boards of Program for Early Parent Support (P.E.P.S.) and the Pacific Northwest Writers Association (PNWA). She lives in West Seattle and enjoys writing, reading, traveling, New York Times crossword puzzles and spending time with good friends.
Ty Watanabe, MBA, CPA
Ty has approximately 18 years of work experience in the area of accounting and auditing, the last 10 as the global head of internal audit at Avanade and Univar. In going through two difficult pregnancies and in being a transplant from Hawaii, Ty and his wife understood the importance and need for locally-based support and the criticality of access to good prenatal care. Ty received his B.S. in Accounting at Boston College and his MBA in Finance from the University of Washington. He is also a certified public accountant.
