Event Panelists

Whether you're joining us in Seattle on May 3 at the Sheraton Grand Seattle or in Tacoma on May 25 at the Silver Cloud Point Ruston, you'll enjoy hearing from a panel of community experts and advocates on the current behavioral health crisis.

Seattle (May 3) Emcee, Moderator & Panelists

Emcee - Amity Addrisi

Amity Addrisi is an Emmy Award-winning journalist who’s been in a TV studio since she learned to walk. Sheā€™s been called an expert in connection, uniting people through shared and often humorous experiences. Authenticity has been the trademark of her career as a journalist and now the host of one of the highest-rated lifestyle shows on the West Coast. Her life and career began in her quaint hometown of Los Angeles where she studied Literature as well as Geology at UCLA and worked for the Dr. Phil Show and Access Hollywood.

Trading celebrities for politics and government, Amity spent many years covering wildfires, national news stories and eventually became the Chief Medical Health Reporter for NBC Seattle. Now as the host of an hour-long lifestyle and entertainment show, her goal is to educate, empower and highlight humanity.

If there’s one thing anyone would say about Amity, it’s that she keeps it real and strives to engage and learn from everyone around her.

Moderator - Danie Eagleton, LMHC

Danie Eagleton, LMHC, is the Chief Clinical Officer and VP of Network Management of Wellspring Family Services. Danie joined Wellspring from Seattle Counseling Service, where she served as the VP and Chief Clinical Officer and most recently as the Interim President and CEO. She’s also an Adjunct Faculty member at Seattle University where she teaches in their mental health program.

Danie splits her time and interest between the fields of mental health and education. She’s worked in mental health for over 16 years with both children and adults. Danie has worked as a counselor at both Lake Washington Technical College and Seattle Central Community College. Additionally, she worked in Student Development at Seattle University, Howard University and Tufts University.

Danie earned a Masterā€™s in Education in Counseling Psychology from Howard University and a B.A. in Psychology from Seattle University. She’s passionate about bringing her clinical expertise to increasing mental health services for LGBTQIA+ and BIPOC communities.

Jamie Kautz, LICSW

Jamie Kautz, LICSW, is the Assistant Vice President for Pediatric Behavioral Health for Mary Bridge Children’s and MultiCare Behavioral Health Network. She’s been a clinical social worker for 30 years and has had the great fortune to partner with many kids, families and teams doing terrific work to advance the well-being of children and youth.

Liliana Lengua, PhD

Liliana Lengua, PhD, is University of Washington’s Maritz Family Foundation Professor of Psychology and Director of the Center for Child and Family Well-Being since its founding in 2011. A child clinical psychologist, she studies the effects of adversity on children and examines risk and protective factors that contribute to childrenā€™s resilience or vulnerability. Her research has focused on the contributions of childrenā€™s temperament, coping and parenting in contributing to childrenā€™s responses to adversity.

Her most current research probes the effects of low income on the development of self-regulation (e.g. executive function) in infants and preschool-age children, investigating family, parenting, and neurobiological factors that account for the effects of socioeconomic disadvantage. She has developed promotive parenting programs for families with infants and preschool-age children that incorporate mindfulness and emotion regulation practices to support parent mental health as well as effective parenting, as well as a mindfulness-based coping enhancement program for youth and young adults.

Dr. Lengua has been the principal investigator on several federally funded projects examining the development of executive function (NICHD), the effects of low income, neighborhood, family, and parentingĀ  on neurobiological systems of self-regulation, and their effects on preschool and preadolescent childrenā€™s social, emotional and academic development (NICHD, NIMH), neighborhood, family and peer effects on adolescent substance use (NIDA), parenting in the context of domestic violence (NIMH), and childhood risk factors for the emergence of adult mental health problems (NIDA).

She is also the author of over 150 published papers and serves on the steering committee for the CDC funded Washington State Essentials for Childhood Initiative, collaborates with the Harvard Center for the Developing Childā€™s Frontiers of Innovation and previously served on the board of trustees for Neighborhood House, a private, nonprofit anti-poverty organization.

Monica Oxford, MSW, PhD

Monica Oxford, MSW, PhD, is a Kathryn Barnard Endowed Professor for Infant Mental Health and Vice-Chair for Research in the Department for Child, Family and Population Health Nursing, and serves as the Executive Director of the Barnard Center for Infant Mental Health and Development. Her researchĀ focuses on early parenting and child developmental outcomes for families living in challenging environments.

Dr. Oxfordā€™s interest is in how context, parenting and child characteristics combine to inform particular patterns of child outcomes and how intervention services promote both caregiver and child well-being.

Andi Smith

Andi Smith is the Executive Director of Ballmer Groupā€™s Washington team, where she sets and leads strategy and investments to improve economic mobility for children and families statewide. Andi holds deep experience in government systems and policy across issues including child welfare, early childhood, houseless youth and housing.

Previously, Andi served as the Executive Director of External Affairs for Washington Governor Jay Inslee, Policy Officer for WA Governor Christine Gregoire and Lead Policy Analyst for the Washington State House of Representatives.

Tacoma (May 25) Emcee, Moderator & Panelists

Emcee & Moderator - Angela Poe Russell

Whether it’s interviewing a sitting president, co-hosting a daily television talk show or writing for CEOs, Angela Poe Russell has a remarkable ability to connect with people through the screen, face-to-face, on stage or via the written word. She’s proven that ability through her 20 years as a multimedia journalist.

Angela recently co-hosted the show Take 5 on KING-TV (NBC). She participated in developing all aspects of this collaboration and was honored for her work with a prestigious Gracie Award in 2019, given by the Alliance for Women in Media for excellence in programming. She currently co-hosts KING TVā€™s Evening program.

Laura Allen

Laura Allen passionately serves as Director of Whole Child for Tacoma Public Schools. The Whole Child program began with one question, “What if the adults in our city collaborated to ensure every child is healthy, safe, challenged, engaged and supported ā€” a whole child?” Their work is nationally renowned, including a recent article in Newsweek magazine and featured spotlights by Edutopia, the Aspen Institute, Washington Post, ASCD and recognition as one of the 14 most innovative districts in our nation for social emotional learning.

Laura began her career in education as an inspired teacher earning honors of McDowell County Teacher of the Year, East McDowell Junior High Teacher of the Year, Pineloch Elementary Teacher of the Year and the Orange County Star Award. She holds a Masterā€™s in Business Administration, graduating from the University of Georgia and University of Central Florida. Her philosophy is that the relationship IS the intervention!

Jamie Kautz, LICSW

Jamie Kautz, LICSW, is the Assistant Vice President for Pediatric Behavioral Health for Mary Bridge Children’s and MultiCare Behavioral Health Network. She’s been a clinical social worker for 30 years and has had the great fortune to partner with many kids, families and teams doing terrific work to advance the well-being of children and youth.

Ashley Mangum, MSW, LICSW

Ashley Mangum is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker who serves as the Director of Kidsā€™ Mental Health Pierce County. Kidsā€™ Mental Health Pierce County is a community collaborative dedicated to developing a coordinated, responsive behavioral health system that serves the needs of children, youth and families at the right time, in the best place, with the best outcome for every family. Ashley also provides leadership to Mary Bridgeā€™s Youth Engagement Services (YES). YES is a collaborative treatment model, which will reduce gaps in care coordination and support services after a behavioral health crisis by providing screening and assessment to determine a youthā€™s ongoing behavioral health needs.

Prior to her current role, she served as a crisis social worker within adult and pediatric emergency rooms in King and Pierce Counties. Ashley also spent several years working in public child welfare as a social worker, supervisor and practice consultant.

Ryan Mello

Ryan Mello serves on the Pierce County Council, representing District 4, which is made up of the communities of downtown Tacoma, the Port of Tacoma, Hilltop, Central and South Tacoma, along with the cities of Fircrest and University Place. He was elected in a unanimous vote of his peers to Chair the County Council in 2023. In addition, Mello chairs the Councilā€™s Rules and Operations Committee, Community Development Committee and the Performance Audit Committee.

Ryan currently serves on the Greater Tacoma Community Foundation Board of Directors, was a founding board member of Equal Rights Washington and previously was on the Transportation Choices Coalition Board of Directors.

Ann Shankle, MSW, LICSW, CMHS, EMHS

Ann Shankle, LICSW, is a licensed clinical social worker who has specialized in child and adolescent behavioral health for the past 25 years. She is a child mental health specialist and a specialist in ethnic minority mental health for the State of Washington. With extensive training and experience in the field of childrenā€™s behavioral health, Ann has worked with children with a range of socio-emotional, developmental and behavioral challenges at all stages of development. Her current interests include early childhood mental health and the utilization of therapeutic modalities that are effective across different linguistic and cultural traditions.

Her diverse experience includes previous roles as a published author, affiliate faculty at the University of Washington School of Social Work, ECEAP/Head Start Consultant and therapist, Diversity, Equity and Inclusion trainer and many years in a leadership and therapist role within child and adolescent behavioral health organizations. Ann is currently providing clinical services and consultation forĀ Chief Leschi Schools’ Early Childhood Education & AssistanceĀ Program.