Executive Director

Christine has been connected to FOCS since 2015 and has served as a board member and program director, and facilitates Racial Equity Workshops. She became the Executive Director of FOCS in March 2020. As a Nigerian-Romanian immigrant and the mother of two young boys, she connected with FOCS because of the support and understanding she receives as a mother of children with intersectional identities. Before moving to Seattle, Christine served in New Haven, CT, as the City’s Director for the Office of Sustainability and worked in Washington, DC, and New York City in Corporate Social Responsibility consulting, environmental policy, and government relations. She has a Master's in Environmental Law from the George Washington University Law School, and she completed an Executive Education program at the Harvard Business School on Corporate Social Responsibility (CSR): Strategies to Create Business and Social Value. Her work reflects her passion for intersectionality, environmental justice, racial equity, and inclusion in education. Outside of work she enjoys playing Kinect with her kids, skiing, dancing, and warm, sunny, sandy beaches.

Director of Strategy and Operations

Belle joined the FOCS team as its Director of Strategy and Operations in February 2024. She is the first-born of Philippine immigrant parents and is proud to be a true Seattleite, having lived in the neighborhoods of the Central District, Beacon Hill, Rainier Valley, and Lower Queen Anne. Finding herself at FOCS reminds Belle of her childhood with first-time parents navigating new family life along with being in a new country. Belle’s personal encounters have instilled in her a passion for fairness and social responsibility, making her an advocate for BIPOC women, immigrants, patients, and others often marginalized. Belle is a seasoned change agent with 20+ years of multidisciplinary experience in multiple evolving industries. With years of capability in operations, marketing, program management, and human resources, she has handled complex and high-profile projects and programs. Belle has been published in various industry trades on topics ranging from talent management to design. She has been awarded by several organizations, including the Northwest Executive Women in Hospitality and Boutique Design Magazine. Belle is a Fellow of the Center for Asian Pacific American Women’s (CAPAW) Asian Pacific American Women’s Leadership Institute (APAWLI). She is also a Coach and Consultant for Cancer Lifeline. Belle holds a BA in Business Administration, with concentrations in both Business Management and Marketing, as well as advanced studies in Law, Society, and Justice, from the University of Washington. Outside of work, she enjoys coaching and training Muay Thai, cooking and hosting meals, and helping to raise her niece.

Program Director

Jesse joined FOCS in October 2023 as Program Manager. He is Muisca, of Bacatá chiefdom, born in Bogotá, Colombia. She was adopted to a white family in Washington state as a baby and grew up on Coast Salish territory in a small town 3 hours from Seattle. Jesse identifies as Indigenous, Latine, an immigrant, TwoSpirit, transmasculine, nonbinary, and as a parent who birthed two children. Jesse earned a bachelor’s degree from the University of Washington in Seattle in 2002 and has continued to live in the greater Seattle area since then. His career has spanned working in Healthcare IT, being a stay-at-home parent, working in the legal field, and working in the nonprofit sector. He spends time doing Indigenous crafting, powwow grass dancing, learning his Indigenous language, and working with plant medicine relatives. He also enjoys being active in his communities, spending time with family, being outdoors, baking, watching movies, and savoring moments by a fire or by any body of water.

Development Director

Phil joined the FOCS team in August 2024. Born in Detroit, Michigan, he spent most of his childhood in Reston, Virginia, near Washington, D.C. His parents are multiple-time gold medalists in racquetball at the Senior Olympics, and his sister is an interior design/architecture wiz and partner at a small architecture firm in D.C. Phil moved to Seattle in September 2007, shortly after earning his bachelor’s degree in African American Studies and Mass Communications from Virginia Commonwealth University. He later completed the Nonprofit Management Certification Program at the University of Washington in 2013. Starting with early volunteer work at Embry Rucker Shelter in Reston, Phil has dedicated much of his life to nonprofit work in various roles. He has been working in development since 2013. Outside of work, he enjoys eating pasta, running long distances, playing musical instruments loudly, and jotting down random thoughts in notebooks.

Parent Group Manager

Sarah joined the FOCS team as Development Director in October 2022. She was born in Incheon, South Korea and adopted at 10-months-old to white parents in Kansas City, Missouri. After growing up in the midwest, Sarah spent time living in Boston and Seoul, South Korea before settling in the Seattle area. While living in Korea, she found and reunited with her Korean birth family and maintains a relationship with them today. In 2007, Sarah received her Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Washington. She has worked as a fund development professional for local nonprofit organizations as well as the local chapter of a large, national nonprofit. She also has over 20 years of experience as a community organizer for the transracial adoptee community. Sarah is passionate about supporting new parents who are trauma survivors, BIPOC media representation, and adoptee empowerment. She is a mother to two elementary school-aged sons and participated in two FOCS parent groups that were transformative for her. Outside of work, Sarah finds joy in reading with her kids, running slowly but steadily around her neighborhood, exploring beaches, and listening to K-pop and attending K-pop and K-hip-hop concerts.

Sr. Community & Advocacy Manager

Abbie joined the FOCS team in 2022. Born and raised in a small town Madera, California. She moved to Washington in 2014 for school at Gonzaga University, where she received her B.A. in Sociology and minored in Women & Gender Studies and Criminal Justice. There she found her passion in fighting for social justice, creating spaces for BIPOC students, and cultivating discourse around the need for change. She moved to Seattle in 2018 to attend University of Washington to receive her M.A. in Cultural Studies. Much of her career has been focused on intentional work in creating equitable spaces and opportunities for BIPOC & LGBTQ+ students. She greatly enjoys writing and performing poetry, facetiming family, traveling, and being a plant mom!

Sr. Communications Manager

Norma joined the FOCS team in 2022. She is a Xicana mother of two, daughter of migrant entrepreneurs, partner to an independent artist, bossy sister, and fun Tia. While she has lived in the Northwest for most of her adult life, her childhood was split between northern California and Guadalajara, Mexico. As a first-generation college graduate, she holds a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Willamette University and a Law degree from Seattle University. Her studies primarily focused on oppression theory, social movements, and community lawyering. She has worked with two nonprofits, where she led and developed programs to support vulnerable and diverse populations. Outside of work, Norma enjoys hiking, road trips, thrift shopping, dancing with her toddlers, and checking out books from the library.

Advocacy and Policy Fellow

Barbara joined the FOCS team in September 2022 as an Advocacy and Policy Fellow in collaboration with the Pathwaves WA fellowship program.  She is Tsimshian and identifies as Indigenous Alaskan Native and First Nations, Indigiqueer, and multiply disabled. Barbara was born and raised in the greater Puget Sound region and has called Metlakatla, AK, and Des Moines, WA, her hometowns. They graduated in June 2024 with their master's in social work from the University of Washington, specializing in community-centered integrative practice. She is called to this work out of love for her Indigenous and Queer communities that claim her. Barbara values the notion that “it takes a village to raise a child" and hopes that her role in her community will always support the healthy and joyful development of children and families. She has a passion for learning and restoring the use of her Indigenous language and hopes to become a Sm’algya̱x language teacher in her community one day. When not working, she enjoys sharing space and conversation with people, crafting beadwork, and playing with her cat and puppy, Pippin and Cece. 

Projects and Programs Coordinator

Jacob joined FOCS in August of 2024 as the team’s Projects and Programs Coordinator. Born in Ridgecrest, California, Jacob spent the first part of his life in the Mojave Desert, raised by a single mother with five sisters. His third eldest sister was born with autism and unable to function on her own without assistance. At the age of 13, he and his family moved to Idaho in hopes of a better life outside the one the Mojave Desert had to offer. Obtaining his education at Idaho State University, Jacob achieved a Bachelor of Arts and letters in Anthropology with a social and cultural emphasis. Upon receiving his degree, Jacob and his spouse moved to Sacramento, California, where he would spend the next 5 years working to assist communities with Drinking and Wastewater-related issues. In November of 2018 he started as an admin assistant for California Rural Water Association. For five years, he worked with disadvantaged communities across the state to provide a range of technical assistance for those in need. He and his wife moved to Seattle in November of 2020 and have fallen in love with the community and culture of the Pacific Northwest. He enjoys an assortment of outdoor activities such as hiking, backpacking, and camping, as well as playing the world’s sport soccer.

Projects and Programs Intern

Ésminà joined the FOCS team in August of 2024. They are a Two-Spirit Native from the Tlingit and Haida tribe in Juneau, Alaska, also with ancestry in the Lummi Nation. They have spent years working in the non-profit space and have been a grassroots and legislative advocate for many bills over the years. She has inspired a lot of child welfare systems reform and believes that we should hold vulnerable children with trauma-informed minds and hands. Ésminà believes in centering Native people on Native land and works hard to make sure that is a reality here in Seattle. She has a vast world of knowledge, from adolescent psychology to law and policy. In her free time, you can catch her performing in the local drag scene and attending Kiki balls as a house mother. She enjoys liberating conversations and great food!