Staff

Seattle
Mark Smith, Executive Director
Joey Ashenbrenner, Program Director
Michelle Morse, Program Manager
Eli Steffen, Program Coordinator
Sheldon Botler, Youth Leadership Coordinator / AmeriCorps Member
Edward Brown, Youth Leadership Coordinator / AmeriCorps Member
Danielle Franks, Executive Assistant

Victoria, B.C.
Gita John-Iyam, Canada Director
Ruby Smith-Diaz, Youth Program Coordinator
Sara Dent, Fundraising Coordinator
Annie Banks, Funding Assistant

Power of Hope Co-Founders
Charlie Murphy
Peggy Taylor

Power of Hope Seattle Office: 

Mark Smith, Executive Director, Before coming to Power of Hope, Mark, worked as the Executive Director of Clothes For Kids for two years. Mark has served in non-profit management for more than ten years and prior to that, taught in inner-city schools for twelve years, from Kindergarten to High School. He has a Master's Degree in Education with a focus on diversity and equity issues, and has worked in adult education. Mark moved to the Seattle area from Los Angeles fifteen years ago, is married and has two children. 

Joey Ashenbrenner, Program Director, Power of Hope is excited to welcome Joey, who brings with him nine years of non-profit development and program management experience, as well as over eleven years of youth-work experience. He graduated from the University of Washington with a B.A. in Psychology and is currently pursuing a M.B.A. in International Development. When not working, Joey enjoys writing, playing and recording music, and spending time with his wife and young daughter.

Michelle joins the Power of Hope community with a love of camp, young people, and the arts. Graduating in June with a Master of Social Work with a focus on community-based work, she has spent the past two years interning at Planned Parenthood of the Great Northwest. Prior to graduate school, she was the Youth Development Coordinator for the Mercer Island Youth and Family Services – and loved organizing artand music shows at her home, The House of Zanzibar. Michelle graduated from Barnard College with a degree in Africana studies having spent time researching and studying in Senegal and Madagascar. Michelle spends her free time thinking about food, creating food, consuming food with friends, and practicing yoga.

Eli Steffen, Program Coordinator,

has been involved in theater since the age of 7. In 2007, he graduated from Sarah Lawrence College with a concentration in Drama and Community Studies. While at school, he developed an interest in community theater. Most recently, he co-produced and performed in the Public Circus, which brought clowning and acrobatics to children affected by Hurricane Katrina. Eli also has a background in youth organizing and non-profit administration, which he gained as the Assistant Coordinator of the Vashon Youth Council, a youth-run social justice organization. Eli is excited about the opportunity to learn and serve with all the great adults and youth at The Power of Hope. 

Sheldon Botler, AmeriCorps Member, Seattle-bred artist, music producer and facilitator Sheldon Botler has been serving young people for 5 years now. As an independent teacher and performing musician, he works diligently to unearth motivation in others by sharing his art, and guiding both adults and teens in exploring their creativity. His performances have reached the Experience Music Project, Seattle International Film Festival, Lionel Hampton Jazz Festival, and Starbucks Corporate, to classrooms and local benefits. He earned his B.A. in Multicultural Youth Program Development at Western Washington University and is now serving his community everyday via music and teaching.

Sheldon Botler is a Teaching Artist (voice and recording) with the Power of Hope.

Edward Brown, AmeriCorps Member, is serving his second year with Americorps. Previously, Ed worked as a mentor for youth in Aki Kurose Middle School in South Seattle. Ed loves poetry and all arty forms for that matter and looks forward to combining these interests with his passion for youth development. When Ed is not doing his job you might find him in front of a book, chessboard, ultimate Frisbee, or a beautiful campground!

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Power of Hope Victoria B.C. Office:

Gita John-Iyam, Canada Director, comes to Power of Hope with twelve years experience with Community Development agencies in India and Canada. She is passionate about working with and for children and youth. She was raised in a Gandhian Christian center begun by her parents during India's freedom movement, and her life has been deeply influenced by this experience. Her work background and interests include food security, environmental protection, natural healing and simple living.

Ruby Smith Díaz, Youth Program Coordinator, is a singer, activist, and facilitator, and has been a visitor on Coast Salish Territories since the Summer of 2010.  She was born to Chilean and Jamaican immigrant parents on Plains Cree Territory, and graduated from the University of Alberta with a degree in Education with distinction.

Ruby finds The Power of Hope to be the perfect place that unites her passion for social justice, community building, and youth empowerment. In her free time, she can be found fixing and riding bikes, dancing, or having tea with old friends. 

Sara Dent, Fundraising Coordinator, is a photographer, farmer, facilitator and project manager. Over the past decade, she has worked in a number of different capacities in the not-for-profit and for-profit arts and social change sectors. Sara believes passionately in the power of arts-based facilitation as a tool for community growth, social and ecological reclamation. She has volunteered with the Power of Hope since 2007, and is passionate about holding space for growth through creative expression with youth and adults.

 
Annie Banks, Funding Assistant,  has been a visitor on Coast Salish territories for most of her life. She is currently a second-year student in the Indigenous Studies program at Camosun College. Annie is committed to unlearning oppressive ways and finding socially just ways to work and live. She has been involved with the Power of Hope for over 5 years and has experience with violence prevention, facilitation, advocacy, and program coordination. Annie and her sweetie live with their dog Syren and three ferrets, Maizy, Bear, and Sunny, in an apartment in Fernwood, very near the Power of Hope office.

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Co-Founders of The Power of Hope:

Charlie Murphy is renowned for his group facilitation and program design work integrating the arts into youth development. He is an award-winning singer/songwriter with over 30 years experience in the field of experiential learning. In the '90’s Charlie served as national Director of Training for the YMCA Earth Service Corps, a youth environmental organization. In 1996 he co-founded Power of Hope and served as co-director for many years. In 2005 he received an Ashoka Fellowship in recognition of his life-long achievements as a change maker and for his work with the Power of Hope program. In 2007 he co-founded PYE Global (Partnership for Youth Empowerment), an international training organization dedicated to supporting communities globally in providing arts empowerment programs for their youth.
 

Peggy Taylor, M Ed, is a writer, musician and creative development specialist with a gift for designing and facilitating programs for diverse groups. She is co-founder of Power of Hope and for many years served as co-director. In 2007 she co-founded PYE Global (Partnership for Youth Empowerment), an international training organization dedicated to supporting communities globally in providing arts empowerment programs for their youth. Peggy is co-author of Chop Wood, Carry Water: A Guide to Finding Spiritual Fulfillment in Everyday Life, which has sold over a quarter of a million copies worldwide.

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