Teresa Wang

Teresa is Multilingual Educator always trying to learn more and more from my students, families, and teachers. She gets to support students, teachers, and administrators to see the amazing assets that multilingual students bring to enrich classroom, lives, and academic careers. Teresa also provides direct service to teachers to help them leverage students’ primary language and culture in the classroom. She supports teachers through identifying and removing barriers for students. Teresa provides professional development opportunities for all educators in Seattle Public Schools on culturally and linguistically responsive teaching. Teresa is one of the co-founders of POC Yoga, which was a healing space based in Seattle that worked on three levels to provide physical connection with the body, reflection on the Sutras, and ongoing mentorship and teacher training for yoga teachers. She has been part of creating a space where Asians can work to understand their own anti-blackness.

At her heart, Teresa is a lifelong student, She works to listen deeply to find points of connection and collaboration. Her work is deeply rooted in the healing of trauma caused by racial injustice and creating spaces of liberation and healing for BIPOC communities. In her free time Teresa gets to enjoy learning from her son, connecting with the earth through foraging and learning about plants and animals, and of course playing games on her phone or watching TV!

Melissa West, MA

Melissa is a results-driven policy and advocacy professional with more than twenty years of experience building partnerships and developing strategies to influence stakeholders and motivate action at global and local levels. She is an experienced builder and leader of teams, a problem-solver who balances long-term planning with short-term doing and an enthusiastic devotee of community-driven systems change, radical collaboration and Objectives and Key Results (OKRs).  Most recently, Melissa led a policy, advocacy and communications team spanning five countries for VillageReach, an organization working with government partners and local communities to transform health care delivery in sub-Saharan Africa. 

Previously, she worked at the Bill & Melinda Gates Foundation in global policy and advocacy, supporting maternal newborn and child health, nutrition and immunization programs. Melissa developed and leads the grantmaking process for Impact 100 Seattle, a women's collective giving organization with a vision to help nonprofits spend time transforming communities, not fundraising. She is currently partnering with local Afghans to serve the thousands of Afghan refugees who now call the Puget Sound area home.  Melissa enjoys all things outdoors and can often be found hiking, skiing, or watching her two girls play soccer.   

Rokea Jones

Rokea’s work spans over 15 years of experience as a birth worker, educator and community advocate. Rokea holds a Masters degree in Public Administration. During the course of her career, her work has spanned from birth, early learning and home visiting services to food access, climate justice, housing, and violence prevention all the while working with youth and families. Rokea is a Full Circle Doula, Certified lactation educator and peer counselor as well as an Infant Mental Health specialist (IMH-E®). Rokea's degree work sparked her interest and current work as a researcher. Rokea holds to the belief that when you take care of the most vulnerable, you elevate the care available to us all. Rokea’s work spans over 15 years of experience as a birth worker, educator and community advocate.

Rokea holds a Masters degree in Public Administration. During the course of her career, her work has spanned from birth, early learning and home visiting services to food access, climate justice, housing, and violence prevention all the while working with youth and families. Rokea is a Full Circle Doula, Certified lactation educator and peer counselor as well as an Infant Mental Health specialist (IMH-E®). Rokea's degree work sparked her interest and current work as a researcher. Rokea holds to the belief that when you take care of the most vulnerable, you elevate the care available to us all.

Rahma Rashid

Representing a community which has been historically underserved and unrecognized Rahma own personal story includes immigrating to America from Somalia, a child in a family of 15 fleeing the civil war there in the late 1990s.  While leaving Somalia was a journey toward freedom and safety, as a hijab-wearing young woman in America she faced many obstacles. Despite this challenging experience, Rahma never lost sight of the importance of never giving up. A tireless leader and advocate for historically underserved East African American refugee and immigrant women in Washington state facing domestic violence and sexual abuse. As a survivor herself, she founded Muslimahs Against Abuse Center, a nonprofit organization which focuses on helping to rescue, resettle, and facilitate the healing of East African Muslim American DV survivors needing culturally sensitive and linguistically appropriate services.

Through MAAC, Rahma is not only helping survivors overcoming DV and abuse in community, but through community education she works to overcome the profound social stigma associated with identifying DV and is raising awareness to prevent it. She has earned her Master in Higher Education with a minor in nonprofit leadership and plans to complete a PhD in the near future! 

Sunita Iyer

I have been a midwife and naturopathic physician since 2008, and a graduate level educator for over 14 years.  Currently, I am on a break of from clinical care as I focus on my work as Associate Teaching Professor at the University of Washington Bothell School of Nursing & Health Studies.  I am also the founder and former director of an integrative family medicine clinic that served as a teaching clinic and a site for an accredited primary care residency program. 

My background and primary professional interests have been women's and pediatric health, specializing in pediatric and perinatal mental health.  Over the years, I worked alongside community partners and all kinds of providers as I served thousands of families as they welcomed new people to the world and grew together. My success as an educator and provider is due in large part to my support team in my clinic and the amazing network of fantastic providers who were integrated into the care of our families.  It is this love for nurturing families, teaching, servant leadership, and community partnership that I am bringing to my role on the GPS board.  

Meron Kasahun

Born and raised in Seattle by a single mom who came to the states as an Ethiopian refugee, Meron has been heavily involved in the vibrant East African community in the city. She is the Grants Manager for Perigee Fund, a supporting organization of the Seattle Foundation focused on supporting healthy infant- caregiver relationships. Her nonprofit career started in high school, where she worked as a Youth Mentor for a youth art and writing focused nonprofit. While studying at Bryn Mawr College, she developed an interest in public health and community development. She was later hired as the Executive Director of the Ethiopian Community in Seattle, where she worked with the East African community to expand partnerships, develop programs, and support the community center’s operational capacity.

Meron remains passionate about positive community development, building capacity for community-based organizations, and being a positive role model for youth in her community.

Kelly Kilgore (Khadijah)

My name is Kelly Kilgore (Khadijah), and I am thrilled to be joining the esteemed Board of Directors. With a wealth of experience in the field of human services, I bring a deep passion for creating positive change in the lives of others. I am born and raised in Arkansas, and I moved to Seattle in 2004 in search of a better opportunity. I have two bachelor’s degree, one in criminal justice & one in human services. I also teach English as a second language. I have contributed to the community through lots of volunteer work and throughout my career as a Teacher, Trainer, and Social Worker. I have dedicated myself to advocating for the vulnerable and marginalized, striving to empower individuals and communities to overcome challenges and achieve their full potential.

My extensive 15+ year background in leadership, social work and creating curriculums has equipped me with the skills and insights necessary to contribute meaningfully to the board committee. I am committed to utilizing my expertise to drive impactful initiatives and make a lasting difference in the lives of those we serve in the community.

If you are interested in joining our board please email us at info@globalperinatal.org