Meet Our Team

At the PlayGarden our diverse and experienced staff and board work together to lead our inclusive programs, design our beautiful and fully-accessible gardens, care for our animals, and provide children of all abilities a safe, accessible, and adventurous place to play.

STAFF

BOARD

Liz Bullard, The Seattle PlayGarden Executive Director

Elizabeth Bullard, Executive Director
Elizabeth is also the visionary behind and founder of the PlayGarden. She has an MA in Speech-Language Pathology from Indiana University at Bloomington, and a BA in Speech and Hearing Sciences/Spanish from Indiana University. She has worked with children and families in the Seattle area since 1985, and enjoys working and playing alongside PlayGardeners of all ages.

Contact: Liz@seattleplaygarden.org

Kate Chen headshot

Kate Chen, Office Manager

Kate’s identity as an advocate in the disability community started early as the sibling of a younger brother with an intellectual disability. Originally from Chicago, Kate spent five years working as an elementary special education teacher working with students from diverse backgrounds. She loved working in the classroom and collaborating with colleagues in co-teaching partnerships to encourage inclusion. Kate then pursued her Masters Degree becoming certified as a Transition Specialist with a focus on behavior modification and employment. Upon finishing her degree, Kate and her husband Mike moved to Dublin, Ireland for both a work opportunity and life adventure. In Dublin, she worked as a direct support worker supporting young adults navigate public transportation, avail of community recreation, and attend junior college courses.

Upon returning to Seattle, Kate worked as an Employment Consultant supporting individuals with disabilities find and maintain jobs, while learning new skills and pursuing career growth. She enjoyed working closely with individuals, their families and employers to modify job tasks and the work environment to create opportunities for independence.

After taking a break from the field to start a family, Kate is super excited to join the PlayGarden team as an office administrator. She was lucky enough to join the community as a parent as both her kids attended PlayGarden as preschoolers and now gets to support the mission of the organization from behind the scenes. Her goal is to continue to support the impact PlayGarden has as an inclusive leader in our community both as an inclusive preschool, accessible play space and supported employer. When she’s not at PlayGarden, Kate loves going to new parks with her kiddos, working on her vegetable garden and running.

Contact: Kate@seattleplaygarden.org

Caretaker Dave headshot Dave Langton, Garden and Animal Caretaker
Dave is the caretaker for the PlayGarden, providing facility and grounds maintenance. He has home remodel construction and maintenance experience and is currently enrolled in the Landscape Horticulture program at South Seattle College. His previous work experience includes working with children and adults with disabilities and their use of assistive technology in education, work, and play. He has a Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems. He discovered his love of the outdoors after walking on the Appalachian Trail for a few months. Dave enjoys the beautiful mountains and scenic waterways of the Pacific Northwest.

Contact: caretaker@settleplaygarden.org

Hannah Gallagher, The Seattle PlayGarden Inclusive Programs Director

Hannah Gallagher, Inclusive Programs Director and Summer Camp Director
Hannah is an inclusive, community-focused environmental educator, speaker, disability-rights advocate from Seattle, WA. Hannah has worked at the PlayGarden for 21 years. Hannah holds a graduate certificate in Education for Environment & Community from IslandWood, a Master’s in Education and a graduate certificate and non-profit management from the University of Washington.

When Hannah is not working, you can find her anywhere outside- at local farmers markets, hiking, biking, sharing a home-cooked meal with friends and family or playing with her silly vivacious 1 year-old daughter!

Contact: Hannah@seattleplaygarden.org

Helen Easterday, Seattle PlayGarden Lead Preschool Teacher

Helen Easterday, Lead Preschool Teacher
Helen is a dedicated, fun-loving preschool teacher. She recently graduated from California Polytechnic University with her bachelors degree in Child Development and Education with a minor in Psychology. Over the past eight summers, she has worked as a junior counselor, to counselor, and for the last four years as the assistant camp director in the world of summer camp. She has loved every minute and is looking forward to joining the world of preschool!

When Helen is not teaching, you will likely find her with a book, on a hike, or spending time with friends and family.

Contact: Helen@seattleplaygarden.org

Annie Jones, The Seattle PlayGarden Assistant Preschool Teacher

Annie Jones, Preschool Teachers Assistant, Camp Counselor, Junior Counselor Program Lead
Annie is a born and raised Seattleite. She went to Nathan Hale High School and is hoping to continue her education while working at the PlayGarden. Annie started coming to the PlayGarden when she was 3 years old and graduated from camper to counselor. The transition has been a lot of fun! She said “I like using all my knowledge of the PlayGarden to help other kids have fun. I like working with kids because they always find a way to have fun and I love watching them grow and get smarter every day!” On the weekend you can find Annie hanging out with her friends and family, painting and walking her dog.

Seattle PlayGarden Supported Employment Job Coach, Charles

Charles Veitch III, Supported Employment Job Coach

Contact: Charles@seattleplaygarden.org

Program assistant Asher in the garden Asher Brown, Program Assistant
Asher started working as a Preschool Helper in the fall of 2017. He supports the teaching staff by setting up for the morning program, greeting preschoolers and families, and engaging with kids during morning play. When he’s not working, Asher stays busy as a volunteer at Swedish Hospital and participates in Special Olympics, including swimming, soccer, and his long time favorite, downhill skiing. Asher graduated from Garfield HS and Nathan Hale’s transition program.

Ella Mae George, Preschool Teacher’s Assistant & Camp Counselor

Ella Mae lives in Seattle. She graduated from Bellevue College in 2023 with an associates degree in Occupational Life Skills. Ella Mae is an artist and abstract painter. She loves to paint in her free time, loves hanging out with her friends and family and being outdoors. She is passionate about encouraging kids with and without disabilities to be who they are. She is excited about working with children.

Claire Snedegar, Preschool Teacher’s Assistant
Claire has been working in outdoor education for the past two years with ages 3-18. She is passionate about creating a safe and inclusive space where each child can make meaningful connections with the outdoors and their classroom community. She has a Bachelor’s in Psychology from the University of Pittsburgh and is currently studying early childhood education at North Seattle College working towards an initial certificate and a specialisation in outdoor learning. She loves spending her free time enjoying the outdoors through bird watching, hiking, and biking. She also enjoys going to her neighborhood climbing gym and playing with her cat Ace.

Nicole Ijeoma, Preschool Program Assistant
Nicole works at the PlayGarden three days a week supporting our Preschool and Summer Camp programs. Nicole assists with cooking snack and lunch, prepping art projects, greeting families, reading to the kids, cleaning of the garden and classroom. Nicole is a very talented artist who loves drawing, reading and writing poetry. Nicole has been a participate in the PlayGarden’s Connections program for the last two years.

Michaela McCarthy, Program Assistant
“I am excited to be working at the PlayGarden because I like being around kids. I had a lot of fun going to the PlayGarden when I was little and I want other kids to have fun at the PlayGarden, too. During my free time, I like listening to music, writing on my iPad, and taking care of my companion dog, Mellie.”

Carter Sturms, Assistant Caretaker
Carter is excited to be the new gardener at Seattle Children’s PlayGarden! He has been attending camps and programs at the PlayGarden from a young age, and is devoted to maintaining its magic for future generations. He has a dog named Nuggets and he loves movies! His favorite movie? The Spiderman series!

Say hello when you see Carter raking leaves or spreading mulch – you will probably hear his joyous laughter and want to join right in!

Becca Bull, LAc, Board Chiar
Licensed Acupuncturist and East Asian Health Practitioner | PlayGarden Parent Advocate

C.Butler_Headshot_PG Board

Carol Butler
Retired/ PlayGarden Treasurer

Most of my 30 plus year professional career has involved applying my background in finance and economics to manage both business and government operations. Since my retirement, as an experienced professional with broad knowledge of private and public businesses, I have been able to offer these skills to support local nonprofits.

Serving on the board of the Seattle PlayGarden matters very much to me. Just as other board members have stated, I am passionate about trying to make a difference in our local community for both children and animals. It is an honor to support the mission, vision and goals of the PlayGarden as it provides needed services to many families through its many programs.

Emily board member

Emily Morishita
Designer | Accessibility Advocate

Emily is a senior designer and project manager at Mayer/Reed, an interdisciplinary Portland, Oregon based design studio providing urban design, landscape architecture, visual communications and experiential graphic design. Her focus is on creating public spaces that are lively, enriching, and accessible.

Liz Bullard, MA
Executive Director | PlayGarden Founder

Gillian Kindel
Consulting Principal, Strategy & Business Development at Seattle Children’s Hospital

Eli Sitchin

Aerospace Engineer | Advocate

Eli started attending the PlayGarden in 2002, two years after his autism diagnosis. After many years as a camper – during which time he came up with the idea for the PlayGarden volcano – he returned as a summer camp counselor in 2016 and 2017 before joining the board in 2022.

Jen PlayGarden Board Member

Jen Anderson
Marketing | PlayGarden Parent Advocate

Hi, I am Jen Anderson! I’ve been a Seattle-ite for over 20 years, hailing from California. I live on Beacon Hill with my husband, 18 year old daughter and dog, Moose. I work at T-Mobile in customer marketing and have been obsessed with the intersection of human behavior, data, and marketing since the internet came along 30 years ago. I’ve worked with companies like Microsoft, AT&T and CocaCola. My daughter Skye has been part of the PlayGarden community for over a decade – first as a camper and now a counselor. The uniqueness of PlayGarden’s mission has inspired her to carve a future in disability education. I felt called to play at PlayGarden and am eager to share my skills, resources, time, and advocacy in partnership with you all. Extremely grateful to be part of the board.

Fun fact: I am an identical twin. She lives in Madrona and teaches at Leschi Elementary. Be warned, if you see me and I don’t reply with familiarity – it is my twin Katie!

Deanne Odell
Data and Technology Specialist | PlayGarden Parent Advocate

Hello! I currently live in Edmonds with my husband Brandon and our three children and I am extremely passionate about inclusion and disability advocacy. While I am very focused on family life right now, I previously spent 13 years at BlackRock, a large financial management firm. Working on the technology side of the business, I was responsible for managing a global team of product managers to enhance sales processes and business efficiency through data and technology. I am excited to join the PlayGarden Board, where my children have thrived at summer camp, finding joy in its nurturing environment. I look forward to supporting its vital mission and leveraging my professional and personal experiences towards a meaningful cause.

Alysha Cooper_Seattle Playgarden Board Member 2025

Alysha Cooper
UX Designer for McGraw Hill | Photographer | PlayGarden Parent Disabilities Advocate and lover all of things furry.

Anne Rogerson
Cardiac, Palliative Care and Hospice Nurse | Disability Advocate

I started working with and caring for people with disabilities in high school, and learned how I could enrich another person’s life, by helping to make it fuller, kinder, better understood, which turned out to be a formative experience for me.

During the first half of my professional life, I worked with homeless and high risk youth, providing individual counseling, family reconciliation and program management. In my 40’s, as my own children got older, I decided to change careers into nursing. The second half of my professional life has focused on Cardiac, Palliative Care and Hospice nursing in both direct care and management roles.

My oldest grandson is disabled and loves Seattle PlayGarden’s summer camp. I attended a harvest party at SPG several years ago and was tremendously impressed by this organization’s deep commitment to enriching the lives of disabled children. I decided then that when I retired, I wanted to find a way to support and advance this wonderful place!

Teaching Assistant Job Description & How to Apply

Collage of photos of staff at the PlayGarden playing with kids in the garden. The text reads: Did you know 47% of our staff identified as having a disability in 2025?

The importance of representation

At the PlayGarden we know how important representation is. The impact of seeing yourself represented, whether that’s in media or in the classroom, is powerful. Our team is made up of individuals across different ages, genders, experience levels, educational backgrounds and across a variety of racial, cultural and linguistic backgrounds. The PlayGarden hires people with and without disabilities to ensure that all of our campers and preschoolers can see themselves reflected in our staff.

Equal Opportunity Employer

The Seattle Children’s PlayGarden is an Equal Opportunity Employer and welcomes a diversity of applicants to apply. Having a staff that authentically reflects the communities we serve is a critical step in creating the inclusive world we envision.