Our Team
Dafni Kirkpatrick, MSc, MBA
ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR
Dafni Kirkpatrick is the Administrative Director at R.I.S.E. Northwest. She supports the Board in day-to-day leadership, helps develop and implement the organization’s strategy, and ensures program operations adhere to legal guidelines.
Dafni holds Master’s degrees in Computer Science and Business Administration. Devoted to the mission, she is thrilled to join the team and hopes to apply leadership and management best practices to serve the children and their communities.
Dafni concurrently serves as the Business & Communications Manager at the Florida Trust for Historic Preservation.
Karly Monteith
PROGRAM DIRECTOR
Karly is an Eastern Washington University Child Life and Health Master’s graduate. She plans to work with children and families in the health care setting as a Certified Child Life Specialist. She loves working with others, meeting new people, and working with her community.
Through her education, Karly is familiar with the impact that illness and death can have on children and families. Courses like Grief and Loss and Pediatric Palliative Care have helped her understand how children cope with loss. With an extensive knowledge of child development, Karly knows how youth of all ages understand and see the world.
She hopes to create a safe and welcoming environment to help youth cope with loss in a healthy and meaningful way and to use her education to make an impact on her community and aid others.
Vanessa Wheat
COMMUNITY AMBASSADOR
Vanessa Wheat learned the importance of empathy at a young age after losing her father. A dedicated mother of three, she enjoys giving back to the community. She has mentored young mothers at Young Lives Spokane and is now a certified grief coach through the Dora Carpenter Institute of Professional Grief Coaching.
Vanessa founded Pain into Purpose Grief Coaching to help others turn their personal pain into purpose. As Community Ambassador for R.I.S.E. Northwest, Vanessa advocates for the unique needs of grieving teens and promotes a community of understanding and compassion. Her goal is to raise awareness about the important work of the organization and share her own story to inspire others.