Staff
Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep is operated by a dedicated, compassionate, and skilled staff that guide our large team of volunteers in the community.
Missy Thomas
Executive Director
Missy Thomas
Missy has been actively involved with NILMDTS since 2015. During this time, she has served as a Dispatcher, Assistant to the Photographer, Digital Retouch Artist, Affiliated Photographer, Dispatch Coordinator, Medical Program Manager, Director of Programs, Senior Director of Operations and now Executive Director. Missy’s work with NILMDTS is dedicated to James, the son of very close friends of hers. James passed away unexpectedly shortly after birth in 2014 and through that experience, she came to know the incredible importance of remembrance photography.
A native West Virginian, Missy has a BA in English from West Virginia University and a MS in Accounting from Texas A&M University-Commerce. She currently lives in Omaha, NE with her husband, three kids, and three crazy dogs. In her spare time she most enjoys reading and traveling.
Ali Furtwangler
Director of Information Technology
Ali Furtwangler
Ali came to know Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep when her first baby, Zachary, was stillborn in 2011. She began volunteering as a Community Volunteer in 2013 assisting with recruitment and in 2015, she became the Seattle Area Coordinator. After a year of great administrative and logistical advancement for her local team, she joined the ranks of west coast Regional Coordinator in 2016. To help drive consistency and connectivity within the organization, she continued as a Volunteer Coordinator until she left her career as an IT Audit Manager and joined the staff as Volunteer Care Specialist in 2018. She took on managing the entire volunteer program as Volunteer Program Manager before landing in her current role tying her passion of helping others with her previous career strengths; overseeing all Information Technology for NILMDTS.
During her time at NILMDTS and her own personal experience receiving photos, she realized the importance of images and found a deep desire to take up photography. After months of learning the fundamentals of professional photography, in 2017 Ali started her photography business, Life Under the Stars Photography, named for her son, and also became a Seattle area Volunteer Photographer and Digital Retouch Artist.
Ali enjoys honoring her son’s memory by helping others experiencing loss and showing them there is hope after such a significant and devastating loss. She first found her version of hope by welcoming her daughter, Vivian, at the end of 2012 and has since welcomed a healthy baby boy, Conner, in 2014 and her second daughter, Claire, in 2016. Besides her roles within NILMDTS, she previously served as the President of Parent Support of Puget Sound, a Seattle area non-profit supporting families experiencing miscarriage, pregnancy loss, stillbirth and infant death.
Ali resides primarily in Sammamish, Washington and is often found at the beach in Ocean Shores, Washington with her loving husband, three lively children, two dogs and a cat.
Melanie Rodger
Recruitment Coordinator
Melanie Rodger
Melanie has been actively involved in NILMDTS since 2018. She first learned of NILMDTS following the death of her first son, Bennett, in 2010. Photography services weren’t something offered to her in the hospital, but she quickly knew this was a way she wanted to give back in honor of Bennett someday. Fast forward to the birth of her rainbow baby in 2018 and a chance encounter with a local volunteer, and Melanie knew the time was right. Melanie has held multiple volunteer roles such as Dispatcher, Assistant to Photographer, Area Coordinator and maintains her volunteer work as a Volunteer Photographer to this day.
Melanie comes from an extensive background in sales and sales management and enjoys helping others learn about NILMDTS and encouraging them to find their place as a volunteer. Melanie has traveled and lived across the world but calls the Seattle suburbs home with her son, Lachlan, and husband, Alan. In her free time, you can find Melanie and her family doing something outdoors, checking out the latest foodie spots, or catching a flight to their next adventure. Melanie enjoys photography, giving back to her local community, and working on DIY projects around their home.
Lisa Manchester
Program Services Coordinator
Lisa Manchester
Lisa has served as a Now I Lay Me Down to Sleep Volunteer Photographer, Digital Retouch Artist, and Retouching Instructor/Mentor since 2014 and became a proud staff member in 2019. Lisa’s work encompasses many responsibilities involving retouching requests, family inquiries, various administrative tasks, and volunteer support. Lisa’s last three pregnancies ended in early miscarriage (Matthew, Sarah, and Jeremiah). She is humbled to be able to honor those babies through her work with NILMDTS. She and her husband, Todd, reside in the state of Vermont (and sometimes the state of chaos and confusion) and have six beautiful children, one son-in-law, and a few fur babies.
Jess Weltner
Volunteer Program Manager
Jess Weltner
She lives in East Tennessee with her husband, their two children, and a small zoo of pets that regularly try to make appearances on Zoom meetings. When she isn’t behind a camera, she’s usually baking something with way too much butter, listening to 90’s music, or hanging out in a hammock. Jess says that her work with NILMDTS is a small way of putting some good into the world and ensuring every parent knows their child will always be remembered.
Lindsay Karas
Senior Manager of Development
Lindsay Karas
Lindsay joined NILMDTS in April 2024 as the Senior Manager of Development. She is an
experienced fundraiser with over a decade of experience in leading development and
communications efforts. She is a graduate of Grand Valley State University and is a Certified
Fund Raising Executive (CFRE). Lindsay is passionate about connecting donors with an
impactful opportunity to support families experiencing infant loss and honoring those babies.
Lindsay is based in Michigan, 30 minutes outside of Detroit. She and her husband have two
children, Charlotte and Henry, and a Shih Tzu who acts more like a cat than a dog. In her spare
time, she enjoys spending time with family, going for walks, and soaking up time with her children.
Mackenzie Mahon
Volunteer Program Manager
Mackenzie Mahon
Mackenzie first learned of NILMDTS in 2019 while serving as a chaplain intern at a Level 1 Trauma Center in Omaha, Nebraska. She went on to complete a chaplain residency at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago, where she primarily provided spiritual and emotional support to families on the Mother-Baby, Labor and Delivery, and Neonatal Intensive Care Units. During this time Mackenzie was honored to walk with numerous families experiencing miscarriage and infant loss. Mackenzie was deeply moved by the love these families have for their infants and found great significance in being a companion in their grief. She joined the NILMDTS team in 2022 and is excited to continue using her skills to support bereaved families.
Mackenzie has a Bachelor of Science in Business from Montana State University in Bozeman, as well as dual Master of Divinity and Master of Nonprofit Administration degrees from North Park Theological Seminary in Chicago. Originally from Wenatchee, Washington, Mackenzie currently lives in a diverse neighborhood on Chicago’s northwest side. When not at NILMDTS, Mackenzie can be found curled up with a mug of tea and a good book, or out exploring the many museums and activities Chicago has to offer.
Sara Gabriel
Development & Administrative Assistant
Sara Gabriel
Sara has been involved with various nonprofits over the years, including as a fur-baby adoption counselor for the Humane Society, a host at the Ronald McDonald House, and an admin assistant for a child-advocacy group. She is excited to have joined the NILMDTS team in a Development and Administrative support role.
Sara resides in Morrison, Colorado, with her husband, teenage daughter, and two rescue dogs. When she’s not working or volunteering, she enjoys spending time with her family, hiking in the mountains, biking the various paved paths throughout the Denver/Metro area, and writing. Lots and lots of writing. Oh! And seeking out the best restaurant patios for a scrumptious breakfast or brunch in the Colorado sunshine.
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