Vision House

Vision House is blessed with a group of talented staff members providing leadership and direction to the agency.

To contact a member of our staff, please call: 425-228-6356 or info@vision-house.org

Vision House Management Team
(In alphabetical order)

Children’s Village Child Care Director, Janine Bell, received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Human Development and her Associated Arts degree in Early Childhood Education. She oversees a staff of 15 and has over 16 years experience working in child care, eight of which have been in director positions. Janine is also a nationally rated gymnastics judge. Janine’s dedication towards developing a qualified, experienced and caring staff shows immediately as one observes the interactions between our teachers and the children in their care.

Communications and Donor Relations Manager,
Mary Burton
has over 20 years of experience working in business, education and the non-profit arena. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Business Administration from a Washington university, and a Vocational Teaching Certification in Diversified Occupations and Work-Based Learning. She has also earned a Public Relations Certificate from a large local university.

Director of Operations & Co-Founder, John Camerer, has 20 years of experience in managing a non-profit organization. He has provided much of the leadership and vision to successfully expand the organization from conception to its present capacity. Prior to Vision House he worked for the Department of Corrections as a counselor and administrator for 15 years. He earned a B.A. in Crime in Society Sociology with a minor in Organizational Communications.

Executive Director & Co-Founder, Susan Camerer, has served Vision House in many leadership positions since its inception in 1990. Susan now leads a staff of 35, oversees an operating budget of nearly $2 million, and directs all capital and expansion projects. She works closely with the Vision House board which governs all aspects of the agency’s programs, finances and events. Susan has a B.S. in Psychology from a Washington university and 12 years of experience operating a for-profit company.

Finance Manager, Jeff Darr has 29 years of experience in accounting and finance. He has a BS in Business Administration majoring in Accounting from a university in Ohio. For 9 years Jeff worked as a CPA in public accounting serving a diverse client base including several non-profit organizations. The following 20 years he worked in investment banking for a fixed income broker dealer. His responsibilities included technical support to institutional accounts, compliance, and office administration.

Human Resources and Office Manager, Melissa Gehrig, has a BA in Fine Arts from a university in California, an M.A. in Organizational Leadership and over 15 years experience in various forms of program management and training and development. Melissa has worked in the banking industry, in education, in an art museum and as a member of a church staff.

Senior Coordinator, Michelle Nelson has worked for over twelve years in the public relations field for various non-profit groups. While at Vision House, Michelle has written over 225 grants contributing over $844,000 for the agency’s programs and capital campaigns. Michelle has also coordinated, on average, five to six events per year. Michelle graduated from a California university and went on to receive an M.A. in Journalism.

Director of Development, James (Jim) R. Shapiro* is founder of The EDGE Group, a non-profit fundraising consulting company based in Edmonds, Washington. Jim held the Vice President of Development position of Crista Ministries managing the fundraising operation of the $70 million nonprofit organization. Shapiro is the youngest Vice President in the organization’s 50 year history. In the spring of 2004, Shapiro resigned from CRISTA to build greater value in the non-profit sector by launching The EDGE Group. Shapiro graduated from a Washington State university with a B.B.A. in business with an emphasis on human resource management and continues to serve his community by coaching various youth sports programs including a paid position as the Head Football Coach at a local high school.

Family Services Director, Anne Snook, has over 16 years of experience working with homeless and low-income families. Anne graduated from a Washington university with a B.A. in Social Services and has an M.A. in Human Development/Social and Health Services. She also served as Chair for the Seattle Coalition for the Homeless.