Our Board Members
Katy Mathias
Conservation Trust Investment Survey Project Manager for the Wildlife Conservation Society
President
Katy Mathias has over 25 years of experience in management and finance, having served as a consultant to for- and not-for-profit organizations in organizational effectiveness, executive compensation, performance measurement & analysis, and project effectiveness. She currently works for The Pew Charitable Trust as Conservation Trust Fund Officer, focusing on capacity building with conservation institutions and on programs to increase available funding to conservation of biodiversity and protected areas around the world.
Katy earned a Masters in Public and Private Management from the Yale School of Management, with concentrations in Strategy and Finance, and a Bachelors Degree in Political Science from Tufts University. She has previously served on the boards of Salish Sea Expeditions and The Island School. She lives on Bainbridge Island with her husband, two kids (both Peacock alums), and two dogs, and enjoys baking, skiing, and mystery novels.
Roger Coulter
Treasurer
Roger is currently the CFO of General Biodiesel, the region’s largest producer of biodiesel from waste cooking oil. Roger uses his expertise in strategy, finance, and operations to provide insights and make Peacock Family Center more effective in executing its mission. He has experience with large international companies, including Goldman Sachs and Amazon.com, as well as medium organizations, early-stage startups, and mission-driven organizations. Roger excels at analyzing and diagnosing the root causes of operational inefficiencies and developing solutions to align business processes with the overall mission and strategy of the organization. Roger earned his B.A. from Brown University and his Masters of Public and Private Management from Yale University. In the summer months, if Roger’s not in his office, he’s out sailing with his family on the boat he built for his honeymoon.
Brenda McVay
Vice President
Brenda McVay created, developed and directed The Learning Place preschool in Stamford, CT from 2002-2006. She has taught children in a variety of program settings over her career, most recently supervising a special education classroom on Bainbridge Island and in North Carolina before that. Brenda has instructed Early Childhood Education undergraduate students at Kansas State University’s Hoeflin Stonehouse childhood development center, has led two separate Headstart programs, and early in her career worked to help military families at an army installation childhood development center. Brenda holds a Master of Science degree in Early Childhood Special Education from Kansas State University and a Bachelors of Education degree in Elementary Education from the University of Hawaii. Brenda is an active volunteer, currently devoting time to assist the Blazers Cross Country Program and, along with her husband and two children, calls Bainbridge Island home.
Carol Pendleton, MA, LMFT, LMHC
Secretary
Professionally, Carol provides Parent Coaching, Clinical Supervision, and Consultation services. She also offers limited psychotherapy services to existing / former clients who benefit from occasional sessions. Carol holds a MA in Applied Psychology in Couple and Family Therapy from Antioch University, Seattle.
Carol LOVES to teach parent education classes and host support groups for parents of children of all ages. She also offers support and educational groups for parents transitioning to parenthood as they welcome children into their families.
She is partially retired from professional work and is devoting her free time to volunteer in her community by serving on the Psychological First Aid Leadership Team with Bainbridge Prepares, serving on the board of the Bainbridge Island Psychotherapy Guild as Program Director, helping in the BARN kitchen, baking bread for Community Loaves, supporting new parents via the Warm Line at Perinatal Support WA, and volunteering for Disaster Mental Health with the American Red Cross.
Carol and her husband have lived on Bainbridge Is for over 30 years and raised two children here. For fun, Carol loves to travel, read, play tennis, pickleball, ping pong. She loves to garden, hike, kayak and walk / cuddle her poodle. Best times are spent with her children, family, and dear friends.
Allyson Brown
Allyson Brown began her career at Starbucks, where she developed and managed a number of Starbucks favorite products, including Starbucks Ice Cream and Frappuccino Blended Beverages. For more than a decade, her leadership extended to IslandWood, an award-winning outdoor center on Bainbridge Island where she served as the Head of Philanthropy. Most recently, Allyson was the ED of the Bainbridge Schools Foundation, and is the owner and principal of Riding the Wave Consulting, supporting community-centered organizations with brand and management consulting, including leading the One Call for All Red Envelope campaign. She is the past Chair of the Family Advisory Council at Seattle Children’s Hospital and Medical Center and has been on the boards of Montessori Country School and Wing Point Golf Club. She partners with and advises a number of local, community-centered organizations.
Allyson earned her Master in Public Administration from the University of Washington’s Evans School, and her BA at the UW’s Jackson School of International Studies. Born and raised in Kitsap County, Allyson loves exploring the nooks and crannies throughout the region, and she feels blessed to live and raise her family in such a special place. Allyson is mom to a high school student and 2nd grader (a Peacock alum and Nature Nuts student). Allyson writes about grief and child loss, and has been published in Mamalode, The Mighty, and The Mid. You can read more about Allyson on her blog www.allysonbrown.com
Lisa deFaria, MSW, LICSW, BCD
Lisa deFaria, MSW, LICSW, BCD is a Board Certified Clinical Social Worker, psychotherapist and child development and mental health specialist. She has 25 years of experience working with young children, teens, and parents in community clinics and private practice. Lisa has been a longtime advocate for comprehensive, inclusive, and culturally sensitive educational and program supports for children and families.
Lisa was the founder and director of the Family Center for Developmental Therapies, a multi-disciplinary child development clinic in Monterey, California, from 2000-2015, prior to relocating to the Pacific Northwest in 2016. While in California, she was an active consultant, program adviser, staff and parent educator for many early childhood programs, including regional Head Start programs, school districts and non-profit agencies. Lisa was also appointed to serve on California state and regional advisory committees designing early intervention policy to meet the needs of multi-cultural, young children and their families, including non-English speaking immigrant families.
After happily relocating to the PNW, Lisa established a private practice on Bainbridge Island in 2017. Now in Poulsbo, she continues her passion for serving local families, children and teens.
Lisa deFaria received her bachelor’s degree in American Studies at Pitzer College, Claremont, CA, Master’s Degree in Clinical Social Work, at the University of Southern California School of Social Work, and was awarded the status of Board Diplomat in Clinical Social Work in 2006. In her off hours she loves playing with her two young grandsons, attending arts and theater events, nature walks, gardening, and backyard birdwatching. She has been volunteering with “Bainbridge Prepares” since 2019, and active in staffing COVID vaccination weekend community clinics since 2020 to the present.
Sophie Hume Avent
Sophie Hume Avent grew up as an ex-pat kid, following her parents to every continent (save Antarctica!) before 20, and was drawn to Bainbridge for its sense of community. After graduating from Scripps College Sophie worked in nonprofit administration for a decade before moving to the Island in 2018. The difficulties of parenting young kids during the pandemic encouraged her to consider how she might be of service to other mothers, and in 2021 she went back to school to become a Licensed Mental Health Counselor. In August of 2023 Sophie will graduate with her MA in Psychology from the University of Massachusetts, after which she hopes to work with women experiencing perinatal mood disorders. She is acutely aware of the pressures working parents face and is passionate about the importance of community during these crucial early years.
Sarah Merrill
Sarah Merrill is one of the Parent Community representatives on the Peacock Board. The Peacock Parent Community aims to forge lasting relationships beyond the classroom and to support our beloved staff in their dedication to provide an enriching educational environment.
Sarah brings 15 years of program management & strategy to the Board. She is passionate about community organizing and local political advocacy. She lives on Bainbridge Island with her son, husband and dog – and enjoys a sunny day gardening when she can.
Andrea Chymiy, MD, MPH
Medical Officer
Andrea has been a Bainbridge resident since 2003. She is a family doctor at Pacifica Medicine & Wellness in Poulsbo. She received a B.S. in Molecular Biology from Vanderbilt University and an M.D. and M.P.H. from Tulane University. Prior to moving to Kitsap County, Andrea did her residency training at Swedish Medical Center and worked for several years at a community health clinic in Seattle. She has also worked in the correctional facilities healthcare system in Washington & Louisiana. Andrea’s professional interests include women’s and children’s health, and public health. In her “free” time Andrea drives a mean carpool, competes in triathlons, and enjoys traveling with her husband, Thomas, and her kids Jacob and Noelle.
Our Advisory Council
Robin Miller, Owner
Miller Speech/Language Pathology
Sue Anderson
Psychotherapist
Carolyn Flack
School Nurse, Kitsap School District
Molly Linhardt, MD
Pediatrician, Bainbridge Pediatrics
Stephanie Farquhar, PHD
Associate Professor of Health UOP/ UW
Tana Materi, Esq.
Carney, Badley, Spellman
Sheila Kent
Co-Founder, Original Peacock Playtime
Val Baustista
Occupational Therapist, Dahlia Center
Kelly Sparks
Co-Founder, Peacock Family Center; Associate Dean of Finance and Operations, University of Oregon School of Law
Thomas Monk, MD
Pediatrician, Swedish Medical Center
