THE DOUGY CENTER - Key Persons

Brennan was often asked to speak on behalf of Dougy Center as a teenager, sharing her experience alongside then Executive Director, Dr. Donna Schuurman. It was at such an event when she was 14-years old that Brennan was so inspired by what Donna was sharing that she vowed to become the Executive Director of the Dougy Center herself someday. She became a volunteer group facilitator at the age of 16, supporting kids six to 12 who had all had a sibling die. After three years of volunteering with that group, Brennan left Portland for the next decade-always sharing with those she met about the magic and importance of the Dougy Center. Brennan rejoined Team Dougy as the Receptionist and Program Assistant in 2004. After moving through many different roles, she became the Executive Director in October of 2015. Brennan is a member of the Board of Directors of National Alliance for Grieving Children, on the National Advisory Council for the COVID Collaborative, and a member of the Advisory Council for Hidden Pain. She previously served on the Board of Directors of Willamette Valley Development Officers (WVDO). She was a WVDO Star Bright Award finalist, a United Way Speaker of the Year, the 2020 Portland Monthly Light-a-Fire Awards Extraordinary Executive Director, and a 2022 Portland Business Journal Woman of Influence. Brennan is also a Dougy Center parent as her and her husband, Steve, bring their daughter Jordyn to Dougy Center after the death of both of her biological parents. Brennan is passionate about the mission of Dougy Center and would love to connect with you anytime about how you can support children and families who are grieving. Brennan serves on the Executive Committee through her role as Executive Director of Dougy Center.

Carolyn McMurchie

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Member of the Advisory Board

Caron Ogg

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Member of the Advisory Board

Cathy Rudd

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Member of the Advisory Board

Charles Allcock

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Member of the Advisory Board

Christina Foutch

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Director

Colleen Thrift

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Member of the Advisory Board

Corey Hanson

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Director

David Hopkins

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Member of the Advisory Board

Diana Faville

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Member of the Advisory Board

Diane Booth

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Member of the Advisory Board

Donna L. Schuurman

Donna L. Schuurman, EdD, FT, is the Senior Director of Advocacy & Education at Dougy Center. Dr. Schuurman was the Executive Director of Dougy Center from 1991-2015. Dr. Schuurman is an internationally recognized authority on grief and bereaved children, teens, and families, and the author of Never the Same: Coming to Terms with the Death of a Parent (St. Martin's Press, 2003), among other publications. Dr. Schuurman has written extensively on topics related to children who are grieving. Her articles and other contributions have been published in scholarly journals and textbooks, and she has been interviewed as an expert on the subject by Redbook, The New York Times, SmartMoney, USA Today, and many other consumer publications. She has worked directly with families and communities impacted by large-scale tragedies and natural disasters including the Oklahoma City bombing (1995), Japan's Great Hanshin Earthquake (1995), the 9/11 Attacks, Tohoku Earthquake (2011), and the Sandy Hook school shootings (2012).

Dr. Monique Mitchell

Monique B. Mitchell, PhD, FT is the Chief Innovation Officer and National Director of L.Y.G.H.T. for Dougy Center Dr. Mitchell is a nationally recognized authority on children, teens, and families who are grieving in foster care, and the author of The Neglected Transition: Building a Relational Home for Children Entering Foster Care (Oxford University Press, 2016) and Living in an Inspired World: Voices and Visions of Youth in Foster Care (Child Welfare League of America Press, 2017), among other publications. She has trained and researched extensively on topics related to the lived experience of children and youth in the foster care system, taught undergraduate and graduate courses on loss and grief, and developed child-centered curricula to serve children who are grieving. Dr. Mitchell has partnered with national agencies such as the United States Children's Bureau, American Bar Association, the Child Welfare League of America, the National Foster Parent Association, and numerous child welfare agencies. She has worked on the ground with children, youth, and young adults who have been impacted by death and non-death losses in Canada, Honduras, and the United States.