Max Higbee Center

                Staff Bios

Hallie Hemmingsen

Executive Director


Hallie began at Max Higbee Center as an intern in February of 2010 and was hired on as a Recreation Leader that September and has been here ever since! Over the last two years, Hallie has worked in nearly all facets of Max Higbee, and most recently helped to establish the Nutrition Education Program for the  members. Without a doubt Hallie has fallen in love with her job and is truly passionate about her work. 
Her favorite parts about working at Max Higbee are being a part of the laughter that erupts everyday, the genuine friendships that are made, and watching the members try something new. Most importantly though, she adores how Max Higbee Center always focuses on what the member CAN do and not what their disAbility limits them from doing. 
Hallie loves to film and edit movies in her spare time. She also enjoys LAUGHING, writing in her journal, photography, going to concerts, and enjoying the outdoors!

Carrie Bieber

Program Manager (CAP & Weekend Program)

Carrie has worked with Max Higbee Center for over a year. She has a strong background with working with those with developmental disabilities, including working with F.A.C.E.S. (a summer program that provides curriculum and recreation activities for children and teens with autism), and working as a special education para-educator in the Mt. Baker school district.

Her favorites parts about Max Higbee Center include how everyday leaves her smiling, and the relationships she has built with the clients. She also loves working with the dedicated staff at Max Higbee Center.

In her spare time, Carrie loves to sing! She also loves her scooter, playing softball, and her dog, Zeus.

Amanda Squires

Recreation Leader (Weekend Program)

Amanda began working at Max Higbee Center her first quarter of freshman year at WWU,  October 2009. Although she had never worked with adults with developmental disabilities prior to Max Higbee, Amanda worked 5 years at a public daycare with some children who had disabilities.
Her favorite part of Max Higbee is getting to know the families, and getting to build strong personal relationships with the clients over the years. She loves getting to know everyone's personalities and seeing how incredible the clients are. She also enjoys seeing their growth and confidence in more independent life skills over time. Amanda is currently studying human services at WWU, but likes hanging out with friends, hiking, going on adventures, and watching movies.
    

Mayah Stancil

Recreation Leader (CAP)

Mayah has been with Max Higbee Center for about six months, first starting as an intern. Previous to Max Higbee Center, she had no experience with people with disabilities.
Mayah's favorite part about Max Higbee Center is that there is always a positive attitude, by both staff and clients. Everyone is always happy and excited about the days activity. Every day's mini-adventure brings new experiences and positive things to remember later.
In her free time, Mayah loves going to the beach with her family and two dogs. There is always something fun to do at the beach and the dogs tend to make it an adventure. She also enjoys reading.

Sean Dalgarn

Recreation Leader


My name is Sean Michael Dalgarn (The New Guy) and I am a Recreational Leader for the C.A.P program and have been for about two weeks. I am a WWU Human Services student in my junior year. I have little professional experience working with people with disabilities, but have lots of practical knowledge through various interactions in the community and through my dad’s music program that is involved with Max Higbee Center.  My favorite part about Max Higbee Center is the people who attend.  I am very lucky to be a part of a such high spirited, diverse, and fun loving group of people who truly enjoy each others company. I am an Operation Iraqi Freedom Veteran who loves playing the drums, snowboarding, hiking, camping, and meeting new people.

 

Jen Farner

Recreation Leader (Weekend Program)

Jen first became involved with Max Higbee Center through volunteering at our monthly SPIN dances, and officially became part of our staff this fall! She has a wealth of knowledge and experience in working with people with varying abilities. She previously volunteered at Arne Hanna for Adaptive Aquatics, helped to plan and implement Camp TEAM 2012 as a student
leader, and even lead a trip of developmentally disabled travelers on a drip to
Disney World! Jen is a Therapeutic Recreation Major at Western Washington
University and recently completed an internship at the Rehabilitation Hospital
of the Pacific in Hawaii over the summer. Her favorite part of Max Higbee
Center is that no matter how bad her day might be before coming into work, once she gets here it’s impossible not to laugh. She says that, “the clients are
some of the most fun loving comedians I know!”

Michelle Solomon

Recreation Leader (Weekend Program) & Volunteer Coordinator

Everyone meet our new Recreation Leader, Michelle! Coming from a
background full of experience working with people with developmental
disabilities, Max Higbee Center is so excited to have her on the team! Just one of her experiences includes, forming a club in high school called SIFF (Sharing Interests Forming Friendships) which worked to bridge the social gap between students with disabilities and high school students without disabilities by going on buddy outings to form friendships.  Currently Michelle is studyingTherapeutic Recreation at WWU. One of her goals in the future is to create recreational programs for people with disabilities in schools in other countries to help eliminate the barriers of communication between people with disabilities and their peers. Michelle’s favorite part about MHC is all the positive and energetic people that she gets to interact with! She also loves the community involvement and how a big part of the Center's mission is doing activities that promote education, culture, health, etc. where participants can learn and get out an about in the community too. In her spare time she loves volunteering, learning about other cultures, teaching, playing soccer and tennis, dancing ZUMBA, playing games, cooking, and meeting new people!

Amy Shafer

Recreation Leader (CAP) & Nutrition Education Program Coordinator

Amy began working at Max Higbee Center in November 2011, and has been a Recreation Leader at the CAP program ever since! While Amy has had no prior experience working with people with developmental disabilities, she has found Max Higbee Center an incredibly fun and joyous place to work! Amy's favorite part about working at MHC is the staff and member's positive attitudes and unique personalities which she finds to really contribute to the rich and lively atmosphere that makes the Max Higbee
Center such an amazing place to be! In her free time Amy really enjoys hanging out with her friends, being outdoors, and going on spontaneous adventures!

Liisa Geyer

Recreation Leader (CAP)

Liisa started working with Max Higbee Center as an intern at the weekend program in the winter of 2011, and has been volunteering ever since! Liisa began working with people with developmental disAbilities when she was in junior high, where she catered her schedule to allow for her to work in the life skills classroom and/or in the classroom with students who had varying disAbilities. Most recently she spent the summer working with children with disAbilities at summer camps through
Bellingham Parks and Recreation as their Inclusion Specialist. Liisa’s favorite part of Max Higbee Center is seeing the constant smiles on the faces of both the staff and our members, as well as the feeling of community that is always present. Outside of her work with MHC, Liisa’s personal hobbies include photography, reading, and pretty much anything that guarantees her an outdoor adventure.