Our Team
Beth Unverzagt
Executive Director
During the past 15 years, since the 2005 inception of the Oregon Network, Beth has worked on numerous initiatives including advocacy for school age programs, creation of the school age standards and competencies, training and technical assistance for school age programs. Beth believes that all children and youth should have expanded learning opportunities, regardless of the economic status of their families. In 2016, she was recognized as a White House Champion of Change for her work in summer learning. Beth is an artist, book lover, grandmother of two and a world traveler.
Bethany Thramer
Community Relations Manager
Bethany has been with the network since starting as a VISTA in 2012. Bethany has continued to lead many of our STEM projects since the inception of the Oregon Girls Collaborative in 2014, including facilitated forums across the state, a work group on informal STEM integration within ESSA, state CTE & STEM convenings, and our most recent work supporting equitable STEM opportunities through Million Girls Moonshot efforts. She has worked on summer learning policy, workforce preparedness systems building, and directed much of the Commitment to Quality campaign work. In 2015-16, Bethany was selected as a White Riley Peterson Fellow, participating in this national fellowship to advance policy in support of afterschool. She is deeply committed to creating an Oregon where systems allow each youth to thrive throughout our diverse communities. Bethany is a proud mom of 3 boys who enjoys doing Crossfit and watching college football to get some quiet time in her life.
Katie Lakey
Research Manager
After joining OregonASK in 2014 as an AmeriCorps VISTA, Katie Lakey now serves as Research Manager. In this role Katie collaborates with colleagues to collect data on afterschool and summer programs, to evaluate the impact of particular projects, and to produce reports (such as The State of Access and Equity of Afterschool in Oregon). While she loves a well-organized spreadsheet, Katie is most dedicated to telling the story of afterschool: the triumphs of afterschool programs and the youth they serve, as well as the stories of the young people who don’t yet have access to enriching, life-changing afterschool and summer experiences. By uplifting these stories, Katie hopes to help build strategies and systems that create opportunity for every child across Oregon. When she’s not knee-deep in survey data, Katie can often be found exploring Oregon’s beautiful wilderness, picking marionberries to squirrel away in her freezer for holiday pies, or curled up at home with a warm cup of tea and a good book. Katie was also named one of the National Afterschool Association’s Next Generation of Afterschool Leaders in 2018.
Rachel Kessler
Learning Design Coordinator, Master Trainer
Rachel provides facilitation, training, and coaching for programs including support for STEM initiatives and academic and enrichment goals for programs. She is also the lead curriculum developer for the Network, spending time on STEAM, literacy, service learning, careers, and most recently, the Prysm Arts curriculum and strategies for front line staff and program leadership. Her Professional Development has also earned “Top 10 Session” awards at the National Afterschool Association conferences four years in a row, including sessions such as Art and Youth Voice, The ‘A’ in STEAM, and Equitable Art practices in Afterschool. Rachel is also the lead on National efforts to train Network leads on sustainable and expansive STEAM strategies, Content development and partnering for the Mizzen by Mott App, and the development of OASK tools such as the STEM Mentors’ Toolkit. She is certified in DoS Observation and facilitation for partnered PD such as PBS curriculum and training for SciGirls, the Smithsonian’s Latino Virtual Museum, California Academy of Sciences Science Action Club, LEAP into Science from the Franklin Institute, Techbridge Girls, and is a National Geographic Educator with certification to train on Geo Inquiry, among other partnered programming opportunities and professional development offered by the Network. Rachel has been with OregonASK since November 2014 and is also a professional artist living in Portland. She holds a Bachelors Degree in Fine Art from California Institute for the Arts, and a Masters Degree from ArtCenter College of Design.
Kelsey Nagel
Outreach & Curriculum Designer
Kelsey Nagel is an Outreach and Curriculum Designer who supports network partnerships & communication, training & curriculum development, and graphic design at OregonASK. Kelsey is passionate about creating accessible educational experiences that are exciting and inclusive. She holds a BA in Creative Writing, a Master’s Degree in Teaching Early Childhood and Elementary Education, and an Oregon Teaching License. Before her work with OregonASK, she was an upper elementary school teacher and afterschool educator. In her space time, she enjoys trying new hobbies, playing the ukulele, training her dog, and adventuring on the Oregon coast.
Monica McQueen
Entrepreneur Project Director
Stephanie Balke
OregonASK Associate
Stephanie has a strong passion for fostering quality in afterschool programs and is excited to bring her field experience and education background into the OregonASK quality team that supports professional development initiatives across Oregon. Stephanie earned her degree in Elementary Education in 2013 and has worked with public, non-profit, and for-profit educators; finding her passion to be in afterschool. She participated in Mizzen by Mott pioneer program and was selected as a panel presenter. She was chosen as a 2021 Next Generation of Afterschool Leader by the National Afterschool Association. In her free time, Stephanie, her husband, and new addition to the family, Nathan, enjoy going to the park, doing crafts, and participating in library story time.
Cooper Lash
Communication VISTA
Alexei Burgos
Data/Project Specialist
Alexei is a data/project specialist who assists on a variety of projects at OregonASK such as ArcGIS mapping, data entry/research, and website maintenance. In his time at OregonASK, he has learned the value and importance of afterschool and summer programming, seeing the significance of his contributions for the overall improvement of afterschool programs. Alexei is a student at Oregon State University studying Electrical & Computer Engineering. During his free time, he loves to exercise and play basketball, spend time with loved ones, and find ways to continue growing as an individual.
