Board of Directors

Chris Bixby moved to the South Sound in 2017. As a survivor of sexual abuse, he is passionate about helping people recover from their trauma. He is a Senior Wealth Advisor with Mariner Wealth Advisors with over 20 years of tax and estate planning experience. Chris lives in Yelm, and is the father of two boys.

Jennie Griek has lived and worked in Pierce County for the last 20 years. She joined the Rebuilding Hope board because she values the agency’s mission to confront the social dynamics which foster sexual assault and abuse. Jennie is the Development Director for Greentrike, a nonprofit focused on building a child-centered community and champions play based learning for children and their caregivers.

Lisa Blackmore is a photographer who specializes in creating imagery for non-profit organizations. When she’s not behind the camera, you can find her enjoying Pacific Northwest beaches with her energetic kids. Lisa serves on Rebuilding Hope’s Board because she loves to bring people in her community together for a cause.

Heather Van Mill is a Gulf War Era veteran of our U.S. Armed Services and has served in the sexual assault service field for 25 years. Since 2005, Heather has served as Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) Program Manager and Sexual Assault Repsonse Coordinator for the U.S. Air Force’s McChord Field.

Katt McKnight is a sexual assault survivor with professional experience as a rape crisis advocate on the East coast. Katt works as an Implementation Manager at Vera Whole Health and is passionate about bringing her professional and lived experiences to serve the Board and Pierce County community.

Hailing from Tacoma, William joins Rebuilding Hope’s Board as a career veteran with Tacoma Police Department, including 15 years of experience as a Special Assaults Investigator, spanning sexual assault and abuse, intimate partner violence and child abuse cases. William’s history of working collaboratively with agency staff to connect survivors and families impacted by sexual violence our continuum of support services inspired his decision to join the Board of Directors in 2022, combined with his fervent belief in the agency’s mission. Through his Board service, William continues to advocate for survivor support services while also bridging gaps between community and system responses to violence.

Stemming from a lifelong interest in law and criminal justice, Kara joins Rebuilding Hope’s Board as a 17-year veteran of the legal field and long-time Deputy Prosecuting Attorney with the Pierce County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office. Kara was drawn to serving as a Board member after years of experience prosecuting sexual assault cases and seeing both the impact such crimes have on survivors and the community, as well as how Rebuilding Hope’s services can improve outcomes for survivors and the community. Kara also has a passion for animals and animal rescue services.

From leading survivor-centered initiatives at college to professional victim-survivor advocacy and, now, violence prevention coordination at Virginia Mason Franciscan Health, Kyra is a passionate ambassador for survivor voices across the South Sound. Kyra chose to serve as a Board member as she found Rebuilding Hope to actively respond to the unique needs of survivors while also holding itself accountable to the community the agency serves. Kyra also enjoys hiking, paddleboarding and exploring hidden treasures of the PNW that bring her joy and excitement.