Our Staff
Joanne Maher, Executive Director
Originally from Boston, Massachusetts, Joanne and her family enthusiastically moved directly to Bainbridge Island in 2007. She most recently worked as the Director of Healthy Youth Alliance at Bainbridge Youth Services where her role was to develop, manage and cultivate relationships with non-profit agencies to ensure that youth interests and voices were being represented throughout our community. During her tenure at BYS, Joanne’s mother passed away after a long illness. She credits her mother for her strong appreciation and compassion for working with older persons and people with disabilities.
Joanne was on several boards including Raising Resilience, another Island non profit, bringing parents together for acclaimed speaker and documentary events, small-group classes, panels and workshops where parents learned from experts and from each other. She was on the Board of Hyla's Middle School and has always been very actively involved in her children’s schools through PTO’s at Hyla Middle School, Ordway Elementary and Sakai Middle School.
Joanne started her career in technology as a channel marketing manager. Her focus was developing a community of business partners to enhance the company’s software products. She worked on improving process flows used for system design and overall technology improvements. Joanne was responsible for the company’s premier event managing and training their customer service centers for over 10,000 attendees.
Joanne loves to spend time with her family traveling, hiking and going to concerts, the theatre, the ballet and musicals. She loves to read, walk and practices pilates and yoga when she has the time.
Jackie Fabbri, Volunteer Program Manager
Jackie moved from Chicago to Bainbridge in 1995. She worked in sales and operations roles with technology start-up companies until the dot.com transition. During that time, she worked with corporate event projects in stage management and production positions, assisting with 50-50,000 person events including the Dalai Lama visit to Seattle, the Special Olympics Opening Ceremonies and a variety of Starbucks & Microsoft meetings and conferences.
Jackie has been an IVC volunteer since 2012 fitting assignments in as time permits. When a request for a companionship visit came her way, a treasured 9-year friendship was formed, underscoring the impact of IVC’s mission.
After a 9-year board assignment with Arms Around Bainbridge and one year on the IVC board member, Jackie is eager to serve as an IVC staff member to help recruit, train and retain volunteers to provide companionship and other services to assist care receivers.
Lynn Murphy, Life Enrichment Program Manager
Lynn has served as IVC’s Life Enrichment Coordinator since 2016 when the program has its beginning. It has grown to include a feast of Life Enrichment programs that run the cultural gamut from the Kreaky Knees Walking Group (took a virtual trek across the UK and Northern Ireland during the Pandemic); to The Met in HD Opera Series at the local cinema; a very active Movie Group that gathers at Bainbridge Island Museum of Art to see the Film Noir Series, the Classic and Foreign Film series; a Hands on Arts & Crafts group that meets quarterly with local artists provided by the Arts over 60 program from Bainbridge Arts and Crafts; to the Shoppers Special that treks to nearby Silverdale
Lynn takes advantage of the wealth of activities that exist naturally on Bainbridge, and works for a balance of fun, educational, social and healthy. The program has seen tremendous growth and enthusiasm as Care Receivers get out in the community and away from isolation and loneliness, to make new acquaintances and friendships.
From college days in theater and art and journalism and a career as a location manager in the film industry, Lynn has always been engaged in creative pursuits and enjoys putting those skills to work now for IVC the world of Seattle real estate.
Lynn counts herself fortunate to have had her 96 year-old mother in her last 6 years of life as a cribbage, gin, bingo partner, and travel companion until she left the “departure lounge” at 101. Lynn’s time spent with her mother provided an opportunity to engage with a broad senior community, and come to understand the issues, and needs, of our aging population, setting the groundwork for her role as IVC’s Life Enrichment Coordinator.
Katie Auger, Community Resource Navigator & Care Receiver Program Manager
Originally from Minnesota, Katie moved to Seattle in 2008 to complete her degree in social work from Seattle University. Katie has worked as a program coordinator with both the Foster Grandparent and Volunteer Services programs at Catholic Community Services in Seattle.
After enjoying nearly a decade in Seattle, Katie, along with her spouse and young son, made their way to the Kitsap peninsula where they have spent the last year and a half remodeling a hundred year old farmhouse. Spending time with friends and family tops Katie’s list of favorite activities, she can also be found exploring the region in kayak, looking for treasures at area thrift stores, and spending time working on house and garden projects.
She joined IVC and the BI Senior Center as the new Community Resource Navigator and is honored to have the opportunity to serve our community in this capacity. Whether you’re looking to track down a phone number, or seeking assistance in navigating the complex web of community services, it is truly Katie’s pleasure to offer support.
Michele Blackford, Finance & Information Manager
As the resident office manager, Michele assists in the daily operations of IVC and loves to be involved with care receivers and volunteers. In her position she hopes to continue strengthening our organization processes and our ability to serve our neighbors and partner with other organizations in the community.
During the past year, Michele had the opportunity to spend quite a bit of time with her oldest daughter, her husband, and new puppy. Michele enjoys spending time with her family and making time for her kids.
Morgan Dilling, Administrative Coordinator
As an avid reader with an interest in creative literature, Morgan graduated from University of Puget Sound in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in English, shortly before the pandemic shifted her ideas of the future. During the pandemic, Morgan became involved with her community by picking up a job at her local grocery store, allowing her to engage with people struggling during a difficult social time. She has joined IVC in hopes to better her connection with her community and participate in seeing folks come together.
Morgan has a personal investment in the mission statement of IVC from her own experiences in caring for family members, and she wants to see the care and community IVC represents be accessible to everyone. By working at IVC, she is hoping to help connect people with community resources that allow them to get the assistance they need, including that of IVC’s. She aspires to see asking for help become more of a norm within society and communities, and attempts to make that difference in her work. If you’re looking to put in a request and see if we can help, Morgan is your go-to gal.
Robin Gaphni - Bloedel Reserve Well Being Program Manager
Robin Gaphni has over 25 years of experience in the non-profit world. She holds an M.A. in Adult Education and Training from Seattle University and a Death & Grief Studies Certificate from the Center for Loss & Life Transition. In 2010, she and her family lost their 21-year-old son Matthew to a virulent form of strep. In a blink, her life was profoundly changed, and this loss became an integral part of who she is now.
Robin started facilitating grief support groups for IVC in the fall of 2012, and officially joined them as Program Manager in 2013. For nine years she was delighted to head up the volunteer and care receiver programs for IVC, and found she was perfectly suited in the role of “connector.” In 2022, she left IVC and found her way to Bloedel Reserve as the Well-Being Program Manager. Here she heads up the Strolls for Well-Being program, as well as the Grief Support Groups that Bloedel and IVC run jointly. Robin is delighted to be actively involved with IVC!