AAI Staff

The AAI staff is proud to have been involved in the adoptive placement of thousands of children over the past 25 years. We believe that children belong in families and we are committed to processing each adoption with respect for the welfare of the child and concern for the emotional support of the adopting parents.

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Port Angeles Office Staff: Gay Knutson Gay Knutson has worked for AAI from the beginning as an Adoption Counselor. For many years she has also led our social work team. Gay talks with adoptive families who are having adjustment issues, selects educational materials that are provided for AAI families and staff and assures that AAI practices meet Hague standards. She has grown sons and lives with her husband on acreage near Port Angeles. Kathy Sculley Kathy Sculley was hired as the bookkeeper in 1986 when the AAI office was still in the Ripley garage. Since then she has acquired many more duties including assisting with the domestic adoption program and as office manager. Kathy is a California native who moved to Washington in 1981 with her husband, Richard. They have three adult children, two daughters and one son. Ky Bower Ky Bower started working for AAI when she was a sophomore in high school in 1996. She currently coordinates the China and Thailand program and assists with the Uganda program. Ky and her husband are parents to two boys and enjoy spending time with family and friends at their lake cabin at Lake Crescent. Linda Lyver Linda Lyver has worked for AAI since 2005. She maintains the Ethiopian children's files and assists families with the referrals. She has one grown step son and lives with her husband in Port Angeles. Johanna Sculley Johanna Sculley began working at AAI in 2008 as a high school senior. She graduated in 2009 with a high school diploma and her Associate in Arts degree. Her duties include managing agreements with cooperating agencies, maintaining the online Waiting Children list, and handling post placement reports. Johanna looks forward to returning to school one day for veterinary medicine. Susan Holmgren Susan Holmgren has worked for AAI since January 2006. She assists with the Ethiopia program and is excited to invest time in 2012 developing funding sources to ensure Opportunity House can become self sustaining. Susan is married and has three energetic kids! Yvette Nichols Yvette Nichols has been with AAI since June 2006. She primarily works with the Washington foster to adopt program, assisting families with foster licensing and homestudy paperwork. She has lived in Port Angeles since 1996 with her husband and together they raised 2 wonderful daughters. She is currently enjoying being a first-time grandmother!

Satellite Office Staff: Anita Gillispie Anita Gillispie joined AAI in April 2007 as our Ghana Program Coordinator. Anita has been involved in adoption and humanitarian initiatives since 2000. She stays actively involved in the adoption community as both a parent and professional. Anita works as a satellite staff member from her home in Oklahoma. She and her husband have 4 children, including a daughter from Cambodia, a son from Vietnam, and a son and daughter from Ghana. Erin Henderson Erin Henderson began working for AAI in January 2008 and now serves as our Special Needs Adoption Coordinator. She will assist families interested in adopting children who are HIV+ or who have other special needs. Erin is also our Fundraising Coordinator for all AAI projects that impact children with special needs, including the GRACE Fund, Opportunity House in Ethiopia, and Sponsorships. She lives in Wyoming with her husband and 12 children. They have children from Vietnam, Korea, the U.S. and Ethiopia and have adopted two HIV+ children from AHOPE through AAI. Salem Richards Salem Richards works from her home in Ohio as our Uganda Program Coordinator. She has been involved in adoption and orphan care since 2003. Salem also coordinates fundraising involving special events, holidays, and other unique projects. She enjoys traveling, blogging, reading and spending time with her family. Salem and her husband are the adoptive parents of three Ugandan children adopted in 2010 and 2011. Salem has a passion for assisting vulnerable children with medical needs and for special needs adoption. Kathy Johnson Kathy has been facilitating adoptions from Georgia for nearly 12 years and loves building families. Being an adoptive mother of two girls from Eastern Europe, she knows first hand how difficult and emotionally challenging an adoption experience can be. In her spare time Kathy enjoys spends time with her family and volunteering with school organizations her children are involved with.

FOUNDING DIRECTOR: Merrily Ripley is founding director of Adoption Advocates International. She has worked in the field of adoption for over 30 years. She and her husband, Ted, adopted 17 children in addition to the 3 born to them. They have many grandchildren and live near Olympic National Park, above Port Angeles. Merrily now divides her time between her family and doing educational, fundraising, and outreach work for AAI.