Staff Members
Executive Director
Ryan Orrison (he/they)
Ryan Orrison (he/they) is the Executive Director of Bridges, a sober community for teens in recovery from addiction that harnesses the peer model to provide a highly engaging and effective support system that promotes personal and social development. The position and his drive to engage young people in this manner is manifested from his own lived experience combined with a revitalization of purpose following his own entrance into recovery in 2013. Prior professional experience includes working in multiple clinical roles in both residential and outpatient substance use disorder facilities. A combination of direct service, program development, and supervisory experience offered him the opportunity to join Bridges in late 2021 as Program Director.
The hallmark of peer services found in the Bridges program and other programs like it is the participants ability to connect through shared lived experiences. Ryan’s lived experiences deepen his passion for this work through both the adversity he has faced and the triumphant joy that overcoming that adversity brings. Ryan’s journey into addiction began while in middle school, progressing into choices that altered his life path significantly when he became justice involved at the age of 17. Years of trauma and struggling with both his mental health and addiction led to him missing out on his formative years. It may be one of the reasons why he takes such joy in being a part of young people’s lives – he still is very much a teenager at heart.
While passionate about his purpose and the work he does professionally, the spiritual core of his life centers on his family, including those chosen family members in his recovery circle. His partner Lenni, two amazing cats that truly run his life, and a wonderful silly dog that he adores are just those loved ones he lives with. Ryan is blessed in that there are simply too many people he loves to name, some with us (love you mom) and others having passed. His father John, father-in-law Steve, and sponsor Dennis all passed from cancer within the past 5 years. These transformative relationships and the incredible support of those family members who lift him up and challenge his fears are the architects of his heart’s path through life. The joys he has discovered along that path include his love for physical activities, reading, fiddling with electronic stuff that sometimes works when he’s done, video games, and discovering wonders through shared experiences with others.
Lead Peer Counselor
Ila Shaw (She/Her)
A Seattle native, Ila Shaw is a young adult in long term recovery. Ila says the most inspiring thing about working for Bridges is being able to offer support to teens battling the same things she did when she was their age. She offers the guidance she never had, and says it is so rewarding to be able to walk alongside Bridges teens on their journey and watch them achieve what they once thought was impossible.
Peer Counselor
Noah Winkelman (he/him)
Originally from the city of Berkeley in California, Noah moved to Seattle while earning his Bachelor’s degree at Seattle University. As someone who has seen family and friends battle addiction and severe mental health conditions, Noah knows that authentic quality support has the capability of saving lives. Noah feels profoundly passionate that everyone deserves to be seen, heard, and cared for.
Being a part of Bridges community and seeing the teens grow, connect, and support one another is where Noah finds the most meaning in his work. Noah is honored and excited to continue to be a resource for the Bridges community. Noah recently obtained his Certified Peer Counselor License! Bridges is grateful for him and his hard work.
Board Members
Board President
Alexandria Morales (she/her)
Alexandria owns her own business and is a Financial Advisor under Barnum Financial Group. Driven by the love of her family, she has a passion to bring financial education to inner city communities. She is an avid sports enthusiast with a special love for rugby. Before stepping onto the Bridges Board, she volunteered her time with children as young as five years old teaching the basics of finance. It is her conviction that the basics of financial education should be accessible to everyone.
With a personal understanding of the devastating effects of addiction, Alexandria is driven by her desire to make a positive impact on society. Growing up with a father and family who struggled with addiction, she personally experienced the heartbreak of loving those who suffered from addiction with no resources available to help. This experience has shaped her into a changemaker and ignited a passion within her to be a part of the solution.
Alexandria believes in the power of recovery; her father has been sober for over 20 years. She is dedicated to providing resources and support to those in need and she recognizes the importance of early intervention and prevention programs. She is committed to creating a better future for the next generation and welcomes the challenge to change the world starting with our city.
Public Relations Officer
Tricia Davis (she/her)
Tricia Davis, a dynamic community leader, is dedicated to helping remove barriers in the lives of youth in Seattle. She and her husband, Ben Haggerty (Macklemore), both raised in Seattle, focus their community giving and philanthropic support towards racial equity, addiction recovery, and access to music for youth. As a successful artist, manager and creative director of the Macklemore brand for over ten years, Tricia has the skills, knowledge and relationships to elevate community partnerships to maximize impact. She and her husband are sober, and in recovery, and are committed to providing youth access to life-changing mentorship that they received. Tricia enjoys spending contemplative time in nature on Orcas Island and creating art with her three young children.
Board Secretary
Kelly Kerby, LMHC, SUDP (She/her)
As a licensed mental health counselor and substance use disorder professional with nearly two decades of clinical experience, Kelly Kirby brings a wealth of expertise to Bridges. She works with adolescents and adults across the addiction and mental health spectrum , from prevention to long-term inpatient treatment.
Currently serving as the primary co-occurring disorders counselor at Seattle Children's Hospital's Complex Care Clinic, Kelly's commitment to Bridges aligns with her deep-seated belief in a world where teenagers do not turn to drugs and alcohol for solace and spiritual connection.
Kelly's roots are in Atlanta, where she pursued her graduate training. However, with family ties to the Pacific Northwest, Kelly made the move to Seattle in 2004 to kickstart her professional career. She spends her spare time county line dancing, attending rodeos, and not hiking.
Board Member at Large
Honna Kimmerer (she/her)
Honna Kimmerer was born and raised in Seattle, WA and started using drugs and alcohol as a young teenager in the era of “Just Say No” and "DARE". She was told alcoholism ran in her family but didn't fully understand at the time what that meant for her, or that she could be affected by drugs, especially marijuana. After getting sober in 2014, she realized that during those early years, having a mentor to talk to about addiction would have made a profound impact.
In her late 20's Honna found herself succeeding in a dream job in film and music touring the world. While friends and family thought she was living her best life, she was dying inside, struggling with depression and anxiety and unable to stop using on her own. She finally got help and went to treatment where she was impacted greatly; learning about the disease of addiction and hearing others speak honestly about their struggles. It radically transformed her life for the better.
Honna is now going on nine years of sobriety and has discovered the value of sharing her story and being the mentor she hoped she had as a young person. She currently volunteers at Seattle's public Recovery High School and holds other service positions in the recovery community. She is heartbroken seeing teenagers die and struggle from this disease and wants to educate others to destigmatize the disease of addiction. She is excited to curate spaces and provide guidance to support in any way she can.
Board Member at Large
Roberta Romero (she/her)
Roberta Romero is a mental health advocate and Emmy award winning journalist at KING 5 (NBC) News. She spent the first 22 years of her career reporting on major news events in the Puget Sound Region, from the Nisqually Earthquake to the Boeing Dreamliner debut, but her specialty was telling and sharing the stories of everyday people.
She left TV News in 2015 for the nonprofit world, working at Residence XII (a treatment center for alcoholism and addiction) as well as Peer Washington (a peer to peer support network).
Roberta is open about her own recovery from Alcoholism and shares her story to help remove stigma and raise awareness.
Roberta returned to her first passion of Journalism and KING 5 in 2022, becoming the Executive Producer for the award-winning Facing Race unit. She is proud to help guide and tell stories about the BIPOC community and to take a sharp look at race and racism.
Volunteering is a vital part of Roberta’s life, and she sits on the board of Bridges-Seattle Alternative Youth Peer Group, Chad’s Legacy, Peer Washington, and the Seattle/King/Snohomish YWCA.
She is passionate about helping disenfranchised people and has a unique skill set which helps tell stories and get messages across to a wide audience.
She is married, with a son and twin daughters (and a rescue dog).
Board Member at Large
Seth Welch (he/him)
Seth Welch has been a chemical dependency counselor for 10+ years. He attended Seattle Central College where he attained a Chemical Dependency certificate and a Bachelor’s Degree in Behavioral Science. He attended graduate school at University of Washington where he received a Master’s of Social Work.
He worked at Washington Asian Pacific Islander Community Services, Therapeutic Health Services, Navos Mental Health, and Juvenile Drug Court in Seattle.
He then began a position to work at Seattle’s first public Recovery High School.
Seth joined on with the team of teachers at the Interagency Recovery School midway through its first year of existence in 2015. Since that time he has worked as there as the Recovery Counselor and Student Family Advocate. He has been largely involved in the development and oversight of the Recovery Program at the school. He is a Board Member of the Association of Recovery Schools.
His time at the Recovery High school has been the most fulfilling experience of his professional life. The community and culture that is created and maintained by students in recovery as well as dedicated staff, is what he believes to be the most essential component of a Recovery High School.