Meet AKA's Dedicated Staff and Volunteers
Marci Shrull (Program Administrator) is a Coordinator for the Skilled Trades at Austin Community College in Texas. She was born and raised in Spokane, Washington, graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Spanish, spent time in the Army working in the intelligence field, and was most recently a public school teacher for eleven years. She is married with a grown son and daughter. In her free time you can find Marci enjoying nature, reading, or spending time with friends. Marci is excited to support AKA and help the community grow.
Sharon Cummins (Peer Support Group Facilitator) is a birth mother in reunion and the author of I Choose This Day: Mournings and Miracles of Adoption. She volunteers her time with AKA as a facilitator for their Birth/First Parents’ Peer Support Group. She has been blessed with the love and support of her lovingly-devoted husband Roger.
Sherry Ferguson (Search Angel) is an adoptee. She is in a happy reunion with her biological parents. She has provided testimony for adoptee rights during the 2015 and 2017 Texas legislative session. Prior to becoming a Mother she worked in the medical profession. She has been a Licensed Vocational Nurse since 1986. As an adoptee she understands the difficulty involved in obtaining family health history and ancestry. She is a Volunteer Search Angel helping adoptees for over 20 years. Her passion is genealogy. Her research connected her to New Orleans and her French Cajun Irish and Spanish roots. She is a proud Native Texan. Born in Houston. Her ancestors came to Texas in 1824 as one Stephen F Austin’s “Old 300” first families. She enjoys her children and hiking and swimming. Sherry is a volunteer search angel.
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Natalie or Natasha La Flare (she/her) (Peer Support Group Facilitator) was born in Ukraine, adopted at age 9 to the States. She has a degree in Sociology and lives with her family in California. After finding out her separated siblings and other adoptees endured similar experiences, she began her journey at the start of the pandemic.
You can find Natalie at the farmer's market supporting a circular economy with a zero waste lifestyle, addressing and challenging widespread ableism with disability activism, and connecting with other survivors of the predatory adoption industry. Fashion, comedy, and reconnecting with her roots keep her inspired. Natalie is a facilitator for our multi/cross cultural women group. |
Natalie is a (most likely) white woman with brown hair, wearing a purple crocheted top. She's leaning and smiling in the Russian Tea Room. In the background, regal dark wood art decorates the pretty green jewel color wall. One framed art is a dynamic ballerina illustration.
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Rod Lind, LPC, (Peer Support Group Facilitator) comes to AKA as an adoptee who recently united with several members of his birth family. He is also a Licensed Professional Counselor and a National Certified Counselor with more than 20 years of experience in the mental health field. He holds a certification in medical hypnosis (CMH) from the American Psychotherapy and Medical Hypnosis Association and has Diplomate status in Comprehensive Energy Psychology (D-CEP) from the Association for Comprehensive Energy Psychology and is currently a Board member of both of those organizations. Rod has a limited private practice helping adult adoptees to meet life’s challenges and to achieve their most desirable sense. Rod is a facilitator for the Men's Adoptee Peer Support Group.
Marci Purcell, she/her (Peer Support Group Facilitator) has spent the past ten years working and volunteering in the adoption community. She served several terms on the board of Adoption Knowledge Affiliates and their sister organization Support Texas Adoptee Rights (STAR). She curranty serves in an advisory capacity to both organizations. Marci is committed to reform and social change relating to the rights of adult adoptees and foster care alumni, as well as truth and transparency in all aspects of adoption. Marci holds a degree in psychology and certificates in mediation, peer support, and psychological first aid. When she is not working toward reform in adoption, she is busy writing, running her vintage small business, and staying active with her family. She is a peer support facilitator for the adoptee and DNA groups.
Dawn Scott (Peer Support Group Facilitator & Conference Committee Member) is an adoptive parent residing in Austin, Texas with her daughter and their dogs, Lucky and Sadie. Past President of AKA, and longtime open records advocate, Dawn also expresses her passion for transparency as a Senior Manager with Beautycounter, the leading provider of clean skin care and cosmetics in North America. Dawn was awarded AKA's Adoption Vanguard Award in 2021. She is a facilitator for the Adoptive Parent Peer Support Group and the DNA Discoveries Support Group.
Dianne Sonnenberg, (Peer Support Group Facilitator) is an international (First Nations) adoptee who has been active in the AKA community for several years. She values the services that AKA provides, has benefitted greatly from her participation, and has a strong desire to support others in their own journeys. She reunited with her extended biological family and First Nations tribal community in 2013-2014. Dianne holds a BA in Psychology from the University of Michigan. She has been married since 1989, an Austin, TX resident since 1992, and has two grown children. Dianne is an artist, and also serves on the boards of the Austin Mosaic Guild and the Texas Society of Sculptors. Dianne is a facilitator for our multi/cross cultural women group.
Dirk Uphoff (Peer Support Group Facilitator) is a transracial adoptee born in the 1960’s during the baby scoop era. He “came out of the fog” in late 2019 and has been immersing himself into the adoption community ever since. Dirk is passionate about educating parents of transracial adoptees and has participated on several panels. He has been active in AKA’s Male Adoptee group and hopes to see more male participation in the adoption constellation. Dirk has served on several boards and looks forward to contributing what he can to AKA and the larger adoption community. He was reunited with several members of his birth family in 2016 and remains in relationship with them. Dirk has a BA in Liberal Arts from Bethel University and holds a certification in Office Ergonomics (CEAS) working in the Contract Furniture Industry. He has been married since 1988, has four grown children, and lives in Phoenix, AZ. Dirk is a facilitator for our Men's Adoptee Peer Support Group.
Tamara Whinston (Peer Support Group Facilitator) is an adoptive mom and an ardent supporter of AKA. Tamara began seeking a deeper connection to the adoption community and educating herself regarding transracial adoption after adopting her son from Russia. Her passion is creating a community where everyone feels heard and valued. Tamara's expertise lies in bringing people together for meaningful collaboration. She enjoys facilitating meetings, event planning, and serving marginalized and underserved communities. She hopes to assist AKA in its mission of connecting members of the adoption constellation to educational programming and social gatherings. Tamara has already given her time to AKA as a dedicated member of the conference committee for the past four years and several years on the AKA Board of Directors. Tamara is a cofacilitator for the Adoptive Parent Peer Support Group.
Jamie Wilder (Search Angel) is a Houston, Texas adoptee in reunion with her paternal biological family since 2011. She has been an active Search Angel, reuniting adoptees and their biological families, since 1990. In 2015 she began utilizing commercial DNA tests to reunite adoptees and biological families and others of unknown parentage as a Genetic Genealogist. A life-long proponent of Adoptee Rights, she provided in-person testimony for the cause during the 2017 Texas Legislative Session. In addition to her work in the adoption triad / unknown parentage realm, she is involved in her local community as an in-person Peer Support Group Leader for the National Multiple Sclerosis Society and an active member of the Junior Service League of Huntsville, Texas. She enjoys spending time with her supportive husband, awe-inspiring children and adorable growing crew of grandchildren. She is also the fur mom of two spoiled boxer pups, Piper and Lewis.
Akara Skye, is a domestic, baby scoop era, closed adoption, late discovery adopted person. She was born, relinquished, and raised in central Texas. Frustrated with the societal politeness of the adoption narrative, she turned to AKA whose invaluable support led her to reclaim her voice. She now writes to help navigate the multi-layered trauma of relinquishment. She is part of the Adoptee Voices Cohort through which several of her writing pieces have been featured and published in the Adoptee Voices Ezine. Her work has also been featured as a short, recorded piece for the Rudd Adoption Research Program Conference.
She is estranged from her adoptive family and unacknowledged by her birth family. Living on the sacred land of Sedona has offered Akara solace and healing; as well as time to reflect and write about her life under a different, more truthful, lens.
Akara has a BBA in Finance from the University of Texas Austin and a MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management.
She is estranged from her adoptive family and unacknowledged by her birth family. Living on the sacred land of Sedona has offered Akara solace and healing; as well as time to reflect and write about her life under a different, more truthful, lens.
Akara has a BBA in Finance from the University of Texas Austin and a MBA from the Thunderbird School of Global Management.