Meet AKA's Dedicated Staff and Volunteers
Marci Shrull (Program Administrator) is a public school teacher living in Austin, Texas. She was born and raised in Spokane, Washington, graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a degree in Spanish, and spent time in the Army working in the intelligence field. 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.
Anne Bingham (Peer Support Group Facilitator) is a writer living in Austin, TX. She is an ardent adoptee rights advocate and served on the board of Support Texas Adoptee Rights, as well as a long time member of Adoption Knowledge Affiliates. Anne has used her resources, time, and talents educating others about adoption from the birth parent perspective, both on the AKA conference planning committee and as a panelist at past AKA conferences and events. Currently, Anne is a facilitator for the Birth/First Parent Peer Support Groups.
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.
Rod Lind, LPC, (Peer Support Group Facilitator & Nominations Committee Chair) 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 Male Adoptee Meetup Group.
Dawn Scott (Peer Support Group Facilitator & Conference Committee) 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.
Tawni Traynor, (Peer Support Group Facilitator) was adopted when she was 5 years old from South Korea. She grew up in Big Lake, MN and graduated from the Carlson School of Business at the University of Minnesota. Her career has been in web design / development and CRM Platforms. Tawni started a non-profit organization in 2020 called AK Connection - Adopted Korean Connection. This was a social and support network that provided community and connection for adult adoptees from South Korea. Tawni married a Korean adoptee in 2001 and they have two children who are 17 and 19. She divorced since 2010. Tawni moved to Austin in 2021 and lives in NE Austin with her Morkie. She loves to spend her time playing pickleball, hosting gatherings, building community, singing karaoke and hot yoga.
Daryn Watson (Peer Support Group Facilitator) is an adoptee born and raised in Alberta, Canada. Daryn began his reunion journey in 1995 after finding his maternal family (with the help of Adoption Knowledge Affiliates). Daryn is a Certified Life Coach and he uses his 25+ years of reunion experience to help fellow adoptees and other members of the adoption constellation navigate their adoption reunion journeys. He lives in Austin, TX with his wife Christine. Daryn is a facilitator for the Men's Adoptee Peer Support Group.
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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 (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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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.