Family Resource Coordination and Support Staff

Shannon Hughes is the lead Family Resource Coordinator for Children First Therapy. After attending Eastern Washington University, she graduated with a BA in Elementary Education; major in Reading and minor in Special Education.

She completed her Masters in Educational Leadership at Concordia University of Portland, and Administration Credentials at Whitworth University.

Shannon comes to us after teaching Middle School for 12 years in a rural school. She enjoys spending time with her family, coaching volleyball, and baking all sorts of treats.

Mary Hughes is excited to be joining the team at Children First Therapy as Family Resource Coordinator. Born and raised in Spokane, she is a graduate of Central Valley High School (Go Bears!) and Spokane Community College. She completed her Bachelor of Arts degree at Eastern Washington University and continued on to complete her Master of Education at Gonzaga University.

She is excited to re-join the workforce after taking time off to raise her two children. Having previously worked in hospitality and education, she is looking forward to getting back to work in helping children and families grow and be successful. During her own children’s elementary years, Mary served on the Central Valley S.P.A.C.E. Program Board and volunteered for many program committees. She enjoyed volunteering in the classrooms and throughout the school.

Mary currently lives in Spokane Valley with her husband, their two children and two cats. She is an avid reader and has found much joy in being a Little Free Library steward for the past year. During the summer, you’ll find her swimming, camping or traveling with her family.

Courtney Bradford was born and raised in Spokane Valley, Washington. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts Degree, in Communication Studies, from Eastern Washington University.

Prior to joining Children First Therapy, she worked in Human Resources/ Public Relations for a non-profit dedicated to providing medical, dental and behavioral health services. The mission was close to her heart- offering individuals access to quality services regardless of one’s ability to pay.

Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her husband and three children. Interior design is her passion. Loves to incorporate timeless design with current trends!

Ann Marie Kimmel joined Children First Therapy as a Family Resource Coordinator in the Summer of 2022.

She is a certified special education teacher and a licensed assistant behavior analyst. She received a bachelor’s degree from EWU in special education and her master’s degree in Behavior Analysis from Whitworth University.

Ann Marie has worked with children with special needs and their families for 18 years. She is a determined and compassionate advocate for her clients, students, and families.

She was born and raised in Spokane and loves to cook, garden, and recreate in the great outdoors with her dog.

Beth is a Special Instruction teacher who loves her job. She attended Spokane schools k-12, and currently raising her family in Spokane Valley. She graduated from Whitworth University with a bachelor’s in education. Then went on to complete a master’s degree in special education at Western Governors University. Beth has 10 years of experience teaching children with various backgrounds. Her beliefs are that children will learn when they are engaged and in play. Beth believes that working with families empowers parents to become the best teachers and advocates for their children.

She is busy with her husband, three children, and animals that include, two dogs, two cats, two bunnies, and fish. In her free time, she loves to be outdoors hiking, boat, and fishing. Beth is an amateur crafter, enjoys lazy weekends, and reading.

After high school Sara attended WSU on the beautiful Palouse for 3 years, but she decided to transfer to Eastern Washington University where she completed her education. She graduated from Eastern with a BA in Elementary Education and is a certified teacher; majoring in reading with a minor in Special Education.

After graduating Sara enjoyed being a substitute teacher, but her and her husband decided it was time to start their own family and she has been a stay-at-home mom for most of those years. While living in Colfax and raising their family, an opportunity allowed her to work with the Whitman County Library System part-time. During this time, she enjoyed helping people of all ages learn computer skills, helping with story time, and working with the youth at the after-school programs.

Sara and her husband have been married for 13 years, and she has enjoyed staying home to raise their three children ages 11, 9, and 4. As a family they enjoy going to the lake, reading, and doing lots of crafts. She is excited to be part of Children FIRST Therapy and working with children in our preschool programs.

Monica was born and raised in Moses Lake and moved to Spokane in 1996. She is mom to 4 amazing kids. She has worked with children most of her life. She taught preschool and worked with special needs children preschool through high school. Monica worked and volunteered in schools with Spokane Public Schools off and on from 1998-2016. This included working with a variety of students from general education who needed some extra assistance, to students who have multiple disabilities, assisting with lessons, OT, PT, SLP daily. For the last several years Monica has worked in the medical field as a medical assistant, working with families, medical records, credentialling and insurance authorizations. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with friends, family and pets, engaging in arts and crafts, knitting, and camping.

Production IT Services

Having lived in the Northwest most of his life, Robert is excited to serve Children FIRST Therapy and the community of Spokane with 15 years of IT administration and engineering experience. With an Information Systems degree from the University of Utah, Robert enjoys building technology solutions that make life easier. The fulfillment from working directly with local companies spurred Robert to start Production IT Services which is honored to be a part of Children FIRST Therapy's mission.

Robert has lived in Spokane for eight years with his wife and three children. They enjoy the outdoors and especially all the lakes and rivers the Northwest has to offer.

Danielle is an integral part of the CFT preschool program. She joined CFT in 2021 but has worked with children ages 1-10 for the last 13 years in a recreational setting. She enjoys watching kids grow and learn in a positive environment. She wants to support and encourage each child she engages with. Danielle was born and raised in Spokane Valley. She feels lucky to be married to my best-friend since September of 2017 and they welcomed their little boy Colt in 2020. She loves cooking, baking, and exploring new recipes. In the summertime Danielle's family loves to camp and swim as much as possible!