Barnaby joined Extraordinary Families in 2016 as the Director of Philanthropy & Community Relations. Supporting missions that promote empowerment and improve the quality of life for children and families has been the cornerstone of her work for over two decades, serving such organizations as The Music Center, The Colburn School, LA Plaza de Cultura y Artes, and the Los Angeles Neighborhood Land Trust. Barnaby’s background guiding institutional advancement focuses on building strong and lasting relationships with constituents, stakeholders, partners, and the community, as well as expertise in board development and communications. She holds a Bachelor of Arts in Art History from the American University of Paris.

Kayla brings 12 years of leadership experience in the child welfare field, including as Program Director for Alliance Human Services, Program Administrator for three locations at Children’s Way Foster Family Agency, and as a Supervising Social Worker at Homes of Hope Foster Family Agency and at Wings of Refuge Foster Family Agency. Prior to foster care, Kayla worked in higher education as an academic advisor and counselor. She completed her Doctorate in Education at Fielding Graduate University, Santa Barbara, CA, where she wrote her dissertation on the barriers youth in foster care face with entering 2- and 4-year colleges. She completed her Master’s in Clinical Psychology at Antioch University, Marina Del Rey, CA.

Beth Lazar comes to Extraordinary Families with more than a decade of experience in fundraising and organizational strategy. Her previous work advancing the philanthropic fundraising strategy for LA Family Housing’s $55M capital campaign in conjunction with managing their annual giving, brings breadth and depth to enhancing our donor engagement. Her experience developing partnerships for top-tier universities, including the University of Southern California, Simmons College, and National University, enhances our community relationships. She is inspired by empowering others to find creative solutions that impact our community. Beth earned her Master of Social Work from University of Southern California and holds a Bachelor’s degree from Central Michigan University.

Mark brings 30 years of experience in the nonprofit sector, including 18 years as Administrative Director of Travelers Aid Society of Los Angeles (assisting the homeless and those at-risk of becoming homeless), he has also worked in the U.S. State Dept., George Washington University, and the J. Paul Getty Trust. While an employee of the Child Welfare Initiative (CWI), Mark was a member of the Strategic Restructuring Committee, which brought about the merger of CWI and Southern California Foster Family Agency (now Extraordinary Families). He received his B.A. in English from Queens College/City University of New York, and has published short stories in nearly a dozen magazines; his novel, The Long Habit of Living, was published by Createspace in 2010.