Carmen was raised in Washington State as the proud daughter of two elementary school teachers who taught her the value of PLAY and the importance of inclusion. After attending the University of Washington in Seattle and Princeton Seminary in New Jersey, she spent most of her twenties and thirties living and working the east coast with a 2-year foray in Zambia in Africa. She returned to the Portland area to be closer to family in 2018 where she is currently a pastor, a writer, and the mother of 2 daughters. Carmen brings warmth, enthusiasm and compassion to her work and feels privileged to sit on the board of Harper’s Playground.
Amid an epidemic of loneliness in our culture, Harper’s Playground is providing a powerful antidote. This organization creates common spaces for people of all ages and abilities to connect, play, and build community. What a gift to help build a better world, inspired by the vision of one little girl and her family.