Board of Directors

Ophelia Nowells – Founder & Executive Director
Ophelia Nowells has over three and a half years of professional experience managing operations for private agencies that offer supervised visitation. She has been instrumental in developing and instituting policy and procedures, conducting compliance audits, filing and renewing all applicable licenses and certifications, hiring and training staff, processing monthly DSHS billing and payroll, and ensuring compliance with reporting and performance protocols. As a 20-year veteran of the retail industry, Ophelia also has a passion for customer service, a strong commitment to excellence, and an exemplary track record with regard to team leadership and management. Her vision for Joining Hands Visitation is an organization that delivers exemplary service with a well-trained staff who are dedicated to serving the local community and extending a helping hand to all with a non-judgmental, discretionary manner.

Diane Shepard – Clinical Supervisor & Therapist
Founder of Shepard and Associates Counseling, she has been operating in Lakewood, Washington as a private practice agency since 1998.  A diversity of services are offered to include counseling, clinical supervision, preschool mental health, assessments and evaluations, and domestic violence services.

Nikita Nowells – PCV Team Lead Coordinator, Office Manager, & Quality Assurance
Her professional background includes over ten years of customer service in the retail industry with progressive team management and leadership responsibilities. Having served in a wide variety of roles, some of her responsibilities included: providing customer support, project management, enforcing security policies and procedures, and hiring, training, and managing new employees. With respect to child welfare, Nikita has experience providing childcare and supervised visitation. In these roles, she provided behavior management, guidance and discipline, and child transport. Nikita’s unique combination of skills and visitation experience make her an invaluable resource for leading the JHV visitation team.

Tara Bethea – Operations Manager (former)
Tara Bethea has an extensive background in customer service, working with leading companies in the software-as-a-service (SaaS) industry. As a client service professional, Tara supported Fortune 500 clients in the execution of marketing strategies that drove brand recognition, increased customer loyalty, and maximized marketing return-on-investment (ROI). Tara managed cross-functional teams of account managers, client engineers, web developers, and quality assurance leads, and was responsible for all client escalations, revenue forecasting, billing, and project management. Beyond her private sector experience, Tara has also cultivated advanced skills in communication, cross-functional team leadership, project management, conflict resolution, design execution and content development. She thrives in fast-paced, dynamic environments requiring creativity, transparency, attention to detail, and results.