Directors
Board of Directors
Lashanna (she/they)
Lashanna (she/they)
Our crew of volunteer directors are responsible for upholding the mission of A Sacred Passing. These are some of the people who are collaborating on vision building, programs, courses, admin tasks, budget reviews, & more.
The Board is comprised of people with a variety of lived experiences, passions, and knowledge that create the lens in w
Our crew of volunteer directors are responsible for upholding the mission of A Sacred Passing. These are some of the people who are collaborating on vision building, programs, courses, admin tasks, budget reviews, & more.
The Board is comprised of people with a variety of lived experiences, passions, and knowledge that create the lens in which we engage in learning, teaching, facilitating and existing in this world.
If you have experiences that you would like to share in community, and have an interest in getting to know our small crew through working together to create more accessible care and resources for the living, the dying, and the dead, please reach out! We would love to get to know you too.
Lashanna (she/they)
Lashanna (she/they)
Lashanna (she/they)
Lashanna is an intentional tender. A tender of people and spaces, a recovering corporate employee and avid learner. A mistake maker, community lover, consensual hugger, garden witch, and mother; a midwest-grown University of Michigan graduate, published author, artist, facilitator, and holder of heavy things. Creating space for belongin
Lashanna is an intentional tender. A tender of people and spaces, a recovering corporate employee and avid learner. A mistake maker, community lover, consensual hugger, garden witch, and mother; a midwest-grown University of Michigan graduate, published author, artist, facilitator, and holder of heavy things. Creating space for belonging is at the core of their work, from teaching medical professionals to working with youth, from shrouding a community member to hand-grinding herbs for tea. Lashanna lives and works in the intersections of death, art, education, and love. As a member of multiple community and national boards, she gathers, guides, and supports efforts to remain purposeful, creative, sustainable, and free from the anti-Black patriarchal Western structures currently in place. Lashanna is a Scorpio, which means they were born an agent of change and has lived that life.
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Started with ASP in 2018
Asha (she/her)
Lashanna (she/they)
Leilani (she/they)
Asha is a parent, care taker, and community member who contributes wisdom and magic to ASP. She is also growing the program "Death Positive Parenting". Asha has been a part of ASP's board crew since the transition to Seattle, and brings grounded relationship skills, passionate dream building, and parenting-realness.
Started with ASP in 2018
Leilani (she/they)
Leilani (she/they)
Leilani (she/they)
Leilani Maxera is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She is a daughter of the Hawaiian diaspora raised in Martinez, California. Leilani was called home to Hawai’i in her early 30s and currently lives in Mānoa Valley on Oʻahu. Leilani is a therapist, death educator, and grief worker with her own private practice, Kaipuokaualoku Therapy +
Leilani Maxera is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She is a daughter of the Hawaiian diaspora raised in Martinez, California. Leilani was called home to Hawai’i in her early 30s and currently lives in Mānoa Valley on Oʻahu. Leilani is a therapist, death educator, and grief worker with her own private practice, Kaipuokaualoku Therapy + Death Work + Consulting (kaipuokaualoku.com). Leilani worked and volunteered in harm reduction for 14 years, including managing a syringe exchange and an overdose prevention program where she conducted training and education with other social service organizations to teach about overdose prevention and response and to reduce stigma around drug use.
Started with ASP in 2022
Summer (they/any)
Leilani (she/they)
Summer (they/any)
Summer Gail Diegel is a full-spectrum doula who enjoys time with people of all-ages in the waves of slowing down (and speeding up) to embrace life's cycles, transitions, and rites. Summer collaborates on education curriculum, research into death care, sourcing resource lists, annotating and creating notes. They offer nonmedical care, game
Summer Gail Diegel is a full-spectrum doula who enjoys time with people of all-ages in the waves of slowing down (and speeding up) to embrace life's cycles, transitions, and rites. Summer collaborates on education curriculum, research into death care, sourcing resource lists, annotating and creating notes. They offer nonmedical care, game nights, workshops, and online study groups.
Started with ASP in 2019
Madeline McCauley
Leilani (she/they)
Summer (they/any)
Madeline is a death doula who has companioned many people who are terminally ill through her personal life and volunteer work. She has supported rituals with home funerals and natural burials. She is committed to reintegrating death into our community and believes that Death is a great teacher. Madeline also is in the process of opening
Madeline is a death doula who has companioned many people who are terminally ill through her personal life and volunteer work. She has supported rituals with home funerals and natural burials. She is committed to reintegrating death into our community and believes that Death is a great teacher. Madeline also is in the process of opening a green burial site in Washington state.
Started with ASP in 2019
Marquita (she/her)
Marquita (she/her)
Marquita (she/her)
Marquita Smith-Straus is a perinatal social worker, full-spectrum Doula, trained Midwife, and Death Doula. Marquita is passionate about empowering people to show up authentically, while fiercely advocating for those navigating spaces that are not traditionally occupied by people of color. Marquita grew up in Atlanta, GA, but feels that Se
Marquita Smith-Straus is a perinatal social worker, full-spectrum Doula, trained Midwife, and Death Doula. Marquita is passionate about empowering people to show up authentically, while fiercely advocating for those navigating spaces that are not traditionally occupied by people of color. Marquita grew up in Atlanta, GA, but feels that Seattle raised her. When she is not helping families navigate life and loss, she enjoys spending time with her tiny humans, traveling, listen to records on vinyl, and having spontaneous dance parties. Marquita needs our collective support! Please learn more here.
Started with ASP in 2021
Jason (he/him)
Marquita (she/her)
Marquita (she/her)
Jason Kirk supports with budget creation, artistic consultation, and compassionate questions to our board crew. Jason is an award-winning poet and editor, and the composer of "The Mirror of Simple Souls," an opera collaboration with librettist and poet Anne Carson. He lives in Seattle, Washington. Twitter / Instagram / Goodreads / Facebook: @brasswax
Started with ASP in 2018
Wanna share?
Consider Joining the Teaching Crew!
If you have a course, workshop, or panel that you would like to collaborate on or share with A Sacred Passing, we are excited to meet you!
There are a few requirements for new class submissions:
1) Submit your course here to the ASP Teaching Crew Form Here. Seasonally, the board will review the content of the submitted curriculums for alignment with our vision for inclusive death care education. After the board review, we'll invite teachers to be in dialogue about the offering, and then the course will be promoted through ASP.
2) For all teachers, we ask that a class space be reserved for at least two current ASP instructors or board to learn and grow an understanding of your teaching style and practice.
3) All are asked to make classes financially accessible with at least three sliding-scale payment options, the price of the course/workshop is set by each instructor.
When teaching with the ASP crew, there are benefits for those who are helping to sustain our education program. ASP invites teachers to give back 10% - 30% of each attendee ticket to support our organizational sustainability. In return, our crew offers classroom and electronic meeting space, support to find and coordinate in-person space (Seattle), shares administrative responsibilities, supports with the creation of materials spread the word, and more!
photo of a flock of crows together in tree branches under a grey-blue sky