2022-23 Steering Team

Our steering team are all women from this group who volunteer their time, skills, and passion to bring Mom’s Morning Retreat to our community. Motherhood, sisterhood and connection are the foundation of our group.


Jen Suntrup – Chair

Jenny Lange – Grace Liaison

Heather Paar – Co-Registration

I moved to Bainbridge 4 years ago longing for a wilder place for her daughters to grow up. Pacific Northwest summers full of sunshine, tide pools, and feral children fill her heart with joy. My personal indulgence and sanity saver is flying trapeze, a sport she discovered at age 37 after becoming a mom to 3 girls. You are way more likely to find me hiking, walking my dog on a wooded trail, paddle boarding, jumping off a dock on a hot day, or riding a big rollercoaster, than doing laundry, which is unequivocally the worst chore. I am known to have committed many of the high offenses of mothering, such as cutting sandwiches into triangles instead of rectangles, and forcing children to go outside. I believe the real hero’s journey of mothering is in the staying, and not actually running away with the circus. You will find me at the registration table on Thursday mornings, eager to have my cup filled again by the moms who gather to share the journey. 

Jennifer Rogers – Co-Registration

JD Sumsky – Communications

Hello! This is my second year being a part of Mom’s Morning Retreat. I found about about the group from a friend and was blown away at my first meeting. I feel very grateful for the time I get to spend with all of the women in our group, it really is special. I am mom to two great daughters, and my husband and I have been married for 16 years. We moved to the island in 2019 and have never felt happier or more at home in any community. This year I will be sending out communications and posting about our group on social media to continue to spread the word about Mom’s Morning Retreat.

Annie Hodges – Finance

Open – Childcare Coordinator

Thao Weldy – Hospitality

Howdy! My name is Thao (pronounced like the Greek letter tau) and I’m a first generation American, born and raised in Texas. My parents are Vietnamese immigrants who never spoke of mental health until a few years ago when my father experienced a mental crisis. I have lived in Texas, California, Spain, and Norway, and moved to the island 3 years ago to be closer to my in-laws. As a non-profit executive and mother of a 2-year old (plus another on the way), Mom’s Morning Retreat is something I do for myself. I love this group and I feel so fortunate to have this community to support me on my own journey of motherhood. 


Sarah Dykens – Outreach Coordinator

Sarah’s Bio coming soon