Meet the Team
Amie Marzen
Founder/PresidentMadeline’s Mom, Amie Marzen is a passionate advocate, community leader, and nonprofit professional dedicated to supporting children, families, and individuals navigating grief and healing. Madeline’s Mission was founded by her own grief journey after losing her 4 year old daughter, Madeline, to an aggressive brain tumor. Through her work with Madeline’s Mission and other community initiatives, Amie brings compassion, creativity, and a deep commitment to creating spaces of hope, connection, and support. With a background in program development, advocacy, and community engagement, she is driven by a mission to turn loss into meaningful impact and to help others feel seen, supported, and empowered. She is a mom of three with a big heart for nonprofit work and volunteers as much as she possibly can.
Melissa Chretien
Vice PresidentMelissa Chretien, MPH, BSN, RN, OCN, LMT, OMT, CLT, BCTMB, is a compassionate healthcare professional and integrative wellness practitioner with extensive experience in oncology nursing, massage therapy, lymphedema therapy, and holistic health. As founder of Nurture Massage Therapy & Wellness, Melissa is dedicated to creating safe, healing spaces that empower individuals through compassionate, evidence-based, person-centered care. Her background spans nursing, public health, trauma-informed care, and therapeutic bodywork, with a strong commitment to supporting individuals and families navigating illness, grief, and healing. Melissa also actively volunteers with several nonprofit organizations, bringing her expertise and heart-centered approach to community wellness initiatives.
Caroline Beals
TreasurerMadeline’s Auntie, Caroline Beals, Ph.D., OTR/L, CHSE, is Program Director and Associate Clinical Professor in the Department of Occupational Therapy at the University of New England. With a background in adult physical rehabilitation, neuro-trauma, and brain injury recovery, Caroline brings extensive clinical, academic, and leadership experience to her work. She is deeply committed to interprofessional education, mentorship, and advancing person-centered care through teaching, research, and community engagement. Caroline has also served in leadership and advocacy roles with the Maine Occupational Therapy Association and the American Occupational Therapy Association, supporting the growth and advancement of the occupational therapy profession.
Kim Paradee
SecretaryKim is a dedicated labor and delivery nurse, advocate, and mother who is passionate about supporting families through some of life’s most vulnerable and meaningful moments. Drawing from both her professional experience and personal journey navigating the challenges of maternity leave and parenthood, Kim brings compassion, resilience, and a strong commitment to advocacy for mothers, children, and family wellness. Her voice and lived experience continue to inspire meaningful conversations around maternal health, workplace equity, and community support for families.
Allison Thompson
Board MemberAllison Thompson is a dedicated trauma therapist, consultant, and supervisor with a heart for service. With over 25 years in the nonprofit sector, Allison’s journey with Madeline’s Mission: Rising Hope Through Healing began with a simple hope: to support and connect families that have lost their precious children.
Allison’s career has spanned roles in program development, advocacy, fundraising, and various leadership roles at organizations. Currently she is working in private practice and supporting clients and other therapists as well as being on other boards.
Allison’s passion for Madeline’s Mission: Rising Hope Through Healing stems from watching many clients, friends, and family process the loss of loved ones and seeing the need to gather for connection, support, and community through grief. She also knew Madeline and her family and knows that the light and heart that emulated from her continues to shine through her namesake mission. She knows the impact that dedicated nonprofits can have, and she’s committed to ensuring Madeline’s Mission: Rising Hope Through Healing reaches even more families in need.
When she’s not advocating for grieving families, you can find Allison spending lots of time with her two daughters and husband, traveling, or curled up with a good book.
Allison welcomes conversations about how we can better serve our grief community and is so grateful for all those that have supported Madeline’s Mission: Rising Hope Through Healing.
Amy Kiger
Board MemberAmy Kiger is a devoted mother of three, nurse, and massage therapist with a passion for caring for others through both clinical and holistic approaches to wellness. With experience supporting individuals and families through life’s challenges and transitions, Amy brings compassion, empathy, and a nurturing spirit to everything she does. Her dedication to helping others heal—physically, emotionally, and mentally—reflects her deep commitment to community, connection, and compassionate care.
Meghan Collier
Board MemberMeghan Collier (she/her), is a licensed clinical social worker, yoga therapist, grief specialist, and perinatal mental health counselor. And she's also a coffee enthusiast and mom to two wild little boys and one sweet pup. In her work, Meghan specializes in supporting folks experiencing all types of grief & loss and trauma, and has a particular passion for working with new postpartum parents, pregnant people, people experiencing fertility challenges, miscarriage, stillbirth, baby & child loss, NICU experiences, TFMR, and abortion. As a loss mama herself, Meghan knew immediately that Madeline's Mission was a community she needed to be a part of and to support. Her compassion and dedication to talking about grief and loss help to decrease the stigma and embrace the hope that comes with healing. Meghan finds meaning and honors her own grief by teaching the Yoga for Pregnancy & Child Loss classes for Madeline's Mission.
Jennifer Dunlap
Memorial Garden Design and ManagementJennifer Dunlap has a diverse background in horticulture, landscape design, nutrition, and plant medicine which speaks to her integrated approach to gardening and well-being, blending professional expertise and personal passion. As Horticulture Manager and Landscape Designer at the Coastal Maine Botanical Gardens, she has spent over a decade shaping the Bibby & Harold Alfond Children’s Garden, creating a space that is not only educational but also nurturing for young minds. Her deep enthusiasm for horticulture and family life, raising her children amidst that environment, is truly a special experience! Her work highlights the interconnectedness of family, nature, and growth.