Meet Our Team
Heal Together is a community-wide effort to broaden access to information on grief and develop services that meet the unique needs of individuals of all ages, backgrounds, and communities within Monterey County. Meet our core leadership team below, and reach out today to learn more about how Heal Together can help you.
Margy Mayfield,
RN, BSN Co-Founder/ Executive Director
Margy's passion is providing excellent care for children with serious illnesses and those facing the end of life. From the beginning of her career at UCSF through decades in pediatric home health, Margy recognized the unique ability of children living with complex or severe illnesses to thrive when surrounded by a community of care. In 2005, with a vision to offer excellent medical care to all children at a very low overhead, Margy co-founded Coastal Kids Home Care. Since opening its doors, Coastal Kids has provided more than 76,000 in-home nursing visits to 9,900 children in Monterey, Santa Cruz, San Benito, and Santa Clara Counties.
Kelli Mullen Brown, MA, Director of Development
Kelli has twenty years of development and communications experience working in non-profits in the United States and internationally. After graduating from the University of Notre Dame she volunteered as a child advocate and later pursued her MA in Conflict Management from Johns Hopkins, SAIS. Her subsequent work involved the design and management of post-conflict and disaster response initiatives around the world. As a mother of three young children, including a son with special healthcare needs, Kelli is a passionate advocate for children and parents coping with complex medical issues and she is honored to work with the Coastal Kids team.
Elizabeth Birruete, BS
​
Elizabeth is a great communicator. After receiving her BS in Business Administration from CSU Fresno, Elizabeth returned home to Salinas to be near family and find her calling. For the past seven years, she has worked with a local hospice agency where she thrived as a bilingual advocate for underserved communities, especially those in South County. Elizabeth’s ability to listen to and build consensus among individuals of diverse backgrounds ideally places her to lead community outreach efforts and bring quality grief education to Monterey County under Heal Together.
Marlene Cisneros,
Intake Coordinator
Marlene was born in Salinas and raised in Greenfield. She attended Hartnell College and earned an associate degree in Sociology and transferred to California State University of Monterey Bay (CSUMB) to continue her education and earned an undergraduate degree in Human Development and Family Science. Marlene plans to continue her education and become an LCSW. Marlene has always been so passionate about helping families including children, and youth by providing the support they need. Marlene had a brother who battled synovial sarcoma cancer for 11 years and passed away in May 2022. This is how she found out about Heal Together by receiving grief counseling services after her brother passed. In addition, Marlene has volunteered at Holy Trinity Church as a youth mentor where she helped coordinate different activities that included planning youth retreats, and youth group events. Marlene has always loved giving back to the community. Marlene feels that working as an intake coordinator for Heal Together at Coastal Kids Home Care is another amazing way to give back to the community by providing support services to those in need. During her free time, she enjoys traveling, going for nature walks, and spending time with her family.
Yadira Chavez, Intake Coordinator
Yadira was born and raised in Salinas, California, She attended local schools, played in youth sports, and was community oriented. She received her undergraduate degree from San Jose State University in psychology, with a double minor in Chicano/a/x Studies and philosophy. Her passion has always been mental health. She is continuing her education in counseling and hopes to become a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. Yadira wishes to continue supporting her community with services provided by Coastal Kids. In her free time, Yadira likes to travel, attend events, and spend time with her friends and family