Five years with our chapter

Pictured above from left to right: Ophelia Mose, Taylor Quillin, Allie Reynolds Ullrich, Dennis Schrag, and Ana Maria Vallarino

We are proud to recognize five employees who have each devoted five years of their time, talent, and skills to furthering our mission of wish granting. Each of these dedicated team members has played a pivotal role in turning wishes into reality, whether through overseeing workplace operations and finance, creating lasting relationships with our donors, or planning life-changing experiences for the families we serve.   

“We are truly fortunate to have these incredible individuals as part of our team,” says CEO Betsy Biern. "As we honor their five-year milestones this year, we are reminded of the profound difference their passion and expertise make in our pursuit of creating life-changing wishes for children with critical illnesses." 

Please read on to learn more about each of these talented members of our Make-A-Wish team! 

Ophelia Mose, Operations & Finance Manager  

Ophelia Mose came to Make-A-Wish with a passion for philanthropy that grew through years of volunteering and a 6-month stint working at the Haight Ashbury Free Clinic. 

“The combination of both experiences convinced me that I needed to be more involved in the nonprofit industry,” she says. “Five years ago, I saw the Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area opening and decided to apply. Luckily, I got the job!” 

Since then, Ophelia has tirelessly worked to improve our chapter's day-to-day functioning while supporting our program and development teams in doing their best work. The most rewarding part of the role for her is hearing the feedback from wish families. “Whenever I hear about or read a family’s story, I am reminded of why I enjoy what I do,” she says. 

In her role, Ophelia is most proud of improving her IT troubleshooting, and our staff is also very grateful for her growing expertise. “I was not tech savvy when I started,” she explains. “But over these past years, I have learned how to resolve a myriad of IT issues, remotely or in person. Sometimes a restart or an update is all it takes!” 

When she’s not working, Ophelia enjoys taking hikes and going to concerts. “Outdoor concerts are great because they combine my love of nature and music,” she says. She also still volunteers her time as a wish granter and encourages anyone who wants to get involved with our chapter to volunteer. “Your time commitment to our organization not only helps us grant wishes but also helps us stay organized, raise money, and spread awareness of our mission,” she says.  

Taylor Quillin, Program Manager

When Taylor Quillin was studying child development and psychology at Chico State University, she and her friends started a student group that helped pediatric cancer patients called Love Your Melon. Through that group, she met a family who had received a wish to go to Disney World, which sparked her interest in working for the organization. 

“When searching for jobs after college, I was so excited to learn there was a local Make-A-Wish chapter in the Bay Area,” she says. “It felt like a perfect place to apply my studies and passions.” 

Taylor’s first role with the chapter was on the database team, but she soon moved to the program team to get more hands-on experience in wish planning. She loves the collaborative nature of her job, stating, “No two days are ever the same. There is a ton of brainstorming and researching that occurs, and I value the connections I have made with staff, community partners, vendors, volunteers, wish kids, and families.” 

Many of our wish planners' skills and patience were put to the test during the COVID-19 pandemic, including Taylor’s. One puppy wish she planned during that time helped remind her of our mission and kept her going during that difficult time. “There’s nothing better than delivering a wish to a family and seeing everyone’s faces light up,” she says. “During the delivery, I was in awe to learn that wish kiddo’s brother was also his bone marrow donor. The family also chose to name their puppy after their grandma. This wish was one for the entire family.” 

Taylor recently took on the role of program manager, where she will be the main point of contact for our wish assists from other chapters. Her passion and dedication to our mission and wish kids are evident in her work.  

“Make-A-Wish is a constant reminder there is still good in this world,” says Taylor. “A wish provides hope and joy, not only to the wish kids and families, but to everyone involved. No matter how many stories you hear or families you meet, this mission is still just as impactful as when you first learn about the organization.”  

Allie Reynolds Ullrich, VP of Corporate Development 

Allie Reynolds Ullrich was drawn to Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area by the mission in 2017 after spending many years working in fundraising at children’s hospitals. She worked with many families who had received wishes and was able to see the impact a wish could have on a child.   

As the lead for the chapter’s corporate fundraising efforts, Allie has dedicated her efforts to building and nurturing relationships with corporate partners, as well as working closely with them to generate vital support for wish granting through raising funds and in-kind support.  

Throughout her six years with the organization, she’s enjoyed seeing our corporate partnerships strengthen and grow with the goal of granting as many wishes as possible. “One of my favorite aspects of my role is to work with partners in various industries and chapters and affiliates across the world to make wishes come true,” she says. “From PS5’s to gaming computers to basketball courts in backyards, these wishes wouldn’t be possible without our corporate partners.”  

Allie loves that anyone can experience the power of a wish. She says, “We rely on volunteers and partners to bring wishes to life. I love sharing these experiences and stories and how everyone can make a difference.” 

Dennis Schrag, Senior Major Gifts Officer  

Dennis Schrag joined Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area in 2018. He had worked with CEO Betsy Biern in a prior role and valued her leadership. “When she told me about the position, I was intrigued,” he says. “As I learned more about the impact wishes have, I was completely convinced I needed to be a part of making them come true.” 

Through his current role and his prior role as Senior VP of Individual Giving, Dennis has played an instrumental role in wish granting by sharing the importance of our mission with donors and connecting them with the best opportunities to make an impact. To Dennis, the most rewarding part of his work is sharing inspiring wish stories with donors to let them know the deep impact of their contributions. 

“When I have a chance to meet wish families, I feel lucky to know I’m a small part of their wish journey," says Dennis. “Knowing how grateful they are to have their wish come true is a great thing.”      

Dennis got to be a part of a wish in a different way when Yaya wished for a sensory backyard makeover. The team needed tree logs and tree rounds to complete the backyard transformation, so Dennis sourced some timber a fallen tree from his neighbor’s yard after a storm. “It was kismet!” Dennis says. “They were happy to help. Some volunteers came to pick up the pieces and deliver them to the family’s home. Now, that tree is a part of Yaya’s backyard play area!” 

After five years of witnessing remarkable wishes come true, Dennis never ceases to be amazed by our hard-working team at Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area. "The program team and volunteer wish granters have so many different responsibilities to the kids and families we serve,” he says. “The entire team handles all those pressures with such grace and empathy.” 

Ana Maria Vallarino, Senior Program Manager   

Ana Maria has always worked for nonprofits and brought her talents to Make-A-Wish Greater Bay Area in 2018, when she spotted an open position on the Program team. “Working for Make-A-Wish where the mission serves children and to be in a position where I’m working directly with our families was in line with what I wanted to do long term,” she explains. 

As senior program manager, Ana Maria oversees the wish-planning process from idea to execution. As she helps bring hope and joy to wish kids, she’s continually impressed by the resilience and kindness of wish kids and their family members. “Our families tend to be wonderful to work with; so gracious and filled with gratitude,” she says. “It’s extra special when I get to interact with some of our older wish kiddos.” 

A pleasant surprise for Ana Maria has been the wealth of knowledge she’s gained about a number of unexpected industries and topics. 

“I didn’t think I would need to know the process of how a book is written, edited, and published,” she says. “Or that I’d get to learn about pilot lessons and what it takes to get your license. I’ve also learned a lot about all the YouTubers and other celebrities through wish kiddos wanting to meet them.”   

Ana Maria’s favorite part about working at Make-A-Wish is how passionate and dedicated everyone is to the mission. "Everyone who plays a role at Make-A-Wish truly believes in the hope that we deliver,” she says. “The power of a wish is amazing to see, but it doesn’t just happen by waving a wand. Lots of dedicated people in various departments work behind the scenes to make wishes possible, but the result is worth it.”