Meet Our Team
Our team comprises dedicated staff and volunteers who are committed to seeing and guiding LIFT students to become bright, active, and compassionate members of our community. Each team member brings unique talents, strengths, and gifts to share with the program and is encouraged to grow both personally and professionally within the inherently nurturing and empowering environment of our organization. Interested in joining our team?
REBEKAH TENBRINK
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR AND LIFT FOUNDER
Rebekah TenBrink is the Founder and Director of LIFT Teen Center. Raised in Holland, MI and transplanted to Leelanau County in 2012 after a series of travel and social service jobs. Setting roots in Northern Michigan, Rebekah found a great need for youth services. She attended Spring Arbor University and received her Bachelors of Arts in Family Life Education; a model which builds a stronger community by fostering partnerships that engage families in a participatory process leading to self-efficacy. As a vibrant and passionate soul Rebekah is always striving to “be the change”.
EMILY WORDEN
PROGRAM DEVELOPMENT DIRECTOR
Born and raised just a block from The Center, Emily has been a lifelong resident of Northern Michigan, attending elementary and high school at Lake Leelanau St. Mary and then obtaining her Bachelor’s Degree from Central Michigan University in Communication. After spending a little more than five years as a corporate volunteer coordinator, she decided to switch to the nonprofit world and now serves as The Center’s Program Development Director.
AUDREY SHARP
ASSOCIATE DIRECTOR
Audrey grew up in Suttons Bay and graduated from Suttons Bay Schools in 2011. She received her Bachelor's Degree in Spanish and International Studies from the University of Michigan in 2015. After graduating, Audrey lived abroad in the Dominican Republic and Nicaragua for three years, teaching English to children living in underserved communities, and now lives in Cedar with her partner, Alex, and their dog, Sage. She is the Associate Director of LIFT and The Friendship Community Center.
CORRIE JO PIERSMA
LIFT MIDDLE SCHOOL PROGRAM COORDINATOR
Corrie grew up in Manhattan, Kansas and graduated from university in 2012 with degrees in Linguistics and in French. She has been working with children for nearly 20 years and has served, taught and mentored them in over 30 countries across the world. Corrie is passionate about culture, food, painting, family and all things outside. Above all, she is passionate about loving people into loving themselves and walking with them as they discover and unlock their potential, self-worth and identity.
CLAIRE PALMER
LIFT BRAND MANAGER
Claire grew up in Northern Michigan and has lived in Traverse City for over half her life. She received her Bachelor's Degree from Michigan State University in Professional Writing and stumbled upon the LIFT Teen Center after writing an article about them for a local newspaper. She has been volunteering ever since and is now the Social Media Manager for LIFT.