Family Creations Team
Julia Alkire
Founder, CEO
" I am amazed by the miracle's of Third Party Reproduction and have found so much fulfillment in the work that I am blessed to do. I am grateful to be involved in this truly incredible process in which new families are created every day!" -Julia Alkire
As Founder and CEO of Family Creations, Julia leads Family Creations' team.
She developed Family Creations' standardized procedures to ensure delivery of professional and compassionate agency services to each of our clients.
Her devotion for family and children along with her extensive management experience is a unique blend that gives her the ability to compassionately guide intended parents, surrogates and donors through this incredible journey.
Along with her role as a visionary CEO, Julia is married to her husband Keith and is the mother of two beautiful daughters, Rachel and Alyson.
Julia was named one of America's Top 30 Entrepreneurs Under the age of 30 by INC. Magazine and was also honored in ForbesWoman Magazine in an article titled Success at Every Age.
Betsy Bina
Executive Assistant & Egg Donor Coordinator
 Betsy Bina expertly guides prospective donors through the application and interview process. Family Creations is very selective in the donors they invite to join their program, and Betsy's role is to facilitate the applications to ensure only the most qualified donors are approved. Only after Betsy personally interviews each prospective donor, are they invited to join Family Creations' program.
Betsy does a fantastic job of getting to know each donor while assessing their maturity level and commitment to the process. She educates each prospective donor about her responsibilities going forward in the process so each donor knows exactly what to expect once she is selected by Intended Parents. She takes pride in her work and feels inspired by these incredible young women every day.
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Mechelle Langley
Director of Case Management
 As the Director of Case Management Mechelle Langley oversees both our Surrogacy and Egg Donor Case Management Departments. Her experience and knowledge allow her to direct our team of case managers. As a previous donor, she felt compelled to continue helping others in achieving their dream to become parents. She understands the process on a personal level and is able to bring that experience to each client that she works with.
In these complex cases, all parties can rest assured that they are in competent, caring hands with Mechelle leading our case management team. Mechelle feels privileged to be on Family Creations team and to have a part in our clients amazing journeys.
Currently, Mechelle is working towards a degree in Psychology. She enjoys being outdoors and taking trips with her husband and little boy.
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Stephanie Levich
Director of Client Services
 Stephanie Levich is an original member and co-founder of Family Creations.
Stephanie is the first contact here at Family Creations for all of our recipients and intended parents. She helps future parents identify the characteristics that are important to them in their donor and surrogate selection, and expertly walks clients through the matching process. She brings years of experience and devotion to each client she assists.
She began her career in this field because of her own parents' struggle to conceive. At the time, egg donation and surrogacy was not a common procedure, so they made the decision to adopt. "I have been blessed with an amazing family and a wonderful life", Stephanie explains."I feel honored to help others achieve their dream of creating a family."
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Cheryl McFarlane
Case Manager
 Cheryl has an integral role of assisting each of our departments to ensure a smooth and seamlessly running office. She handles a high volume of calls and processes a large volume of applications.
Cheryl is also in contact with each of our egg donors on a frequent basis ensuring that their information is up to date and accurate. She is the heart of our office and handles everything from answering phones to collecting medical records and everything in between. Cheryl is a recent graduate of the University of Southern California where she majored in Kinesiology. Cheryl is actively pursuing classes to further her education and is honored to be a part of such a wonderful organization like Family Creations.
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Jered Mercer
Case Manager, San Francisco Branch
 Jered acts as the center of communication between all parties involved in an egg donation cycle. He encourages a smooth cycle by staying informed and diligently relaying all pertinent information to future parents, egg donors, physicians, and attorneys. Jered worked previously for Family Creations as an egg donor coordinator, and this experience has helped him gain an even deeper understanding of our donors’ experiences from the earliest stages of the egg donation process.
Jered grew up in Southern California and studied Business and Advertising in college. He has a true love for helping others and enjoys working with people during such an important time in their lives. He has an array of experience in several fields and positions, and he describes his involvement at Family Creations as the most rewarding work he has ever done!
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Azar Mortazavi
Bookkeeper
 Azar has served as a full charge bookkeeper for 5 years in a variety of small businesses including accounting, engineering, jury research, and talent management firms. She is actively pursuing the education and experience requirements to sit for the CPA exam. Azar is proud to be a part of the Family Creation's team as she considers it an honor to help future parents fulfill their dreams of parenthood.
Emily Penn
Director of Development, San Francisco Branch
 As the Director of Development of Family Creations San Francisco branch, Emily continues to grow our relationships with clinics in Northern California and the Pacific North West by visiting clinics regularly and maintaining excellent clinic communication. Emily is responsible for management of egg donor cases and is a great asset to our team with her firsthand knowledge as a five-time donor. She acts as a liaison between all parties involved from the time of the match to retrieval and beyond. Emily's dedication to her clients coupled with her previous experience as an egg donor makes her a great companion for all parties going through the egg donation process.
Emily graduated with a bachelor's degree in Psychology from California State University East Bay and is currently working toward her Marriage and Family Therapy licensure at the University of San Francisco.
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Elysa Romano
Director of Development, Texas Branch
 "To see the process come full circle, from application to the birth of a child, is a bigger sense of satisfaction than I can put into words. We have a great team here at Family Creations and it's amazing to be at the forefront of the process."
As Director of Development for our Texas branch Elysa Romano is responsible for building relationships with Texas based clinics. Elysa visits Fertility Clinics throughout Texas regularly and maintains excellent communication.
While in the office, Elysa manages our social media pages, and walks prospective surrogates and donors through the application and interview process. Family Creations receives hundreds of applications out of Texas each month and part of Elysa's role is to ascertain the suitability of each candidate that applies. We only accept less than 5% of the donors and surrogates that apply with us, so this is no small feat!
Elysa explains that "Working for Family Creations allows me to fulfill my love of helping others while entertaining my inner "social butterfly" as I conduct interviews, home visits (for surrogates) and clinic visits."
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