Ashley Elgin, Chief Executive Officer, Lena Pope Home, Inc.
Ashley Elgin was appointed as chief executive officer to Lena Pope Home Inc. in November 2019. Dr. Elgin previously served as vice president of visiting nurses association of Texas & Meals on Wheels. Her dedication to mental health and community services includes positions such as CEO of Promise House in Dallas, COO of Dallas Children’s Advocacy Center, Vice President of Client Services of SafeHaven of Tarrant County, Director of Clinical and Professional Services of Genesis Women’s Shelter, and many other roles as both a therapist and director for organizations providing services to at-risk populations. Dr. Elgin has also been published in multiple scholarly articles in concentrations of play therapy for children in clinical settings.
Aurora Harris, Vice President of State Strategy and Partnerships, Young Invincibles
Aurora is the Vice President of State Strategy and Partnerships at Young Invincibles (YI), a national research and advocacy organization that mobilizes young adults to advance solutions on higher education, health care, and jobs. She leads YI’s five state teams, drives the organization’s strategy for regional growth and sustainability, and oversees multi-state campaigns that center young people excluded from power. Aurora joined YI as Southern Region Director, where she built out the Texas office and rooted the work in community-based organizing across the South. Her work and research have been featured in the Institute for Women’s Policy Research, OutSmart Magazine, the Texas Tribune, the Houston Chronicle, and NPR. She also serves as Vice Chair of the Texas Network of Youth Services board, which supports youth and young adults impacted by homelessness, the child welfare system, and juvenile justice. Aurora holds a B.A. in English and African American Studies from the College of Charleston.
DaVina Morris, Regional Director – East Texas, BCFS Health and Human Services
DaVina is the Regional Director, East Texas at BCFS. Prior to that she served as the Director of Family and Youth Services at Deep East Texas Council of Governments. She has a demonstrated history of working in the individual and family services industry including previous work for Texas Health and Human Services Commission. She earned her Bachelor’s Degree from Stephen F. Austin State University in Human Science.
Jacob Huereca, Chief Executive Officer, Connections Individual and Family Services, Inc.
Jacob Huereca is currently the chief executive officer for Connections Individual and Family Services in New Braunfels, Texas. Prior to joining Connections, Jacob was the executive director at New Life Children’s Center and has spent the majority of his career working with at-risk youth and their families. Jacob received his undergraduate social work degree from Colorado State University-Pueblo and his Master’s degree in social work from The University of Texas at Austin. Jacob studied Community and Administrative Leadership with a focus on nonprofit management and has a strong passion for organizational science and organizational culture. Jacob became an Andeavor Fellow through the San Antonio Area Foundation in 2019, was a graduate of the 2020 class of New Braunfels Leadership and is a sought after trainer as a Trust Based Relational Practitioner.
Romy Fischer Parzick, General Manager – Payments Division, OEC
Romy Parzick has two decades of fintech innovation, operational excellence, and leadership experience. Her work spans the consumer and commercial finance sectors, where she has worked across organizations to launch new products, drive operational scaling, transform struggling business units, and manage large-scale change initiatives.
Prior to OEC, Parzick’s experience includes being SVP of Implementation and Client Experience for Virtual Incentives and being CEO of Vault.co, leading operations and client experience for the commercial division of a $4B consumer payments company, implementing national consumer advocacy initiatives at the Financial Health Network, and overseeing the retail banking division of a leading Community Development Financial Institution. Romy is an active and outspoken First Movers Fellow and advisory board member with the Aspen Institute. She holds an M.B.A. from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke University and a B.S. from Carnegie Mellon University.
Adrian Jackson, Vice President of Home Life, Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch
Adrian Jackson, a dedicated professional committed to the well-being and development of young individuals, has been serving as the Vice President of Homelife at Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch since 2021. Alongside his equally devoted wife, Telita, who serves as the Casework Supervisor for the organization, the Jacksons bring a wealth of experience and compassion to their respective roles.
In his role as Administrator, Adrian oversees critical departments such as Adventure, Intervention Team Services, and Recreation. His expertise extends to being an on-site trainer for therapeutic models, including the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics, TBRI Practitioner, Satori Alternative to Managing Aggression, and Life Space Crisis Intervention. Adrian’s passion for fostering positive environments, coupled with Telita’s unwavering dedication, makes the Jacksons invaluable assets to Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch.
Larry Anazia, AI Product Program Manager, Meta
Larry is the AI Product Program Manager at Meta. He has a passion for the social sector and a history of working with City of Austin, Mission Capital, and has partnered with Lifeworks, American Youthworks, and others in his community. He earned his MPAff from The LBJ School of Public Affairs in 2011.
Candreas Jones, Program Director, Andrews Center
Candreas has been employed at Andrews Center for 24 years. During this time, she worked as a case manager for children’s mental health in Smith County, where she performed case management and crisis services. Candreas is currently the director of the Andrews Center FAYS program (formally STAR), a position that enables her to work closely with judges, courts, juvenile probation and other youth agencies for prevention and early intervention services for youth and families. She serves as a board member for both East Texas Network for Children (ETNC) and Texas Network of Youth Services (TNOYS). Candreas possesses a Bachelor of Science degree from Sam Houston State University. She is currently working towards her license for LCDC, and is certified for three years as a Mental Health First Aid Instructor.
Courtney Seales, Chief Program Officer, Lifeworks
CCourtney Seals is the Chief Program Officer at LifeWorks, where she leads strategic and programmatic initiatives that support youth, young adults, and families across housing, education, mental health, and peer support services. She plays a key role in advancing the agency’s mission to end youth homelessness in Austin through strengths-based and healing-centered approaches.
With over 20 years of experience in both nonprofit and government sectors, Courtney brings expertise in direct service, program leadership, and systems-level strategy. Prior to her time at LifeWorks, Courtney has directed programs delivering direct service in the areas of mentoring, case management, mental health, alternative education, workforce, and youth development. She holds a B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin and dual master’s degrees from the University of Texas in Community and Regional Planning and in Public Affairs from the LBJ School. A proud Austin native, Courtney enjoys oversized earrings, local festivals, and floating the river.
Veronica Constante, FAYS Director, Deep East Texas Council of Governments
Veronica received her degree from Lamar University in 2021 and has worked for Lufkin ISD and Texas Workforce Solutions between 2006 and 2015. She then transitioned to DETCOG in 2015 as a Family Support Service and was recently promoted to serve as Director of FAYS in 2023.
Jeff Alexander, Deputy Executive Director, Harris County Resources for Children and Adults
Jeff Alexander has worked with the juvenile justice and child welfare systems since 1995. In 1999, he began working for Harris County Resources for Children and Adults where he has held various leadership positions. Currently, he serves as the department’s Deputy Executive Director. Though generally responsible for all department activities, Jeff’s primary areas of oversight include: strengthening and creating new community partnerships, implementation of department mission and goals, strategic planning and coordination, community outreach, Council on Accreditation, Performance and Quality Improvement, and Training. Early in his career, Jeff also worked as a Juvenile Probation Officer in Walker and Harris counties.
In addition to his administrative duties for Harris County Resources for Children and Adults, Jeff is Adjunct Faculty with the Lone Star College System where he has taught Sociology since 2005. Jeff attended Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, TX, where he received a bachelor’s degree in Criminology/Corrections and a master’s degree in Sociology. Additionally, Jeff is a Senior Fellow with the American Leadership Forum (Criminal Justice Class 5).
Derrick McKnight, Program Manager, Austin Public Health
Derrick McKnight is a dedicated public health leader with over 20 years of experience in contract management, workforce development, and health disparity prevention programs. Derrick holds a Master of Science in Counseling and Education and a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice, providing him with a unique perspective on community and workforce development. His diverse educational background equips him with a comprehensive skill set, making him a well-rounded professional capable of addressing multifaceted challenges in public health and community advocacy.
Derrick’s extensive expertise in public health, program management, and community development positions him as a valuable leader in his field. In addition to his professional pursuits, Derrick volunteers at CASA Travis County, showcasing his dedication to making a positive impact in the community. His involvement with CASA underscores his passion for helping those in need, particularly advocating for the well-being of vulnerable children in the legal system.
Michael Strickland, Senior Director of Residential Programs, Jonathan’s Place
For 32 years, Mr. Strickland has served as a direct care staff, team leader, case manager supervisor, behavioral interventionist, and shelter manager for various agencies serving youth. In the beginning of his career, he worked at Catholic Charities of Fort Worth and then served as the Direct Care Shift Leader and Shelter Supervisor at The Assessment Center for 12 years. Michael joined Jonathan’s Place in August 2011, where he currently serves as Senior Director of Residential Programs. He is responsible for the daily operations of the Emergency Shelter, Girls Residential Therapeutic Program, Transitional Living Program, Restoring and Education Survivors to Empowerment, Transformation Program and Wesley Inn Maternity home.
Krystale Bezio, Chief Operating Officer, Upbring
As Chief Operating Officer of Upbring, Krystale ensures quality care, supervision and program direction for all foster care, adoption, supervised independent living and residential treatment centers, as well as our children’s shelters and Transitional Foster Care (TFC) program operated in partnership with the Office of Refugee and Resettlement (ORR). She also oversees the quality assurance department for the organization.
Delesha Jones, Chief Program Officer, Covenant House Texas
Delesha currently serves as the Chief Program Officer at Covenant House Texas, where she oversees a comprehensive range of programs including Residential services, Mental Health, Outreach, Career Services, Data Management, and Grant Management.
Her passion lies in developing strategies, policies, and programs to build capacity and raise awareness among vulnerable populations.
She is a dedicated advocate for victims of human trafficking, survivors of domestic violence, young mothers, and those experiencing prolonged trauma.
Katherine Valencia, Chief Program Officer, El Paso Center for Children
Kathie began her career as investigator at CPS and continued to several positions in this arena, including serving at CASA. She currently serves as EPCC’s Chief Programs Officer where she oversees implementation of direct service programs, supervising and supporting division and program directors. The range of programs she oversees includes: Family and Youth Success (FAYS), Texas Home Visiting (recently started, providing HIPPY curriculum), HOPES, Basic Center Program (shelter), Rapid Rehousing, Drop-In Center, and counseling for Victims of Crime.
Erin M. Espinosa, PhD; Director of Research, Evident Change
Dr. Erin Espinosa is the Director of Research at Evident Change, where she leads national evaluation and implementation science efforts focused on juvenile justice reform and youth behavioral health. With over 20 years of experience across research, policy, and direct service, Dr. Espinosa brings deep expertise in cross-system collaboration, program implementation, and evidence-based interventions for justice-involved youth—particularly those with mental health needs and trauma histories. A former juvenile probation officer and long-time advocate for Texas youth, Dr. Espinosa has worked at every level of the state’s youth-serving systems, including as behavioral health program specialist and project lead for the Mental Health and Juvenile Justice Action Network at the Texas Juvenile Probation Commission. She earned her PhD in Juvenile Justice from Prairie View A&M University is a member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers and a past recipient of the Champion for Children’s Mental Health Award.
Tim Packer, PhD; Executive Director, The Cove – The Heart of Texas, Inc.
Dr. Tim Packer is Executive Director of The Cove – Heart of Texas, Inc., an after–school and outreach service for youth experiencing homelessness in the Heart of Texas area. In the Heart of Texas community, Dr. Packer is Vice Chair of the local Youth Homelessness Committee and a Steering Committee member of Our Community Our Future, the Heart of Texas System of Care. Before joining The Cove, Dr. Packer worked for the City of Edinburgh, Scotland, commissioning homelessness services. Dr. Packer’s doctoral research focuses on young people’s experiences in the UK of homelessness and reaching adulthood. Dr. Packer has recently taught the Social World 1 class at the Baylor Interdisciplinary Core, focusing on the foundations of justice and moral development. In 2025, Dr. Packer was awarded the June Bucy Award for Excellence recognizing leadership contributions to youth services in Texas. Outside of work Dr. Packer is a keen runner and reader and has three daughters (13, 11, and 7).