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, Senior Director of Regional Strategy, Young Invincibles
Aurora (she/her) is a queer, black, feminist educator, organizer, researcher and policy advocacy strategist. Drawing on Black intellectual and grassroots organizing traditions, Aurora is a versatile player in fights for structural social change. Her current movement work focuses on storytelling, cultural organizing, and youth leadership development. She is the Southern Regional Director for Young Invincibles. Based in Houston, Texas she leads the strategic direction, programming, and policy priorities on health care, higher education, workforce/finances, and civic engagement for the organization. Aurora was part of Houston’s New Leaders Council Class of 2017 and she sat on the City of Houston’s first ever Mayoral LGBTQ Advisory board. She joined Say Her Name Texas in 2021 as the Volunteer Chairperson. Aurora received her B.A. in English and African- American Studies from the College of Charleston. She has roots in the Gullah Geechee culture of the Southeast and enjoys reading, volunteering, and cooking.
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.
Passionate about leveling the playing field for women and people of color, 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.
Adrian and Telita’s journey within Cal Farley’s Boys Ranch began as house parents in 1997, and Adrian has since navigated through various pivotal positions, showcasing his versatility and unwavering dedication. Notably, Adrian was honored with the Program Person of the Year award in 2004 and received the Re-Education Teacher/Counselor of the Year award in 2012, recognizing his outstanding contributions.
A proud graduate of Oklahoma Panhandle State University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration, Adrian consistently demonstrates leadership qualities. Holding a Child Care Administrator License since 2011, he exemplifies a commitment to maintaining high standards in the field.
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
Courtney has over 20 years of experience in youth services, serving through various positions across non-profit, government and philanthropic organizations. She believes that we cannot achieve the optimum outcomes through services alone. Courtney believes a two-pronged approach deploying programs and advocating for policy change is ideal.She carries familiarity with both systems-level complexities as well as service-level strategies for advancing policy and programming for young people.
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. As an equity partner, he tackles challenges with a panoramic view, excelling at crowdsourcing insights and fostering inclusive decision-making. 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, combined with his commitment to inclusive decision-making, 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, individuals within the LGBTQIA+ community, 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), TLP (one for female/LGBTQ+ and one for young men), Rapid Rehousing, Drop-In Center, and counseling for Victims of Crime.
Britney E. Harrison, Family Law Attorney, Turner McDowell Rowan, PLLC
Britney is a family law attorney at Turner McDowell Rowan, PLLC in Dallas, Texas. She practices all areas of family law, including adoptions, divorce, child custody disputes, and property agreements. Britney is a Dallas Director on the State Bar of Texas (“SBOT”) Board of Directors, on the Board of Editors for the Texas Bar Journal, and a past President of the Texas Young Lawyers Association (2020-2021). Britney first became involved in bar service through the Austin Black Lawyers Association, for which she served as Vice President. She graduated summa cum laude from the University of North Texas in 2006 and with honors from the University of Texas School of Law in 2010. She also received a diploma in International and European Union Law from Université Jean Moulin Lyon 3 in Lyon, France in 2009. Britney was named to Best Lawyers in America: Ones to Watch in the field of Family Law, 2021-2023, Best Lawyers in America in the field of Family Law, 2024, D Magazine’s Best Lawyers Under 40, 2018, 2020-2023, and selected to the Texas Rising Stars list, 2018-2022, and Super Lawyers list, 2022-2024.