BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Dave Alter, Board President
Senior Associate, Austin Ventures/Co-Founder, Hand to Hold
Dave Alter is the father of three girls, including Jada and Reese, both born preterm at 23 weeks gestation. Reese passed away shortly after birth, while Jada spent 4.5 months in the Neonatal Intensive Care Unit and today is a healthy and happy two-year old. Dave welcomed his third daughter, Addison Kate, into the world in 2011. Dave and his wife, Allie, co-founded Hand to Hold in honor of Reese’s life and as a testament to Jada’s incredible fighting spirit.
A venture capitalist by trade, Dave currently works for Austin Ventures (“AV”), a growth equity and venture capital firm that manages nearly $4 billion of capital to finance the expansion, recapitalization or acquisition of growth companies in a wide range of sectors. As a Senior Associate in AV’s growth equity practice, Dave focuses primarily on growth investments in information services and business services sectors and buyouts of Texas middle market companies. Notable portfolio companies include: Asset International, New Hope Bariatrics, CreditCards.com and QuickArrow.
Prior to joining Austin Ventures, Dave was an investment banker at Greenhill & Co. where he was a founding member the firm’s Dallas office and advised a number of Fortune 500 energy and power companies on M&A transactions and other strategic advisory assignments. Previously, Dave was an analyst in the Global Mergers & Acquisitions Group at UBS Investment Bank. Dave holds an MBA from the Kellogg School of Management at Northwestern University and a BBA with high honors from the Business Honors Program at the University of Texas at Austin. An active participant in the community, Dave is also the Founder and of the Texas Lacrosse Alumni Association, a 300-member organization that raises money on behalf of the University of Texas Men’s Lacrosse team.
Barbara Balliette, Board Secretary
Partner, Reid Collins & Tsai, LLC
Barbara Balliette is a partner with Reid Collins Tsai, LLC. Barbara received her B.A. from Baylor University in 1990 and her J.D., cum laude from Georgetown University Law Center in 1993.
After graduating from law school, Barbara practiced law in the Dallas and Austin offices of Hughes & Luce, LLP and was a partner at Diamond McCarthy LLP. Barbara’s practice has included representation of both plaintiffs and defendants in a variety of complex litigation matters, including business and bank fraud, director and officer liability, professional malpractice cases, insurance coverage and insolvency-related matters.
Barbara and her husband, Bill, are the parents of four children. The youngest, Bobby, was born eight weeks premature and had a variety of medical issues, including a tracheostomy and a feeding tube. After multiple surgeries and several years of therapies, Bobby is now a healthy and happy soon-to-be first grader. Barbara became involved with Hand to Hold to support and provide information to other families trying to navigate the overwhelming maze that a premature and medically fragile baby brings.
Kristen Knight
Director of Agency Culture, Proof Advertising
After experiencing pre-term birth with the arrival of her daughter, Lauren Kepler Knight, in 2010, Kristin Knight experienced the benefit of Hand to Hold firsthand. Lauren’s unexpected arrival eight weeks early resulted in a one month NICU stay. Lauren is now a healthy and happy toddler. After Lauren’s birth Kristin has been committed to making sure that parents have the resources needed to navigate such a difficult and challenging experience. Lauren’s older brother, Harrison, was three at the time of her birth. Kristin quickly recognized the need for sibling support, as well as the wealth of information Hand to Hold provides to families.
Kristin graduated from Southern Methodist University in 1997 and began her career with Ernst & Young. After moving to Austin in 1998, Kristin joined Kolar Advertising and Marketing. During her eight years with Kolar, she was promoted to Account Director covering a range of industries, including technology, consumer packaged goods, higher education, retail and local non-profits.
In 2007, Kristin began working with her husband, Marc Knight, at his company, Knight Commercial Construction, Inc. as Operations Director overseeing marketing, HR and finances. After four years with Knight Construction, Kristin began working as Director of Agency Culture for Proof Advertising overseeing internal communications, HR, employee relations, organizational planning and the overall culture for the agency.
Active in the Austin community, Kristin is a supporter of the Austin Children’s Museum, Caritas of Austin and the Bo Busby Foundation for ALS. She has served as the financial and housing advisor for the University of Texas chapter of Pi Beta Phi, and is President-elect for the Pi Beta Phi Alumnae Club. Kristin treasures every minute with her two children, Lauren and Harrison, her husband, Marc, and her two dogs, Annie and Gus.
Dr. Felicia Nash
Obstetrician/Gynecologist, Women Partners in Health
Dr. Felicia Nash had a pregnancy which ended with the birth of her son just prior to 18 weeks. She was shocked and saddened having previously experienced a healthy pregnancy with his big sister. She welcomed her second little boy into the world in 2008 and third in 2010. She couldn’t feel more blessed.
Dr. Nash’s professional passion is actually devoted to ensuring the healthiest possible pregnancies for families as she is a successful OB/GYN with Austin’s Women Partners in Health.
Growing up in numerous cities throughout the state, she prides herself on being a native Texan. She graduated cum laude with a B.S. in Nutritional Science from Texas A&M University and was awarded membership to the Alpha Omega Alpha Honor Society as a student in the top 10% at the University of Texas Medical School in Houston. Her recognition also includes the Award for Excellence in Laparoscopic Procedures received during her internship and residency training at Wake Forest University in Winston-Salem, NC. She is a fellow of the American Board of Obstetrics and Gynecology, licensed to practice in the state of Texas. While she immensely enjoys caring for healthy low-risk patients, she has the additional profound responsibility of assuming care for women urgently transported to the hospital including pregnancies in crisis from surrounding areas.
While Dr. Nash embraces her fulfilling professional opportunities, she absolutely cherishes her family and time spent with them. She is thrilled to be joining Hand to Hold having seen the struggles of patients as well as her own experience with preterm birth. With so much to be grateful for, she is motivated and eager to help lead this organization to become a driving and compassionate force for Austin families and beyond!
Scott Whitaker, Board Treasurer
Director of Stewardship and Development, Catholic Diocese of Austin
Scott Whitaker is the father of Luke Timothy, a 36-weeker, who contracted a severe case of surgical NEC (necrotizing enterocolitis) and spent 44 days in the NICU at both Seton Medical Center and Dell Children’s Medical Center. After discharge, Luke endured two more months of hospitalizations for other surgeries and infections and continues his treatment with nine specialists and bi-weekly therapy.
He serves as the Director of Stewardship and Development for the Catholic Diocese of Austin. In his position, he oversees the annual $4.2-million campaign, cultivates major gifts, strengthens individual parish stewardship education and assists fund raising efforts for all 125 parishes in the diocese. Scott began his career as an intern with the Texas A&M and Iowa State University Foundations. His university experience exposed him to various facets of fund raising which he honed after being hired as a Regional Director for the National FFA Organization.
After a life-changing pilgrimage to Italy, Scott began his faith-based fund raising career with the Catholic Archdiocese of Indianapolis as the Director of Parish Services. In 2003, he began work with the Diocese of Austin and recently completed an $84-million capital campaign (nearly 200% of the original goal). Presently, he serves on the International Catholic Stewardship Council Board of Directors and is the Executive Director of the Catholic Foundation – Diocese of Austin.
After he and his wife, Kathryn, experienced the birth of Luke and the consequent stays in the NICU and PICU, he has a passion for pairing seasoned NICU parents with those just beginning their journey. Luke’s introduction to the world has permanently altered his perspective, his faith and his passion for helping others.
Scott received his B.S. degree from Texas A&M University and his M.S. degree from Iowa State University. He and his wife, Kathryn, reside in Austin with their five children: Will, John Paul, Anna-Laura, Clare and Luke.
Staff
Kelli Kelley
Founder/Executive Director
Kelli D. Kelley is the mother of two children born preterm – Jackson Thomas born at 24 weeks in 2000 and Lauren Elizabeth born at 34 weeks in 2003. She has invested her time and talents during the past 10 years to raise awareness of the growing problem of preterm birth and to support families who share her experience. She is often sought out to speak about preterm birth, the high incidence of post-traumatic stress disorder and depression among these parents, and the need for support and navigation resources for all families who have had these experiences.
In 2011, Kelli was selected as a parent liaison and spokesperson for the National Perinatal Association as they work to facilitate the development of Multidisciplinary Guidelines for the Care of Late-Preterm Infants. She was asked to participate in Pediatric Grand Rounds at the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio in 2011. Kelli has provided keynote addresses for conferences, such as the Texas Premature Infant Health Summit, the Educational Summit on Prematurity at the University of Texas Health Science Center San Antonio and the Association of Women’s Health Obstetric and Neonatal Nurses Texas Section Conference.
Kelli was named a 2011 Local Hero through Bank of America’s Neighborhood Excellence Initiative® and a 2011 Health Care Hero through the Austin Business Journal. She is the 2010 recipient of the Austin Under 40 Award for Medical and Health Care, and an ENERGIZER Keep Going Hall of Fame Semifinalist. Kelli serves on the leadership team of the Preemie Parent Alliance. She is a past President of the Austin chapter of the Association for Women in Communications and a graduate of Leadership Austin.
In 2005, the Kelley family served as the Ambassador family for the Austin division of the March of Dimes. Kelli served on the Austin division Board of Directors of the March of Dimes for four years and was selected to serve on the National Mission Volunteer Advisory Council for two years.
Prior to the birth of her children, Kelli worked in public relations with the The Arc of the Capital Area as the Public Relations Coordinator and then as the Development Coordinator for the Mental Health Association in Texas. She went on to work for Cunningham Communication, a national high-tech public relations agency, as a Public Relations Manager and Marketing Coordinator where she received numerous promotions and awards for her leadership and accomplishments.
Kelli received a bachelor of journalism degree from The University of Texas at Austin. In her free time she enjoys spending time with her husband, children and friends, reading, cooking, exercising and participating in Bible study.
Erika Goyer
Family Support Navigator/Program Director
Erika and her husband, Robert, are the parents of three sons. Their first son, Carrick Michael, was born in 1990 at 27 weeks gestation and weighing 1 pound, 14 ounces. Carrick died soon after his birth due to complications of prematurity, including Persistent Pulmonary Hypertension of the Newborn (PPHN). Erika went on to have two more high-risk pregnancies and two healthy sons. Her oldest son experienced developmental delays. He was diagnosed on the Autism Spectrum and has special health and educational needs.
Erika graduated from California State University San Bernardino with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Anthropology. (She is especially proud that she did this in less than four years while raising a small child!) As the parent of a child with a developmental disability Erika continued her informal education in interventions and strategies for supporting students with autism and other developmental delays.
Erika is passionate about helping parents gather the skills they need to be both nurturing caregivers and powerful advocates for their children. For the last four years Erika has worked for a statewide parent organization providing community-based services for families. During this time she has collaborated with other community groups and state agencies to improve outcomes for families of children with special health and education needs.
Erika is grateful to be a part of this community! Her hope is that the support and services offered through Hand to Hold will be source of strength for families whose babies began life in the NICU and comfort to those families whose children never came home.
Laura Romero
Family Support Navigator
Laura Romero recently received her Master’s degree in family and child studies from Texas State University San Marcos. She completed both of her internships with Hand to Hold developing the sibling support program. She is the mother of two young children. Her daughter Brooklyn was born in 2006 at 33 weeks gestation and was diagnosed with Cerebral Palsy shortly thereafter.
Laura graduated from Loyola University Chicago with a B.S. degree in Education. Laura left the classroom after five years as a first grade teacher following the birth of her son Cameron. During the first two years of his life, she ran a small tutoring business.
Laura is passionate about education and about helping children and families understand and manage
challenging life events and stressful situations. She says that the journey with her daughter has brought her to a place of greater recognition and understanding of human attachment, development and growth. She has volunteered her time over the last three years to help families and babies in the NICU at Dell Children’s Medical Center as well as the Center for Child Protection in Austin.
Laura is very active in organizations which support children and families with special health care needs. She participates each year in the Texas Advanced Advocacy and Leadership Conference and spends time at the Capitol meeting with Texas State Representatives to present important issues facing the Texas disabled population.
Laura recently became a certified first generation Sibshop (support for siblings) Facilitator. She has a very special place in her heart for the unique needs of siblings in families facing challenging circumstances. Her focus of study throughout her graduate program was learning how to understand, best meet the needs of and provide support to siblings. Laura is very excited to be a part of the Hand to Hold team.
In her free time, Laura enjoys spending time with her two children , her husband Richie and her two dogs Roxy and Mac. Her favorite activities include cooking, yoga, blogging, organizing, traveling and exploring Austin and beyond.
Amy T. Carr
Public Awareness Director
Amy is a parent of a late-term preemie, Ella, born at 35 weeks. She has volunteered with Hand to Hold since its inception, and is currently serving in a consultant role for Hand to Hold’s marketing and outreach efforts. With more than 15 years of experience, Amy enjoys strategizing and executing marketing and public relations efforts to raise awareness, support and revenue to advance an organization’s mission, especially one so dear to her heart.
Amy formerly led the marketing communications, public relations and strategy efforts for the Center for Child Protection, a Children’s Advocacy Center. In 2008, she completed a community outreach campaign for the grand opening of its new $9.1 million facility and received two national Clarion Awards.
Always involved in helping children in some form or fashion, her prior positions included a marketing position for a K–12 instructional materials developer and government positions promoting child nutrition and substance abuse prevention.
Over the years, Amy has been very involved in the Association for Women in Communications where she has served as president of the local Austin chapter and on the national board. Amy holds a Master of Science in organizational leadership and ethics from St. Edward’s University and a bachelor of arts in international studies and German from Trinity University.
Angela Wright
Events Planner
Angela Wright has volunteered with Hand to Hold over the past year and is now serving in a freelance role with the organization to support its event planning and grants management efforts. As the mother of three active boys, she knows how to juggle competing activities and keep everyone organized and will leverage these skills as she supports the Hand to Hold’s growth initiatives.
Angela holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Advertising from the University of Texas at Austin. She has worked in the marketing communications and public relations arena for more than 13 years, supporting high technology companies around the world. She will use her knowledge and experience to additionally assist with Hand to Hold’s program marketing and development.
Beyond her work with Hand to Hold, Angela is highly involved in her children’s schools, serving on the PTA and supporting her husband’s remodeling business. She enjoys reading, baking and hanging out with friends in her very limited spare time!
Marty Barnes
Parent Education Coordinator
A native Austinite, Marty Barnes began her career in IT and spent the previous 10 years working with databases in many capacities. Work led her to Los Angeles in 2002 where she and Tim were later married. Tim and Marty welcomed their daughter, Casey, on April 23, 2006. Though Casey was born at just under 37 weeks, she had a traumatic birth that resulted in a two-month NICU stay and returned home with many ongoing medical issues. In January 2008, the family moved back to Austin.
Marty decided not to return to work after having her daughter, and instead now focuses on Casey’s care and needs. Although there have been many trying times, being a mother is the most satisfying and rewarding job Marty could ever imagine. In 2009, Marty began volunteering with a handful of local child-related organizations and eventually found her way to Hand to Hold. She loves everything Hand to Hold is doing and had to get involved. Marty is a Parent Volunteer and helped Hand to Hold create the Lunch and Learn program.
In addition to her volunteer work, Marty recently returned to school. Her goal is to work providing care to medically fragile children and support to their families. Marty established the CLU Campaign, a grassroots inclusion project, along with her daughter’s site. Marty and her husband both come from IT, so it is natural way for them to work together and help share the lessons they have learned. When Marty finds spare time, she is also learning Spanish and writing a book.
Marty is very happy to be back in Austin near family and friends. She also feels fortunate to have made
many new friends through her involvement in local organizations–especially Hand to Hold.
Kathryn Whitaker
Lead PreemieBabies101 Blogger
Kathryn is the mother of five, two of which were preemies. Her youngest son was diagnosed with IUGR (intrauterine growth restriction) and was born at 36 weeks weighing just 3lbs. 9oz. He developed a severe surgical case of necrotizing enterocolitis and has various needs as a direct, and indirect, result. She was one of the first families to receive support from a mentor through
Hand to Hold and the entire experience has been life-altering.
Prior to motherhood, Kathryn served as a communications and public relations consultant for a national non-profit. In 2001, after the birth of her first child, she became a freelance graphic designer. She specializes in streamlining current communications materials, brand identity and marketing and technical writing. Some of her clients include the Vatican Observatory Foundation, White Construction Company, Petrus Development and numerous collegiate Catholic campus ministry programs around the country. She has a Bachelor of Science degree in Agricultural Development with an emphasis in Marketing from Texas A&M University and a Master of Science degree in Agricultural Education with a minor in Communications from Iowa State University. Kathryn is an active volunteer in her parish and at her children’s school.
Since the birth of her youngest child, she has developed a passion for prematurity awareness and child advocacy. She is an avid user of all things social media (yes, you can find her tweeting, blogging, pinning and status updating), and it was a natural fit for her to lead the
Preemiebabies101 blog initiative with Hand to Hold.
She and her husband, Scott, reside in Austin.
Kathleen Stefka
Intern
Kathleen Stefka is a senior at the University of Texas at Austin. She will receive her Bachelor of Science in Applied Learning and Development in May 2012. She has taken a mixture of course work in both the healthcare and education fields, loves working with children, and is passionate about helping others. Kathleen’s interest in working with a nonprofit began when she was looking into social work programs for graduate school. She is very excited for the opportunity to intern with Hand to Hold this semester!
In her spare time, Kathleen enjoys hanging out with family and friends, playing with her dogs, watching movies, and reading.
