Staff & Board

In January 2016, Shana Fox assumed the role as the Executive Director for CARY. While this role was new for Shana, her involvement in nonprofits and with CARY was not. Shana has dedicated 18 years to working with the at-risk students that CARY serves, both in a direct capacity as a CARY Youth Advisor, and serving as CARY’s Deputy Executive Director.

Shana came to CARY after attending Texas State University where she studied Social Work, with a specific focus on vulnerable populations and social justice issues. While Shana was in graduate school she had many life-changing experiences. One of the most influential occurred when she visited a juvenile justice facility and saw, first hand, what happens to our youth when they get “locked up.” She knew then that she wanted to target this trend of at-risk youth becoming involved in the “pipeline to prison.” Shana quickly learned that her passion and profession would align, to allow her to follow her dream of making a positive change in the lives of children and families.

While working directly with thousands of high-risk youth has been the highlight of her career, Shana’s professional pursuits inspired her to seek opportunities for community leadership and administrative stewardship. She returned to the classroom to gain more education in those areas and began to gravitate towards policy, governance, and management. She is humbled to serve CARY in a leadership role and views her work within the community as a privilege.

When Shana is not working, she can be found exploring her community, enjoying live music, and plotting outdoor adventures. She also enjoys traveling, yoga, and climbing.

Nicole Gerard is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and has been with CARY since 2012. She earned her Bachelors's degree in Social Work at Abilene Christian University and her Master's degree in Social Work at the University of Texas at Arlington. Nicole is married to Kellen Gerard, whom she met working at a Wilderness Therapy Camp in the woods of North Carolina. Nicole and Kellen have 2 daughters; Charlie and Lucy. As a family, they enjoy traveling and being outdoors.

Randa is a graduate of Texas State University in San Marcos with a Bachelor's degree in Public Relation, minoring in Psychology. She is a native Austinite, having been born and raised in Austin - and proud of it! While searching for a start in her career she came across CARY, falling in love with the message and purpose of the nonprofit. Randa has a passion for learning and education with plans of continuing her college career to obtain a Masters and Ph.D., dreaming to become a college professor. Her motivation to help others stems from her grandmother, who was a social worker in Killeen where she worked with at-risk youth, and her great grandfather, who was the first commissioner of education in Texas. With big shoes to fill, comes a deeper drive to help others find motivation and achieve their goals. In her spare time, she can be found hiking with her beloved pit bulls, kayaking, and stand-up paddleboarding or with her nose deep in a book.

Hi there! I’m Clint Wilkie, a Southern Illinois native who traded cornfields for cowboy boots and moved to Texas in 2018. My academic journey took me to Southern Illinois University, where I studied the ancient and mesmerizing art of glassblowing with a Bachelor of Fine Arts degree. Not stopping there, I switched gears and earned my Master’s in Counseling from Missouri Baptist University—because who better to help you see clearly through life's challenges than a glassblower-turned-counselor?
When I'm not traveling the world or creating art, you'll find me relaxing by the river or any body of water I can find. After all, as a glass artist and counselor, I know the importance of both staying cool and going with the flow!

Ashley is a born and raised Texan, having grown up in the small town of Shiner. She is an avid cyclist, teacher, runner, yogi, dancer, wife, and mama of four precious kids. Ashley studied Dance Education at Kilgore College and Communications and Behavioral Psychology at Concordia University. Amid her academic studies, she became a yoga instructor and a massage therapist. It was with her love of movement, education, and healing arts that she wrote a Creative Movement program adopted by AISD. After 10 years of teaching dance, movement, yoga, and bodywork, Ashley landed a preschool teaching job at St. George’s Episcopal School. Over her 4 years of teaching at St. George’s, Ashley married and had children. Soon she found herself ready for the next venture in life, so Ashley created a small event planning business, leveraging her love of hosting, eye for detail, and passion for helping others. She coordinated weddings, special events, and fundraisers. Ashley’s energy, integrity, and planning skills also landed her the role of St. George’s PTF board President and the St. George’s Episcopal Church Board President. Ashley is thrilled to continue her life adventure here at CARY, continuing to love-on her family, having fun with friends, all the while supporting the noble and generous act of philanthropy.

Tisho has been contracting with CARY since 2005 as the bookkeeper/ accountant. A graduate of UT with a BA in Accounting, she is responsible for all things financial at CARY. Tisho has been married for 22 years and has 3 children.

I am a graduate of American Military University with a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology. It is a subject I am quite passionate about! I believe we are all products of our environment and yet have the choice to allow it to make or break us. I love that CARY steps in for youth at a time that is so impressionable! We all need connection, to know we’ve got this and CARY helps today’s youth choose a path of success…however that is defined for them personally! I made my way to CARY after years of working for a local school district and then City government. The world of non-profit opened my eyes! It provides me an outlet to put my admin skills to work, assist others, make an impact and support a worthy cause, all in one pretty package! My husband and I have one son, a soon to be daughter-in-law, grand-puppy and spend a lot of time outdoors working on our property and with the cattle we raise. My hobbies involve a love of history, art, culture, reading and plants! I’m a simple person with big ideas and hopes for the world!

Roy Herrera III, has a bachelor's degree from the University of Houston. He enjoys his work as a Youth Advisor in Austin, TX.

Marissa was born and raised in Harlingen, TX and moved to Huntsville, TX to attend Sam Houston State University, where she received her Bachelor's degree in Psychology. After graduating she decided to move to Austin, TX and loves the city's vibrant and diverse community.
Recently, Marissa graduated from Texas Tech Health Sciences Center with a Master's degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. While in school, she worked with various mental health non-profit organizations in Central Texas and supported individuals of all ages and backgrounds. Marissa is passionate about helping at-risk youth and families overcome challenges and achieve their goals.
Outside of work, Marissa loves to spend time with her family and friends, learn new recipes, watch reality tv shows, and go on walks with her fiance and dog, Archie.

Zakeia was born and raised in Bakersfield and Fairfield California. She moved to Austin Texas in 2005 and considered herself a “Cali Texan.” She graduated from Texas State University in 2014 with a Bachelor’s in Psychology and a minor and Social Work. She also gained her Master's degree in psychology in 2019. While pursuing her master's she worked as Intensive Case Manager for children and families. She decided to pursue her Ph.D. and after her first residency, she realized she had a passion to continue to work with children and families and decided to put her Ph.D. on hold and get her LPC. Zakeia is currently enrolled at St Edward's University where she plans to graduate and become a Licensed Professional Counselor in 2024. In her free time, she coaches and travels with her 3 kids and husband. She also found a new love for baking.

Destiney was born In Victoria, Tx, and moved to Austin to attend Huston Tillotson University, where she received her Bachelor's Degree in Sociology. Destiney is working on getting her master's in Business Administration at Prairie View A&M University. In her free time, she loves spending time with family, writing poetry, and doing editorial makeup. Destiney has always had a passion for helping others, especially youth in a school setting. Helping prevent the school-to-prison pipeline has been one of her many goals.

Stephanie is from the DFW area and moved to San Marcos to begin her college career, where she graduated from Texas State University in 2022 with her Bachelors degree in social work. Shortly thereafter she began her career with CARY working at Paredes Middle School. Stephanie has always been passionate about understanding and managing emotions, as well as working with youth to create bright futures! Her motto is: Life is tough, but so are you! In her free time, Stephanie enjoys being with friends, visiting her family back home, trying out new recipes, and exploring her new home of Austin.

Leah grew up in Central Texas and attended college at LeTourneau University where she studied Psychology. Afterwards, she knew she wanted an adventure in the Pacific Northwest and moved to Portland, Oregon for graduate school where she studied Marriage and Family Therapy at George Fox University. Her role as a trauma-informed therapist has cultivated her ability to value individual differences, develop meaningful relationships, and recognize cultural diversity – all while creating joy in chaotic or stressful seasons of life. After working professionally in Oregon and Washington for several years as a Child and Family Therapist, she moved back to Texas, settled in Austin, and started working for CARY. When not working, Leah loves to play arcade games, explore new coffee shops with her partner to read and play cribbage, and bake treats for her three-legged pup, Jack.

Robert Blakley is originally from Missouri but has also called Texas and Georgia home. He holds a Bachelor's degree in Communications with a minor in African American Studies from Missouri State University. Recently, he graduated from Texas State University with a Master's degree in Student Affairs in Higher Education. During his time at Texas State, Robert served as a Graduate Assistant for Fraternity and Sorority Life and as a Success Coach through the Student Learning and Assistance Center.

With a deep passion for supporting youth, Robert is dedicated to aiding students in their life journeys. As a proud man of faith, he is committed to making a meaningful impact and empowering students to reach their goals. Robert is honored to join Crockett High School as a Youth Mentor and looks forward to meeting and working with every student!

Arica Hanson is from Tucson, AZ! She graduated summa cum laude from the University of Arizona with a double major in Sociology and Classics (with an emphasis in Latin). She began work as a middle school English teacher before discovering that her strength and passion was in serving as a trusted mentor for struggling students. She is interested in social justice and sociological research with a focus on the environment and the American justice system, so her work in dismantling the school-to-prison pipeline is close to her heart. Arica likes to play video games, watch scary movies, cook vegan food, read really really old books, volunteer in her community, and go on adventures with her fiancé (just like in a video game).

Kirsten, originally from Houston, moved to Austin to attend St. Edward’s University where she studied social work. During her time at St. Edward’s she worked at an emergency shelter for foster youth and became very connected to vulnerable populations who have experienced trauma, particularly youth. Here, she saw firsthand the power that positive relationships and warm connections can have. She continued on to obtain her Masters in Social Work from the University of Texas at Austin, where she would find more opportunities to serve and support youth who have experienced different forms of trauma, such as drug abuse, physical abuse, and sexual assault. When she’s not working with kids, Kirsten loves to cook, especially for friends and family, traveling, hiking, and spending time with her husband and two dogs.

Hello my name is Christine and I am the CARY Youth Advisor here at Ojeda Middle School. I graduated with my bachelor’s degree in Psychology from St. Mary’s University. I'm from San Antonio, Tx originally, but moved here to Austin to spread my wings a bit. I have worked in various school districts in San Antonio for 10 years, but I am so excited to be here. In my free time I like to cook, have a DYI spa day, or go to the farmers market.

Ebony received her Bachelors of Social Work from Salisbury University in Salisbury, MD and her Masters of Social Work from Howard University in Washington, DC. At Salisbury University, Ebony became a sister of Lambda Theta Alpha, Latin Sorority Inc. While in school, Ebony worked with Child Protective Services, the Health Department, and various outpatient mental health agencies taking reports of child abuse and neglect, providing group therapy and supervising volunteers, and providing individual therapy and writing treatment plans, respectively. Ebony has worked with various mental health diagnoses, different populations, and different mental health settings during her social work journey. Originally from Maryland, she recently moved to Austin, TX with the hopes of being able to further her social work career and be able to help to support as many children and adolescents as she can. When she's not working, Ebony loves to spend time with her family and friends, travel to different places and states, and attend concerts and other musical events.

My name is Claudia Elizondo, I was born and raised in Brownsville, Texas. I got my bachelor's degree in Psychology in my local university, UTB/TSC before moving to get my master’s degree in Counseling in Texas A&M Corpus Christi. I moved back to my hometown and worked in Southwest Keys for about 2 years. I worked with unaccompanied minors as a Clinician and worked in supporting my clients that had different backgrounds and traumas in their life. I then moved to Louisiana where I worked as a Hispanic Bilingual Advocate in Metro Centers for Community Advocacy. As an advocate, I worked with survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking. I missed Texas too much and decided to move back to Texas, where I found my awesome job here at CARY in Crockett High School. One of the main goals that I have when working with my clients is to empower them with skills and strategies to take control of their lives and of their futures. I very much believe that the clients are the most knowledgeable about themselves and I’m here as a support as they help discover what they can do. I teach them ways to regulate their emotions, including anger, in healthy ways as well as social skills that they need to navigate in their current and future lives. Here at Crockett H.S. I provide students with a calm space that they could use to help them get their emotions in control and try to teach the students the skills in a fun, creative, and interactive way. In my personal time, I love crafting, reading, video gaming, and watching a variety of tv shows.

Rayna was born in Austin, TX, and earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Human Development and Family Sciences from Texas State University. Rayna is working as a Youth Advisor at Manor Middle School and has aspirations to pursue a master’s degree in social work or counseling. Rayna has a passion for supporting and guiding youth. Outside of work, Rayna enjoys exploring the vibrant city of Austin. She loves hiking, walking, and discovering new places around the city.

Cody was born and raised in West Kentucky, earning his Bachelor's degree in Social Work at Murray State University. Cody has worked to improve the lives of those struggling with addiction, mental health, as well as At-Risk youth for over 8 years. Outside of work, Cody loves music (Tom Waits) , film (PT Anderson), reading (Cormac Mccarthy), the NBA (MJ), and the UFC (Nate Diaz).

Samantha grew up in Kansas City, Missouri and attended the University of Missouri in Columbia where she studied Psychology. While earning her degree, Samantha worked as an in-home behavior aide and a youth care specialist in a trauma-informed residential setting. In those settings, Samantha realized her passion for empowering adolescents and forming positive relationships. After graduating, she decided to move out of Missouri and found that the opportunities available in Austin were the most exciting to her. Samantha is so happy to be a part of the CARY team and enjoys the connections she has made with the students and staff at Dailey Middle School. When she's not working, Samantha loves to travel, read, try new workout classes, and explore Austin.

Born and raised between Alaska and Washington state, Lela studied at Western Washington University. She graduated with a degree in Human Services, and a focus on chemical dependency, as well as foster care services. Upon moving to Austin, Lela found her passion working with underestimated teens in a school setting. Lela has worked in Bellingham, Chicago and Austin. She now serves as a Youth Advisor at Del Valle High School, and absolutely loves her job. When she isn't at work Lela enjoys reading, writing, and exploring local shops.

Chase Browning and his Service Dog, Marigold, are both Native Texans and have been in Austin for about 10 years. Chase graduated from Texas State in 2021 with a degree in Social Work. Since then Chase and Marigold have been a dynamic duo in the mental & behavioral health space. Chase and Marigold work together, meeting clients where they are in their mental and behavioral health journey. As a video game player and all around huge nerd, Chase is also very passionate about the direction of Gaming Therapy and its applications in the mental and behavioral health fields. Chase has had success with using tenants of Gaming Therapy and building coping skills and strategies that are unique, and tailor made to the specific client and their struggles. Chase has found that when skills are more gamelike and fun, that they have a better chance of being utilized. When not working Chase and Marigold go antiquing, searching for uranium glass, and searching for the ever elusive, blue Texas Topaz in Mason County.