Board of Directors

After serving for the past two years on the board, Dr. Mai Ferrara is currently the Board Chair. She grew up in Austin, trained to become a specialist in Orthodontics and Dentoalveolar Orthopedics, and was the owner of her orthodontic practice in South Austin. She is now retired and enjoys raising her two young boys while volunteering. Her biggest passion in life has been caring for children, whether it’s giving them healthy, happy smiles or helping to provide comfort and bare essentials through Hope Packs.

Christy Quatacker joined Carrying Hope as a board member in 2019. She has been a licensed Texas attorney for over 15 years, performing a variety of pro bono work. After moving from Alaska, Christy and her family settled in Austin.

Sophia H. Cartlidge, mom of three beautiful girls (25, 14, and 12). She has been married for 17 years to her husband, Willie. Sophia attended the University of Southern Mississippi and received her B.S.B.A in Marketing. Sophia is now a Project Manager with Interior Architects.  You can often find Sophia doing what she loves: being of service to others. She doesn’t see this as “making time” for volunteering. Sophia weaves community service into her daily life and love incorporating her family and coworkers when she can. Sophia often tells why her heart of giving exists.

Rona Cowand is a native Texan, moving from Houston to Austin in 2006. She has been a licensed Certified Public Accountant for eight years with over 20 years of experience in accounting. She joined the Carrying Hope board as Treasurer in September 2018. She is also the mother of twin girls and assists her husband in running his multiple businesses.

Maria grew up in Montclair, New Jersey and also lived in Southern California. She moved to Austin seven years ago. Prior to becoming a stay at home mom, her professional background was in Case Management and Behavioral Counseling, primarily working with at-risk youth. She has a passion for volunteering, especially when benefiting the foster care community and animal shelters. Maria is married to her husband Jeff and has two teenage kids, Avery and Lucas.  

Monica Golemo, a lifelong educator, is currently an interventionist and curriculum developer.  Her favorite moments are spent with her family outdoors.  She is proud to be a supporter of Carrying Hope since its inception.

Leticia Holberg is a native Texan and graduate of The University of Texas. After teaching elementary school for ten years, she chose to stay home to raise her three children. She enjoys her role creating graphics and leading communication between the school and community.

Susanne Kerns is a writer living in Austin, Texas with her husband and two children. In addition to co-hosting the Mom & … Podcast, she also runs “Informed Parents of Austin,” a group she founded to advocate for LGBTQIA+ students, families and staff in Austin and serves on the board of GLSEN and the Austin ISD School Health Advisory Council.

Joy King is an HR Professional with over 15 years of experience. She has served in both Director and Manager roles for two Universities as well as in the hospitality industry.  She is a graduate of Purdue University where she earned a BS in Management with a focus on International Business and Economics. She also holds a BA in Spanish and has experience teaching bilingual and Spanish classes for local school districts. Joy has two children and enjoys traveling, outdoor activities and spending time with family and friends.

Annagae is a foster care advocate and along with her husband Eddie, became a licensed foster family in 2018. Since then, they have fostered to adopted a little girl and as a family enjoy eating their way around town. If you are around in East Austin, there’s a good chance you have met their extremely extroverted daughter!

Originally from Santiago, Chile, Max moved to the United States with his mother when he was 8 years old. After attending school and working in various cities in North and Latin America, he now calls Austin home and is committed to contributing to Carrying Hope’s Board and to the organization’s notable mission. 

Alison Pendleton is a producer, event planner and account manager with experience working with many Fortune 500 and international clients. She is also the mom to twin boys.

Stasha is a mother of two toddlers and a community pharmacist. Since moving to Austin in 2012, she has served on various professional and academic committees. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with family and friends! 

Jennifer Sparks is a real estate broker and owner of Kifer Sparks Agency, a boutique residential real estate company focused on providing a better real estate experience to buyer, seller and investor clients. She enjoys traveling and spending time with her family.

Luke Thomas is an attorney at Gunderson Dettmer where he helps entrepreneurs and venture capital investors start, grow and sell their businesses.  Luke earned his JD from the University of Texas, his MBA and BA (Finance) from Texas Tech University and holds the CFA designation.  Luke spends his free time with his wife Holly and two young boys exploring the great outdoors.

Faith Tissot is a registered nurse who has been married 23 years and has two children, Juliette, 16, and Christian, 11. Faith is particularly enthusiastic about Carrying Hope because she was a foster child who experienced being removed from her home by CPS. “I love what Carrying Hope is doing for foster children and their families,” she says.