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Lisa Fielder, Executive Director and Co-Founder, B.A. Trinity University, M.Arch Rice University.
Lisa has a lifelong commitment to education and a genuine affection for teenagers. A member of the Greater Austin Chamber’s Matriculation Task Force, Lisa has impacted hundreds of college-bound students in Central Texas and was named a “Local Hero” in 2006 by the Bank of America Foundation for innovations in education access. Lisa is past board chair of the Texas Center for the Missing and a founding member of a college access task force facilitated by E3 Alliance. As Executive Director of College Forward, Lisa provides vision and leadership to support the design, implementation, and management of all programs that support our mission. Lisa also serves as an ex-officio member of the Board of Directors.
Emily Steinberg, Associate Director, B.A. Bard College.
Emily has served with College Forward in various capacities since she moved to Austin from upstate New York in 2004. Along the way, she served as one of College Forward’s first College Coaches and AmeriCorps*VISTA members and has since helped raise over $4.4 million in grant funds to expand College Forward’s services. Emily is a member of the American Association of Grant Professionals, Association of Fundraising Professionals, Ready by 21 Coalition, and was an inaugural participant in Leadership Austin’s “Emerge” program. A writer, performance artist, and aspiring historian, she has been involved with various NGOs and human rights organizations in the United States and South Africa. She currently oversees College Forward’s programming, operations, and development departments, while also facilitating long-term strategic planning with the Executive Director and Board of Directors.
Kristen Braitkrus, High School Program Manager, BA University of Illinois Urbana-Champaign.
Kristen joined the College Forward team after four and a half years at P.S. ARTS, a nonprofit organization in Los Angeles, California, where she led a team of professional teaching artists in bringing arts education programs to students in Title I elementary and middle schools. Kristen’s extensive nonprofit management experience includes grant writing, budgeting, strategic planning, program planning and execution, and program evaluation. With Erica and Daniel, she oversees the high school program and College Coaches at our partner schools.
Austin Buchan, College Persistence Program Manager, B.A. Trinity University.
Austin joined College Forward in April 2010 after serving as Program Manager and Community Organizer for the Solentiname Solidarity Alliance, a non-profit organization in rural Nicaragua. While in Nicaragua, Austin helped develop and implement a college preparation and persistence program for highly motivated, low income students. After the first pilot semester, 100% of Austin’s students were accepted into the number one university in Nicaragua and awarded full scholarships. Apart from his non-profit work, Austin has experience in managing and organizing national political campaigns in Boston, MA and Boulder, CO. As College Persistence Program Manager, Austin oversees the long-term strategic growth, development, and operations of College Forward’s College Persistence program and its team of AmeriCorps College Persistence Coordinators.
Erica Gordon, High School Program Manager, B.A. Sam Houston State University, M.S. Texas Christian University.
After six years as a successful software consultant, Erica decided to follow her passion for working with underserved communities by becoming an AmeriCorps member at College Forward. She served as a College Coach in 2008-2009, initiating several new projects and forming close relationships with her students at Del Valle High School, before joining the permanent staff as a High School Program Manager. Erica enjoys volunteering in the community and has been involved with Special Olympics and the Boys and Girls Club. With Daniel and Kristen, she oversees the high school program and College Coaches at our partner schools.
Betty Harrison, Director of Programs, B.S. McMurry University, M.A. University of Tulsa, Ph.D. University of Texas-Austin.
As a former high school English teacher, middle school administrator, and central office curriculum director for Hays CISD, Betty brings substantial expertise to College Forward’s partnerships with high schools and school districts. While working in Hays CISD in 2003, Betty was one of the first to take a chance on Lisa Fielder’s fledgling college access program, then called Admission Control, paving the way for the growth and success of College Forward. Betty has worked as an adjunct professor at Texas State University teaching graduate classes in Curriculum and Instruction. She is a member of the Hays County Historical Commission and a past member of the ESC Region XIII Curriculum Council and the Texas Association for Supervision and Curriculum Development. As Director of Programs, she administers College Forward’s AmeriCorps grant, oversees the continuum of high school, parent, and college retention services College Forward provides, and serves as a liaison to college admission offices and local school districts.
Melody Kanney, Operations Manager, B.A. Indiana University-Bloomington.
After graduating from college Summa Cum Laude, Melody came to Austin in 2005 to join the College Forward team. She served for two years as an AmeriCorps*VISTA member in various capacities, including fund development, volunteer coordination, and classroom coaching. Melody has held leadership positions in numerous community service organizations and is a member of Phi Beta Kappa. In her current role, Melody manages the day-to-day operations of the organization and oversees financial and risk management, human resources, communication and technology, and our volunteer and community service programming. In addition, she serves as Chair of College Forward's "Fun Team" to keep the organizational culture creative and upbeat.
Sara McCabe, Grant Manager, B.S.C., Santa Clara University, MSOLE, St. Edward’s University.
Sara has managed nonprofit and corporate communications for more than 20 years and recently received her master’s degree in organizational leadership and ethics at St. Edward’s University. Prior to joining College Forward in 2009, she spent eight years at Texas Monthly magazine as director of the custom publishing department, and six years with Bat Conservation International creating and producing the organization’s member magazine, workbooks, annual reports, and other communications pieces. Sara currently serves as Vice President of the board of TreeFolks, Inc., and is actively involved with Austin Cocker Spaniel Rescue. You might also be able to see Sara playing steel drums around town with the InsideOut Steelband. As Grant Manager, Sara manages College Forward’s grant process from research and concept development through proposal submission, follow-up reporting, and budget control, serving as the central point of contact between grantors, organizational staff, and stakeholders.
Daniel Riegel, High School Program Manager, B.A. University of Texas-Austin.
Daniel spent a year as an AmeriCorps College Coach at Del Valle High School before joining College Forward’s staff in 2007. He has numerous years of experience as a math and writing tutor, and has also taught English as a second language. After working full-time through college to finance his education, he has a firsthand understanding of some of the challenges faced by College Forward students. With Kristen and Erica, he oversees the high school program and College Coaches at our partner schools.
Carl Searles, Controller, B.B.A. University of Texas at Austin.
Carl has over twenty years of accounting experience within nonprofit and for-profit organizations, including seven years owning his own firm. He serves as Vice-President of Corporate Relations for the National Association of Black Accountants and is involved with the Texas Society of Certified Public Accountants and the Austin Chapter of Certified Public Accountants. His proudest endeavor, however, has been that of father and husband. He joined us in 2009 as College Forward’s first Controller, overseeing the financial and operational management and internal controls of the organization through effective and efficient system design, development, maintenance, and reporting.
Christine Torres, Development Manager, B.A. St. Edward’s University.
Before coming to College Forward, Christine spent ten years as an active member of The Junior League of Austin, where she gained experience in project management, volunteer coordination, and fundraising events. She chaired the community-wide Coats for Kids event and served as a member of the JLA Board of Directors. A first-generation college graduate, Christine experienced firsthand the frustrations and challenges of the college application and financial aid process, and enjoys working for an organization that provides support structures for students in similar situations. As Development Manager, Christine oversees the organization’s donor development and stewardship, special events, and marketing and public relations.
Joe Vladeck, Organizational Advancement Manager, B.A. Amherst College.
Since joining College Forward as an AmeriCorps*VISTA member in 2007, Joe has worked closely with the Executive and Associate Directors to plan for organizational growth, replication, and new models of social impact. In addition, he has has coordinated countless outreach events in Austin and helped facilitate the first-ever collaboration between college access programs in Central Texas. Most recently, Joe has been developing a new, comprehensive financial aid and financial literacy curriculum to align with College Forward’s strategic priorities. Originally from Washington, DC, Joe graduated from Amherst College in 2006 with a Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, in Political Science and Urban Studies. Prior to working at College Forward, Joe played a season of professional baseball for the Brussels Kangaroos, a club in Belgium's 1st Division. Aside from playing and watching baseball, Joe is an intrepid traveler, an ambitious and occasionally reckless cook, and an insatiable consumer of Texas barbeque.
College Forward has been a beneficiary of AmeriCorps support through the Corporation for National and Community Service since 2003; we are, in fact, an organization that has largely been created by the intelligent, enthusiastic, and committed members who have served here. In 2008-2009, we are honored to sponsor 22 AmeriCorps*State members and seven AmeriCorps*VISTA members, who work hard to support our students and our organization. They are a terrific team! To learn more, visit our AmeriCorps page.
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In addition to AmeriCorps positions, College Forward occasionally offers a variety of college work-study opportunities. These positions have included Technology Assistant, College Retention Assistant, Spanish Translation Assistant, and General Office Assistant.
If you are interested in a work-study position with College Forward, please contact us. |
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