Our Mission The Need Facility Board & Staff Partners History Vision

The Hope Center at Pullen — a faith community of hospitality, affirmation and justice — strives to remove barriers to opportunity through personal and community partnerships.

NC Center for Non-Profits

Ending Homelessness

Board of Directors

Board members guide strategic planning and make key corporate decisions to support operations. Our board members work and volunteer in human service and social justice programs throughout the Raleigh community. This reach of engagement helps to establish partnerships and extend our mission.

Per bylaws, a majority of the board are members of Pullen Memorial Baptist Church. The full board meets every other month; committees meet monthly.

Jill Hinton, PhD
  • Psychologist
  • Autism Consultant, The Arc of NC
  • Clinical Director of Crisis Services, Easterseals UCP
  • Chair of Practice Improvement Collaborative, Governor's Institute on Alcohol and Substance Abuse
  • Facilitator, GLBTSA Support Group
  • Member, NC Psychological Association
Jim Hutchby
  • Board, Emmaus House
Rodger Koopman
  • Chairman, Carolina Military Roundtable, Truman Project
  • Director, Software Development, EDSA Micro Corp.
  • Former Raleigh City Councilor
  • Member, City of Raleigh Parks, Recreation and Greenway Advisory Board
  • Volunteer computer skills teacher, Wade Edwards Learning Lab
  • Retired Air Force officer
Laura Langham
  • Mentor, Job Readiness Program
  • Consumer Energy Education Program Manager, NC Cooperative Extension Service
Peg O'Connell
  • Consultant / Attorney, Fuquay Solutions
  • Past Chair, NC Prevention Partners
  • Board, NC Alliance for Health and NC Institute of Medicine
  • Chair, NC Safe Kids Steering Committee
  • Member, Justus-Warren Heart Disease and Stroke Prevention Task Force
Anne Sayers
  • Social Worker, Wake County Human Services (retired)
  • Sr. Consultant, Prevent Child Abuse NC
  • Past Board, Loaves and Fishes
Steve Smith
  • Attorney, McMillan Smith & Plyler
  • Chair, N.C. Environmental Management Commission
  • Chair, Advisory Board, Sustaining Pastoral Excellence, a subsidiary of Triangle Pastoral Counseling
  • Past Board, Triangle Interfaith Alliance
  • Past Interim Executive Director, N.C. Council of Churches
Eugene Sumner
  • College Teacher, retired
Cathy Tamsberg (Ex-Officio)
  • Minister of Outreach & Adult Education, Pullen Memorial Baptist Church
Ned Yellig
  • Retired, Internal Medicine Specialist
  • Former Medical Dir., Hospice of Wake County
  • Trainee, Hospital Chaplaincy at Rex Hospital

Staff at The Hope Center

Pat Hielscher
Pat Hielscher, our office manager, has extensive experience in recruiting and supporting volunteers. Her excellent organizational and budgeting skills come from launching a small business offering marketing products.
  • Office Manager, effective January 4, 2011
  • Member, Pullen Memorial Baptist Church
Diane Daily
Diane Daily, our Executive Director, has extensive experience in the development, implementation and management of social service programs.
  • Executive Director
  • Grant Manager, Childhelp, a non-profit dedicated to helping victims of child abuse and neglect
  • Executive Director, Foster Angels of Arizona Serving Together, a non-profit that provides foster children with tutors and mentors
  • Consultant and Partner, Drake & Daily Project Planning Consultants

Thanks to Past Board Members & Staff

The Hope Center at Pullen was incorporated in July 2008 with the establishment of a 14-member board of directors. In less than three short years, The Hope Center at Pullen grew from an idea to a formally-structured organization with focused programs, staff, a cadre of committed volunteers and a budget that included multiple funding sources.

For their volunteer service as board members during our start-up years, we thank Tammy Blackard Cook, Warren Chesson, Mary Hamrick, Jane Hutchby, Mary Moore, Mack Paul, Cecelia Rawlins, Toni Whitaker and Tom Winton. For her dedication to lay a foundation upon which The Hope Center is growing, we thank our first executive director, Porter Bell.