chair
Asif was originally an electronics engineer working at the BBC in London and then moved to the software industry where he held roles such as software developer, manager, channel sales executive and pre-sales consultant. He was born in Pakistan but his family emigrated to England when he was a baby. He attended school and university in London and worked for a British software company until he went to Raleigh for a 2-year work assignment as project consultant to IBM. They loved the “city in the woods” feel of Raleigh and decided to make it their new home. He retired early to pursue more creative and meaningful roles in life. Asif is now a certified life coach, does voiceovers, and is active in comedy improv groups. Now he feels he lives his life driven by the 5 pillars of Connection, Creativity, Community, Service and Love. He feels honored to be serving on the Board of this excellent institution, which has given him the opportunity to serve and give back to his community, to help youth who have not had the benefits of a cohesive and structured family life, and to help them achieve being who they truly want to be in this life!
Vice-chair
Regina recently retired after 26+ years at Wake County Government in positions including Assistant Health Director and Human Services (HS) Director. In the role of HS Director, she was responsible for public health, social services, Medicaid transportation, and regional service delivery for the County, overseeing 1,600+ employees in 14 locations while serving on the Smart Start Board; the United Way Investment Cabinet; North Carolina Pilot Service Fee Schedule Advisory Panel; and the Youth Thrive Board. Earlier in her career she worked for the North Carolina Departments of Health and Human Services, Administration, and Public Instruction. Regina is a graduate of UNC-Chapel Hill where she received both her Bachelor and Master of Science Degrees in Public Health. She is a member of the Raleigh Chapter of CHUMS, Inc.; Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Incorporated, Raleigh Alumnae Chapter; Saint Paul A.M.E. Church where she plays in the Handbell Choir; a past member and president of Strengthening the Black Family, Inc.; and serves on the Board of Urban Ministries. She is enjoying her retirement with her husband, her daughter and her “grand cat” – Edgar the Great.
TREASURER
Canaan is an attorney with Moore & Van Allen, PLLC, specializing in government relations, campaign finance, and government ethics. Previously, he served as General Counsel to the North Carolina Department of Revenue under Secretary David Hoyle and as Finance Counsel to the North Carolina House of Representatives under Speaker Joe Hackney. A native of Kentucky, Canaan moved to North Carolina over 30 years ago to attend Wake Forest University and then Duke University School of Law and has remained in Wake County since then. Canaan lives in Raleigh with his partner-in-crime, Basil – a sweet little puppy cleverly disguised as a 10-year-old, 80-pound pit bull mix. He first became familiar with the Hope Center as a member of Pullen Memorial Baptist Church and then through his friendship with Jennifer Weiss, a former Executive Director of the Hope Center and a former House Finance Chair.
secretary
Virginia is the founder of East Third Group, LLC, a consulting practice that partners with education institutions, foundations, nonprofit organizations, and other groups committed to improving the experiences and outcomes of students. Before stepping into her role as an independent consultant, she worked as a teacher, nonprofit strategist, and philanthropic director. Born and raised in Chapel Hill, she is delighted to now call Raleigh home. She loves North Carolina and is driven by the promise of what’s possible for our state, particularly when we connect young people with the opportunities they deserve and the supports they need to thrive. Virginia joined the Hope Center’s Board of Directors because she’s inspired by the current and former foster youth we have the privilege of serving. It’s an honor for her to be part of their community of support.
Past CHAIR
Julie provides services and advice around human resources and operational issues for small to mid-size companies. She was born in the great city of Raleigh, NC. She attended college at Appalachian State University, and currently lives in Cary. She has two kids – one at NC State and one at Cary High School. Julie attended her first Hope Center event in 2017 – Raising Hope – and she was hooked from the start. She began volunteering on the Raising Hope committee the following year and became a Board member in 2018. Although she lived in Boone for four years in college, she just began learning to snow ski at age 50. She is now a ski-bum-wannabe!
Julie is continually blown away by the courage, tenacity, and absolute soul-beauty of the clients the Hope Center serves. For the last couple of years, she’s had the honor of meeting with the internship class to discuss work-related regulations prior to their start of work. She also enjoys learning about life through their amazing eyes – through the stories relayed at Raising Hope each year. Witnessing their growth is truly inspiring!
Stephanie is a Wall Street veteran of more than 25 years whose career began as a financial analyst with Dean Witter/Morgan Stanley. She quickly moved ahead to the wealth management teams of Branch Banking & Trust and Central Carolina Bank and flourished as a private financial advisor for SunTrust’s Private Wealth Management Team, where clients she served ranged from the very affluent to young executives and professional athletes. In 2007, she and a colleague co-founded Proximity Financial Partners. Wealth management continues to evolve and advance. Recognizing the power of focusing on a select group of highly individual clients, Stephanie founded Chrysalis in early 2014. She also owns S. Bowens Management and Consulting LLC, a sports management and business consulting practice.
Stephanie grew up in the Midwest but finished high school at Needham B. Broughton High School where she cultivated a love for words, books, and literature. She holds a bachelor’s degree from North Carolina Agricultural & Technical State University and completed graduate studies at UNC and Duke University.
She lives in Apex with her son, who is without a question her greatest accomplishment. Stephanie gives back to the community as an active supporter of the American Heart Association, the Inter-Faith Food Shuttle and serves on the board of The Hope Center at Pullen.
Katie is the Founder of Forthright Advising, a national PR and communications firm that works exclusively with organizations that love kids. Katie created Forthright to work alongside leaders from nonprofits, public school districts, foundations and government agencies, partnering to create real systemic change for children and families. Having worked in-house at three different public school districts, four different family-focused nonprofits including ASCD and Children’s Law Center, and a PR agency, Katie has done and seen it all. Her superpowers include anticipating roadblocks around the bend, making complex topics accessible and relatable, and communicating tough subjects with kindness and empathy. Katie’s thought leadership has appeared in Education Week, SmartBrief and she is frequently a guest on podcasts talking about how to build trust with our communities. Katie is a member of the 2021 class of the Forbes Next 1000. This first-of-its-kind initiative celebrates bold and inspiring entrepreneurs who are redefining what it means to run a business today. In addition to serving the Hope Center as a Board member, on Friday mornings you can find her reading to first graders through WakeEd’s Partners Read program.
Currently, Robyn King is an Operations Analyst with Truist Bank in Raleigh, NC. She has been in the banking industry for over 20 years. She learned about Hope Center at Pullen through a project that was presented to one of the Business Resource Groups at the bank and immediately knew it was something she wanted to be a part of. She has worked with several other agencies that work with foster children. For the past 10 years she has worked with Royal Family Kids Camp as a Counselor for an away camp for one week for foster children. In addition, she has been the Lead Coordinator with the Methodist Home for Children, along with her sorority, Sigma Gamma Rho, Sorority, Inc, Raleigh Alumnae Chapter for the past 5 years in helping donate gifts at Christmas for their Adopt a Child Program. She has a heart for this particular area having grown up as a foster child herself and aging out of the foster care system. She enjoys working with each agency because the children that she’s worked with in the past, especially at camp each year, appreciate that she truly understands some of their issues/life as foster children. “The connection is indescribable once a child realizes she was just like me!” She is also the Rhoer Advisor of Sigma Gamma Rho, Sorority, Inc. The Rhoer Club is a leadership program for teen girls, ages 12-18. She has been their Advisor for the past 4 years. Originally a Jersey girl, she has been in the North Carolina area for the past 15 years. She has always been servant minded, and happy to be working with this great agency!
Warren is a clinical psychologist who has consulted on state and national child welfare projects for the past 9 years. Prior to that he worked 30 years as a clinician and public human services administrator, spending 13 of those years as the Child Welfare Director for Wake County. Dr. Ludwig has served on multiple boards including Wake County Smart Start, the Executive Committee of the National Association of Public Child Welfare Administrators, the Council of Accreditation, and the John Rex Endowment. Warren is delighted to begin his second stint on the Hope Center board in 2024 because he believes in the center’s mission and has had the opportunity to witness the impact of its work. He lives with his wife and teenage daughter in Raleigh, where he also enjoys spending time with his two adult children and two grandchildren.
Tairra is a Business Development Manager for Early Biopharma – Ontada. She previously worked for Biologics by McKesson where her relationship with the Hope Center at Pullen began as her company provided valuable support to meet Hope Center client needs. A Paramedic with experience is a wide range of roles within the medical and pharmaceutical fields, Tairra earned her Bachelor’s and Master’s in Business Administration degrees from UNC-Chapel Hill.
Nathan is the People Services Director for the Raleigh based Moffatt & Nichol, a leading firm in port, water, and transportation infrastructure. He works in all areas of employee engagement, attempting to build a culture of belonging. Nathan is passionate about working to end food and housing insecurity in Raleigh. In addressing food insecurity, he has served on the board of A Place at the Table since 2015. He is excited to serve the Hope Center Board and assist in supporting an organization that is “building a community where a person’s history in foster care does not limit their future”.
Nathan received a Bachelor of Arts in Religion and Philosophy from Belmont University and a Master of Divinity from Baptist Theological Seminary in Richmond. He is married to Libby Stephens and they have one son, Henry. The family enjoys traveling, working in the garden and cooking
Jo is semi-retired from 30 years working in Child Welfare in Virginia. She is currently a Child Welfare Consultant (part-time) with the NC Department of Health and Human Services Division of Social Services. She has family in Wake County and enjoys volunteering by serving communities with underserved populations and young adults. Jo worked closely with the Hope Center at Pullen during her work with Wake County Human Services Child Welfare. The work at the Hope Center at Pullen certainly makes a positive difference in the lives of older foster care youth. When she was asked if she was interested in serving as a Hope Center Board member, she was honored. She has witnessed the great work and count it a privilege to participate in the ongoing service the Hope Center does with young adults
Cathy is a former Legal Aid lawyer and minister who retired in 2018. She helped to shepherd the founding of the Hope Center in 2009 when she served on the staff of Pullen Memorial Baptist Church and then served as the church’s liaison to the board. A native of South Carolina, she has been involved in a number of Raleigh nonprofits since she settled here 45 years ago. Her current activities focus on progressive faith issues, interfaith dialogue, and support for persons like the Hope Center’s clients who need help navigating life’s challenges. She is thrilled that the Hope Center has grown into a high-quality, stable agency offering services that are transformative for its young clients.
“When you are going through aging out you think that no one cares. You think that your life is so hard, so wrong, and that you should be able to have freedom, that you should be able to do what you want. Then your life would be right. Its not true. No, not at all. I wish I could have stayed in foster care. Then I wouldn’t have to worry about rent and saving money, and my money would be my money. Having a minimum wage job-I can’t pay rent on just one job. I have to go find another job. And I have no social life because all you do is work, work, work, then come back home, then work, work, work. No. I’m tired.”
Nationally, 50% of young people with a history in foster care are unemployed at the age of 24.
Our Career Development Program is designed to provide young people with a history in foster care the opportunity to gain the exposure, skills and knowledge necessary to successfully participate in the workforce as adults.
“When you are going through aging out you think that no one cares. You think that your life is so hard, so wrong, and that you should be able to have freedom, that you should be able to do what you want. Then your life would be right. Its not true. No, not at all. I wish I could have stayed in foster care. Then I wouldn’t have to worry about rent and saving money, and my money would be my money. Having a minimum wage job-I can’t pay rent on just one job. I have to go find another job. And I have no social life because all you do is work, work, work, then come back home, then work, work, work. No. I’m tired.”
Nationally, 50% of young people with a history in foster care are unemployed at the age of 24.
Our Career Development Program is designed to provide young people with a history in foster care the opportunity to gain the exposure, skills and knowledge necessary to successfully participate in the workforce as adults.
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