Katie Dalton

I am Katie Dalton and am currently the Development Associate at CASA of Travis County. I graduated from The University of Texas at Austin with a Bachelor of Science degree in Communications and Leadership. I am from Dallas, TX but now reside in Austin, TX. I am a major foodie, love to read when I can, and walk/run around the trails of ATX!

Jenji Henson 

Jenji Henson began her career at Holt, Rinehart & Winston, an educational publisher now known as HMH. There she helped create one of the first environmental science textbooks designed specifically for high school students, as well as countless middle school science products and a high school health series. Over the years, Jenji has written and edited a number of influential and award-winning materials on a variety of topics, including environmental science virtual laboratories, professional development materials, and online learning curricula on topics ranging from K–12 Science and Literature to college-level Criminal Justice Ethics. Jenji holds bachelor’s degrees in English and Philosophy from Southern Methodist University and a Master of Education in Educational Technology and E-Learning Certification from the University of Texas. Jenji joined EcoRise in 2014 to oversee the development of EcoRise curricula and has now turned her writing aptitude and attention to detail toward institutional giving and reporting.

Marla Johnson

After receiving her MBA at Texas Tech University, Marla moved to Austin to work for Endeavor Real Estate Group in 2008. After working in various roles in commercial real estate, Marla shifted focus and joined the Mobile Loaves & Fishes team in 2017 and was responsible for hosting all special events where guests and volunteers are inspired to seek and discover ways in which they can engage in the innovative solution to address chronic homelessness. In 2021, she joined Central Texas Table of Grace as Director of Operations & Development, and she looks forward to growing operations and building a new home for their emergency shelter and Supported Independent Living community for young adults aging out of foster care.

Lindsey Woods

My name is Lindsey Woods and I serve as a Development Associate at CASA of Travis County. Originally from Odessa, Texas, I grew up in the desert and looked to move somewhere greener as soon as I could. After studying Business Management at Texas A&M and graduating in 2017, I soon got my first development position with CASA of the Brazos Valley. After a little over two and a half years with that CASA program, I moved to Austin with my husband in the height of the pandemic. Typically, I can be found at a concert, thrifting vintage cameras, seeing the latest movie, or hiking around the area. If you catch me at the right time of year, I’ll be organizing my annual awards season competition (Currently 3 years running!) for my friends.

Fundraiser of Color Scholarship

Jené Shepherd

Jené has spent nealry a decade working in the nonprofit sector to create greater equity for BIPOC communities in her native Central Texas. Currently, she is a Marketing and Communications Manager at United Way for Greater Austin. Jené is a proud Texas Longhorn and holds a Bachelor’s degree in Government from the University of Texas at Austin and a Master’s degree in Mass Communication with a focus on strategic communication from Texas State University.

Scholarship sponsored by: 

Member Matching Scholarships

Sabrina Sha

Sabrina Sha is a fundraiser based in Austin, she works at Texas Freedom Network, a local political advocacy group as a fundraiser. She is involved in the local AAPI community and is a Travis County precinct chair!

Elijah Allen, CEO of Glass Soldier

Certification Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) Scholarship

Lauren Portley

Lauren Portley has over 17 years of outstanding revenue, managerial and promotional achievements in the non-profit industry. She currently serves as the Chief Development Officer for Caritas of Austin—an Austin-based organization whose mission since 1964 is to make homelessness rare, brief and non-reoccurring. Each year, Caritas serves thousands of families who do not have a stable place to call home. Prior to her current role, Lauren served as the Vice President of Development for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Texas for over 5 years. While there she oversaw all fundraising objectives as well as successfully launching a muliti-year, major gifts program, a $5M capacity campaign and increased annual Gala revenue by 56%. She is also familiar with the San Antonio market through her work with the American Heart Association and March of Dimes. Lauren is a graduate of Texas State University (2003) with a Bachelor of Arts in Communication Studies and Sociology. In her personal time, she enjoys spending time with her son Easton Jack (6) and dog Montgomery (Monty), painting and learning the banjo. She looks forward to more international travel, new experiences and trying new foods.