Julie Kouri
Founder & President
Julie has been leading and supporting foster and adoption ministries across Central Texas for more than a decade. Julie is an approved Educator in Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI®) and an Empowered to Connect Trainer. Her experience includes working directly with Dr. Karyn Purvis and Texas Christian University to develop trauma-informed church ministries in Central Texas. As an adoptive parent to her own three children, Julie has mentored and trained hundreds of foster and adoptive families.
Amanda Keeter
Executive Director
Amanda Keeter is the Executive Director of Fostering Hope. She has 15+ years of nonprofit experience, with more than a decade in services to children and families. Amanda has served on numerous boards across Central Texas including current service to Concordia University Texas’ College of Business and Communications. She holds her undergraduate degree from Southern Nazarene University and MBA in Organizational Management and Leadership from Concordia University Texas.
Anna Valdez
Director of Programs
After a couple years teaching, Anna Valdez served for five years at an international organization in Monterrey, Mexico. Along with being a Program Coordinator, she was the primary caregiver for 17 teenage girls. She has successfully implemented programming as a Texas Christian University Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI®) Practitioner and a Trauma Competent Caregiver Affiliate Trainer for Back2Back Ministries. As the Director of Programs, Anna trains, develops audience specific curriculum, and coordinates trauma informed efforts for volunteers, churches, support groups, foster parents and caregivers, and institutions, locally and internationally, to move them through the continuum of trauma informed care.
Meghann Presley
Head of Office Operations
Meghann Presley came to Fostering Hope through a circuitous route. She and her husband attended A Future and a Hope several years ago, and after much discussion and prayer, they (along with their three children) became a licensed foster family. Her experience on church staff for many years, most recently as the Director of Children’s Ministry for her home church, combined with her hands-on knowledge of TBRI practices through fostering, has equipped her well to provide support to the Fostering Hope team and to focus on ministry development with each of our partner churches.
Mallory Bush
Communications Coordinator
Mallory started as an intern with Fostering Hope in Summer 2019 and is thrilled to be re-joining the team as the Communications Coordinator. She is finishing up her degree at Mays Business School at Texas A&M University and will be graduating in December 2020 with a Bachelor’s in Marketing and Communications, as well as a certificate in Nonprofit and Social Innovation. A proud sister to two adopted brothers, Mallory has experienced life as a foster/adoptive sibling since a young age. Her professional experience includes internships in varying business roles with two local Austin nonprofits and one international nonprofit.
Jordan Hope Vera
Program Coordinator
Jordan Hope is a Texas Christian University Trust Based Relational Intervention (TBRI®) Practitioner in the Austin area. She officially began her professional journey in the foster care system through direct care positions at an emergency shelter and residential treatment center (RTC). After over 5 years, she completed her time as a houseparent with the intention to carry her trauma informed care into other social services spheres of influence in the Austin area. She has implemented trauma informed care into her work with aged out foster care youth who are court involved, experiencing homelessness, and/or are survivors of trafficking. In early 2020, Jordan completed the single parent adoption of her 17 year old daughter, Lizzy. Jordan Hope has been a fan and advocate for the mission of Fostering Hope as a foster to adopt parent, church member and professional. We’re thrilled to now welcome her to the team!
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Board of Directors
Rex White
Rex is a senior level Business Development Leader with experience in Alliance/Partner Management, Strategic Sales, Direct Sales, and Channel development for software and hardware companies. He holds a BA in Economics and an MBA from St. Edwards University in Austin.
He and his wife, Terri, met at UT and have been married over 20 years and have 4 amazing children. It is with their youngest child, that Rex and Terri were introduced to TBRI® and became Empowered to Connect Trainers through Fostering Hope as they ministered to the needs of their adopted son. Rex helped start the adoption ministry at his church, Austin Ridge.
Rex is serving as Chair for the 2020-2021 Fiscal Year.
Fiona McInally
Fiona is an attorney who is a member of the Texas and Connecticut Bar and Admitted to the U.S. District Court of Connecticut. As an adoptive parent, Fiona has benefitted from the services of Fostering Hope, becoming a volunteer and advocate for the mission before joining the Board of Directors in 2020.
She serves as the Advocacy Co-Chair of Women of Vision Austin (ministry of World Vision –largest Christian NGO), 2011- present and as a Board Member of The Wild Hope Equine Center for Healing that reaches and restores those affected by sexual abuse, exploitation, and trafficking through relationships with horses, 2018 – present.
Danny Cook
Danny is the founding and Lead Pastor for Legacy Church Ministries and has been active in foster and adoption care for the past ten years. He and his wife, Rachel, have welcomed 17 precious children into their homes through foster care along with their biological children, Elizabeth (17), Hannah (15), Emma (15). In 2015, they welcomed their forever son, Samuel (10) into their home through foster care.
In 2015, Danny and Rachel began Unshaken, which is a support network for foster and adoptive parents in central Texas.
Danny was introduced to the Fostering Hope team years ago through one of our pastor’s gatherings. He is now enjoying being a part of encouraging and equipping families and churches to say “yes” to kids from hard places and their network of advocates through Fostering Hope.
Hallie Graves
Hallie is from Austin, Texas. She is a speaker and writer, lawyer, activist, and foster mom to infants and toddlers. Hallie has degrees in voice, physics, and law from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law and Rhodes College.
Tom Sanchez
Tom enjoyed a 27-year ministry career in Latin America, having lived in three different countries including Mexico, Costa Rica, and Chile. For the last 8 years of his career, he served on the international leadership team facilitating ministries for all the continent, with a focus in Argentina, Peru and Chile.
Upon the completion of their tenure in Latin America, Tom, along with his wife Brenda and their two daughters, returned to Austin, Texas.
Grace Covenant Church hired Tom as their first full-time missions pastor where he served for 12 years. Tom is currently working part-time with Navigator Ministries.
