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.
Beth Feger joins Fostering Hope with over 20 of experience in training and education. Since completing a doctoral degree in early childhood education at the University of Texas in Austin in 2009, She has worked with graduate and undergraduate teacher education at UT, St. Edwards University and Concordia University. Before attending graduate school, she worked as an elementary and special education teacher in Austin. She has also worked in parent support and coaching since September 2020.
She is a co-author of “Rigorous DAP: From theory to practice”, a text on teaching young children for early childhood professionals. While working on this text, she examined and synthesized research on establishing inclusive multicultural practices and social emotional supports which serve both children and their families.
While her professional knowledge and skills have prepared her to teach and train others, her two adopted children ignited her passion for working with kids from hard places. Since adopting from foster care, she has sought out information for parents and professionals about how to help kids from hard places to grow into healthy and kind adults. During this time, she has learned a great deal about trauma informed care, including attending the TBRI classroom training. As a teacher educator, she was passionate about preparing teachers to meet the needs of children from hard places, while preparing them with the necessary knowledge and skills to be successful in school and life. Trauma informed teaching practices benefit all children.
When she is not working, she enjoys reading, swimming, baking and watching Marvel movies with her family.
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.
Ashley Gavila
Program Coordinator
Ashley is a management professional with 8 years of experience within the healthcare industry. She and her husband moved to Austin from central Florida 6 years ago. Ashley is the mom of virtual twin boys. She and her husband officially started their foster care journey in 2020, resulting in the adoption of their son in the fall of 2021. She is excited to utilize her skills to help support vulnerable children and foster and adoptive families.
Cynthia Coffman
Operations Manager
Cynthia and her family first connected with Fostering Hope in 2013 when they were preparing to open their home to foster children. Fostering Hope provided training, resources, and encouragement as their first placement eventually became their forever daughter in 2016. Cynthia continued to partner with FH as a volunteer and ministry advocate over the years. Now on staff, she uses her organizational skills and eye for detail to provide support for all staff and the day-to-day operations of the organization.
Krista Ruff, LMSW
Program Manager of Ministry Development
Krista Ruff is a social worker and formerly worked at Child Protective Services. While working there she said she would never become a foster parent… however God had different plans! Krista and her husband were called to foster in 2015 and are now parents to 4 children, through biology, adoption and the foster care system. Krista is passionate about parent support and advocacy. She attends Vertical Chapel in Kyle.
Grace Loftin
Chief Storyteller & Communications Coordinator
Grace has worked in communications, marketing and graphic design since 2011 to help non-profits grow by developing brilliant content and an optimal web presence. Experienced with kinship placement, reunified families and the special education field, Grace has a passion for Fostering Hope’s mission to equip caretakers with compassion-based training to bring hope and resilience to families.
Board of Directors
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.
Will Franke
Will is a father of four (three boys and one girl), and adopted his oldest son through foster care. After attending the A Future and A Hope conference, Will and his wife were exposes to the need in the community, understood the tangible actions they could take to help, and knew where to get the resources needed to make it a reality. This eye-opening experience was the spark they needed to fall in love with foster and adoption. With a Masters in Accounting, Will serves on the board of directors for Fostering Hope to assist with accounting needs.
Dr. Brooke Wagen
Brooke Wagen is a fourth-year medical student who will graduate as a member of the inaugural class of the Dell Medical School at UT Austin in May 2020. She plans to stay in Austin for residency in Internal Medicine/Primary Care. Her career in medicine was preceded by two decades of volunteering in the church, her neighborhood, and as a volunteer medical interpreter.
Brooke has lived in Austin for 20 years. A pastor’s wife and mother of three, her youngest, Elaia, came home from Ethiopia when she was five months old. Their family moved to East Austin over a decade ago to help start Salina Street Church; they still live and work in the neighborhood they love.
