Hello

Before starting McLauchlin & Associates, I served as the Executive Director of the Alliance for Youth and Families in the Bay Area of Houston for fifteen years. My career began as an investigator for Child Protective Services, but I soon found my passion in prevention work. Over the years, I have worked for nonprofits in adult education, mental health, substance use prevention, and cancer prevention, with a particular focus on the impact of community coalitions in driving community-wide change. I have also served in various roles on nonprofit boards of directors including Mental Health Association of Southeast Texas, the Rape and Suicide Crisis Center of Southeast Texas, Family Promise – Clear Creek, and the Claremont Park Homeowner’s Association. I currently serve as the Chair of the Clear Lake Area Chamber Nonprofit Division as well as the Chair of the Galveston County Community Resource Coordination Group. In 2014, I embarked on the most ambitious volunteer service of my life as a single foster parent for children under the guardianship of the State of Texas and helped many children through their formative years. I hold a Bachelor of Science in Intercultural Studies from Columbia International University with a specialization in communication. In 2012, I obtained my Certified Prevention Specialist licensure and am certified in multiple substance use prevention curricula including Botvin’s Life Skills, Curriculum Based Support Group, and Positive Action. In 2025, in partnership with my mentor, Dr. Peter Wuenschel, I began writing The Nonprofit Leader Workbook: A Practical Primer for Nonprofits in Uncertain Times with an anticipated publication date of January 2026. I am excited to embark upon the next steps in my educational career in the Texas A&M Bush School Executive Masters of Public Service and Administration program with a focus on nonprofit leadership. My main goal is to create frameworks and resources that help nonprofit leaders decrease burnout and enhance effectiveness across the sector. I live in the suburbs of Houston, Texas with my rescue and foster 4-legged friends. When not working or studying, you can find me tending my flower and vegetable garden, relaxing in my favorite reading chair, or needlepointing with my niece (who, by the way, runs a nonprofit).