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Leading the way toward destigmatizing grief.

Meet our team.
Staff

Team

Our team brings a wealth of leadership, experience, and knowledge in the field of bereavement. We are passionate, caring, and most importantly, here to help our community grieve.
Alneata Kemp, MSW
Regional Program Coordinator - Coastal Georgia
Alneata joined the Kate's Club team in 2022 as the Regional Program Coordinator for Coastal Georgia. She is a proud graduate of Columbia College where she earned a B.A. in Human Services, and also from Albany State University where she earned her MSW. Her favorite part about Kate’s Club is the passion that is felt from staff to create a community/ a world in which it is okay to grieve.
Ashlie Evans, MHA
Data & Outcomes Manager
Ashlie has been at Kate's Club since 2019. She graduated from Howard University in 2013 with a B.S. in Psychology. She also received her Masters in Health Administration from Purdue Global University. Her favorite part about Kate's Club is watching sad, angry and resistant kids leave smiling and hopeful knowing they are not alone in their grief experience.
Courtney Krygiel, MSW
Director of Development & Marketing
Courtney has been at Kate's Club since 2017. Courtney graduated with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Sociology and Humanities from Wofford College in 2015 and a Master of Social Work degree from Georgia State University in 2017. Her favorite thing about Kate's Club is being able to see all different walks of life coming to together under a shared experience.
Debra Brook, CTRS
Director of Metro Atlanta
Debra has been with Kate's Club since 2010. She received her Bachelor of Science in Recreation with an empahsis in Therapeutic Recreation from the University of Florida. She is certified through the National Council of Therapeutic Recreation and she received a Certificate of Non-Profit Volunteer Management from Georgia Center for Non-Profits. Her favorite part about working with Kate's Club is the sense of community she feels.
Dena DeGraffenreid, MS
Online Community Manager & Content Strategy
Dena started at Kate’s Club in 2023. She graduated from the University of Massachusetts – Boston Campus with a Bachelor of Arts in Human Services and from Springfield College with a Master of Science in Mental Health Counseling. Her favorite thing about Kate’s Club is the sense of community and the vision of a world in which it’s okay to grieve.
Erin Richter, MA
Metro Atlanta Outreach Coordinator
Erin joined Kate’s Club in 2023. She graduated from Marquette University with her B.A. in Psychology and Spanish in 2009, then earned her M.A. in Applied Linguistics from Universidad Antonio de Nebrija in 2012. Erin has 10 years of experience with education and animal welfare nonprofits. Her favorite thing about Kate’s Club is supporting Spanish speaking families and being part of a community of people making a difference.
Gracie Rodriguez
Development Coordinator
Gracie joined the Kate's Club team in 2023. She graduated from Georgia Tech in 2023 with a B.S. in Public Policy and a minor in History. She is passionate about community care and mental health. Her favorite part about working at Kate's Club is being in a collaborative environment where everyone cares deeply about our cause.
Jasmin Martin
Cobb County Program Coordinator
Jasmin Martin joined Kate’s Club as the Program Coordinator for Cobb County in 2023. She graduated from Valdosta State University with an undergraduate degree in Psychology and a minor in Speech Communication. She will be graduating with her master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling in 2023. Her favorite part about working at Kate’s Club is the community environment we provide to those who share similar experiences but live different lives.
Judy Train
Director of Operations
Judy joined Kate’s Club as an employee in 2023; she has been involved with Kate’s Club since 2013 as a volunteer. She received her BA from Yale and her MBA from the Fuqua School of Business at Duke, and worked in communications before focusing full time on nonprofit work. Judy loves to see the joy and laughter that kids experience at Kate’s Club, as they learn that happiness can be part of their grief journey.
Kacie Chasteen, LMSW
Program & LoKate Coordinator
Kacie has been at Kate's Club since 2022. She graduated from Oglethorpe University with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology with a concentration in Social Work in 2018 and from the University of Georgia with her Master of Social Work in 2022 with a certification in Marriage and Family Therapy. Her favorite part of Kate's Club is being able to help children and young adults find ways to healthily move through their grief.
LaTobia Brown
Metro Atlanta Outreach Coordinator
LaTobia first joined Kate’s Club in 2015 as a parent and in 2023 as a team member. She graduated in 2005 from CUNY Hunter College with a B.A. in English, and in 2010 from Strayer University with an M. Ed. in Educational Management. Her favorite part about Kate’s Club is helping families normalize the grief process and creating a sense of family amongst strangers with shared experiences. She believes that no one should grieve alone!
Lane Pease, MS, NCC
Director of Education & Innovative Programs
Lane Pease Hendricks is the Director of Programs and Partnerships. She oversees the quality of all programs, leads growth strategy, and trains trains professionals on working with grieving children and families. Lane co-authored We Come Together as One: Helping Families Grieve, Share, and Heal the Kate’s Club Way and loves teaching people how to support grieving families. Lane holds a BA from Georgia State University and a MS in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Mercer University.
Lisa Aman
Executive Director
Lisa joined Kate’s Club as Executive Director in 2021. She received her B.A. in Economics from Yale University and her M.B.A. from Stanford University. She has served on several non-profit boards that focus on closing the opportunity gap many Atlanta children and families face. Her favorite part of Kate’s Club is watching a child or teen who feels isolated and alone find a community where they belong.
Meagan Chong
Marketing & Communications Associate
Meagan joined Kate’s Club in 2022. She graduated from the University of Georgia in 2017 with a Bachelor of Arts, Journalism in Public Relations and in 2018 with a Master of Arts in Mass Communication. Through Kate's Club, she is grateful for the opportunity to normalize conversations about grief and to create community for people who are grieving.
Midge Carter
Program & Volunteer Coordinator
Midge Carter started at Kate's Club in 2023. She finished a Masters of Social Work from the University of Michigan in 2022 and has experience working with children and nonprofits across the country. Her favorite part of working at Kate’s Club is providing a meaningful and joyful space for children and families to move through grief.
Noelle Browning, MSW, LCSW
Athens Program Coordinator
Noelle joined Kate’s Club in 2023. She graduated with her Bachelor and Master of Social Work from the University of Central Florida. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW) in Georgia. She has experience working with a Children’s Bereavement program in Florida and has specialized in traumatic loss, trauma, adult and children’s grief, and veterinary social work. Her favorite part about working for Kate’s Club is being able to provide outreach to our communities and services to those in need.
Stacey Sakal
Director of Regional Expansion
Stacey joined Kate’s Club as Director of Regional Expansion in 2024. With 16 years of nonprofit experience, through her own nonprofit she founded in 2002, she brings her professional expertise to Kate’s Club as an instrumental part in the expansion of Kate’s Club programming throughout Georgia. Her favorite part about working at Kate’s Club is the sense of community and collaboration the staff and its members cultivate to create an environment of healing and growth for all.
Victoria Ravenell, MPA
Statewide Membership Associate
Victoria joined Kate’s Club in 2021. She graduated from Valdosta State University with a B.S. in Special Education and a minor in Speech Communication in 2017 and a Master of Public Administration with a certificate in Nonprofit Leadership and Management in 2023. Her favorite part of Kate’s Club is getting to guide all potential members through the process of joining our community here at Kate’s Club.
Winifred Davis, MSW
Regional Program Coordinator - Southwest Georgia
Winifred Davis joined Kate’s Club as Southwest Georgia Regional Program Coordinator in 2023. She is a graduate of Albany State University with an A.S. Degree in M.L.T, a BSW and MSW. Winifred worked with the Department of Juvenile Justice as a Mental Health/Volunteer Coordinator. She is excited to start her new journey. Her favorite thing about Kate’s Club is the compassionate vision of a world in which it’s okay to grieve.

Therapists

Kate’s Club partners with several part-time therapists who design and deliver our unique, recreation-based programs. They are fully licensed professionals who specialize in using art, music, creative writing, movement, and activity to work with grieving children and families.

Officers

Our board of directors provides leadership, experience, and knowledge in the field of bereavement.
Chair
Dan Chandler
KPMG
Treasurer
Anne Morris
Windham Brannon
Secretary
Devon LoParo
Emory University

Directors

Adam Tessler
HashiCorp
Ashley Byars
For Momentum, LLC
Austen Tully
22Squared
Cecile Kirby
World 50
Craig Clark
E & H Investments
Daniel Sage
Smith + Howard
David Chaiken
Chaiken Ghali LLP
David Martin
Polsinelli
Deb Pofahl
Lemon-Zest Catering
Jamelia Smith
Cox Enterprises
Jillian Tellez Holub
McKinsey & Company
Junior Bernadin
Ron Clark Academy
Katie Perumbeti
Atlanta Regional Commission
LC Lessa
Masterpiece Building
Lee Watts
Ashby & Watts Consulting
Meredith Selvey
Colliers
Ren Powell
Coca-Cola Company
Shea Fleming
Peachtree Park Pediatrics
Sheree Martin
Community Philanthropist
Starr Person
Morgan Stanley
Tony Bencina
Truist Securities

Advisory Board

President
Kate Atwood
LoCo+
Allison Koenig
Piedmont Pediatrics
Amanda Hyland
Taylor English Duma LLP
Cindy Schoell
Atlanta Pediatric Psychology
Stephen Opler
Bradley Arant Boult Cummings LLP
LeighAnn Costley
Frazier & Deeter
Mary Howell
Ronald McDonald House

Ambassadors

Our ambassadors are some of our most engaged, active, and dedicated supporters and grief experts anywhere. They’re also a diverse group: many have backgrounds with Kate's Club, and are all uniquely committed to furthering our mission through leadership.

Addy Edwards

This past summer, at Camp Good Mourning, Addy served as a Buddy volunteer alongside a former Kate's Club member who had lost her dad when she was eight and started going to Kate's Club at age 15. She told Addy that Kate's Club was her second home and her life's trajectory would have been completely different without it. As a result of this and other interactions, Addy feels honored to serve such a wonderful organization whose work truly impacts children's lives for the better.

Ashley Schiavone

Having lost her mother when she was 14, something like Kate's Club would have been an invaluable resource and comfort to Ashley. Now as a mother herself, she can appreciate even more the incredible void that losing a parent, sibling, or caretaker can leave. She has been honored to volunteer and advocate for Kate's Club for more than 10 years now and looks forward to continuing her support as an ambassador of this amazing organization.

Emily Lieberman

Emily started volunteering with Kate's Club in April 2013, and it has changed her life profoundly. Having lost her older sister at age 13 and her mother at age 16, she knows what it is like to grieve without the guidance and support of an organization like Kate's Club. Any time Emily talks with people about Kate's Club, they always say what a great thing she is doing and how much we are helping these kids. Emily thanks them and agrees, but she sees more and more each day how much this organization has helped her. She doesn't feel like she is giving up her time when she volunteers at Kate's Club because she gets so much in return. Emily think one of the things that makes Kate's Club so unique is that we offer year-round support for the kids: monthly program days at the clubhouse, quarterly outings, the H.U.G.S. programs, and of course Camp Good Mourning! Additionally, the other volunteers are some of the most amazing people she's met in her life. It's an incredible organization for which she is so thankful to be a part of.

Grace Hensel

Grace’s involvement with Kate’s Club dates back to 2011. Her dad died suddenly when she was 11 years old, so she became a member. Kate’s Club showed her that she was not alone, helped her make friends with the same experience, and introduced her to successful adults who also were going through grief. Now, she is a buddy volunteer and an MSW student at Georgia State University who hopes to use her degree to help grieving children and families.

Jenna Wray Gladney

Jenna has been a buddy volunteer with Kate’s Club since 2018 when she and her husband moved to Atlanta. She is thrilled to be an Ambassador for this amazing organization and is excited for the 2022 Memory Walk as it returns to in person.

Katie Hart

Katie is at her happiest when she can make a sustainable difference in her community. Kate's Club holds a special place in her heart because she has experienced family deaths from a young age and so has her father. Kate is grateful to contribute to the KC mission, helping to normalize grief and providing a community and resources to empower children and their families. Outside of Kate's Club, Katie works in portfolio strategy for a cybersecurity firm and offers freelance career coaching services.

Liisa Ver Planck

Liisa is a Hospice and Palliative Care Music Therapist at AccentCare Hospice. In 2017, she attended a music therapy institute focused on child and adolescent grief and loss. As part of this training, she provided music therapy for a children's grief camp. The experience was amazing and led Liisa to seek out a grief organization once she moved to Atlanta in 2018. She is so glad she found Kate's Club! Liisa has loved participating in clubhouse days, holiday programs and Camp Good Mourning. This organization provides such a supportive and healing environment, and she is honored to be a part of Kate's Club!

Nancy Kriseman

Nancy L Kriseman is a licensed clinical social worker who has worked with elders and their families for over 35 years. Nancy has also dedicated much of her personal time to mentor and support young people with whom she feels very passionate about. Nancy has written four books, and most recently in March 2021 co-authored a book for Kate’s Club with Lane Pease Hendricks, entitled: We Come Together as One: Helping Families Grieve, Share and Heal.

Rob Hauser

Rob is proud to be a Buddy and Ambassador for Kate's Club. His grief journey began when he was five years old after his father died unexpectedly. His unprocessed grief proved to be a hindrance throughout life, an unrealized cause for deep feelings of fear, shame, isolation, and anxiety. Rob sat alone in these feelings for decades until he was referred to Kate’s Club to volunteer in 2019. As he continued his own journey of understanding and healing, he found a new perspective on tragedy and loss when his experiences gave rise to a purpose. Volunteering with these kids every month, seeing them do the work, express their feelings, and relate to one another is a privilege! “Service to others is the rent you pay for your room here on earth.“ -Muhammad Ali

Sheree Martin

Sheree grew up teaching Hunter/Jumper horse riding to children and adults. Her career as a Legal Communications Consultant, through her own business, took her all over the United States for 20 plus years. In May of 2016, she was honored to join Kate's Club as a Buddy. Since then Sheree has been involved in most aspects of KC; clubhouse days (Zoom), outings, camps, family nights, HUGS, Memory Walk (Co-Chair, committee and often highest fundraiser), Mourning Glory Gala (silent auction committee, Silent Auction Chair and 2021 Gala Chair), and is now honored to serve on the Board of Directors. Sheree is passionate to help our KC children/families as well as being involved with the KC Staff and Buddies....So very Blessed to be part of this awesome "Club" which has made her a better person!
Interested in becoming an Ambassador or nominating a candidate? Reach out here.
Courtney Krygiel
Development and Marketing Manager
courtney.krygiel@katesclub.org
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