Bill grew up in Raleigh, N.C., and after a stint in the Army graduated from Appalachian State University in 1989 with a Bachelor of Science degree in Economics, Banking, and Finance.

After graduating from Appalachian Bill accepted a position with Wachovia Bank in Asheville, starting as Personal Banker and culminating as the bank’s City Executive in Waynesville, NC.

In 1998 Bill was hired in his current position as a Financial Advisor with Edward Jones and opened a new office in Weaverville for the firm. Bill resides in Weaverville and is involved with a number of local civic and non-profit groups, and enjoys skiing, mountain biking, and performing with his Mardi Gras Second Line band.

Doug is a retired psychologist and litigation consultant. He received a bachelor’s degree from the University of Delaware, a master’s degree in family therapy from American University, and a PhD in Counseling Psychology at the University of Texas. After working as a clinical psychologist, he testified in court as an expert witness for several years. His last 25 years of practice involved consulting on litigation strategy in civil litigation. He has received recognition from the American Board of Professional Psychology, and co-authored an award-winning blog related to social science research and the legal system.

Doug has served on the boards of professional associations prior to joining the HARK organization. He is married with two adult children, and lives in Asheville.

Kamali was born in Wilmington, NC but has resided in the Asheville area since 1990. He is a graduate of T.C. Roberson High School as well as The University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a major in Computer Science and minors in Physics and Mathematics.

Kamali's goal with Hark is to ensure that every child in the county has a stable environment to grow up in and the confidence to shape their own future. He enjoys gaming, stock trading, as well as fishing and golfing. It is his goal to provide a different perspective to the projects that the board works on at HARK and to provide fiscally responsible insight.

Carole has a varied background including corporate training and sales, food magazine recipe testing/editing, and real estate sales. Later in her career, she became focused on the needs of neighborhoods, affordable housing, mental health needs, and food insecurity so went back to school for a master's degree in social work and worked briefly with individuals with severe mental health diagnoses. Carole served on the board of the Durham Community Land Trust, her neighborhood association, and is a volunteer for the American Red Cross and has volunteered for several programs that address food insecurity. After moving to Asheville in 2019, Carole became a Guardian ad Litem, and joined HARK as a board member in 2021.

Jenny moved with her family to Asheville in 1997, drawn in by the beauty of our mountains and the local culture. After growing up in southern California, she later earned bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work from the University of Wisconsin- Madison, subsequently working as a foster care/adoption caseworker and ongoing caseworker for social services in New Mexico and Colorado, respectively. Jenny then earned a Ph.D. in school psychology from the University of Northern Colorado, spending 16 years working as a school psychologist for Buncombe County Schools. She is currently a guardian ad litem in Buncombe County, finding good use for her education and interests. In her free time, Jenny enjoys mountain biking with her husband, portrait painting, stock market analysis, camping, gardening, skiing and entertaining friends and family.

Cindy Donahue moved to Asheville with her husband in 2015. Their adult son lives in Asheville as well. Cindy joined the Guardian Ad Litem program in 2016 and is an enthusiastic supporter of the work that GALs do. She is a retired teacher who spends her time gardening, reading, doing fitness activities and traveling. She joined the HARK board in January of 2021 and serves on the Grant Writing Committee and the Development Committee.

Jennifer Horton is a BUNCOMBE COUNTY native. Raised in Swannanoa by a single mother. She dropped out of school at 16 due to finances but soon acquired her GED at 18. This was just the beginning of her educational journey. Obtaining her CNA, LPN(where she was class president) and Associates in Nursing passing the board exam in 2016. She accomplished all of this while raising her son as well as other many other children in custody alongside her husband. She along with husband are licensed foster parents in Buncombe County. Seeing the circumstances that lead to the dissolvement of the family structure, her compassion led her on the path of improving life in Buncombe County. In 2020 she established Mount Moriah Assisted Living, a group of Family care homes, helping individuals with mental health. Jennifer is a mother of 3 children.

Happily married, retired school superintendent whose career spans over 34 years in education including over twenty years in special ed in roles from teaching to administrator. Grandmother to a five-year-old spitfire of a girl and dog mom to three doodles. Former researcher and adjunct professor in departments of special education and educational leadership. Avid hiker, yogi and pilates practitioner, as well as being politically active in WNC. Have volunteered for socially just causes since my early teens. Still trying to embrace the “art of Zen” in retirement, which will be a lifelong exercise. Former Chicago suburbanite who has lived here since 2017.

Jane is the youngest of 7 children and grew up on a country farm in rural Oklahoma. She attended college in Virginia before eventually settling in North Carolina in 1994.

A lifelong volunteer for many causes, Jane is a passionate advocate for social equity, sustainability, and human and animal rights. She currently volunteers with Cat Angels animal rescue, the NC Food Bank, Covenant House SleepOut, and as a reviewer of social justice, sustainability, disaster, and education grants for Cisco’s charitable giving division.

Jane worked as a paralegal from 1992 until 2009, when she left the legal world and joined Cisco Systems as a program and project manager. Now that her four children are adults, she is excited to be able to focus more energy on non-profit work. To that end, Jane is thrilled to have the opportunity to serve on the HARK board and to contribute her skills towards advancing HARKS mission of providing support and resources to at-risk children in Buncombe County.

Marcus D. Laws, originally from Laurinburg, North Carolina. My professional background is in Psychology, Criminal Justice and Healthcare Management with focuses on Counseling, Housing/Vocational Rehabilitation, Mental Health/Substance Use and Developmental Disabilities in Community Based Settings.

M Peter has been an economic development and humanitarian assistance project designer and implementation professional in the USA and overseas for more than 30 years. He has worked for the US Foreign Service (USAID), Non-Governmental Organizations, the World Bank, UN family agencies and private sector firms for the benefit of internally displaced people, refugees and underserved citizens in over 40 countries, including conflict and post-conflict zones in struggling and developing nations.

His work has included preparation of successful grant and contract proposals enabling implementation of equity and quality of life enhancing projects.

Candy joined the HARK board in July 2022. Candy is an estate administration attorney with the law firm of McGuire, Wood & Bissette, P.A. Candy is a former Guardian Ad Litem, former foster parent and an adoptive mom. She currently serves on the Estes Elementary Advisory Committee and the Community Foundation of Western North Carolina’s Professional Advisory Committee. Candy lives in South Asheville with her two children, 2 cats, 2 hermit crabs and 1 hamster. In her spare time, Candy enjoys volunteering in the local community and planning adventures with her kids.

MaryLynn Manns moved to the Asheville area in 1977. She had a 38-year career as a university professor at UNC Asheville and is now a Professor Emerita. MaryLynn is the co-author of two popular books, Fearless Change: Patterns for Introducing New Ideas and More Fearless Change: Strategies for Making Your Ideas Happen, which document successful strategies used by leaders of change. She has led numerous presentations on the topic of change at worldwide conferences and for organizations including Microsoft, Avon, Dannon Yogurt, Amazon, Apple, and Procter & Gamble.

Kelsey moved to the Asheville area in 2021 after spending many years in Boone, NC. Kelsey holds a Bachelor's degree in Special Education from Appalachian State University and a Master's degree in Education from Bowling Green State University in Ohio. Her professional career has been spent working in education and nonprofit settings, facilitating learning and enrichment experiences for students with disabilities from middle-school age through college-level programming. In her spare time, Kelsey enjoys creating stained glass art, hiking, and gardening.

Kyle Turner is a retired Lead Contracting Officer and Air Force veteran who provided comprehensive strategic and mission-essential program support to various federal agencies. He has also served as a Guardian Ad Litem in Broward County, Florida, and volunteered to create safe spaces with opportunities for LGBTQIA+ youth in workforce training and experiential learning.

Kyle relocated to Asheville to support the local community and promote collaboration among different groups in addressing homelessness. He strongly believes in shared decision-making, responsibility, and accountability. Kyle is a Helping At-Risk Kids (HARK) board member who participates in the Asheville-Buncombe Continuum of Care (CoC) Program.

Originally from Charlotte, Elizabeth moved to Asheville three years ago and has since embraced the local culture and community with open arms. Elizabeth is a recent graduate from the University of North Carolina at Asheville, where she earned her degree in business management.  As the oldest of six siblings, Elizabeth has always had a nurturing spirit, which naturally led her to volunteer for various organizations, including the Gaston County public libraries and local animal shelters. In her free time, Elizabeth enjoys hanging out with her cat and experimenting with new recipes. She is passionate about being a part of the HARK team and supporting Buncombe County’s most vulnerable kids and youth.

Amber Cook moved to Buncombe County in 2014. Amber has her undergraduate degree (Bachelors in Social Work) from Appalachian State University and her graduate degree (Masters in Social Work) from East Tennessee State University. Amber has worked in the field of Child Welfare for 20 years in counties across North Carolina. She has been working in Buncombe County for 10 years and is currently the Program Manager in Permanency Planning. Amber is passionate about serving children and families! In her spare time, Amber enjoys spending her time with family, reading, gardening, hiking, Dollywood adventures, and traveling.