Vice President of Marketing & Behavior Change Communication

Gwendolyn Bouchie

Gwen joined Darkness to Light in 2015 and is a graduate of the College of Charleston with a focus on corporate and organizational communication. Passionate about health and wellness, she’s managed health and welfare programs at a state and national level to better support grassroots community initiatives. Gwen has championed the causes of medically underserved communities, particularly the visually impaired. Recognizing that access to affordable healthcare is the key to a healthy community, she helped market the first non-profit community operated and oriented health plan in the South, created through a provision in the Affordable Care Act. In her free time, Gwen is a group fitness instructor, loves to sing songs by Heart on Rock Band, and hang out with her spouse and son.

Who would you want to play you in a movie of your life?
I was told by a friend in middle school that I looked like Diane Lane, who also happens to be an odd actress for a middle schooler to know by name. So I guess it would have to be her.

What is your favorite childhood memory?
My mother comes from a large family, so Christmases at my grandparent’s house were always fun and provide great memories.

President and Chief Executive Officer

Katelyn N. Brewer

High energy, entrepreneurial executive, Katelyn N. Brewer, is passionate about empowering people, organizations, and communities to enhance the impact of social movements. As President & CEO of Darkness to Light, the nation’s leading advocate for the prevention of child sexual abuse, her expertise in transforming organizational cultures, achieving programmatic scale, and implementing behavior change communication lends invaluable insight to the larger conversation of child protection as a collective adult responsibility.
Since 2016, Katelyn’s leadership has resulted in exponential growth in programmatic reach and increased standing as a chief influencer in the space of child safety. Through education, advocacy, and research, Darkness to Light continues to revolutionize the way society keeps children safe from abuse.
Previous to Darkness to Light, Katelyn was Chief of Operations for Washington, D.C. based Children of Fallen Patriots, a foundation committed to supporting the children of military veterans, with a focus on increasing transparency and accountability. Prior to that, Brewer worked with Africare as Director of Strategic Engagement, managing Johannesburg-based programmatic activity and regional business development initiatives for Southern and Eastern Africa.
Katelyn’s dedication to innovation, emerging technologies, and cross-team alignment empower nonprofits to achieve critical social goals. Her work has resulted in sustainable change for communities, both nationally and internationally. Katelyn continually demonstrates that grassroots community initiatives lay the groundwork for organizations to expand their missions globally.
Katelyn is a graduate of Wheaton College in Boston, MA with a bachelor’s in International Relations and French. She lives in Charleston, SC, with her spouse.

Director of Partnerships

Ashley Davis

Ashley Nicole Davis is a motivational speaker, author, and facilitator. After receiving much backlash for disclosing her child sexual abuse experiences and naming her abuser, she realized there was an opportunity to help others navigate through disclosure. She is particularly passionate about prevention efforts within the faith-based community. In 2016, she established Project Be Brave to help facilitate healing in the lives of other victims. Her story of resilience has opened opportunities for her to establish and maintain strong relationships with many faith-based and non-profits organizations throughout the United States. Ashley is a proud independent facilitator and has partnered with colleges such as Xavier University (Ohio), University of Cincinnati, Kent State University and other learning institutions to facilitate Darkness to Light’s Stewards of Children® training. Her charismatic personality creates a unique, fun and engaging experience for every person who encounters her. She is the mother of a teenage daughter who is heavily involved in her own advocacy initiatives.

Social Behavior Change Manager

Lia Gil

Lia joined Darkness to Light in 2019 as the team’s Social Behavior Change Manager. In this role, she is responsible for using a data-driven approach to assess and address conditions that advance prevention-oriented cultures. From partnering with municipalities to co-creating with communities, Lia helps to develop suitable and sustainable behavior change solutions.

As an award-winning public health professional, Lia has chaired community coalitions and directed multidisciplinary behavior change initiatives throughout the Carolinas. Prior to Darkness to Light, she was responsible for guiding community champions and industry leaders in the development of tobacco prevention policies, securing grants to support community garden development work, strengthening community relationships to enhance injury prevention efforts, directing the efforts of a multi-year community health assessment, and implementing evidence-based programs to address county-wide priority health issues.

Lia is certified as both a Change Management Professional and a Health Education Specialist. She graduated from Mississippi State University with a master’s in health promotion and a bachelor’s in communications.  In her free time, Lia loves to do karaoke with friends or play board games with her husband, daughter, and son.

One of my favorite quotes… “When in doubt, do the generous thing.”

Something that may surprise you… In 2011, I made a list of all my fears, then I scratched out the title and turned it into my ‘Year of Yes’ list. I discovered that living a fearless existence is like having a superpower.

Director of Curriculum Design

Patrick Hayes

Patrick Hayes has over a decade of experience researching and implementing curriculum design for a variety of learning experiences. With a Masters of Fine Arts from Savannah College of Art and Design and a Masters of Business Administration from Southern New Hampshire University’s online global campus, Patrick merges his experience by developing creative design methodologies that leverage emerging technologies to scale curriculum and drive business growth. Patrick has served in a number of roles that help to inform his approach to training and curriculum design, including online curriculum developer, curriculum and operations director, instructor, and business and project manager. He has worked with organizations large and small, and has specialized in designing curriculum and instructional strategies to extend quality learning to wide audiences.

Recently, his work in developing internal, personalized company trainings as well as external, student-facing curriculum has helped usher Southern New Hampshire University’s growth from 10,000 to 100,000 students, and he designed company-wide curriculum frameworks and implemented a suite of learning technologies for an international start-up university based out of Washington, D.C. He is excited to bring his experience to Darkness to Light and collaborate with all of the other passionate professionals in support of this critical social mission.

Online Curriculum Manager

Jennifer Hessmiller

Jenny moved to Charleston from Northeast Pennsylvania. She received her MA in International Relations from St. Andrews University and her MSc in Africa and International Development from Edinburgh University in Scotland. While at university, she had the opportunity to conduct field research in Ethiopia and Uganda, where she pursued her passion of safeguarding human development. Since graduating from university, she has worked for nonprofits that focus on social justice causes and currently sits on the board of an organization in Uganda that strives to improve girl’s access to education and young women’s rights to economic independence. Due to Jenny’s deep love of travel and experiencing other cultures, she has had the opportunity to visit several countries in Europe and Africa. She hopes to continue her travels and see parts of South America and Asia in the near future.

What did you want to be when you were little?
I loved space and planetary science as a child and thought it would be fascinating to be an astronaut.

If you were a super-hero, what powers would you have?
The ability to speak and understand every language.

Lead Instructor

Carol Hogue

Carol grew up in Lancaster, SC. She lived in Missouri, Kentucky, and Alabama before returning to her home state and has lived in Charleston, SC for 25 years. Carol graduated from Charleston Southern University with a Bachelor of Science and from The Southern Baptist Theological Seminary with a Master of Religious Education. She has served as the Executive Director for a 24-hour crisis helpline, worked in and served on the Program Advisory Group for the second revision of Stewards of Children®. A Stewards of Children® Authorized Facilitator since 2007 and a Certifying Instructor since 2008, she recently joined the Darkness to Light team full-time as Programs Quality Assurance Specialist. As a teenager, Carol admired the bohemian lifestyle (a.k.a. hippies), Gloria Steinem, and Ralph Nader. She’s been referred to as a rebel with a cause. Today her cause is the prevention of child sexual abuse. Carol and her husband Marty have raised three awesome young adults.

Operations Manager

Lindsey Houston

Lindsey was born and raised in the rural settings of Minnesota. She received her BBA and MBA from the University of Wisconsin – Eau Claire. Prior to Darkness to Light, Lindsey spent five years working for a military non-profit that focused on education, Children of Fallen Patriots Foundation. Through this experience, Lindsey realized her love for non-profit organizations and the joy that comes from serving a meaningful mission. Honing in on her operational skills, Lindsey joined Darkness to Light as the Operations Manager and is thrilled to be part of such an enthusiastic team, supporting an undeniable mission.

What did you want to be when you were little? Growing up on a farm I thought for sure I would be a Veterinarian!

What is the best vacation you’ve ever been on? Hands down, Glacier National Park in Montana – the beauty is breathtaking and the activities are endless!

Lead Research Consultant

Dr. Kim Longfield

Dr. Kim Longfield has more than 25 years of experience in research and international development. Her areas of expertise include translating evidence into practice, stakeholder engagement, strategic advising and communications, research and evaluation design, and capacity building. She has worked in social marketing, behavior change, social franchising, HIV/AIDS, reproductive health and family planning, safe abortion, maternal health, child health, malaria, tuberculosis, non-communicable diseases, gender empowerment, and governance.

Kim consults through her company, Databoom, helping Darkness to Light continue to improve stakeholder engagement and develop strategic communications backed by evidence. She also designs studies to generate insight, evaluate impact, and identify practical solutions for organizations working in resource poor settings. She excels at presenting complicated information to a range of audiences and using evidence to inform decision-making.

Prior to founding Databoom, Kim served as Director of Strategic Research and Evaluation at Population Services International, a global health nonprofit with $600 million in annual revenues and offices in more than 60 countries around the world. She led the organization’s evaluation agenda to answer questions of strategic importance, including the impact, effectiveness, cost-effectiveness, scale, and quality of social marketing programs. Her work has been used to develop, monitor, and evaluate programs, analyze health markets, and advocate for standard measures across organizations. She is the author of more than fifty published journal articles, reports, book chapters, and working papers. Kim has a Ph.D. in Sociology and International Health and an MPH in International Health/Health Communication and Education, both from Tulane University.

Educational Outreach Specialist

Steve Mandell

Steve Mandell joined Darkness to Light in July 2018. He spent nearly 25 years in education, most recently serving as Head of School at Pinewood Preparatory School in the Charleston, SC area. In addition to being a Head of School for the past ten (10) years, Steve has held numerous administrative posts in schools ranging from Guidance Director to Chief Financial Officer. Prior to his career in education, Steve spent 10 years in private industry working in the International Transportation segment.

Steve consults through his company, Big Back Pack, helping Darkness to Light continue to provide quality prevention resources and training to education professionals across the country. Steve holds an M.Ed. in Leadership and Administration from the University of South Carolina and a B.A. in Legal Studies from the University of Massachusetts. He is a Certified School Safety Manager through the Institute for Safety and Health Management as well as an Authorized Facilitator for Darkness to Light’s Stewards of Children® Training. He and his wife Beth live in Charleston, the eighth move in their over 30 years of marriage. Steve is most proud of his two grown children, who both work in support of the nonprofit sector.

Fun Fact: Steve was elected to the state chapter of the U.S. Lacrosse Hall of Fame in 2009 in recognition of his decades of coaching and organizing in his favorite sport.

Social Behavior Change Research Associate

Amy Nguyen

Amy Nguyen comes to Darkness to Light as a graduate student and photographer who is passionate about bringing her education and creativity to the Darkness to Light team. She is currently a Master’s of Science in Public Health (MSPH) candidate in Health Education and Health Communication at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. She received her Bachelor of Science from Pennsylvania State University in Biobehavioral Health with a minor in Psychology. She has strong interests in advocacy, adolescent mental and sexual health, immigrant health, and social behavior change programming. Prior to pursuing her Master’s she worked closely with adolescents living in urban settings to address the harmful effects of trauma, stress, and environment on the development of adolescents through research and programming. In addition to her interests in public health, Amy founded her own photography business in 2014 with the mission of capturing raw emotion to share the stories of those around her.

Prevention Education Coordinator

Kelsey Racey

Originally from Orangeburg, SC, Kelsey is a 2019 College of Charleston graduate. She chose to complete her senior internship with Darkness to Light and remained a part of the team starting in May of 2019. Kelsey started as a Programs Coordinator helping Authorized Facilitators prepare for trainings, processing Partner in Prevention applications, and managing continuing education. Now Kelsey is a member of the operations team as the Prevention Education Coordinator. With a degree in Public Health, she is passionate about an array of health-related issues. This passion is why Kelsey has been volunteering with the American Cancer Society: Hope Lodge in Downtown Charleston for a year, as well as with the College of Charleston Sports Nutritionist. Not only does she have a passion for Public Health, but she also has a passion for traveling. Kelsey has been to many places including Belgium, France, and England, but her favorite place so far was Ireland in the summer of 2018. It’s not easy to shake the travel bug, so next on her list is Spain! Excited for her new adventures with Darkness to Light, Kelsey believes that every connection, opportunity, and experience is to, “give you roots and someday wings,” which is her Grandmother’s favorite quote.

Executive Assistant to the CEO & Board Liaison

Augustine Rhodes

Augustine brings to the team a wealth of experience. She is exceptionally skilled at team and project management; she pays attention to the smallest of details and overall execution. Augustine’s initiative, organized approach and ability to prioritize tasks will allow those she supports to achieve their goals and reach their objectives. Augustine has the unique ability to focus on the details while still being able to see the bigger picture. As a learner, Augustine relishes the challenge of learning new software or applications and as technology changes, she is one of the first to adopt and embrace new skills.

What do you do in your spare time? I love to spend time gardening, canning, and preserving.  I am very passionate about growing food organically for my family and friends.

What is your favorite quote?  “There is no happiness in life if what you believe is not what you live by.”

Social Behavior Change Communications Consultant

Donna Sherard

Donna is a seasoned health marketing and social behavior change (SBC) specialist with more than 20 years of global health and private sector experience across a range of health and development topics including: adolescent sexual and reproductive health, nutrition, maternal and child health, HIV and family planning. Her areas of expertise include: designing and implementing marketing and communication strategy, Human Centered Design and capacity building using adult learning techniques.

Donna consults through her company, Changeable, helping Darkness to Light identify innovative, feasible, problem-based solutions to the complex human behavior challenge of child sexual abuse.

Prior to consulting, after nearly 10 years in private sector healthcare marketing in the United States, Donna lived and worked in Kenya, Tanzania, and Uganda designing and managing health communication and advocacy programs, including a regional health communication project for youth with Johns Hopkins University Center for Communication Programs. Upon returning to the United States, Donna held senior leadership positions at Population Services International including Deputy Director for HIV and TB where she provided technical support to over 30 countries in sub-Saharan Africa, Central America, and southeast Asia. She has an MPH from Columbia University.

Grant Writer

Kendall Sherry

Kendall spent ten years as an IT help desk technician for a 100M international GIS company in upstate New York. After one too many Microsoft Office upgrades, she headed back to the State University of New York (SUNY) Schenectady and pursued a new career in the non-profit world. Blackbaud certification led her to Charleston, SC where she is now a member of the Darkness to Light development team. Kendall is especially passionate about using data to make intelligent business decisions and working to grow Darkness to Light’s audience and reach. Her dream is for Darkness to Light to become a household name, signifying that prevention of child sexual abuse has finally found its rightful place in the public conscience.

If you could choose to do anything for a day, what would it be? Spontaneous road-trip with my son and dog

What song would you sing at karaoke night? Stop in the Name of Love by Diana Ross & The Supremes, in a group with choreographed hand moves, of course.

Director of Finance & Operations

Brad Stubbs

Brad Stubbs, MBA has over 15 years leadership experience in accounting and finance operations as well as general business operations with high growth apparel companies in the private sector. With 11 of those years being spent at the multi-billion dollar, multi-national corporation Under Armour and the last five years with an apparel startup company that has taken the fishing industry by storm, he brings a wealth of experience and knowledge to Darkness to Light.

Previously as the Senior Director of Operations at Marolina Outdoor, the parent company of Huk Performance Fishing and Nomad Outdoor, Brad used his expertise to grow the company from the ground up, building the company from inception in 2014 to $50 million in revenue by 2018. He created and managed everything from the enterprise resource planning system that ran the business to setting up the back end of multiple eCommerce websites to hiring and managing customer service teams, to overseeing all fulfillment operations which included a 3rd party warehouse, as well as handling all of the accounts payable. Brad brings extensive knowledge in ensuring that strategic vision translates into profitable operations by analyzing positive data trends and highlighting areas of improvement, all while prioritizing the customer experience.

Brad earned his Executive MBA from Loyola College’s Sellinger School of Business and a B.S. in Business Administration with a concentration in Finance from Frostburg State University.

In his spare time, you can find Brad spending time with his two daughters or on the water fishing.

Marketing Content Coordinator

Anna Warner

Anna Warner is a journalist and photographer with a passion for visual storytelling. She has written articles and shot photographs for numerous publications, including Beyond the Wall: Migrants, Migration and the Border, a long-form investigative journalism book on the impact of Mexican migration to Southern California. Most recently, she presented research at the national AEJMC conference in Washington, D.C. on the visual representation of refugees in association with terrorist events in the European media. She also cares deeply about social responsibility— she has participated in urban relief efforts and teaching English to Middle Eastern refugees in Greece, contributed to social development efforts in the Philippines in the wake of Typhoon Yolanda, and volunteered with DACA students in Southern California migrant communities. Anna recently moved back home to Charleston from Los Angeles and is excited to join the Darkness to Light team. She has a bachelor’s degree in Journalism & Integrated Media and an unhealthy obsession with finding the perfect cup of coffee

What did you want to be when you were little? I wanted to be a lot of things, but most often it switched between becoming an artist or Lois Lane. I guess I kind of figured out a way to get the best of both worlds.

What’s one thing people might not know about you? I’m a PADI certified scuba-diver— I love the ocean!

 

Deputy Director of Communications

Katherine Lee Wood

Born and raised in Charleston, SC, Katherine has been with Darkness to Light since 2013. Before she joined the Darkness to Light team, Katherine earned her Bachelor of Science in Business Administration at the University of South Carolina (Go Gamecocks!). She became interested in the non-profit world when she studied abroad in Italy and was introduced to the organization Invisible Children. After college graduation, Katherine moved to San Diego to intern with Invisible Children, eventually joining the staff as the Marketing/Media Coordinator. While there she worked on the KONY2012 campaign, which is one of the most viral video campaigns of all time with over 100 million views in 6 days.

Originally starting in the Programs Department at Darkness to Light, she eventually joined the Communications Department as the Digital Marketing Specialist where she managed our social media and digital marketing. Now as the Deputy Director of Communications, Katherine serves as the project lead for communication campaigns and special projects, and executes content strategy for the organization.

What did you want to be when you were little? A pop star!

Aside from necessities, what one thing could you not go a day without? My Cat, Sir Chesterfield