Meet Our Team

Our Wonderful Board of Directors

Tracy Butler, PhD
Interim Board Chair

  • Dr. Tracy Butler holds a Ph.D in Curriculum and Instruction from Clemson University and an M.A. in TESOL from Furman University. She teaches English as a Second Language courses as well as research and assessment for K-12 teachers at the University of South Carolina Upstate and Clemson University. Before teaching at the university level, Tracy was a bilingual elementary and middle school teacher who observed the impact of anxiety and depression on youth and adults.

Pamela Williams
Treasurer

  • Pamela Williams is a dedicated community advocate with a deep-rooted passion for service and empowerment. Residing in Greer, South Carolina, she has been an active volunteer for over two decades, contributing her time and talents to numerous organizations, including the YMCA, YWCA, Salvation Army, Susan G. Komen Foundation, Alzheimer’s Organization, Fall For Greenville, and various local churches. Her commitment to making a positive impact is evident in her consistent involvement and leadership in these initiatives. At the age of 50, Pamela achieved a significant personal milestone by earning her degree in Marketing from Greenville Technical College, an accomplishment that underscores her dedication to lifelong learning and personal growth. Pamela is the proud mother of a beautiful daughter, Markita, and shares her life with her supportive husband, Peter Marsh. Together, they reside in the vibrant community of Greer, where they enjoy contributing to and participating in local events and initiatives. Pamela believes in the power of community and the importance of giving back. Her life’s work is a testament to the difference one individual can make through compassion, dedication, and a willingness to serve others.

Julia Jeter
Secretary

  • Julia Jeter is a mechanical engineer originally from the suburbs of Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. In 2002, she moved to South Carolina and has been working at Michelin since. Currently a technical manager, Julia is driven by a passion for people and a commitment to helping others tap into their strengths. With personal experience navigating depression and anxiety, and having supported her twin daughters through their own struggles with mental health, Julia has developed a dedication to mental well-being. She believes in the power of compassionate listening, striving to ensure each individual feels truly seen and heard, especially during their most challenging moments.

Luigi Boccuto, PhD

  • Dr. Luigi Boccuto is a clinical geneticist, interested in autism spectrum disorder and related conditions, such as Phelan-McDermid syndrome, hereditary cancer, overgrowth syndromes, and intellectual disability. He is currently employed as a Faculty Member of the School of Nursing at Clemson University. He has worked as a Research Scientist at the Greenwood Genetic Center (Greenwood, SC, USA) and as Chief Scientific Officer for STALICLA, SA (Geneva, Switzerland). He has been working on pathogenic mechanisms and metabolic profiling of several genetic conditions, in particular, he has been involved with Phelan-McDermid syndrome since 2007. Dr. Buccuto is a wealth of information concerning genetics and epigenetics. We are thrilled to have his input and advice as we advance our Mental Health Moonshot initiative.

DeAsia Danladi

  • DeAsia Danladi, Founder and CEO of Gene Xcellence, is an advocate for the advancement of teenagers and young adults. Currently enrolled at Spartanburg Community College, she aspires to transfer to the University of South Carolina Upstate to pursue a Bachelor's in Family and Child Development with a minor in Nonprofit Management. Committed to bridging the achievement gap in the Upstate, she and her organization consistently collaborate with partners such as Walt's Waltz. Together, they strive to impart essential skills in mental health, personal finance, education, career development, and exploration.

Jamila Emilian Onweaz

  • Jamila Emilian Onweazu is an experienced professional in Health Administration based in Greenville, SC. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in Health Administration from the University of Phoenix and brings diverse expertise in project management, customer service, and operations. In her current role at Greenville County Schools, she coordinates food and nutrition services, excelling in team leadership and operational efficiency.

    Jamila is certified in Long-Term Care and holds a certificate in Trauma Healing, reflecting her dedication to holistic community health. Her commitment to serving those in need is evident through her work with mission-driven organizations like Walt’s Waltz, where she fosters positive change and improves access to vital resources. Fluent in both French and English, Jamila is devoted to creating inclusive environments that empower individuals and strengthen communities.

Gloria Estrada

  • Barbara Castañeda is a mixed media artist working mainly in painting but also including natural and found elements in her work. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Charlotte in 2011 with a Bachelor's degree in Fine Art in Painting and a minor in Art History. She has exhibited in North Carolina and Greenville, South Carolina where she currently lives with her husband and children.

Debra King, PhD

  • Dr. Debra King is a former psychology professor who became a licensed clinician in 1996 and a supervisor in 2001. As a career academician with 30 years of experience, she now serves as a Chief Clinical Officer in Behavioral Health. Her site specializes in training undergraduate and graduate interns majoring in rehabilitative behavioral health, counseling, public health, health information technology, business, and social work. Dr. King brings to Walt’s Waltz a depth and breadth of knowledge in the field of behavioral health.

Cary Mobley, PhD

  • Dr. Mobley is a Clinical Associate Professor in the Department of Pharmaceutics and teaches Drug Delivery and Dosage Forms, Problem Solving, Integrated Case Studies, and Pharmaceutical Compounding. A core element of Mobley’s teaching philosophy is to motivate students to engage in effortful and meaningful learning. Cary’s approach to teaching is centered on the concepts of benevolence, integration, and skill cultivation, particularly critical thinking and clinical reasoning skills. He is committed to respecting diverse talents and different learning styles. He regularly reads literature on education, philosophy, and cognitive psychology and strives to integrate what he learns from the literature, with feedback from students and colleagues, to optimize the student learning experience. Dr. Cary Mobley was named UF College of Pharmacy’s 2021-22 Teacher of the Year.

John Siegel

  • John Siegel is a librarian at USC Upstate in Spartanburg, SC. As a person living with mental health conditions and advocate for others,

    John is passionate about raising awareness about mental health issues and suicide prevention. He was instrumental in starting a library wellness collection for the USC Upstate community to have access to books and resources on anxiety, depression, trauma, and related topics.

    John holds a bachelor of arts degree in social work from San Francisco State University, a master’s degree in library science from the University of Maryland, and a master’s in education from the University of Arkansas at Little Rock.  His professional interests include trauma-informed librarianship and mentorship for future generations of librarians.

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Maya Ward

  • Maya works in Public Relations firm at a firm in Charlotte, NC. Maya previously served as an AmeriCorps VISTA with BirthMatters in Spartanburg and has interned with national non-profits such as MADRE and Dining for Women. Maya provides insight into our advocacy role as well as brings a wealth of knowledge from her work in the nonprofit sector.

Barbara Castañeda

  • Gloria Estrada is a bilingual public health and human services professional originally from Colombia with nearly 20 years of experience advancing community wellness, health equity, and mental health education. She holds a Master of Public Health and is currently pursuing a second master's degree in Mental Health Counseling. Gloria works with the South Carolina Department of Public Health to advance HIV prevention efforts and, through her work with NAMI South Carolina, educates the public about mental health, reduces stigma, and promotes culturally responsive care. She has extensive experience working with Hispanic and immigrant communities and brings a compassionate, collaborative, and advocacy-driven perspective to board leadership.

Our Walt’s Waltz Staff Team

Susan Crooks, Board Chair

Susan Crooks, MEd
Executive Director| Co-Founder

  • Susan Crooks is an educator with 28 years of experience, having taught GED, Parents as Teachers, Visual Arts, and Language Arts. She served as a Title I instructor and is a certified educator in the state of South Carolina. Her background in both the arts and education brings a unique perspective to the mission and programming of Walt’s Waltz.

    Susan holds a Master’s in Education from Clemson University and is a certified trainer and ambassador for the Foundation for Critical Thinking. For nearly a decade, she and her son Walt taught at the same school. Together, they developed and presented their theory on pairing mindfulness with critical thinking—sharing it at conferences across the country and incorporating it into their work beyond the classroom.

    After Walt’s death from treatment-resistant anxiety, PTSD, and depression, Susan and her younger son Will co-founded Walt’s Waltz. Drawing on her experience as a mother, educator, and artist, she works to relieve the suffering of those living with mental health conditions. Her leadership is grounded in the belief that education, creativity, and honest conversation can end stigma, reduce suffering, empower individuals, and ultimately save lives.

“What Would We Do Without You?” Walt’s Waltz Ambassadors | Leaders

Julie Burke

WW Secretary | Board 22-24

  • Julie is Vice President of Sales at Selection.com with over 30 years of experience in sales. She has worked on major campaigns winning large corporate accounts. Julie has personally developed over 3,000 new clients for Selection.com (background check sector). She advises/manages her sales team helping them meet their sales goals, client retention, sales development, and training new clients. In this sector, she is known to be trustworthy and has strong client satisfaction and retention. In addition to her business experience, Julie brings a wealth of knowledge in the area of fundraising. She has volunteered for countless fundraising events and was a co-chair of her children’s school galas.

Jill Heldebrant

Volunteer Emissary

  • Jill, a devoted mother of two, is deeply passionate about mental health awareness and creating safe spaces for everyone. Her mission is to ensure people have access to the resources they need, resources she wished were available when she was younger. Embracing a new chapter in her life, she is pursuing a Bachelor's of Science in Marketing. This exciting venture marks her return to the professional world after dedicating sixteen years to raising her family as a stay-at-home mom. Her journey is a testament to resilience and the power of positive change, inspiring those around her to pursue their dreams.

Kathy Sakelos

Community Advocacy WW Board 20 -25

  • Kathy Sakelos is an advocate in the field of mental health. She worked for 40 years in a variety of capacities in both clinical and educational settings. Over the years, Kathy has worked side-by-side with clients helping them through personal and/or family crises. Kathy holds a Human Service Degree and resides in Cincinnati, OH. Recently retired, her life’s work of giving is still aflame. Walt’s Waltz will greatly benefit from the experience, energy, and empathy she brings to our board.

HSP | Board 22-24

Tracy Cooper, PhD

  • Dr. Tracy Cooper is a strong advocate for high sensory intelligence people, (aka, 'highly sensitive people') and those who are also high in sensation seeking (HSS/HSP). Tracy holds a Ph.D. in Transformative Learning and Change and is a professor at Baker University Graduate School of Education in the Ed.D. in Leadership in Higher Education program. Author of the following books: Thrive: The Highly Sensitive Person and Career; Thrill: The High Sensation Seeking Highly Sensitive Person; Empowering the Sensitive Male Soul - Tracy is Co-Producer of the documentary film: Sensitive Men Rising with Director | Co-Producer Will Harper. Walt is one of the dedications in this film. Walt - a highly sensitive man. Tracy provides a unique perspective into our dance as he highlights the challenges of being a highly sensitive man in our society while celebrating our creativity, strengths as leaders, and as visionaries/healers.

Brittany Mann

MSW | Board 22-24

  • Brittany Mann has dedicated her life to the service of others. She received her MSW from Winthrop University. During her undergraduate studies as a student researcher in the personality psychology lab, she explored the development of human relationships through first impressions. From this experience, she passionately applied her understanding and continued curiosity about how societal environments impact the human condition in her post-undergraduate work. She has worked for 6 years in the human services field providing direct care to persons living with severe mental illness, developmental disorders, HIV/AIDS, and persons experiencing persistent barriers to quality of life (QoL). She is passionate about the entire spectrum of Social Work with a focused interest in macro-level practice which allows her to impact larger societal systems through advocacy, research, and policy change.

MSW | Board 23-24

Georgianna Connell

  • Georgianna graduated with her Master of Social Work at Winthrop University on December 23, interning with Walt’s Waltz for 1.5 years. She received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology from Clemson University, which sparked her interest in social work. Ms. Connell’s passion for service, advocacy, and change is a driving force, and she has played a significant role in our growth and program development here at Walt’s Waltz.

Hal Roach, ESQ

Attorney | Board 20-24

  • After graduating from law school in 1987, Hal Roach was assigned as a member of the U.S. Navy’s Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAG) at the Charleston Naval Base. After being honorably discharged from the U.S. Naval Reserve in 1991, he moved to Greenville, South Carolina, where he began working as an Assistant Solicitor in the 13th Circuit Solicitor’s Office, Greenville, South Carolina. In years since he has opened his own law firm operating in both South Carolina and his home state of Kentucky.

Francie Tanner

Strategic Planning Board 23 -25

  • A native of Switzerland, Francie has spent 30 years growing companies in the tech space by enabling people with technology. She raised her kids on a developing-country island and learned a lot about mental health, creative problem solving, cultivating a network of Global, NGO fundraising, sustainable relationships, and how to activate people from afar. Those lessons also led to impactful disaster relief work, combining technology and grassroots community activism to save and improve lives for people on 15 Caribbean islands after the 2017 hurricanes.

Honey Gilmore

Communication

  • Honey Gilmore is an artist living in the upstate who believes that everyone is entitled to compassion, care, dignity, and the provision of mental health services. They currently want to pursue a career in education but enjoy any volunteer opportunity to support and give back to their community. Everyone is our neighbor, and that means they are our responsibility.

Nilufer Ece

Wellbeing

  • Nilufer is a holistic health practitioner and yogi. She hosts a variety of meditation workshops and yoga classes around Greenville as well as coaches clients on healthy living, mindfulness, and nutrition. She lives with her kitty and you can generally find her practicing yoga, cooking, or being out in nature. She is passionate about all things wellness related from nutrition to movement to mental health and meditation. If you wish to follow along on her wellness journey or need some more guidance of your own, you can reach her on socials @wellness_with_nilufer or check out her website www.wellnesswithnilufer.com. 

Emma Hudson

USC Upstate Lead Ambassador

  • Emma is a sophomore at USC Upstate with a major in exercise science and a minor in health communications. Additionally, she is earning a certificate in leadership. Ms. Hudson is committed to Walt’s Waltz mission and was the driving force in them becoming a Walt’s Waltz Stigma-Free Enviornment. Emma works at Greenville Drive, Greenville Triumph, and Swamp Rabbits. She is a diehard Atlanta Braves fan! We welcome her positivity and boundless energy to our team.

Tara Davis

Photographer |Board 21 -25

  • Tara is a photographer from Georgia living in Greenville, SC. She has a Bachelor's in English Literature and Language from Valdosta State University. She runs a content creation studio called Studio Dispatch with her business partner and delights in helping organizations stand out from the noise. Her breadth of experience in a myriad of fields has given her an incredibly broad skillset to create a distinctive visual voice for each of her clients. Tara strives to show authenticity, positivity, hope, and perseverance and provide an open space for people to feel safe.

    Seven's journey into Yoga and sports rehabilitation manual therapy began with a personal struggle to recover from an injury. Through yoga, I discovered the profound connection between mind and body, which sparked my interest in holistic health.

Walt’s Waltz’s Brilliant, Compassionate, Mission Driven Intern Team

Milly Liang

U of North Carolina ‘27

Psychology with a minor in Women's and gender studies.

Mathias Daniel

Boston University ‘28

Business Development Financial Management

Yolanda Jiang

Tufts University ‘28

We wish our interns much success in their future careers and are grateful for their service.

Walt’s Waltz gained insights and new perspecitves, developed new programs and continues to grow and improve because of YOU! We will always remember you, your service, your dedication, and your compassion for our work.

Phil Jones | Business Administration| Furman ‘22- I decided to join Walt’s Waltz because I truly believe in their mission and their desire to affect true change. As a member of the Walt’s Waltz team, I plan to use my background in college athletics and social organizations to help the organization expand its reach. 

Rebecca Cowles | Communications & Art Studios | Furman ‘23 - The Walt’s Waltz team is making real strides towards changing the stigma surrounding conversations about mental health. Their message is so important, and I want to help share it. I am so excited to work with this amazing group of people and learn more about social media strategy and promoting a message.

Kennon Saad | Communications & Art Studios | Furman ‘23 - Being connected with the founder of Walt’s Waltz throughout the internship is one of the reasons I chose to work with Walt’s Waltz. Given my work with the Ability Experience and other community service projects, we could benefit one another greatly. Additionally, I love the work they are doing in our community.

Kayla Hejlik | Marketing & Management | Clemson ‘23 - I decided to join Walt’s Waltz team this summer because I want to be a part of their mission and work with an organization that is so passionate about what they do. I am looking forward to expanding my professional experience in the world of social media and working with the marketing team to raise awareness for this cause.

Hannah Clark | Marketing | Clemson ‘22 - After understanding their core values and purpose to end the stigma surrounding mental health conditions, I decided to join Walt's Waltz team. I am excited to participate in their mission while growing Walt's Waltz online community and expanding my skill sets through various social media marketing endeavors.

Brittany Mann | MSW | Winthrop University ‘23 - Brittany Mann's dedication to Walt’s Waltz didn’t stop with her one-year internship. She continues her service as Walt’s Waltz Ambassador and will soon be a Certified Family Therapist. She is a passionate advocate and dedicated to service to others.

Zachary Garland | Hopewell High School ‘22 - I decided to be part of Walt’s Waltz team to support their work and expand my creativity as their Visual Inspirationalist. My plan for the future is to work in the theatre/film industry.

Alsu Kiiamova | Operations & Supply Chain, Finance & Management concentration in Business Analytics | University of South Carolina ‘24 - I am passionate about neuroscience and want to develop my career in the Health/Medical industry. I was introduced to Walt’s Waltz through a school project and wanted to become an intern to help advance their mission and vision.

Joy Wang | Finance & Music | Southern Methodist University ‘23 - The mission of Walt’s Waltz called me to apply. I believe that music can be a powerful tool in helping people navigate their mental health challenges and desires to write songs that inspire and bring hope to people.

Lillian Perry| Business Administration - Marketing |Converse University ‘23 - Seeing this was a local nonprofit doing work I strongly believe in, I wanted to work with them.

Krysta Latawiec | Marketing | Clemson University ‘23 - I have always been passionate about promoting overall health and wellness. As our society has become more open to mental health, I stress that humans need to prioritize taking care of their overall well-being to become the best version of themselves!

Cecelia Nobles | Psychology w/ Minors in Women’s Studies & Cognitive Science | UNC at Chapel Hill ‘24- I am excited to advocate for mental health literacy, emphasizing the arts and human connection as healing methods. I am involved in clubs and organizations on UNC’s campus with a focus on psychological research, mental health awareness, music, and connecting with her community, which are my passions.

Makenna Masters | Graphic Communications | Clemson University ‘24- Working with Walt's Waltz as their graphic design/ marketing coordinator is exciting as I will gain experience being part of this awareness movement.

Flynn Nisbet | Computer Science w/Minor in Data Analytics | Furman University ‘25 - Flynn’s passion for helping others through leadership and his aptitude for finding trends and solutions through technology led him to become an intern. Flynn joined our team to propel Walt's Waltz through interpreting survey and ad analytics to make educated business decisions, as well as connecting the non-profit to Furman and other universities.

Georgianna Connell | MSW | Winthrop University ‘24 - Serving Walt’s Waltz for 1.5 years, Georgianna became part of Walt’s Waltz Family. Dedicated beyond work, she continues her work as a Walt’s Waltz Ambassador. She continues at her present position working to become a Certified Therapist. We are so proud of her.

Aidan McNew | Economics and German| Furman ‘25 - Aidan was always there, working behind the scenes. When asked to help with a task outside his scope of study, Mr. McNew always came through. He meant it when he said, “Whatever you need!” His gentle kindness and compassion for our work were apparent through his 2 years of service to Walt’s Waltz. Thank you, Aidan.

Alyssa Pate | Data Analyst | Furman ‘25 - A focused student with a drive to improve our ability to communicate clearly and meet the needs of our community. Committed to the cause, she addressed our immediate needs at hand. Ms. Pate has a drive not always seen and a focus to see Walt’s Waltz thrive. Though her work, Walt’s Waltz now is better

Ana Maria Velasquez | Latin American Studies | Furman ‘25 - Ana Maria strived to increase our footprint within our Latino community. With her help, we are better positioned to meet the needs of members of the Latino communities here in the Upstate of SC with a website in both English and Spanish.

Morgan Carns | Data Analyst | Furman‘25 - With Ms. Carns’ help, we were able to address the needs of our Latino Communities who are underserved in the area of Mental Health. With her help and positive attitude, we now have better communication with this population. Morgan believes in our mission and was another part of our growth and success.

Ava Shutze | Digital Storytelling | Furman ‘26 - Ava dove into our Mental Health Film production with all she had. She not only is talented but a live-long learner. She worked to understand those she was interviewing looking into scientific fields and also finding stories surrounding them. Her efforts pushed this film forward. Working independently or as a team is a strength not always seen, but Ava thrived as new members were introduced. Her insights and work were necessary for this story to be told.

Gracen Eddy | Graphic Design | Clemson‘24 - With Gracen’s help, we increased our SM presence and those attending our workshops and events. Her videos are timeless and advance our mission to “Stop dancing around mental health conversations.” A talented writer, graphic designed, and speaker, but also a compassionate giving person. She is missed.

Lydia Morris | Pre-Law | USC ‘24 - Lydia contributed to our grant writing team. Her ablility to pivot from one grant to a newly discovered opportunity helped us secure several grants. Dedicated to our mission, she was driven to jump in where needed and was an amazing support here a Walt’s Waltz.

Bella Burrafato | Graphic Design | Clemson University ‘27- Bella contributed to our social media including a TikTok series and as well as a variety of original graphic design posts.

Jolie Bonanti | Communications | Berkeley University ‘28- Writing is Ms. Bonaniti’s passion and she wrote a number of blogs during her work here at Walt’s Waltz. She has strong research skills and asks interestings questions which is a strenght in this field. Jolie has revitalized our blog site and her contributions and initatives made this happen.

Chandini Tsaliki | Chemical Engineer | Ohio State University 27’ - Chandini has a strong interest in research particularly in the field of medicine. She develped a paper that delved into areas of equity as well as touched on some topics related to our moonshot film. Papers such as Ms. Tsaliki help advance these fileds. Lily Maxson

Lily Maxson | Psychology & Law, Letters, and Society| Minor: Human Rights | University of Chicago 28’ - I joined Walt's Waltz because I'm passionate about creating stigma-free spaces and exploring how these mental health conversations intersect with criminal justice system reform, especially with adolescents in juvenile detention centers. I believe that building supportive, empathetic environments can make a real difference.

Ashlee Arden | MSW | Liberty University ‘27 - I joined Walt’s Waltz for my first internship because I am deeply passionate about mental health awareness and suicide prevention. As someone whose goal is to become a therapist, I wanted the opportunity to gain experience working in an environment focused on supporting and helping others through difficult situations. This internship allowed me to grow professionally while strengthening my understanding of empathy, communication, and advocacy for individuals struggling with mental health challenges. My time there reinforced my passion for helping people heal, feel heard, and know they are not alone, which further inspired my future career path in therapy and counseling.