Jessica Weaver
Chief Executive Officer
Contact Jessica to learn how to get our program at your school
As Chief Executive Officer, Jessica plays an active role in managing the daily operations and strategic direction of the agency. Always on the move, Jessica collaborates with school districts, community partners and agency staff to ensure that CIS meets its objectives and continues to provide a high quality of services to students and schools. Jessica joined the CIS-SA team in 1989 as a case manager at Wrenn Middle School after graduating from the UT Austin School of Social Work. Constantly inspired by the mission of CIS, Jessica has dedicated over 25 years to helping kids overcome obstacles to obtain an education. In her free time, Jessica enjoys spending time with her family, watching sports, and occasionally getting in the game.
Lauren Geraghty
Chief Strategy Officer
Contact Lauren to see how your organization can make a positive impact on students and the community and to learn about our student outcomes and impact
Lauren’s professional background began in organizational development with a private investment firm before she made the transition into education and spent over 4 years supporting the launch of a San Antonio-based education non-profit and an education-consulting firm with national reach. As Chief Strategy Officer for CIS-SA, Lauren manages the agency’s Grants & Contracts, Data & Reporting, and Community Education and Engagement departments. Lauren graduated from Health Careers High School in San Antonio and attended Texas State University where she received a bachelor’s degree in English and History and a Master’s in Literature. Lauren is a certified ACE Interface Master Trainer and actively collaborates with local and national organizations to amplify youth development strategies. She lives in San Antonio with her family and spends her free time reading and exploring nature with her son.
Liz Escobar
Chief Human Resources Officer
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Liz began her career at CIS over 25 years ago after graduating with her Bachelors degree in Psychology from St. Mary’s University. The experience as a CIS Site Coordinator and her passion for the work helped Liz make a decision to further her education and obtain a Master of Social Work degree from Our Lady of the Lake University. She worked her way up from a Site Coordinator to Chief Human Resources Officer. She is a high school graduate of a CIS school and truly understands the needs of our students. Her role in Human Resources enables her to find the highest quality employees to serve our students and support our mission in all capacities. Our employees are our most important asset and therefore key strategies for her role include supporting employee’s needs, employee retention, activating employee feedback through our Employee Advisory Committee and employee surveys, and promoting a culture of growth and development. When not at work, Liz spends time with her family and in her spare time loves to watch nature, home, travel, and reality tv shows.
Jenee Margo Gonzales, J.D
Chief Development and Communications Officer
Contact Jenee to learn how your donation helps advance our mission and media inquiries.
Jenee is a first-generation college graduate. She earned her Bachelor of Arts in Public Justice with a concentration in legal studies and a Doctor of Jurisprudence at St. Mary’s University. She served on former Texas State Senator Leticia Van de Putte’s legislative staff for six years, including serving as Committee Director for the Texas Senate on Veteran Affairs and Military Installations. Jenee’s personal experience, professional background in law, and eight years as a philanthropy coordinator continue to ignite her passion and value the importance of one’s education. She is grateful to be working with individuals who wake up every day looking forward to how they can help children succeed in school and in life. As Chief Development and Communications Officer, Jenee is responsible for spreading the news of our excellent work to all corners of the universe and encouraging others to support our cause for the success of a future generation. She enjoys spending time with her family and friends, traveling, and attending music festivals. Due to the pandemic, she became a plant mom, and the plants now bring her joy and happiness. Her strengths are relator, achiever, connectedness, includer, and arranger.
Denise Richardson
Chief Operating Officer
Contact Denise to learn more about our business operations, including technology, data collection, and infrastructure.
With over 15 years of experience in the non-profit sector, Denise brings her passion for education and service to CIS-SA. With an M.A. in Counseling and an M.B.A. from UTSA, she seeks to develop individuals and departments to their fullest potential. As CIS-SA continues to grow, administrative support services are vital to the success of an organization. As Director of Business Operations, Denise ensures that these support areas provide seamless service to internal and external stakeholders. Her love of travel has led her around the world, from Canada and Mexico to Africa and Asia. She enjoys soaking up new cultures and experiencing different cuisines with each new place she explores.
Amy Bohlke
Controller
Contact Amy for vendor partnerships, customer billing, and payroll support
Amy began her career in accounting with a double bachelor’s degree in Accounting and Finance. For 17 of those 20 years, she held a leadership position where she built relationships and provided employees with the tools and resources necessary to meet their goals. Amy is a licensed CPA in Texas and has worked in public accounting, construction and homebuilding, oil and gas service, and the quick-serve restaurant industry. As the Controller for CIS-SA, she closely monitors the company’s financial health while also maintaining, managing, and analyzing financial statements, payroll, budgets, and tax compliance issues. Amy has three children, four cats, and one dog that constantly keep her busy and on her toes. She loves to garden in her spare time, working on flowers and herbs.
Jessica Hannah
Director of Donor Relations
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Jessica Hannah is a proud Longhorn who is mission-driven and passionate about serving our community. With a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from UT Austin and Master’s in Public Administration from UTSA, Jessica’s educational background and work experience provides her with a unique perspective to push the CIS mission forward. Jessica works closely with individuals and organizations to connect them with an opportunity to make impact in our students’ lives. Additionally, she works with supporters and the CIS team to strengthen the long-term sustainability of CIS-SA while building a strong culture of philanthropy. Most days, you can find Jessica outside enjoying nature and the Texas heat. On the weekends, she enjoys spending time with her family and serving the community with her sorority sisters.
Melanie Awtry
Director of Field Programs & Operations
Contact Melanie to learn about the schools we partner with and the services we offer.
Melanie has had a passion for education her entire professional career. A solid educational experience can end the cycle of poverty that is faced by so many in our community. Melanie is passionate about equity and ensuring that all children have equal access to a quality education. This has been the driving factor in her social work career. As a Licensed Master of Social Work, Melanie has worked in the profession for over 12 years, supporting the CIS-SA field staff and programming. She provides trainings to CIS-SA staff as well as educators and community members. Melanie is dedicated to her family, her children and her fur babies. She enjoys spending time outside unwinding and reconnecting with her loved ones.
Kim Sayers
Director of Clinical Programs
Contact Kim to learn about our mental health support in schools.
Kim is a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor in Texas and has worked for CIS-SA for over 15 years. She graduated from the University of Texas at Austin, where she marched in the UT Longhorn marching band, and she received her master’s degree from the University of Texas at San Antonio. Kim started with CIS-SA as a Site Coordinator and has served in many different roles with the agency over the years and is now the Director of Clinical Programs. She is well-versed in Trauma-Informed practices, is a Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) Practitioner, and has specialized training in Mindfulness and Dialectical Behavior Therapy techniques. Kim grew up in San Antonio, has been married for over ten years, and has two daughters who keep her busy!