Our Team

Chelsy Alexander

Director of Learning and Engagement

Chelsy Alexander is the Director of Learning and Engagement at TACFS, bringing more than a decade of experience in child- and family-centered work. A Houston native, Chelsy studied social work at the University of North Texas and the University of Houston before bringing her passion for connecting people and strengthening communities to Austin, Texas. Since then, her career has included writing home studies, which laid the foundation for her work in foster home development, community collaboration, and professional learning.

Chelsy is passionate about helping people recognize the power of connection, collaboration, and shared purpose. Through training, facilitation, and strategic thinking, she creates opportunities for professionals and organizations to learn from one another, build meaningful relationships, and work collectively toward stronger outcomes for children and families. In her role at TACFS, she focuses on designing authentic, engaging, and impactful learning experiences that equip professionals with knowledge, skills, and connections. She believes meaningful collaboration, both within organizations and across communities, is essential to advancing the Alliance’s mission.

Outside of work, Chelsy enjoys spending time with her husband and their five children. Together, they are actively involved in their church community and share a love for both playing and watching sports.

Top 3 Clifton Strengths: Developer, Positivity, and Connectedness

Erin Argue

Director of Post-Permanency

Erin Argue first came to TACFS as an intern in 2022 during an MSW program at Texas State and returned as the Heart Galleries of Texas Associate Director in 2023. Before the Alliance, Erin spent her career supporting youth in foster care at member organizations, Partnerships for Children and Settlement Home for Children. There, she managed major programs, services, and projects.

Originally from the Great Lakes State, Erin graduated from Michigan State University and earned two B.S. degrees in Psychology and Environmental Geosciences.

Now, Erin lives in Austin. As a people person with a love for connection, she spends lots of time outside, with friends, and with her dog, Charlie the Bandit.

Personal Values: Integrity, Authenticity, and Contentment

Kristene Blackstone

Chief Operating Officer

Kristene Blackstone joined the Alliance staff in 2022 as the Senior Director of Strategic Initiatives and became the Chief Operating Officer in 2025. With more than 27 years of public service working with children and families, Kristene had previously worked as an independent child welfare consultant, providing support to TACFS, Texas’ SSCCs, the University of Texas Institute of Child and Family Well-Being and other organizations. Prior to that she served as the Associate Commissioner for Child Protective Services in Texas from May 2016-May 2020, leading one of the largest child protective services systems in the country with over 10,000 employees.  During that time, she oversaw the expansion of community-based care and the implementation of numerous initiatives aimed at improving outcomes for children and families.

Kristene has also worked as the Deputy Director for Field Operations for the Texas Office of the Attorney General’s Child Support Division, and as a caseworker, program director and regional program administrator at the Department of Family and Protective Services.

Kristene serves on the board of directors for Learning Bridge, a non-profit organization whose mission is to match tutors with kids in foster care to give them the educational support they need to stay in school, improve academic performance, and achieve greater success later in life. She cares deeply about working with children, families and communities to create opportunities to thrive.

A Dallas native, Kristene received her Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science from the University of North Texas and a Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Texas at Austin.

Personal Values:  Integrity, Optimism, Collaboration, and Service

Kimberly Bobbitt

Systems Advancement Analyst

Kimberly Bobbitt joined TACFS as the Systems Advancement Analyst in 2025. She brings 14 years of experience in youth services, data-driven program management, and community collaboration. Prior to joining the Alliance, her career focused on supporting high school and transition-aged youth in the Waco and Heart of Texas region. She has held roles such as Workforce Program Director with Communities in Schools of the Heart of Texas, managing WIOA programs to help Opportunity Youth reconnect to education and careers; Program Director at The Cove – Heart of Texas, expanding services for high school students experiencing homelessness; and Director of Recreational Services at Methodist Children’s Home, developing trauma-informed recreational programs for youth in residential care.

As a Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) Educator, Kimberly is passionate about ensuring safe and supportive environments for children and youth. Her professional experience, combined with her personal experience as a foster/respite parent, has given her deepened awareness of the challenges facing youth in the child welfare system. These experiences have strengthened her commitment to using data-driven solutions and collaboration to drive meaningful system changes that improve outcomes for children and families.

When she’s not working, Kimberly enjoys practicing yoga, spending time outdoors, exploring creative art projects, and connecting with close friends and family. 

Personal Values: Authenticity, Commitment, Gratitude 

Tameka Caldwell

Director of Family Strengthening

Tameka joined TACFS in 2021 as the Family Support Project Coordinator. Before leading the growth and development of TACFS’ Family Resource Center (FRC) programming, she spent more than 21 years working across the full continuum of care in child welfare organizations. Now serving as the Director of Family Strengthening, Tameka oversees the daily operations of TACFS’ family strengthening initiatives.

A Waco native, Tameka earned a bachelor’s degree in Social Work from the University of Nevada, Reno, and a master’s degree in Human Services (specializing in Social & Community Services) from Capella University. Her vision is for every child and family to grow, flourish, and reach their full potential in a safe and supportive community.

Tameka brings her love of family and sports to her passion for collaborating, training, and supporting FRCs statewide.

Personal Values: Service, Collaboration, and Learning

Chelsey Castro

Senior Permanency Resource Specialist

Chelsey serves as the Senior Permanency Resource Specialist. She joined the Alliance in 2021 after several years as a an adoption recruiter at Arms Wide Adoption Services. A proud Houstonian, Chelsey studied social work at the University of Houston and went on to focus her career on the youth most often overlooked for adoption including teenagers, children with special needs, and sibling groups.

As an avid child advocate, Chelsey brings her focus on permanency to her work of expanding Wendy’s Wonderful Kids across Texas using a Child-Focused recruitment model.

Outside of her important work, Chelsey’s husband and children are grateful recipients of her secret talent of exceptional cooking.

Personal Values: Helping, Loyalty, and Initiative

Sarah Combs Boruff

Senior Director of Executive Coordination

Sarah Combs Boruff joined TACFS in 2007 and has served in a variety of roles over the years and now as the Senior Director of Executive Coordination. Prior to joining TACFS, Sarah served as the Director of Communications for  the Texas Taxpayers and Research Association, a tax policy think tank in Austin, and worked for many years as an editor for an Austin-based educational publishing company.

An Indiana transplant, Sarah studied journalism at Indiana University and has earned her Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Austin Community College.

Sarah brings her love of relationships and helping others to more than 15 years of supporting staff and members at TACFS.

Personal Values: Humor, Open-Mindedness, and Flexibility

David Daniels

Transition-Age Youth Programs Specialist

David G. Daniels joined the Alliance team in 2025 as the Transition-Age Youth Programs Specialist. David brings a deep commitment to seeing young adults succeed and is actively involved in his community through advocacy. He’s worked directly with college students and young adults with lived experience as a motivational consultant and champion for foster care, helping them to navigate their emotional and academic journeys with the skills and resources they need. Using his 16 years in foster care to raise awareness about the foster care system, David has presented at the local, state, and national levels. David was honored with the BET Impact Award and an invitation to attend the White House Champions of Change event during Obama’s presidency. A Houston native and alumnus of Prairie View A&M University, he is currently earning a master’s degree in counseling at Texas Southern University. 

Personal Values: Kindness, Honesty and Reciprocity 

Meg Davis

Senior Director of Communications

Meg joined TACFS and child welfare work as the Director of Communications in 2022 (and was promoted to Senior Director in 2025) after stints at Texas PTA as Director of Events & Programs and Midway ISD as a Multimedia Specialist. Born and raised in Killeen, Meg completed both undergraduate and graduate degrees in Journalism at Baylor University where she studied public relations and new media.  

With a passion for child-serving systems and an obsession with story-telling, Meg supports all communication and public relations efforts of the Alliance.

Personal Values: Integrity, Justice, and Humor

Romero Davis

Vice President of Systems Advancement

Romero Davis joined the Texas Alliance of Child & Family Services staff as the Vice President of Systems Advancement in 2026 after more than 25 years working across juvenile justice, anti-trafficking, child welfare, family violence, social determinants of health, and community change fields. Romero has partnered extensively with educators, law enforcement, government leaders, and family-serving organizations to develop more effective and responsive systems.

Romero is passionate about bringing people, systems, and communities together to create meaningful and sustainable change. At Social Current (a social-sector leadership association), he served as the Senior Director of Child and Family Well-Being and led national efforts to advance equity and to build capacity inside of organizations and communities. He has also led  key initiatives with the US Department of Justice including the Office for Victims of Crime and the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention.

Romero earned a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Capella University and lives in San Antonio with his family.

Emilie Glass-Riveros

Director of Evaluation

Emilie Glass-Riveros is the Director of Evaluation at the Texas Alliance of Child & Family Services where she leads research, continuous quality improvement, and data analysis projects. She joined the TACFS staff after several years in program evaluation and academia. Emilie earned a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from the University of Houston. She went on to complete both her Master of Arts and Doctoral coursework in Sociology at the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC).

A gifted analyzer and lifelong learner, Emilie has served in research and evaluation roles at the UIC College of Medicine in The Center for Research on Women and Gender as well as Casa de Esperanza de los Ninos and BakerRipley (one of Texas’ largest non-profit organizations).

A Houston native, Emilie spent more than a decade in Chicago before returning to the Houston area in 2026. in her free time, Emilie loves going on adventures with her three kids, curling up with a good book, and attending as many live music events as possible!

Top 3 CliftonStrengths: Intellection, Learner, Individualization

Nelkasia Graves

Director of Permanency Support Services

Nelkasia Graves is the Director of Permanency Support Services at TACFS and joined the team in 2023 after 15 years of work in child welfare. She started as a Licensed Child Placing Agency Administrator in 2011 where she united and supported kinship families. Her talent for bringing people together led her to her role at the Alliance where she supports the use of innovative approaches to achieving permanency for youth involved in Texas child welfare.

Born in Cuero, Texas, a 6-square-mile town outside of Victoria, Nelkasia finished high school in Pflugerville before heading to the Houston area for what would be many years to come. She earned both a bachelor’s degree in Social Work and a master’s degree in Education in Counseling from Texas Southern University. Now, she’s earning a doctorate in Social Work from the University of Southern California.

Nelkasia’s interest and advocacy for kinship care took root when she was a child being raised by her grandparents and extended family. Her lived experience continued into her adult life as she became a short-term kinship caregiver for her system-involved family members.

Personal Values: Compassion, Integrity, Authenticity

Tiffany Greco

Senior Director of Grants

Tiffany Greco is the Senior Director of Grants at TACFS. She joined TACFS as the Director of Learning in 2020 after serving as the Project Coordinator for Community Partnerships for Protecting Children in Southern Maine. She developed and managed the network‘s strategic learning initiatives, facilitated cross-sector partner meetings, and supported community-based child welfare reform efforts.

An Oklahoma native, Tiffany earned her MSW from Baylor University. She has served as the Director of Education at a victim service agency in upstate New York where she led the implementation of The Enough Abuse Campaign, a child sexual abuse prevention education initiative. Prevent Child Abuse New York appointed Tiffany as the initiative‘s statewide Master Trainer and Project Consultant.

Personal Values: Joy, Connection, and Creativity

Alma Guardado

Accounting Manager

Alma joined TACFS in November of 2021 after more than 15 years in accounting. She started her career in public accounting where she assisted in audit preparation for clients in  healthcare, real estate, retail, and manufacturing. Alma went on to work in the private sector’s technology and energy industries and later in local government.

A Texas native, Alma warned MBA and BBA in Accounting from Angelo State University. She obtained her Certified Public Accounting license in 2005.

Personal Values: Hard Work, Responsibility, and Friendliness

Sarah Hall

Director of Anti-Trafficking Initiatives

Sarah Hall joined TACFS in 2021 as the Commercially Sexually Exploited Youth (CSEY) Project Coordinator and was promoted to Director of Anti-Trafficking Initiatives in 2024. In her role at TACFS, Sarah is working to help our member organizations build capacity to provide more direct care services to youth who have undergone commercial sexual exploitation and to increase CSEY prevention services throughout the state. As an expert and survivor of Human Trafficking, Sarah’s lends her support to service provider organizations by designing, coordinating, and facilitating trauma-responsive trainings for youth-serving professionals, with a particular focus on preventing, identifying, and responding to youth commercial sexual exploitation.

Sarah is a Texas Licensed Professional Counselor Associate and a National Certified Counselor. She has an M.A. in Professional Counseling, a B.Sc. in Mathematics, a B.A. in Government, and a B.A. in Anthropology.

She has previously counseled juveniles in a residential treatment setting and engaged in consulting work for anti-trafficking organizations in the Austin area. Having worked closely with both children and adults who have a wide-range of disabilities throughout her life, she considers herself an advocate and ally for people with disabilities.

Personal Values: Connection, Authenticity, Intellection

Valerie Hallam

Associate Vice President of Systems Advancement

Valerie joined the Texas Alliance of Child and Family Services in 2021 after several years in the energy industry. She has held various roles, including Data and Evaluation Specialist, Systems Advancement Analyst, Director of Systems Advancement and now Associate VP of Systems Advancement where she leads the Center’s investment in transition-age youth and other cutting edge statewide projects. Valerie leverages data-driven insights and problem-solving strategies to enhance program development and process improvements that support young people in the foster care system.

Originally from Arkansas, Valerie earned master’s degrees in geology from Northern Arizona University and in Family and Human Development from Arizona State University. At ASU, she focused on child development within the school-to-prison pipeline. With years of experience volunteering and working alongside youth, Valerie is passionate about creating opportunities and support systems that empower young people to succeed.

Personal Values: Humility, Service, and Kindness

Brandon Kaiser

Senior Policy Analyst

Brandon joined the TACFS staff as the Policy Analyst in 2025 after several years working in politics. He staffed campaigns in Pennsylvania, Louisiana, New York City, and Connecticut before moving to Austin to help run George P. Bush’s reelection in 2018. Brandon spent the next years working in Texas state government and on political races nationwide before transitioning to the non-profit sector.

Born and raised in Cheyenne, WY, Brandon attended the University of Wyoming where he earned a bachelor’s degree in international studies with a regional concentration in the Middle East and North Africa. He’s embraced a career in politics because the ever-changing political landscape leads to constant developments that make every day interesting.

Now, Brandon serves in the children’s ministry at his church and teaches kids Brazilian Jiu Jitsu classes in his free time. And despite Wyoming roots, he’s a lifelong Razorback Athletics supporter and holds season tickets to Austin FC.

Personal Values: Humor, Service, Authenticity

Lakya Lewis

Youth Impact Specialist

Lakya earned her Bachelor’s degree from Texas Tech University where her passion for advocacy and empowerment bloomed into a career in social services. In 2025, she joined the TACFS team as the Youth Impact Specialist to focus on transition-aged youth with lived experience in foster care. Lakya came to the Alliance after serving in grant administration, advocacy, and education roles. 

Now, Lakya is based in the Austin area, is a football fan, and enjoys spending time with family and friends, watching games, and playing trivia. Her superpower is her adaptability and capacity to connect and engage with almost anyone.  

Personal Values: Advocacy, Integrity, Justice

Rachel Messmer

Director of Training

Rachel Messmer is the Director of Training at TACFS and the team in 2022 after several years as an Assessment Program Director where she collaborated with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services providing contracted home assessments. Her team ensured that home assessments (kinship and foster/adoptive) met DFPS standards and requirements.

Born and raised in Texas, she graduated with a Master’s in Social Work from Our Lady of the Lake University at San Antonio. Rachel has been actively involved with social work and child welfare for more than 20 years and has worked as an investigator, supervisor and trainer for DFPS.

Rachel currently lives in Cypress, Texas with her husband, Scott and they are raising three boys who keep them active with football, baseball and basketball.

Personal Values: Honesty, Kindness, and Commitment

Alex Polk

Human Trafficking Training Specialist

Alex Polk joined the TACFS learning team in 2025 as the Human Trafficking Training Specialist (focused specifically on Commercially Sexually Exploited Youth (CSEY)). Alex is a passionate advocate and educator dedicated to helping young people overcome challenges and adversity. With over seven years of experience, Alex has developed and presented countless trainings on youth homelessness, Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Youth (CSEY), LGBTQIAS+ issues, and more while working alongside stakeholders to create impactful, youth-informed solutions. As an established leader in youth advocacy, Alex combines lived expertise with a deep commitment to supporting young people and their communities.

Personal Values: Empathy, Adaptability, Curiosity 

Megan Ransom

Chief Executive Officer

Megan joined TACFS as the Director of Community Engagement in 2019, moved into the role of Chief of Staff in 2021, and became the CEO in 2025. She came to TACFS from Partnerships for Children, an Austin-based nonprofit, where she served as the Director of Foster and Adoption Services. Megan worked closely with DFPS and many Central Texas child placing agencies and nonprofits on community education/outreach initiatives built around children in the foster care system who are waiting for adoption. She also worked at Texas CASA in the Quality Assurance Department.

She has a passion for building strategic collaborations that produce results and continuously work towards improvement of practices and partnerships to lift up the children and families involved in the child welfare system.

An Indiana native, Megan earned a BA in Sociology & Psychology from Indiana University and a Master’s of Nonprofit Management from Regis University in Denver, Colorado. She is also Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) Practitioner through the Karyn Purvis institute of Child Development.

Megan and her husband are parents to two boys, both adopted through the Texas foster care system.

Personal Values: Compassion, Inclusion, and Justice

Erin Reas

Graphic Designer and Creative Manager

Erin joined TACFS in 2022 as the Graphic Designer and Creative Manager after freelancing for the Alliance since 2019. Before joining the TACFS staff, Erin worked for a children’s clothing company as the company’s graphic designer where she designed assets and promotional materials for marketing campaigns.  

Born and raised in Plano, Erin studied at St. Edward’s University and earned a Bachelor of Arts in Graphic Design. 

Erin values collaboration and supports Alliance staff with most of the visuals you see! 

Her personal motto is to “create something every day.”

Personal Values: Excellence, Kindness, and Hopefulness

Andrea Requenes

Vice President of Learning

Andrea Requenes is the Vice President of Learning at TACFS. Prior to joining the TACFS learning team in 2021, Andrea served as a Program Director and Regional Director for 20 years at Arrow Child & Family Ministries. She also served on many collaboratives, committees, and projects, including on the board of the Texas Foster Care Association. Andrea began her career as a foster care caseworker for the Louisiana Department of Social Services and briefly worked for Tarrant County Mental Health Mental Retardation.

Andrea brings her passion for training to coordinating and facilitating education opportunities in support of the Texas Foster Youth Health Initiative (TFYHI).

Raised in Louisiana, Andrea earned a bachelor’s degree in Sociology from McNeese State University in Louisiana. In addition to being trained in various curricula, she is a Licensed Child-Placing Agency Administrator and a Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) practitioner through TCU’s Karyn Purvis Institute for Child Development.

Personal Values: Authenticity, Balance, and Humor

Tracy Rock

Senior Director of Mental Health and Regulatory

Tracy Rock is TACFS Senior Director of Mental Health and Regulatory. She joined the Alliance team after more than 30 years with Roy Maas Youth Alternatives (RMYA) in San Antonio. There she began in direct care and advanced through program leadership, community counseling expansion, agency-wide compliance, and executive leadership as Chief Program Officer. Over the course of her career, she has overseen residential treatment, emergency shelter, and outpatient mental health services, led COA accreditation and reaccreditation efforts, and guided RMYA through complex regulatory and system changes.

In addition to her organizational leadership, Tracy has been deeply engaged in community efforts to advance access to high-quality mental health services in the San Antonio region, working alongside partners to strengthen supports for children and families. In her role at TACFS, Tracy supports mental health policy initiatives and works alongside member organizations to align regulatory, legislative, and practice frameworks that improve outcomes for youth and families.

A proud San Antonio resident, Tracy is a mom of two and enjoys reading, watching sports, and spending time with friends. 

Top 3 CliftonStrengths: Arranger, Positivity, Relator

Tiffany Roper

Vice President of Legal and Regulatory

Tiffany Roper joined the TACFS staff as the Vice President of Legal and Regulatory after more than 30 years of experience in child welfare law and policy. Before transitioning to statewide consulting, Tiffany served as the Deputy Associate Commissioner for Child Protective Services and Deputy General Counsel and General Counsel at Texas DFPS. She also served as the Assistant Director of the Supreme Court of Texas Permanent Judicial Commission for Children, Youth and Families for more than eight years and represented DFPS in civil child abuse and neglect cases as a prosecutor in the Williamson County Attorney’s Office, Travis County District Attorney’s Office, and the Office of the Texas Attorney General. Additionally, Tiffany represented children in foster care as a supervising attorney at The University of Texas School of Law Children’s Rights Clinic and worked as a policy analyst for child welfare issues.

Tiffany earned her Bachelor of Arts from The University of Texas at Austin and Juris Doctor from The University of Texas School of Law. Once she came to Austin, she never left. She enjoys spending time in the city with her husband and three kids.

My Top 5 Clifton Strengths: Adaptability, Input, Connectedness, Arranger, and Positivity

Rachel Walters

Vice President of Advocacy

Rachel joined TACFS in 2022 and was promoted to Vice President of Advocacy in 2025. After nearly 20 years working in Texas politics, she has spent the past fourteen years focusing on the Texas Child Welfare system, and previously worked at the Department of Family and Protective Services, where she served as Director of External Relations. Rachel formerly worked in the Texas House of Representatives for several members of the Legislature, and focused on health, child welfare, water, veteran’s affairs, tax, and elections policy. She also spent time working for a Congressional member, statewide elected official, and on several reelection campaigns.

A Houston transplant from Louisiana, Rachel is a proud graduate of the University of Texas at Austin. She, her husband, and their daughter, and two dogs indulge in frequent baking and napping.

Personal Values: Dependability, Hard Work, and Kindness

Alexandra Torres

Director of Member Relations

Alexandra Torres (Alex) joined TACFS as the Director of Foster Care Capacity Building in 2022 and moved into her role as the Director of Member Relations in 2023 after seven years at the Children’s Alliance of South Texas where she started as a Forensic Interviewer working with alleged child abuse victims and ended as the Executive Director.

An El Paso native, Alex earned her BA in Social Work at the University of Texas at El Paso. After graduating, she served as an investigator and supervisor at Child Protective Services.

She and her husband reside in San Antonio with their four young children.

Personal Values: Hard Work, Integrity, and Honesty

Tina Williams

Vice President of Finance & Administration

Tina joined TACFS in 2022 as the Director of Finance and Administration and was quickly promoted to Vice President after 13 years with the Make-A-Wish Foundation at the national and local levels. She has always worked in non-profit accounting and is passionate about missions that help children.

Despite being a native Austinite, Tina graduated from West Texas A&M with a Bachelor’s degree in Economics and a Master’s degree in Business Administration (MBA).

Tina has one child, Brady (named after the GOAT himself) and two black cats (one with a tail and one without). Outside of work, Tina competes as a semi-professional bowler. Bowling since age four, Tina competed with Team USA in 2007 and 2008, runner-up for the collegiate national title at West Texas A&M and she has bowled more than 40 perfect games!

Personal Values: Commitment, Hard Work, and Generosity