Meet Our Team
Board of Directors
Founder and Board Chair
Susan Crooks
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Susan Crooks is an educator with over 25 years of teaching experience. She holds an M.Ed. from Clemson University and is a certified trainer and ambassador for the Foundation for Critical Thinking. Ms. Crooks and her son, Walt, worked at the same school for almost 10 years. They have presented their unique theory on the pairing of mindfulness and critical thinking at conferences across the United States. The loss of Walt due to anxiety and depression led Susan to establish Walt’s Waltz. A driven mother and educator, Susan strives to open conversations and change prevailing perspectives on Mental Health.
Luigi Boccuto
Board Member
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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.
Tracy Butler
Board Member
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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.
DeAsia Danladi
Board Member
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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
Board Member
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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.
Tara Davis
Board Member
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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.
Debra King
Board Member
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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
Board Member
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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.
Tailor Pickens
Board Member
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Tailor Pickens is actively pursuing a Bachelor's in Business Administration with a concentration in Human Resources Management. She is the co-founder and Executive Director of the nonprofit, Gene-Xcellence and Executive Assistant at Dream Preparatory Academy. Her dedication to education, community service, and organizational development has cultivated a diverse skill set, blending leadership, compassion, and business acumen. Ms. Pickens works with our youth to provide keen insights to further improvement of our programs.
Maya Ward
Board Member
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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.
Kathy Sakelos
Secretary/Board Member
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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.
Francie Tanner
Board Member
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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.
Walt’s Waltz Ambassadors
Julie Burke
WW Secretary | Board 22-24
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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.
John Siegel
USC Upstate Librarian
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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.
Tracy Cooper
HSP | Board 22-24
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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
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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.
Barbara Castañeda
Artist | Board 20-24
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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. Her studio is in the Bank Building Studios in the Village of West Greenville.
Georgianna Connell
MSW | Board 23-24
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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
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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.
Honey Gilmore
Communication
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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
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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
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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.
Seven Sangoma
Wellbeing
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Seven is a Registered Yoga Teache a L.m.b.t "Sports & rehabilitation specialist" and & Reiki 2 practitioner.
Seven is currently acquiring credentials in Nutrition & Personal training specializing in corrective exercise
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 Intern Team
Gracen Eddy
Communications & Marketing Lead
Presli Kruger
Grant Writer & Communications
Lydia Morris
Policy Analyst &
Grant Writer
Ava Shutze
Digital
Storytelling
Bella Burrafato
Graphic Design | Communications
Jolie Bonanti
Grant Writing |
Communications
We wish our interns much success in their future careers and are grateful for their service.
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.