Nurturing Change CEO

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Amanda Herron is the CEO of Nurturing Change. She has spent her 25 year career serving children and families, initially by creating, revamping, and directing family ministry programs, then later entering the field of child welfare. Amanda began her service in child welfare as a foster parent recruiter and foster home developer. Later, she worked as an apprentice at a Residential Treatment Center, where she developed her skills in TBRI®, then was hired to train and coach foster and adoptive parents and schoolteachers in TBRI®. Amanda later served as the Director of Social Services for a children's home.

Amanda holds a Masters in Social Work degree from Texas State University, a Masters of Divinity degree from Asbury Theological Seminary, and a Bachelors in Social Work from Asbury University. She earned a Certificate in Nonprofit Leadership and Management from Austin Community College, is a TBRI® Practitioner and Educator, and a Licensed Master Social Worker.

In her spare time, Amanda enjoys hiking to waterfalls in the Blue Ridge Mountains, hosting dinner parties with friends, decorating for the holidays, and playing with her two cats, Katie Grace and Special Agent Jack Meower.

James Fogal is a personal financial planner with an emphasis upon comprehensive financial planning, and charitable gift planning. James has been connected to the nonprofit sector professionally since 1994.  

He holds a Bachelor’s degree from Asbury University, a Master of Arts degree from Indiana University in Philanthropic Studies, a Master of Arts degree in Theological Studies as well as a Master of Divinity degree in chaplaincy from Liberty University’s Rawlings School of Divinity, and he is a PhD candidate in Education at Auburn University.  James has been a chaplain with multiple organizations and has been a leader in Critical Incident Stress Management. He has been a paramedic in Georgia and Alabama for 25 years and currently teaches healthcare classes at a high school. He also teaches CPR/first aid and wilderness advanced first aid training to groups throughout Alabama and Georgia. He and his wife have two sons and three kittens. 

Amanda has 15 years of experience working with teens who have experienced trauma and other adverse childhood experiences. She began her career working for a non-profit residential treatment center serving teens who were aging of of foster care. This is where she was introduced to TBRI® and earned her Master of Arts in Professional Counseling through Texas State University. Amanda interned and was hired on at a Juvenile Justice department where she brought her passion for TBRI®  to Juvenile Services, taking their trauma-informed approach to the next level by providing practical interventions for staff and families to use. Amanda is now a Licensed Professional Counselor and a TBRI® Practitioner and Mentor. 

Amanda is now on her 4th implementation journey as Deputy Director of Behavioral Health in a Juvenile setting. Amanda has experience training TBRI® skills to staff, parents, and kids from hard places in various settings including Juvenile Detention, Court, Residential Treatment, Probation, and the Juvenile Justice Alternative Learning Program, and has collaborated with other juvenile justice professionals on their implementation journey. Amanda is a self- proclaimed TBRI® nerd (you should see her costumes), and enjoys finding creative ways to share TBRI® within her department, the Juvenile Justice Setting, and the community as a whole.

In her spare time, Amanda enjoys spending quality time with her family, being

outdoors, watching live music, and crafting. She also recently moved from Austin to the country where she is enjoying small town life and raising show cows and chickens.

Stephanie has over 25 years healthcare and managed care leadership experience including working with pediatric and adult populations, healthcare and behavioral health providers, and working with local community organizations and policy leaders to bring innovative programs to support the health and well being of Texas communities. 

Stephanie has a BS in Behavioral Science and a Masters in Healthcare Administration and currently serves as the President and CEO of Aetna Better Health of Texas. 

In her spare time, Stephanie enjoys spending time with her family, friends, pets, and spending time traveling across Texas for great outdoor time. 

Antonea began her career at a financial data and media corporation. She stumbled into the non-profit sector after a mentor asked what industries would interest her. "I'm not sure." she stated, "But I want to be part of something that helps people and contributes to making the world a better place. There’s a lot of things that need to change." Now she helps people and contributes to a better world by counting change!

Antonea joins the Nurturing Change board bringing a decade of progressive accounting and finance experience with a focus in the non-profit industry. 

She currently serves as Director of Finance at Meals on Wheels Central Texas, advocating for the needs of older adults in the community. Prior to joining MOWCTX, she served as Assistant Controller at Upbring and Senior Accountant at Helping Hand Home for Children, two agencies focused on child welfare with programs ranging from Head Start, residential treatment centers, centers for unaccompanied minors, and foster care. 

Antonea has her B.S. In Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting from Portland State University and completed the honors track at the Karl Miller PSU business school. 

Antonea loves meeting the dogs of Austin and you can find her on the trails around town. She also enjoys pottery, calligraphy, traveling, reading, and long walks on the beach.