Emily Adams moved from Seattle to Austin in March 2020 with a strong desire to serve her new community. With an academic and professional background centered on human rights, and as a mother, Emily knew that her ideals best aligned with the important work of the Austin Diaper Bank. Emily cares deeply about public education, anti-bias policies, and equitable access.
Professionally, Emily is the Deputy Director of SCCS, a nonprofit organization, and currently serves as the ADB Development Committee Chair and Board Chair. Emily holds an M.A. and B.A. from the University of Iowa, both with a focus on trafficking in persons and child rights. On a personal note, Emily is an Australian citizen, a certified yoga instructor, and resides in Cedar Park with her husband Andy, and two mini diaper bank advocates, Ruby and Opal.
Emily Adams, Chair
Deputy Director, Sound Child Care Solutions
Emily Adams moved from Seattle to Austin in March 2020 with a strong desire to serve her new community. With an academic and professional background centered on human rights, and as a mother, Emily knew that her ideals best aligned with the important work of the Austin Diaper Bank. Emily cares deeply about public education, anti-bias policies, and equitable access.
Professionally, Emily is the Deputy Director of SCCS, a nonprofit organization, and currently serves as the ADB Development Committee Chair and Board Chair. Emily holds an M.A. and B.A. from the University of Iowa, both with a focus on trafficking in persons and child rights. On a personal note, Emily is an Australian citizen, a certified yoga instructor, and resides in Cedar Park with her husband Andy, and two mini diaper bank advocates, Ruby and Opal.
Nichole joins the ADB Board with over a decade of non-profit leadership and strategy experience. She has worked with organizations like JDRF International, the National Kidney Foundation and the American Heart Association to build and strengthen key fundraising initiatives.
After Nichole and her husband welcomed their first baby, she quickly made the connection that the importance of equitable access doesn't just apply to healthcare. Access to diapers, wipes and period supplies are critical for the health of our community and Nichole is proud to serve on ADB's board and help support families here in central Texas.
Nichole, her husband Matt and their son Mills live in Austin, TX with their cat, Lucca.
Nichole Ringer, Vice Chair
Fundraising Strategist and Coach
Nichole joins the ADB Board with over a decade of non-profit leadership and strategy experience. She has worked with organizations like JDRF International, the National Kidney Foundation and the American Heart Association to build and strengthen key fundraising initiatives.
After Nichole and her husband welcomed their first baby, she quickly made the connection that the importance of equitable access doesn't just apply to healthcare. Access to diapers, wipes and period supplies are critical for the health of our community and Nichole is proud to serve on ADB's board and help support families here in central Texas.
Nichole, her husband Matt and their son Mills live in Austin, TX with their cat, Lucca.
Laura is a financial advisor at CFM Wealth Partners in Central Austin, serving the needs of families and non-profits and a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Laura grew up in Austin and earned both her undergraduate and master’s degrees in accounting from The University of Texas at Austin.
Laura joined the board in January 2024 because of the strong alignment in ADB's mission and values with her own personal values and her desire to make a direct impact on families in the Central Texas community. As a mother of two young children, she's passionate about supporting families to meet their basic needs of diapers and period supplies. Laura lives in Lakeway with her husband, Michael, their children, and their energetic labrador retriever.
Laura Senter, Treasurer
Investment Advisor, CFM Wealth Partners
Laura is a financial advisor at CFM Wealth Partners in Central Austin, serving the needs of families and non-profits and a Certified Public Accountant (CPA). Laura grew up in Austin and earned both her undergraduate and master’s degrees in accounting from The University of Texas at Austin.
Laura joined the board in January 2024 because of the strong alignment in ADB's mission and values with her own personal values and her desire to make a direct impact on families in the Central Texas community. As a mother of two young children, she's passionate about supporting families to meet their basic needs of diapers and period supplies. Laura lives in Lakeway with her husband, Michael, their children, and their energetic labrador retriever.
Oscar's focus from a young age has been helping people learn. For over 10 years he has helped scale education and customer success teams. He is currently at Indeed working to scale implementation for their new hiring platform.
Peer education work for a nonprofit in his California hometown sparked his passion for education. That passion extended to his time as a Director of an after school program for school-age children in Campbell, California. He moved to Texas to pursue a Master’s degree in Latin American Studies.
When he is not obsessing over the details of his morning coffee brew, or watching his beloved San Francisco 49ers, he is spending time with his daughter Isabel and his wife Emily.
Oscar Aparicio, Secretary
Director of Implementation, Indeed
Oscar's focus from a young age has been helping people learn. For over 10 years he has helped scale education and customer success teams. He is currently at Indeed working to scale implementation for their new hiring platform.
Peer education work for a nonprofit in his California hometown sparked his passion for education. That passion extended to his time as a Director of an after school program for school-age children in Campbell, California. He moved to Texas to pursue a Master’s degree in Latin American Studies.
When he is not obsessing over the details of his morning coffee brew, or watching his beloved San Francisco 49ers, he is spending time with his daughter Isabel and his wife Emily.
Melissa Jeanine Ackie is a management-side employment attorney at Littler Mendelson, P.C. She is a trusted legal adviser to business owners, in-house counsel, and human resources professionals on a broad range of HR and compliance workplace concerns.
Melissa earned her law degree from The University of Texas School of Law in 2013. As an attorney and mother of color, she has a special interest in bringing awareness to ADB’s mission and utilizing her skillset to serve the Central Texas community. Melissa joined the Austin Diaper Bank Board of Directors in 2020 and has served as the Chair of the Communications Committee since 2021.
Melissa Ackie
Attorney, Littler Mendelson
Melissa Jeanine Ackie is a management-side employment attorney at Littler Mendelson, P.C. She is a trusted legal adviser to business owners, in-house counsel, and human resources professionals on a broad range of HR and compliance workplace concerns.
Melissa earned her law degree from The University of Texas School of Law in 2013. As an attorney and mother of color, she has a special interest in bringing awareness to ADB’s mission and utilizing her skillset to serve the Central Texas community. Melissa joined the Austin Diaper Bank Board of Directors in 2020 and has served as the Chair of the Communications Committee since 2021.
Michael DeLeon
Senior Sergeant, Travis County Constables
Board certified ObGyn, Vida Esfandiari, MD, cares for women of all ages. Vida, provides comprehensive ObGyn care for patients at Ascension Medical Group
Highly trained and experienced, Dr. Esfandiari provides wellness care to help women optimize their health. She offers gynecology services and pregnancy care, including preconception planning, prenatal and postpartum care. She has a special interest in providing information about birth control options and has given a presentation to students to explain contraception.
When she is not helping women, Vida loves to travel, venturing to new places as often as she can. She also enjoys spending time relaxing at home with her dog.
Vida Esfandiari, MD
Ascension Medical Group, Obstetrics/Gynecology
Board certified ObGyn, Vida Esfandiari, MD, cares for women of all ages. Vida, provides comprehensive ObGyn care for patients at Ascension Medical Group
Highly trained and experienced, Dr. Esfandiari provides wellness care to help women optimize their health. She offers gynecology services and pregnancy care, including preconception planning, prenatal and postpartum care. She has a special interest in providing information about birth control options and has given a presentation to students to explain contraception.
When she is not helping women, Vida loves to travel, venturing to new places as often as she can. She also enjoys spending time relaxing at home with her dog.
Rachel is an experienced facilitator with a passion for providing equal access to opportunities and basic needs. Rachel has spent years mentoring high school students from under-served communities. As a mother of two, she understands the needs of young children and the joys and stresses that go along with parenting. Rachel serves as the Director of Governance and Education at Cresset Capital, working with families on topics such as effective communication within the context of wealth, financial literacy, leadership development, and personal goal-setting. Previously Rachel worked as a high school science teacher and later as an operations associate for a nonprofit, working to close the achievement gap for low-income high school students.
Rachel Gil
Director of Family Governance and Education, Cresset Capital
Rachel is an experienced facilitator with a passion for providing equal access to opportunities and basic needs. Rachel has spent years mentoring high school students from under-served communities. As a mother of two, she understands the needs of young children and the joys and stresses that go along with parenting. Rachel serves as the Director of Governance and Education at Cresset Capital, working with families on topics such as effective communication within the context of wealth, financial literacy, leadership development, and personal goal-setting. Previously Rachel worked as a high school science teacher and later as an operations associate for a nonprofit, working to close the achievement gap for low-income high school students.
Rachel began working with the Austin Diaper bank in 2014. As a new mom at the time, she was immediately drawn to the mission of ADB and its impact on Central Texas families. Professionally, Rachel has focused her 20 year career on delivering best in class customer experiences by building collaborative and high performing teams. Previously at Bazaarvoice and Dialpad, she is currently president of the southwest region at Compass, the largest residential real estate brokerage in the United States. Rachel resides in Austin with her husband and children Grace and Jack.
Rachel Hocevar-Freeman
President, Southwest Region, Compass Real Estate
Rachel began working with the Austin Diaper bank in 2014. As a new mom at the time, she was immediately drawn to the mission of ADB and its impact on Central Texas families. Professionally, Rachel has focused her 20 year career on delivering best in class customer experiences by building collaborative and high performing teams. Previously at Bazaarvoice and Dialpad, she is currently president of the southwest region at Compass, the largest residential real estate brokerage in the United States. Rachel resides in Austin with her husband and children Grace and Jack.
Laura Moser joined the Austin Diaper Bank Board of Directors in 2022 to support its ongoing mission and growth. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and finance professional who brings over 17 years of experience in preparing and analyzing financial statements. She currently serves as the Corporate Controller for SolarWinds, an Austin-based software company.
As a mother of two young children, she is empathetic to the struggles of providing the best for your family and believes in the importance of the organization’s goal to support families in Central Texas. Laura and her family reside in Dripping Springs with their assortment of animals including a dog, four cats, chickens, several goats, and a donkey.
Laura Moser
Coporate Controller, SolarWinds
Laura Moser joined the Austin Diaper Bank Board of Directors in 2022 to support its ongoing mission and growth. She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and finance professional who brings over 17 years of experience in preparing and analyzing financial statements. She currently serves as the Corporate Controller for SolarWinds, an Austin-based software company.
As a mother of two young children, she is empathetic to the struggles of providing the best for your family and believes in the importance of the organization’s goal to support families in Central Texas. Laura and her family reside in Dripping Springs with their assortment of animals including a dog, four cats, chickens, several goats, and a donkey.
Kim Parker, MSPH, MSW has a deeply rooted passion in maternal and child health. After serving on the Title V team for Texas, Kim joined the March of Dimes in 2010 where she held a variety of roles at March of Dimes including Executive Director for Central Texas and Vice President of Community Engagement and Action.
Kim joined the Children at Risk team in May 2022 as the Chief Program Officer providing oversight and strategic guidance for the programmatic portfolio. She holds a Masters of Science in Public Health and a Masters in Social Work from the University of North Carolina Chapel-Hill. Kim’s passion for maternal and child health issues led her to join the Austin Diaper Bank as a board member in September 2021.
Kim Parker
Chief Program Officer, Children at Risk
Kim Parker, MSPH, MSW has a deeply rooted passion in maternal and child health. After serving on the Title V team for Texas, Kim joined the March of Dimes in 2010 where she held a variety of roles at March of Dimes including Executive Director for Central Texas and Vice President of Community Engagement and Action.
Kim joined the Children at Risk team in May 2022 as the Chief Program Officer providing oversight and strategic guidance for the programmatic portfolio. She holds a Masters of Science in Public Health and a Masters in Social Work from the University of North Carolina Chapel-Hill. Kim’s passion for maternal and child health issues led her to join the Austin Diaper Bank as a board member in September 2021.
Mary Riggs joined the Austin Diaper Bank Board of Directors in 2021 after seeing the importance of their work from both a parent and professional perspective. She serves on the Program Committee to support the Austin Diaper Bank in not only ensuring families have access to diapers but also ending period poverty across our community.
Mary's professional experience includes developing, managing, and evaluating programs and coalitions for children and youth in both the public and nonprofit sectors as well as managing and evaluating grant portfolios for foundations. She is currently the Chief Program Officer for the Andy Roddick Foundation. Mary lives in Austin with her husband, Mike, and their daughter, Rachel.
Mary Riggs
Chief Program Officer, Andy Roddick Foundation
Mary Riggs joined the Austin Diaper Bank Board of Directors in 2021 after seeing the importance of their work from both a parent and professional perspective. She serves on the Program Committee to support the Austin Diaper Bank in not only ensuring families have access to diapers but also ending period poverty across our community.
Mary's professional experience includes developing, managing, and evaluating programs and coalitions for children and youth in both the public and nonprofit sectors as well as managing and evaluating grant portfolios for foundations. She is currently the Chief Program Officer for the Andy Roddick Foundation. Mary lives in Austin with her husband, Mike, and their daughter, Rachel.
Since first volunteering at the Austin Diaper Bank in 2015, Charlotte has admired the mission and incredible impact. Charlotte believes that income and life circumstances should not determine access to health and wellness, including diapers and period supplies. Charlotte graduated from Duke University with a B.A. in Psychology (and a minor in French) and after working in London and New York, returned to Texas to attend UT Law. Charlotte is currently the Managing Attorney at Shivers Johnson Law, PLLC, a wills and trusts law firm that helps individuals and families find peace of mind through thoughtful estate planning.
In the community, Charlotte volunteers at her children’s AISD schools, for Texas Gun Sense and the Armstrong Community Music School. In her free time, Charlotte loves spending time on the greenbelt with her husband, 3 kids, and dog.
Charlotte Shivers-Johnson
Attorney, Shivers Johnson Law, PLLC
Since first volunteering at the Austin Diaper Bank in 2015, Charlotte has admired the mission and incredible impact. Charlotte believes that income and life circumstances should not determine access to health and wellness, including diapers and period supplies. Charlotte graduated from Duke University with a B.A. in Psychology (and a minor in French) and after working in London and New York, returned to Texas to attend UT Law. Charlotte is currently the Managing Attorney at Shivers Johnson Law, PLLC, a wills and trusts law firm that helps individuals and families find peace of mind through thoughtful estate planning.
In the community, Charlotte volunteers at her children’s AISD schools, for Texas Gun Sense and the Armstrong Community Music School. In her free time, Charlotte loves spending time on the greenbelt with her husband, 3 kids, and dog.
Jessie had the luck of the draw when she was selected to present the Austin Diaper Bank's grant proposal to a local grantmaking organization. She was immediately impressed by ADB's business model and outsized impact, and her love of the organization and its mission has only grown as she has gotten more involved and become a mother.
Jessie has nearly two decades of experience driving revenue for mission-driven institutions. She serves as Chief Development Officer at The Trail Conservancy, and has previously held roles in marketing and fundraising at Lincoln Center, the National Gallery, Brookings, and the Perot Museum. Jessie has an M.B.A. from Duke University and a B.A. from the University of Virginia. On weekends, you can find her walking with her husband Will and daughter Blair around the Trail or cheering on her Virginia Cavaliers!
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Jessica Montgomery Stewart
Chief Development Officer, The Trail Conservancy
Jessie had the luck of the draw when she was selected to present the Austin Diaper Bank's grant proposal to a local grantmaking organization. She was immediately impressed by ADB's business model and outsized impact, and her love of the organization and its mission has only grown as she has gotten more involved and become a mother.
Jessie has nearly two decades of experience driving revenue for mission-driven institutions. She serves as Chief Development Officer at The Trail Conservancy, and has previously held roles in marketing and fundraising at Lincoln Center, the National Gallery, Brookings, and the Perot Museum. Jessie has an M.B.A. from Duke University and a B.A. from the University of Virginia. On weekends, you can find her walking with her husband Will and daughter Blair around the Trail or cheering on her Virginia Cavaliers!
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Shimona Thakrar is a native Texan and has been living in Austin since 2014. She is the Medical Director for Pediatric Hospital Medicine at Texas Children's Hospital in North Austin. Dr. Thakrar has been a practicing pediatric hospitalist since 2010 and especially enjoys working with newborns and new mothers. She joined the Austin Diaper Bank in 2022 and the ADB Board in 2023.
Dr. Thakrar is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and completed the 2021-2022 cohort of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine’s Leadership Academy. She is also one of the co-chairs of the American Academy of Pediatrics Section of Hospital Medicine's Neonatal Hospitalist Subcommittee. Her clinical and academic interests include quality improvement, vaccine education, obesity prevention, nutrition optimization, health media, and breastfeeding support.
In her spare time, Dr. Thakrar enjoys practicing and teaching Baptiste yoga, cooking, traveling with her husband and two kids, attending music and film festivals, and playing the marimba.
Shimona . Thakrar, DO
Pediatric Hospitalist, Texas Children’s Hospital
Shimona Thakrar is a native Texan and has been living in Austin since 2014. She is the Medical Director for Pediatric Hospital Medicine at Texas Children's Hospital in North Austin. Dr. Thakrar has been a practicing pediatric hospitalist since 2010 and especially enjoys working with newborns and new mothers. She joined the Austin Diaper Bank in 2022 and the ADB Board in 2023.
Dr. Thakrar is an International Board Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC) and completed the 2021-2022 cohort of the Academy of Breastfeeding Medicine’s Leadership Academy. She is also one of the co-chairs of the American Academy of Pediatrics Section of Hospital Medicine's Neonatal Hospitalist Subcommittee. Her clinical and academic interests include quality improvement, vaccine education, obesity prevention, nutrition optimization, health media, and breastfeeding support.
In her spare time, Dr. Thakrar enjoys practicing and teaching Baptiste yoga, cooking, traveling with her husband and two kids, attending music and film festivals, and playing the marimba.
