After graduating as valedictorian and class president from Dillon High School, Lisa attended the University of South Carolina, receiving her B.A. in Philosophy, summa cum laude, her M.A. in English, with honors, and her J.D. from the School of Law, with honors. She joined the law firm of Kennedy Covington Lobdell and Hickman, becoming a partner in 1992.

When her younger son was diagnosed with autism in 1996, she helped establish Project Hope Foundation as a nonprofit to serve those struggling with autism. She has gained expertise in the field of autism, participating in thousands of hours of Applied Behavior Analysis sessions, and becoming a Board Certified Associate Behavior Analyst. She has met with hundreds of families of children with autism. Along with her co-director, Susan Sachs, Lisa has been instrumental in developing each of Project Hope’s programs. Lisa is a frequent speaker to civic clubs, educational groups, and community organizations.

Macie started working with Project Hope as a line therapist January 2018 after graduating from Clemson with a BS in Psychology. After falling in love with the kids and the field of work, Macie decided to pursue ABA as a career. She received her MA in Professional Behavior Analysis from FIT in August 2021 and got certified as a BCBA in October 2021.

Macie’s favorite part of ABA is watching the kids finally master skills that they have been working on for a while, and having the families notice how the skills they are learning impact their lives at home.

In her free time, Macie likes to travel, spend time with friends and family, and play with her cat, Juno.

I graduated in 2012 from Bob Jones University where I studied Family & Consumer Science. I've worked with children in various settings, so when I found out about Project Hope Foundation in July 2013 it was the perfect fit! During my years at Hope I've enjoyed being a therapist, shadow in the classroom, assistant teacher, as well as Lead teacher and realized how much I loved being in the classroom setting.

My goal is to create a fun, positive, and welcoming environment where students want to be and where learning is challenging, yet enjoyable. The classroom setting is so unique and I love having the ability to interact with several students at once while teaching skills on multiple levels. I strive to meet each student at their level and celebrate each success along the way. It's always a rewarding experience to see both students and parents thrilled with progress, no matter how small.

In my free time I enjoy spending time with my husband traveling and checking out new restaurants and coffee shops, as well as relaxing at home with our cats while watching movies.

Abbey joined Project Hope in 2016 after graduating with a Bachelors of Science from Presbyterian College. She quickly fell in love with the ABA and providing behavior analytic services to individuals with autism. In 2020, Abbey completed her master's degree in Professional Behavior Analysis from Florida Institute of Technology and became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst. She has a passion for working with adults and teenagers as well as guiding families through the transition into adulthood.

In her free time, Abbey enjoys spending time with her family and friends as well as her 3 dogs and cat.

Sara Mann joined the Project Hope family in August of 2021. She began working with individuals with Autism in undergrad as a nanny and was trained as a caregiver for the child’s ABA program. She fell in love with the field and after completing her Bachelor’s in Psychology through The University of Mount Union, pursued a Master’s in Educational Psychology with a concentration in ABA from Baylor University.

Sara’s favorite part of her job is seeing the impact of, what may seem to some as small improvements, make huge positive changes in children’s and their families everyday lives.

In her free time, Sara enjoys cooking, doing yoga and hiking with her fiancé and dog.

Randi McAda

After graduating from Avery County High School in Newland, North Carolina, Carrie attended Lees-McRae College in Banner Elk, North Carolina. She earned her B.S. Degree in Recreation Administration from Mars Hill College in Mars Hill, North Carolina. Upon graduation, Carrie worked as an Admissions Counselors at Mars Hill and then Lees-McRae and recruited graduating high school students from North Carolina, South Carolina, Tennessee and Florida.

Carrie began her work as a fundraising professional in the non-profit field at the American Heart Association in Winston-Salem, North Carolina; West Hartford, Connecticut and then Charlotte, North Carolina. In 1995, Carrie moved to Mauldin, South Carolina and worked at the United Way of Greenville County.

Before joining Project Hope Foundation, Carrie was the Development Director at the YMCA Judson Community Center.

Lucia joined Project Hope Foundation in September 2015 as a Line Therapist, working with both one-on-one sessions and as a shadow in the classroom. She transitioned into a 1st/2nd-grade Assistant Teacher position at Hope Academy in August 2017. She received a B.A. in Public Health from the University of South Carolina in 2014 and most recently, a Master of Communication Disorders from the University of South Carolina in August of 2018.

Lucia is excited to continue working with Project Hope Foundation as a Speech-Language Pathologist.

She enjoys working with children and helping them gain the communication skills they need. She shows special interest in fluency disorders, speech sound disorders, apraxia, voice disorders, and dysarthria. She is looking forward to collaborating with Supervisors, Senior Therapists, and Line Therapists to ensure that she is up to date with the client’s reinforcement schedule and behavior plan. Her goal is to be able to provide speech goals to clients’ teams to increase practice opportunities.

In her free time, she enjoys playing golf, exploring Downtown Greenville, spending time with family and friends, and playing with her dog, Zara.

Leah grew up in Greenville and studied therapeutic recreation and psychology at Mars Hill University outside of Asheville, NC. She began volunteering with Special Olympics in college and continued to pursue connections with individuals with disabilities through volunteer and work opportunities following this experience.

Leah joined the Project Hope family in March 2016 after being in full time ministry for eight years. Prior to her work in ministry, she worked for Greenville County Recreation District, overseeing after-school programs and summer day camp programs, then moved into the therapeutic recreation department to work directly with Special Olympics and Camp Spearhead.

Leah enjoys working with the operations team in creating and building processes and connections to support the clinical and educational work of PHF. She is thankful for the privilege to work with others who embrace the individuality and unique capabilities of each person, celebrating who they are and the many things they can do.

Niki Porter joined Project Hope Foundation in January 2012 as a line therapist. Her first experience with children with autism was during an internship in Colombia, South America in the summer of 2011. During that internship, Niki had the opportunity to work in a school/therapy setting dedicated to serving children and young adults with autism, down syndrome, and cerebral palsy.

Niki enjoys working with children and parents in the clinic, home and school settings. She also enjoys partnerships with the school districts in the Greenwood and Laurens areas and collaborating with teachers and administrators in order to bridge the gaps between the 1:1 and group settings. Creating and promoting a culture of compassion and collaboration are priorities for the teams and staff that Niki works with, along with teaching clinical excellence within practice.

Born and raised in South Carolina, Niki graduated from Clemson University in December 2011 with a B.A. in Psychology and a minor in Spanish. In 2015 she received her Masters degree in Behavior Analysis from Florida Institute of Technology and her Board Certification in Behavior Analysis. She enjoys spending time with her family (Colby - husband, Hazel - daughter, Copper - puppy) and friends, cooking and outdoor activities!

Amanda Rafkah joined Project Hope Foundation as a line therapist in May 2010; her passion for autism and ABA has continued to grow through her years at Hope. She graduated with her bachelor's degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with a concentration in Psychology and Christian Studies from North Greenville University in 2011. By 2015 Amanda had completed her master's degree in Professional Behavior Analysis from Florida Institute of Technology and became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst.

From 2015-2018 Amanda worked with families in Charleston, SC to expand Project Hope Foundation's services to individuals in the coastal region. Amanda has experience working with private schools, training parents in home, overseeing clinic-based services, and providing ABA training to various individuals in the community.

While she loves all aspects of her position, Amanda is especially dedicated to utilizing Organizational Behavior Management strategies to develop a cohesive and reinforcing working environment for her staff where excellence is prioritized. It's motivating for her to observe staff growing in their skills as they learn what a meaningful change ABA can have for the autism community.

Bekah Holbert graduated from Lander University, located in Greenwood SC, with a BS in Psychology. I've been at Project Hope since 2017 and is currently a BCaBA with Project Hope.

My favorite thing about Hope is celebrating client's growth as individuals and making meaningful changes in the lives of clients and their families.

When I’m not at Hope, I enjoy reading, playing with my dog, and traveling.

After graduating from Aiken High School, Susan graduated summa cum laude from Clemson with a B.A., majoring in Secondary Education and minoring in Psychology. She was a member of Kappa Alpha Theta sorority. She received her Master of Social Work degree from University of South Carolina, graduating with honors. Susan gained a broad base of work experience in the fields of social work and business. She directed a 44-bed residential unit for adults with severe challenges, worked in the communications industry specializing in the education sector, and was Vice President of Marketing for a consulting company.

Upon learning that her son had autism in 1996, Susan has gained expertise in the field of autism, participating in thousands of hours of Applied Behavior Analysis sessions and meeting with hundreds of families of children with autism. Along with her co-director, Lisa Lane, Susan has been instrumental in developing each of Project Hope’s programs. She is a frequent speaker to civic clubs, educational groups, and community organizations.

Lindsay Small joined Project Hope as a line therapist in May of 2014. She was so excited to join the Project Hope family after having the opportunity to be a peer in a Hope Academy classroom from 2nd to 5th grade. She was influenced to become involved in helping other students grow to their full potential. After graduating from Winthrop University in 2017 with a Bachelors in Psychology, she went on to teach Kindergarten through 2nd grade in the Bridging the Gap program for 3 years. After receiving her Masters in Professional Behavior Analysis in July 2020, Lindsay moved to the Greenwood clinic as a case supervisor.

Lindsay's favorite part of her job is seeing her client's grow more independent, allowing them the opportunity to engage in new experiences and settings. Lindsay also enjoys working with families and staff to work as a team for the client.

In her free time, Lindsay enjoys spending time with her family and her two cats, Mitsy and Zoey.

Bethany Matthews joined Project Hope Foundation as a line therapist in September 2013 after graduating from Clemson University with a B.A. in Biological Sciences and a minor in Psychology. Her experience with autism has mainly come from her time with Hope, but she also worked two summers at a camp for children and adults with special needs. In the fall of 2021, Bethany received her M.A. in Professional Behavior Analysis from Florida Institute of Technology and became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst.

What Bethany enjoys most about her role in ABA is teaching clients meaningful skills through collaboration with their therapy team, family, and other service providers. Witnessing the independence these skills can give the client and their family makes the job so rewarding. She also loves seeing her clients’ smiles and hearing them laugh during their sessions.

During her free time, Bethany can be found cheering on the Clemson Tigers (or watching college football in general), baking, trying out new places to eat, and spending time with her family, friends, and dog.

Since March 2013, AnnaMarie has been employed with Project Hope Foundation. AnnaMarie takes great pleasure in aiding in the growth of her clients. She is especially devoted to promoting her clients’ independence, individuality, and positioning them to succeed. The most gratifying part of her job is seeing the success of her clients when they learn new skills that allow them to access new environments and experiences, and the growth of the Registered Behavior Technicians that work with her.

Degree: B.S. in Psychology from North Greenville University, Masters in Professional Behavior Analysis from Florida Institute of Technology

Kelsey has worked at Project Hope since June of 2015. Her experience with ABA has come from Hope Alive Junior and Hope Reach.

Kelsey loves working with clients of all ages and is thrilled to continue working closely with clients everyday. Her favorite parts of her job include watching her clients' successes, as well as helping them work through challenges. She is looking forward to continue making a difference in the lives of the clients and families served.

Degree: B.A. in Psychology from Clemson University; M.Ed. in Behavior Analysis from the University of Cincinnati

Hobbies: exercising, traveling, cooking, and cheering on the Clemson Tigers!

Meg joined Project Hope Foundation in May 2009, and developed a passion for ABA and for working with individuals with autism. After graduating with her master's degree in Professional Behavior Analysis from the Florida Institute of Technology, Meg became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst in 2015. In 2017, Meg became the campus coordinator for the Pendleton campus, and has been excited to be a part of the team as our services have expanded in the area. In 2021, she began serving as the Anderson campus coordinator as well. She is also the senior supervisor for the Anderson and Pendleton area.

Meg's favorite part of her job is working with families and seeing her clients learn and grow. She loves celebrating successes and finds that everyday has a success to celebrate. She also loves working with staff as they develop their own behavior analytic skills.

When she isn't at Hope, you can probably find Meg singing and acting on a local stage, reading a book, taking a trip, or hanging out with her husband Andrew.

Shannon Thompson joined Project Hope Foundation and began working with children with autism in 2012. She was first introduced to ABA in college while working towards her undergraduate degree in Psychology from North Greenville University. After working as a line therapist for Hope, Shannon completed her master's degree in Professional Behavior Analysis from Florida Institute of Technology and became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst in 2015.

Shannon loves behavior analysis and the opportunity to apply it to teach skills that make a difference in the lives of children and their families each day. She also loves watching children take pride in their own accomplishments.

Jon joined Project Hope Foundation in February 2010. His ABA experience has come throughout his time at Hope Reach. Prior to joining Project Hope, Jonathan has worked as a counselor at special needs camps in South Carolina and Pennsylvania.

Jonathan’s favorite part of his job is working one-on-one with the kids and watching them grow on a daily basis. Having a parent tell you about the positive changes they see in their kids is what makes this job the best.

Degree: B.M., Psychology, University of South Carolina Upstate, 2012 and pursuing a masters in ABA from Florida Institute of Technology.

Hobbies: Traveling, road trips, and watching the Atlanta Falcons and Carolina Gamecocks win!

Bethany joined the Project Hope family in June 2013. She has been working with individuals with autism since 2003 when she began working as a line therapist with a 2-year old boy. Since then, she has worked as line therapist, senior therapist, coordinator, and classroom teacher at several organizations, including Mariposa School for Children with Autism, the Early Autism Project, and Gwinnett County Public Schools.

Bethany enjoys working with a variety of learners on the autism spectrum. Her favorite part of her work is celebrating with the treatment team as clients master skills that make a meaningful difference in their lives and the lives of their families!

Hailing from western North Carolina, Bethany graduated with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy and psychology from Wake Forest University in 2006. In January 2011, she completed the required coursework at Florida Institute of Technology and became a Board Certified Assistant Behavior Analyst. Two years later, Bethany received her master’s degree in Special Education from Georgia State University, as well as her Board Certification in Behavior Analysis.

In her free time, Bethany enjoys spending time with her loved ones, crafting, and going to the movies.