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.

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.

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.

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.

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.