Team

executive Director

Piper stege nelson

Piper Stege Nelson is a native of Austin, Texas. Prior to joining I Live Here I Give Here, she served as the Chief Public Strategies Officer at SAFE, a nonprofit dedicated to stopping the cycle of violence in Central Texas. There she managed the volunteer, community education, marketing & communications, earned revenue venture, and policy arms of the organization.

She recently ran for school board trustee in Austin and lost, but garnered over 10,000 votes. Her past roles include managing corporate partnerships for Michelle Obama’s Let Girls Learn initiative, serving as Deputy Director of Annie’s List, and being the Publisher of The Texas Observer. She has also supported women involved in politics internationally, worked for the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency, and served as legislative director for Texas State Representative Jessica Farrar. In 2021, she was named one of the BBC’s Top 100 Women.

After graduating from Carleton College in Minnesota, she was awarded a Fulbright grant, then went on to earn her master’s degree from the LBJ School of Public Affairs at the University of Texas at Austin. She recently served on the Austin Commission for Immigrant Affairs and on the Lee Elementary PTA Executive Board, as the Board Chair of AIDS Services of Austin, and on the Austin Council of PTAs. She and her husband just spent a year living with their two kiddos in Granada, Spain, but are so happy to be home in Austin again.

You can e-mail Piper at Piper@ILiveHereIGiveHere.org.

senior Director of Strategic Marketing, Communications & Online Engagement

Robynne Parkington

Robynne (she/her) is a long-time marketer, brand strategist, and designer. Since graduating from Texas Tech University 14 years ago, she’s developed her career across wide-ranging industries - from local media and big brands to national nonprofits and boutique agencies. Her “never stop learning” attitude led her to pursue a design degree in 2012, stretching her creative muscles further and making her a valuable and versatile creative leader.

Robynne is passionate about keeping the creative culture of Austin thriving. She has been a leading organizer for Austin's CreativeMornings chapter since 2015 and has dedicated many hours to organizations like Austin Design Week, Social Media Week, and the American Marketing Association over the years.

When she's not at her desk, you can find Robynne hiking in the greenbelt or checking out the latest breweries with her husband Greg, daughter Lyla, and dog Rosie.

You can e-mail Robynne at Robynne@ILiveHereIGiveHere.org.

Senior Director of Development

Jared Montes Slack 

Somehow, for the last 20 years Jared has made a living off loving people. Whether as a pastor, a higher education professional, or a non-profit fund developer, his passion for helping others find themselves through service and generosity has remained constant.

After moving to Central Texas in 2012 to be a pastor with The First Baptist Church of Austin, Jared became a community leader amongst downtown nonprofits and faith communities organizing to better support Austin’s unhoused community. In 2020, Jared was asked to join The Other Ones Foundation, a local homeless services agency, as their Director of Relationships and Giving. While at TOOF he built a philanthropy program from scratch and in just three years helped secure over $6 million in funding from private donors and foundations.

When he’s not helping others give back, Jared loves giving back anyway that he can. With his friend David, he founded a team that’s built 85 (and counting) tiny homes at Community First! Village. He volunteers to greet and work concessions at Austin Playhouse and with Trinity Street Players. He checks on his neighbor’s dogs when they’re away from home.

Jared gives back to himself with season tickets to Austin FC, thrifting, baking whenever and whatever he wants, camping, fly-fishing, and obsessing over Liverpool FC and Formula 1. 

Jared has been married to his wife, Sarah Zeringue since 2017. She is a local theater actress and the greatest pet-parent you’ll ever meet.

You can e-mail Jared at Jared@ILiveHereIGiveHere.org.

SENIOR Director of strategic programs & Events

christian wells

Christian has over 20 years of experience in nonprofit leadership. She began her career at Alzheimer’s Texas after receiving a Bachelor of Arts in Government from The University of Texas at Austin. Working in a variety of roles, including Program Director, Development Director, and, ultimately, Executive Director, Christian has a wide-ranging skillset. She is an expert in program implementation, executive leadership, event planning, process improvement, organizational development, fundraising, operations management, and team building.  

Christian is proud to be a native Austinite and to give back to the community. She has participated on several boards and coalitions, and especially enjoys serving through the Episcopal Church of the Good Shepherd and Women’s Symphony League of Austin. 

Christian and her husband, Robert, have one son, Colton. She loves spending time with her family, being outdoors, attending concerts, and traveling.

You can e-mail Christian at Christian@ILiveHereIGiveHere.org.

Director of Nonprofit & Customer Relations

Charli krause

Charli has spent 15 years in the nonprofit and public sectors building community programs that help connect people to where they live. She began her career at Portland Parks & Recreation while attending Reed College and from there developed a deep appreciation for working directly with the public and creating accessible and meaningful programs and events for all to enjoy. After moving to Austin in 2014, Charli shifted to nonprofit work, serving as Program Director and later Deputy Director for Generation SERVE, developing volunteer and service-learning programs for youth and families and inspiring young people to be changemakers.

Throughout her career, Charli has enjoyed the opportunity to make deep connections with hundreds of nonprofit organizations across Austin and Houston. She believes that nonprofits, companies, and citizens can and should collaborate to create thriving communities and is inspired by the generosity of her fellow Texans.

Charli has been involved with many other nonprofit organizations in Texas including the National Domestic Violence Hotline, the Women’s Storybook Project, and Inside Books Project. Her favorite professional achievements include expanding Generation SERVE to Houston, planning a 6000-person community event to celebrate the centennial of Portland’s oldest community center, and leading the Director of Volunteers in Austin’s annual conference three years in a row.

Charli is an experienced power lifter, huge public library fan, and is re-learning the piano. On the weekends you can usually catch her hiking, flying in a tiny plane with her partner, Chelsea, or experimenting in her kitchen.

You can e-mail Charli at Charli@ILiveHereIGiveHere.org.

DIRECTOR OF TECHNOLOGY

Natalie Pretzer-Lin

Natalie is fueled by the desire to see the impact of her work. Over the last decade she has used this drive to develop a career in the nonprofit and higher education sectors, producing high-quality projects and programs at both the international and local level. 

After earning a bachelor’s degree from Saginaw Valley State University in Michigan, Natalie lived in Taiwan for nine years, completing her master’s degree at Ming Chuan University and working at multiple universities.

Natalie moved back to the U.S. in 2016 and joined the EastWest Institute, a nonprofit organization in New York City, focused on preventing international conflict by building trust among influential stakeholders. She subsequently managed special projects at the Weatherhead East Asian Institute at Columbia University, including planning and executing a year-long 70th anniversary campaign of initiatives and programs.

Natalie first joined I Live Here I Give Here in 2021 as a database administrator. In her current role, she oversees the technology ecosystem and processes that align data for the entire organization.

Natalie and her husband, Cheng Yu, have one son. She enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, reading, and enjoying the outdoors.

You can e-mail Natalie at Natalie@ILiveHereIGiveHere.org.

Director of development

Fiorella Velasquez 

Fiorella has spent over 10 years in the nonprofit sector working for organizations devoted to addressing and reducing social and educational inequities. After graduating from Boston University, Fiorella began her career as a fundraiser. There she was responsible for helping raise the annual operating budget of a tuition free school. She is deeply passionate about philanthropy and strives to empower people to contribute to a cause that is greater than themselves. Her expertise lies in fundraising, building strategic partnerships, communications and program management. In her spare time, she enjoys hiking, volunteering, traveling and live music.

You can e-mail Fiorella at Fiorella@ILiveHereIGiveHere.org.

Sr. Controller & VCFO Contractor

Tonya Sykes-Boyd

Tonya Sykes-Boyd is a financial professional who has spent her 20-year career developing her skills and accounting best practices across a wide range of industries. She has consistently demonstrated her ability to lead teams of accountants and financial professionals and provide sound financial leadership for her clients. Tonya also has advanced knowledge in process improvement and project management with a comprehensive understanding of automated accounting systems.

Prior to joining vcfo and I Live Here I Give Here, Tonya worked with companies across a number of different industries. Previously, she has created consolidated financial statements for a college system with six campuses. Tonya has also been the subject matter expert in several accounting and payroll software implementations. She remains consistent in her pursuit to offer exceptional financial leadership and has built a diverse skillset and knowledge base of several critical software applications. Tonya is also the former Vice President of Finance for the Austin Chapter of National Black MBA Association, serving two terms.

Tonya has been calling Austin home for 6 years but loves her Michigan roots. She is a loyal fan of University of Michigan sports, Detroit Pistons, and Detroit Lions - despite years of disappointment with the professional teams. She is also an avid reader, mostly autobiographies, but also enjoys fiction.

You can e-mail Tonya at Accounting@ILiveHereIGiveHere.org.