Audra Bullock – TFFC Director & President
Audra Bullock is a founding Director and the President of Tidewater Friends of Foster Care. Audra received her BS, MS and PhD from the College of Engineering at Old Dominion University in ’96,’ 97 and 2000, respectively. Audra is a resident of Norfolk, Virginia. She has worked for the University of Hawaii as an Assistant Professor of Engineering and for NASA as an Engineer and Mission Manager. Audra currently serves on the Old Dominion Athletic Foundation Board of Directors. In February 2015, Audra and her husband Richard became foster parents for the City of Norfolk and since then have become increasingly more involved in the realm of Foster Care and Adoption, culminating in the founding of Norfolk Friends of Foster Care, which has since become Tidewater Friends of Foster Care. Audra has since retired from NASA and has devoted her professional livelihood to this endeavor and is committed to engaging the community to make a meaningful difference in the lives of Foster Children in Hampton Roads.
T. Richard Litton, Jr. – TFFC Director, Secretary & Treasurer
Richard is a founding Director of Tidewater Friends of Foster Care and serves the organization in the offices of Secretary and Treasurer. Richard is the President of Harbor Group International, LLC. Before joining HGI, Litton served as a corporate law partner at Kaufman & Canoles, the largest law firm in southeastern Virginia and one of the largest law firms in the state. Mr. Litton earned his law degree from the University of Virginia School of Law in 1992. He also graduated with distinction from the University of Virginia with a bachelor’s degree in 1989. Richard is a devoted foster parent for the City of Norfolk.
Marcella Davis – TFFC Director
Marcella Boothe-Davis is a supportive Foster Parent, business owner and community leader. A resident of Chesapeake, Virginia, she owns a Day Care and works as a Community Outreach Coordinator. Marci has a given knack for reaching out to clients and families to assist them in gaining independence and accomplishing their goals. She has a strong understanding of the specific needs of foster children and the underserved in our community and has worked to improve outcomes for our most vulnerable citizens. With over 20 years experience in fostering children and providing a myriad of educational, medical and emotional guidance, she is a Children’s Rights Advocate and a valued Community leader.
Angelina Hopkins – TFFC Director
Angelina Hopkins has provided leadership and program management in K-12 education for more than 30 years. Her career has included work as a classroom teacher, assistant principal, high school principal, customer relations specialist, and Senior Director for Multicultural Education. Angelina’s focus has encompassed K-8 mentoring, summer enrichment, and after-school tutorials to give underserved students access to academic and personal successes in a global community. She presently motivates students, parents and caregivers in at-risk situations through her books; “Angie Crossing Keep My Secret” (2012) and “What If Angie Don’t Like Cabbage? – Triumphing from Foster Care to Adulthood” (2010). A 2001 doctoral graduate of Virginia Tech, Angelina Hopkins is a member of the Youth Advisory Committee, City of Chesapeake, VA 2017-2019, a member of the Multicultural Alumni Advisory Board (MAAB) at VA Tech, 2012-2015, a member of the Board of Directors for the Schoolhouse Museum, Isle of Wight, VA 2013-2015, and a member of LEAD Hampton Roads class of 2002. Angelina is a resident of Chesapeake, VA, wife and mother of three adult children.
Ken Shewbridge – TFFC Director
Ken Shewbridge is a Director for Tidewater Friends of Foster Care. Ken and his wife were raised in Richmond, and moved to Virginia Beach in 1973. They have 4 children and 6 grandchildren, who all live in Virginia Beach. In 1983 Ken started a technology company, TCI Voice and Data Networks. After 33 great years, he sold the company and retired. Ken’s wife of 44 years, Windsor, was an elementary school teacher for 20 years. Approximately 27 years ago, Ken and Windsor became foster parents for the City of Virginia Beach – a calling they couldn’t resist. Today Ken serves on 4 non-profit boards, ranging from domestic violence, child abuse, education, and foundations. Ken says “I have had an incredibly blessed life, and I know what it means to give back.”
Mary E. Bonsby-Brock – TFFC Director
Mary came to the Norfolk area from Silver Spring, MD in 1989 when she married her then sailor husband Mark. Like so many others in Hampton Roads, they made the area their permanent home when they transitioned to civilian life. They have two adult daughters. They adopted their youngest daughter from Foster Care when she was 6 years old. Mary’s career in Financial Crimes spans almost 30 years with 20 years in fraud investigations. Mary’s current role is financial crimes training compliance. Mary received her BS in Criminal Justice from Old Dominion University and later received her AA in accounting from TCC. She is a Certified Fraud Examiner, Certified Anti-Money Laundering Specialist, and Certified Regulatory Compliance Manager. Mary serves on the ODU College of Arts & Letters Community Advisory Board. She enjoys spending time with her family and the freedom of an empty nest traveling with her husband and attending Blues & Jazz festivals.
Robert E. McCartney – TFFC Director
Robert E. McCartney MSW, “Rob,” is the Chief Executive Officer for The Barry Robinson Center, a behavioral health system in Norfolk, Virginia, anchored by a 72-bed residential treatment center. Over the past six years, Rob has led The Barry Robinson Center’s residential program’s transition from a typical residential treatment center to a premier program whose primary mission is to help military-connected children and their families heal. Rob has an undergraduate degree from Michigan State University, and a Masters in Social Work from Michigan State. Rob is the father of two boys and stepfather of two girls the same age as his sons. He and his wife Shirley describe their family as “The Brady Bunch without Alice”. Rob is a compassionate leader who puts the needs of the children and families first.
Joy Rios – TFFC Director
Joy Rios is the founder/president of Connect With a Wish Inc., a Virginia Beach non-profit assisting foster youth. She is wife of Ralph Rios, proud mother of three adopted children and a foster mother, as well. She graduated from ODU in 1998 with a Bachelor’s degree in Speech-Language Pathology and Audiology and a minor in Special Education. Joy has worked as a Special Education teacher and has volunteered with the Holiday Project program through Virginia Beach Human Services for over 14 years. Joy was awarded the Hope Humanitarian Award in 2015 by the Salvation Army’s Women’s Auxiliary, and in 2016 was the recipient of the People Taking Action Award from News Channel 3, as well as an Exemplar Award Honoree in 2017. The Virginia Beach Human Services Department recognized Joy for her outstanding and dedicated service to Virginia Beach foster care children in 2017. Joy also accepted the Coastal Virginia Giving Back Award for Connect With a Wish in years 2017 & 2018.
Tracy Keller – TFFC Director
Tracy Keller is the Chief Executive Officer for the Girl Scouts of the Colonial Coast, a regional nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives of girls. She is lifetime Girl Scout who as an adult member, has been recognized with the Girl Scout Thanks Badge, the highest adult honor. Tracy is a foster/adoptive parent, who has fostered 9 children and adopted 4 children. Tracy graduated from Virginia Wesleyan College in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in computer science and mathematics. She received a certification in nonprofit management in 2007 from the Academy for Nonprofit Excellence and during that year was selected from an elite group of Girl Scout CEOs to attend a Strategic Leader Seminar at the United States Army War College sponsored by the Columbia University Business School. In 2009, she graduated from the Lead Hampton Roads executive program and in 2010 joined the ranks of the prestigious Civic Leadership Institute alumni. She was awarded the 2018 Women in Business Award by Inside Business. Tracy is a member of many local charitable organizations and is passionate about serving those in need.
Lakysha Laing – TFFC Director
Lakysha Laing is Director of Customer Care at Cox Communications in the Technical Support call center in Hampton Roads, VA. Lakysha holds a Bachelor’s degree in Information Systems Management and an MBA in Business Administration. Lakysha serves in capacity as President and one of the founding members of the Virginia Chapter for the National Association for Multi-Ethnicity in Communications (NAMIC) serving the Hampton Roads and Richmond, VA areas. She is a member of the Women in Cable Telecommunications Virginia Chapter and she is a mentoring circle lead for the Women’s ERG at Cox Communications, very active with the company Employee Resource Groups, and sits on the National Diversity & Inclusion Council for Cox. Lakysha is foster care alumna, who is very involved in the community and is passionate about giving back to foster care causes. She enjoys whale watching, spending time with her husband Cliff, their children Alysha and Khalil, and her Lhasa Apso dog, Cassius.
Kate Powell – TFFC Director
Kate Powell is an arts administrator who discovered her love for organizational development in 2015. Since then, she has served as the Development Manager at the Virginia Symphony Orchestra, Director of Fundraising and Grants at PORTCO, Inc., and Director of Development for Tidewater Arts Outreach. She took over as Executive Director in November 2020. Kate received her Bachelor of Music in Music Industry from James Madison University (Go Dukes!) and her Master of Public Administration from South University. She earned her Certified Fund Raising Executive (CFRE) credential in June of 2019. Kate believes strongly in community involvement. She is a board member of the Hampton Roads Chapter of the Association of Fundraising Professionals, Treasurer of the Norfolk Task Force on Aging, and commissioner on the Norfolk Commission on Aging and Long-Term Care. Kate can still be spotted playing music with her husband Marc. When not playing music together, they enjoy adopting senior pugs, serving as foster parents, hiking trails, and exploring Hampton Roads’ amazing food scene.
TaShara Bailey – TFFC Director
Dr. TaShara C. Bailey the Director of the First Star Old Dominion University Academy in Norfolk Virginia hails from the University of Maryland, Baltimore where she served as Director of STEM Curriculum and Director of Programs for the CURE Scholars Program. Developing STEM curricula and related materials for student success, and coordinating activities for middle and high school scholars, were among her responsibilities. Prior to this role, TaShara was a Coordinator for the CURE Scholars Program and Adjunct Faculty in the Graduate School at the University of Maryland, Baltimore. Dr. Bailey is a native of Grand Rapids, Mich., and a proud alumna of the Grand Rapids public schools. She pursued graduate studies at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, where she earned a PhD in higher education with a concentration in organizational behavior and management as well as a master’s degree in education studies with elementary teacher certification. Bailey earned a BS degree, cum laude, in agricultural and biosystems engineering with waste management certification from North Carolina Agricultural and Technical State University.
Chuck Gray – TFFC Director
Chuck Gray is a native of the Hampton Roads area. He was born and raised in Norfolk, Virginia. Chuck attended the public school system of Norfolk and he graduated from Lake Taylor High School in 1987. After graduation, he attended Howard University in Washington, DC. He is married to Melissa Gray of Chesapeake VA, and together they have three bright children. Jalen Gray, who attends the University of Virginia; Aiyana Gray, who attends Virginia Commonwealth University; and Chase Gray, who attends Montessori Academy of Virginia. He always knew that he would return to his hometown and find a way to help the youth. In May 2011, he established Youth Solutions, Inc. Founder and President Chuck Gray had a strong desire to provide outreach and assistance to families in crisis. His hope was to provide a support system in which families experiencing issues related to multi-generational substance abuse, ineffective parenting, physical and sexual abuse and mental health issues can find effective methods to cope with and overcome these issues. Mr. Gray wanted to provide these services within the community and determined the best way to do this would be through the provision of Intensive-In-Home Services and Adult Mental Health Skill-Building Services. To this end, Youth Solutions Inc. was established. He wanted to be able to give back to the community and make a difference in the lives and futures of young children and young adults in the area where he grew up.