MEET THE BOARD

Our Board of Directors

Kerri Steele

Founder and Executive Director

Kerri is the mother of 3 children; Page, Emma, and Liam. Kerri’s husband, Will Steele, was first diagnosed with a rare and aggressive cancer called Desmoplastic Small Round Cell Tumor in February of 2010. During her husband’s battle with cancer, she saw a great need for help with her young children as they too faced the difficulties of their father’s diagnosis. Kerri is excited to share what God has taught her and brought her family through to help other families in similar circumstances. Kerri’s mission is to help hurting children by finding hope in the Lord.

Angela Holt

Secretary

Angela is a licensed realtor with over 20 years of experience in the real estate industry. She has a diverse background that includes founding and managing her own business and working in real estate. She began her career in new home sales before transitioning to work as an agent in a full-service brokerage. Throughout her career, Angela has consistently been recognized for her exceptional customer service and has been awarded the 5 Star Award for Customer Service seven years in a row. In August 2012, while living in California, she partnered with Anthony Montroy and David Rudd to create Kindred Realty. After moving back to Texas in 2016, Angela left Kindred Realty to pursue a family dream of creating Jungle Joe’s of Frisco, a family entertainment center that operated until July 2020. Despite her brief hiatus from real estate, Angela’s passion for the industry never waned, and she jumped back in with both feet upon returning to the field. In February 2022, Angela and her husband Rick joined forces again with Anthony and David; they now lead Holt Homes at Kindred Realty’s Texas Division.

Julie Gutierrez

President

Julie’s passion for children and early childhood development led her to Sam Houston State University where she earned her BS in Education. Julie taught kindergarten and first-grade students in Richardson ISD and Frisco ISD for 9 years before following God’s calling to be at home with her two children. While at home, she supported her husband, Alonzo, through three military deployments and served for three years on the PTA Board at her children’s school. She currently homeschools her daughters, and she looks forward to bringing her Board experience and love for children to LHOH.

Casey Cockrill

Treasurer

Casey is a father of four He graduated from Abilene Christian University in 2004 and University of Texas at Dallas with a MBA in 2012. He has been in a leadership position in his current work for 10 years. He and his wife Rachel have been active volunteers at church for many years and love giving back to the community through service.

Sandy

Sandy brings more than 25 years of leadership, training, and mentoring experience to the Little Hearts of Hope Board of Directors. After a successful career leading teams, managing strategic initiatives, and enhancing customer experiences for a Fortune 500 company, she combined her passion for education with her entrepreneurial spirit by opening a local tutoring business dedicated to helping students reach their full potential. A graduate of the University of Denver with a Bachelor of Arts in Speech Communications, she has been passionate about teaching and mentoring since her high school years. She believes every child deserves individualized support, encouragement, and the opportunity to succeed. Her background in leadership, education, and relationship building provides valuable insight as Little Hearts of Hope continues to serve children impacted by a parent or sibling’s cancer diagnosis. She is honored to support the organization’s mission of bringing hope, healing, and encouragement to families during one of life’s most difficult seasons.

Mey-ling Cortiñas

Mey-ling is the founder of CultivaHR, an HR consulting and recruiting firm that specializes in helping small to mid-size businesses. For Mey-ling, the same values that guide her work at CultivaHR extend into the community. She believes meaningful impact does not stop at the workplace, and she is passionate about supporting organizations doing real, lasting good for those in need. She sees giving back not as separate from her work, but as a natural extension of it, one rooted in cultivating stronger organizations and a more compassionate community.