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Meet the Uniting Hope team

The people who walk with families, uplift children, and lead with the heart of Jesus

Uniting Hope is made up of qualified professionals with a deep love for Jesus and a passion for seeing children safe, families strengthened, and stories restored. We want every person we meet to experience hope — real, practical, Christ-centered hope.

We walk alongside foster families and children on some of their most vulnerable days. Our team is committed to learning, serving, and giving our very best to every family and partner we support.

Kayla Merritt

MA, LPC, TBRI® Practitioner
Executive Director
Kayla's Bio
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Laura Burton

Resource Development Director
Laura's Bio
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Hailee Lyles

TBRI® Practitioner
Foster Care Director
Hailee's Bio
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Brian Burchik

MA
Development Director
Brian's Bio
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Stephanie Moon

Finance Director
Stephanie's Bio
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Robin Barnes

Family Support Coach
Robin's Bio
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Lexie Fowler

MA, TBRI® Practitioner
Family Intervention Coach
Lexie's Bio
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MacKenzie Lowery

LMSW
Case Manager Supervisor
MacKenzie's Bio
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Katherine Mays

Special Projects Administrator
Katherine's Bio
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Susan Malemezian

MSW
Resource Development Specialist
Susan's Bio
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Taylor Head

Home Compliance Director
Taylor's Bio
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Chloe Giorgianni

Home Compliance Specialist
Chloe's Bio
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Rachel Johnson

Case Manager
Rachel's Bio
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Ciara Chacon

Case Manager
Ciara's Bio
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Hannah Gray

Administrative Assistant
Hannah's Bio
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Maria An

Case Manager
Maria's Bio
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Claire Johnson

Case Manager
Claire's Bio
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Uniting Hope Board of Directors

David Britt

Kevin Boeckman

Treasurer

Chris Bruno

Stephanie Cannon

Joseph Brown

Ronnie Kendall

Pastor Liason

Liz Clack-Freeman

Kayla Merritt

MA, LPC, TBRI(r) Practitioner

Executive Director

Kayla started working at Uniting Hope in 2017 as a Family Support Counselor. In 2020 she served as the Interim Director for eight months before becoming the Executive Director. Kayla loves leading the team at Uniting Hope. She believes in finding creative, innovative ways to carry out the mission of Empowering Families to Care for Children. She has a Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Richmont Graduate University and is licensed in the state of Georgia as a Professional Counselor. She also is a TBRI(R) practitioner and is passionate about seeing Uniting Hope be trauma-informed in daily practice, decision making, and strategy. 

When not at work you can find Kayla on an electric bike with her husband and two children making their way to a local taco restaurant or park. 

Laura Burton

Resource Development Director

Laura has been a part of Uniting Hope since the fall of 2013 when the initial licensing process began. She has served the agency and families in many different ways since that time as the Director of Resource Development. She is passionate about praying for families as they fulfill their calling to foster care ministry.

Laura has a Bachelor’s in Sociology from the University of Georgia. She also completed certification to teach Elementary School and Middle Grades Social Science. She served on staff at FBC Loganville for over 25 years and taught piano lessons for 20 years until she joined the team at Uniting Hope. Laura is IMPACT and SAFE certified and finds great joy in walking with families as they complete the initial assessment to become foster parents. She also enjoys working in collaboration with area churches, agencies, DFCS staff, and state personnel to best serve families and children.

Laura and her husband have been married for thirty-six years and have four children and two grandchildren. Along with spending time with her family, Laura enjoys traveling, reading, cooking, playing the piano, spending time at the beach and creating products for her online shop – Hello Hampton!

Hailee Lyles

TBRI(r) Practitioner

Foster Care Director

Hailee joined the Uniting Hope team in 2015 after completing an internship with Baldwin County DFCS while gaining her degree at Georgia College. Hailee worked in the role of Case Manager for two years before moving into the role of Case Management Supervisor at Uniting Hope, transitioned into work at Newton County DFCS, and is now back in the role of Foster Care Director at Uniting Hope. Hailee adores walking with her case management team while leading them into good and supportive partnerships with DFCS, service providers, and legal parties. She is passionate about permanency for all children in foster care, which includes biological parents’ healing and learning to care for their children in health and stability, while their children are provided space and resources to heal and grow. If you know Hailee, then you know that she is an advocate for the partnership between biological and foster parents, and is always working with her team to bridge that gap through trauma informed care. When she is not working, you will find Hailee spending time with her husband and two sons outside biking, hiking, camping or traveling to spend time with their many nieces and nephews.

Brian Burchik

MA

Development Director

Brian has spent his career serving people and strengthening communities through roles in ministry, education, and local government. He has also written books and curriculum used in Christian schools across the United States.

Brian now serves as Director of Development at Uniting Hope, an agency that played a personal role in his family’s foster care and adoption journey. Outside of work, he enjoys time with his wife Erin and their four kids—often at practices, the park, or over a good cup of coffee. He is a proud University of Georgia graduate.

Stephanie Moon

Finance Director

Stephanie started working at Uniting Hope in January 2021 as the Financial Director and has 17+ years of experience in Accounting and Bookkeeping. Stephanie enjoys making sure all of Uniting Hope’s financial operations run smoothly on a daily basis because she loves the challenges and also the simplicity of working with numbers. When Stephanie is not at work, you will find her hanging out with her husband and two girls, either working in their yard, swimming in the pool and cooking out, or cuddled up with a good book.

Robin Barnes

Family Support Coach

Robin joined the team in August 2023. She serves as a Family Support Coach. Robin brings to the team years of experience having worked with children and families in a variety of capacities. After many years as a homeschool mom, Robin worked as a teacher, college and career counselor, and head of school at a private Christian school. She worked at a biblical counseling center leading support groups, book clubs, and community events and spent time in the public school sector.  Robin has a Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations, a Masters Degree in Educational Administration and a Masters of Divinity Degree in Christian Education from the Southern Baptist Theological Seminary in Louisville, Kentucky.

Robin’s personal passions include mission work, discipling moms and women, providing career and academic advice to students, and encouraging parents in their pursuit of raising Christ-honoring children.

Whenever possible, you will find Robin outside. She enjoys primitive camping with her husband and three adult children, paddle boarding, and traveling the world thanks to her flight attendant daughter.  In 2022, Robin visited her 50th state. She is expecting her first grandchild in November.

Lexie Fowler

MA, TBRI® Practitioner

Family Intervention Coach

Lexie first joined the Uniting Hope team in 2015 as a college intern and quickly realized that foster care is where she wanted to make her career and joined the staff full-time as a case manager in May 2016. Lexie worked in that role for nearly two years before moving into the role of Case Management Supervisor at Uniting Hope. In 2019, she transitioned to Nightlight Christian Adoptions in Athens, GA to help start their foster care program. After serving there for 4 years, Lexie is now back at Uniting Hope in the role of Family Intervention Coach. Lexie has a Master’s in Trauma Informed Education from Columbia College and is also a TBRI(r) practitioner and Managing Aggressive Behaviors trainer. She is passionate about bringing trauma-informed training and support services to the foster care community Uniting Hope serves including foster parents, children, staff, and biological families. 

When not working, you can find Lexie exploring the neighborhoods of Atlanta looking for the best queso, fries, or iced coffee with her husband and baby boy. 

MacKenzie Lowery

LMSW

Case Manager Supervisor

MacKenzie first interned at Uniting Hope in the summer of 2017. She fell in love with the world of foster care and the mission and vision of Uniting Hope and knew it was where she was meant to be one day. She finished her undergrad that next year and returned the following summer as a Compliance Support Specialist. She remained on-staff as she pursued her Master’s in Social Work at Georgia State University, graduating in 2020. MacKenzie then started as a full-time case manager in May of that same year, passing her licensing exam to become a Licensed Master’s of Social Work shortly after. MacKenzie is a big believer in remaining faithful, both in the big and small aspects and decisions of life. She and her husband recently became foster parents, welcoming their first placement into their home in August of 2021, and opening their eyes to the world of foster care like never before. When not at work, you can find MacKenzie at home, snuggled up with her three foster children and Bernedoodle Moose, or out trying a fun restaurant with her husband.

Katherine Mays

Special Projects Administrator

Katherine earned her BSW in 2013 from the University of Georgia (Go Dawgs!), then spent two years working for the UGA Wesley Foundation before landing at Uniting Hope in 2015. Katherine served as a Case Manager for two years before becoming the Compliance Director. Her role focuses on keeping Uniting Hope in good standing with state policy, which includes overseeing annual state audits and foster home re-evaluations. She believes “our work as God’s servants gets validated – or not – in the details” (2 Corinthians 6:4 MSG) and loves to help Uniting Hope honor God in the details. Katherine believes Uniting Hope is really special and feels blessed to play a small role in our mission and ministry. Outside of work, Katherine loves spending time with her family, cheering on the Dawgs and the Braves, and eating Mexican food as often as possible.

Susan Malemezian

MSW

Resource Development Specialist

Susan joined the Uniting Hope in March of 2024. She has a Bachelors of Arts in Sociology from Furman University and a Master of Social Work from Georgia State. Susan is passionate about foster care, particularly working with individuals and families to open their homes for children. For 5 years, Susan and her family fostered and they think of this time as the best thing they have ever done as a family. Susan loves meeting with individuals and families, hearing their stories, writing their home study and walking them through all the steps necessary to open their home and hearts for children in care. She considers it a gift to do this work. One morning a week you can also find Susan teaching citizenship classes to refugee women in Clarkston. In her free time, Susan loves being outside with her family, cheering her kids on in all their activities, sharing meals around the kitchen table and hiking anywhere with her husband. 

Taylor Head

Home Compliance Director

Taylor joined Uniting Hope in 2022 as a Compliance Specialist. Taylor loves collaborating with the Uniting Hope staff in order to best serve families and children. She has a passion for serving our community, which began as being a middle school teacher for six years. Taylor graduated from Georgia College and State University in 2016, and has a Bachelor’s in Middle Grades Education. Taylor felt led to use her experience to continue to make an impact on families and children, which led her to Uniting Hope. Taylor loves to paint and spend her time crafting. She enjoys being outdoors with her husband, two sons, and two Golden Retrievers.

Chloe Giorgianni

Home Compliance Specialist

Chloe began working at Uniting Hope in 2022 as a Compliance Specialist. Prior to joining the team at Uniting Hope, she worked with children and families in a residential setting. In her free time Chloe enjoys reading and hanging out with her dog.

Rachel Menikoff

Case Manager

Rachel began working at Uniting Hope in May 2024 as a case manager. She has her Bachelor’s in English from the University of Georgia. Rachel became passionate about the world of foster care from a young age when her family fostered and later adopted her sister. Rachel loves ministry in all shapes and forms, from serving her local church to serving the foster children, foster families and biological families at Uniting Hope. She is thankful for the opportunity to serve God and glorify him by taking care of his children in her role as a case manager. Outside of work, Rachel enjoys going on walks with friends, spending time with her fiancé, and working out.

Ciara Chacon

Case Manager

Ciara began working for Uniting Hope in November 2024 as a Case Manager. Ciara has her bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice with a minor in Psychology. She studied at Georgia Southern for two years before transferring to Shorter University where she graduated and played college soccer. Ciara is passionate about helping others and making a positive difference in their lives. Every opportunity she has to serve is a chance to reflect God’s love, offering kindness, compassion, and hope to those in need. Whether through small gestures or larger acts of service, she can find joy in uplifting others and sharing the message of God’s unconditional love. Ciara’s goal is to live in a way that inspires and encourages, letting God’s light shine through every word and action. When not at work, Ciara loves to work out, read, watch movies, and spend quality time with friends/family.

Hannah Gray

Administrative Assistant

Hannah has worked at Uniting Hope since 2020. She has a Bachelor of Science in Family and Consumer Sciences from the University of Georgia, where she studied lifespan and family development in social, cultural, and historical contexts. Hannah worked as a Case Manager for Uniting Hope for over four years; during that time, she learned so much from the foster children, foster families, and biological families she served. They are the reason she believes that being involved in foster care really matters. In 2024, Hannah shifted to an Administrative role, where she enjoys supporting the Uniting Hope team in many ways. When not at work, she loves going on neighborhood walks with her husband, Cooper, practicing yoga, and cooking in the kitchen! 

Maria Cook

Case Manager

Maria began working at Uniting Hope in February 2025 as a case manager. Maria has her Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology from Georgia College and State University. Maria felt she had a calling to serve families, and worked with the Division of Family and Children Services before transitioning into her role at Uniting Hope. Outside of work Maria loves to go on walks, play on her Nintendo switch, and loves to hangout with her boyfriend, friends, and family. 

Claire Johnson

Case Manager

Claire began working at Uniting Hope in May of 2025. She earned her bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Human Development and Family Science from the University of Georgia. Through her studies, Claire developed a strong interest in family dynamics, which ultimately led her to pursue a career in social work. She is passionate about supporting children and families and is honored to be part of the healing work happening at Uniting Hope. Outside of work, Claire enjoys going on walks, spending time with friends and family, and finding new coffee shops to visit.