Our team
Katie Lowe
UPLIFT Program Coordinator
Katie serves as our UPLIFT Program Coordinator for the UPLIFT Program. She is also a Certified Child Life Specialist who currently works at MUSC Shawn Jenkins Children’s Hospital. Katie obtained her Bachelors degree in Psychology at Florida Southern College and a graduate degree at the College of Charleston in their Master of Science in Child Life program.
Katie started as a volunteer within The Lonon Foundation and UPLIFT Program, and she is eager to continue with TLF! She is extremely passionate about supporting children, teens, and families through stressful life experiences, and she loves helping individuals overcome their challenges!
Anna Lonon
Founder
As founder of The Lonon Foundation, Anna is driven by her own experience to help children in the Lowcountry who have a parent or caregiver with cancer.
Anna is a writing/editor for a tech company. Previously, she worked as a Visiting Instructor in English at the College of Charleston, with a focus on composition and rhetoric. She earned her Masters in English from the College of Charleston and The Citadel. She earned her BA at The University of South Carolina, where she met Michael Lonon.
Formally, Anna served as the Assistant Director of Strategic Development and Communication for the Head and Neck Cancer Alliance.
Anna enjoys traveling, hiking, and spending time with her family.
Krista Godek
Chair
Krista earned her undergraduate dual degree in Elementary and Special Education from Edinboro University of Pennsylvania. She began her career in Maryland, where she worked with students with emotional disabilities.
In 2007, Krista relocated to Charleston, South Carolina and earned her master’s degree in Social Work from the University of South Carolina. As an LISW-CP, Krista has a wide variety of experience in school social work, direct clinical practice, program development, and supervising clinical staff. Krista is certified in trauma-focused cognitive behavioral therapy and emphasizes the importance of trauma-informed care as it relates to treatment services for clients and their families. Krista also specializes in program development and operations.
Krista McGuire
Secretary
Krista McGuire is a Special Counsel at the law office of Parker Poe Adams & Bernstein, LLP, where she practices in the litigation area focusing on the defense of professionals, directors and officers and employers. She also defends tort actions and serious injury claims, including wrongful death matters.
Krista is a 1997 graduate of the Florida State University and a 2001 graduate of the University of Florida Levin College of Law, where she received high honors.
Krista was an adjunct professor at the Charleston School of Law, was a member of the Leadership Charleston Class of 2010, and is a founding member of the local nonprofit corporation, Lowcountry Warrior Moms.
Krista is married with two children and is a member of Grace Episcopal Cathedral.
Jennifer Stout
Jennifer Stout serves as a South Carolina State Certified Educator for Dorchester School District Four. She has 15 years of experience in elementary education serving as a tutor and mentor in grades K-5, teaching gifted and talented students, and teaching grades 5th-6th. Jennifer enjoys working with children to help them achieve their full potential.
In her free time Jennifer enjoys spending time with her family, pets, and friends. She also enjoys reading, cake decorating, and nature. She is excited to be able to make a positive contribution while working with The Lonon Foundation and the UPLIFT Program.
Allison Hardy
As a Director in the Physician Alignment organization at Cerner, Allison and her team of Physician Alignment Executives partner with client clinical leaders to influence satisfaction and EMR efficiency. Allison personally works with her clients to drive value of strategic partnerships, ongoing client relationships, Physician advocacy and overall influencing the physician experience. She makes an impact through fostering physician relationships and sharing physician workflow acumen with all Cerner organizations.
Allison is a graduate of Northwest Missouri State University with a Masters of Business Administration with an emphasis in Health Management. She earned her bachelor’s degree from the University of Missouri with a Bachelor of Arts in interdisciplinary studies, with an emphasis in English, marketing and communication. Allison currently serves as a member of the Clinical Decision Committee for the FirstHand Foundation.
McKenzie Wofford
Mckenzie Wofford is a rising Junior at the College of Charleston, where she is a Public Health major. She will be transferring to the Citadels nursing school to later get her Masters and become a nurse practitioner. Mckenzie has a passion for photography, traveling, and spending time with her italian greyhound.
She has a love for children and aspires to continue to work with children throughout her career. Mckenzie volunteers in the nursery at Newspring church and is a member of the executive board of The Lonon Foundation, serving as the Director of Finance & Administration. She has completed the SCRUBS volunteering program through Roper Hospital, in addition to her many other volunteer opportunities.
Linda Rotunda
Linda Rotunda is a Charleston native with a passion for customer service and community engagement. She studied Business and Marketing at Trident Technical College. Linda is happily married to Dan and is the proud mother of Luke. Currently, Linda serves as the office manager of Premier Physical Therapy in North Charleston, which was recently recognized as one of the top three therapy clinics in South Carolina. Since 2002, she has volunteered with Camp Happy Days which serves children who have received a cancer diagnosis as well as the siblings of those children.
In January of 2019, Linda was diagnosed with Breast Cancer. She was able to celebrate the end of her aggressive treatments in October of the same year. Knowing the importance of finding positive experiences and a community to help support you is what led her to sign her son, Luke, up as an UPLIFT child. His love of the programs inspired Linda to use her strengths to help support The Lonon Foundation and the UPLIFT Program.
When Linda is not at work or volunteering, you can find her boating with her friends and family and running in local 5Ks -- especially ones with donuts at the finish line!
Ellie Tate
Ellie Tate is the owner of Elder & Co., an artisanal candle company inspired by a great love and respect for the outdoors. Previously, she worked in marketing, brand development, and event planning within the specialty toy industry.
Ellie is a 2013 graduate of the Honors College at the College of Charleston, with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. She was recognized as one of Charleston’s Best & Brightest young professionals by the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation in 2016.
Driven by her personal experience with a parent undergoing cancer treatment, Ellie is excited to support local children through the Lonon Foundation and UPLIFT! She enjoys spending time with her husband, daughter, and dog, as well as reading, traveling, and any outdoor activity.
Chloe McAuley
Chloe McAuley has taught at The Little School at Grace Church for the past six years. Prior to this, she taught the Fourth Grade.
Chloe attended The University of South Carolina, where she double majored in Art History and English. She then attended East Carolina University for her teaching degree.
She has been married to Jody H. McAuley for 25 years and has two daughters, Chloe, a sophomore at The University of South Carolina, and Clark, a rising Senior at Porter Gaud School.
Chloe met Anna, Mike and Jack when Jack was in her 4 year old class at The Little School. Being able to provide support to Jack during such a difficult time was very important to Chloe and she hopes to be able to help other children in similar circumstances.
Anna Kooper
Anna Kooper graduated from the College of Charleston in 2019 with a Bachelor's Degree in Public Health. She worked in marketing for two years and then entered the world of finance, where she now works as a Loan Servicing Associate.
Anna first got involved with the Lonon Foundation when she was an undergraduate at CofC. She volunteered and interned for TLF for a number of years, assisting with growing our social media platforms, creating marketing materials, helping with fundraising campaigns, and other various marketing efforts. Anna became a board member in 2021 and plays a role in event planning, marketing, and community connections.
In her free time, she enjoys reading, taking walks outside, practicing yoga, and playing with her dog, Evie.
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Sam Myers
Treasurer
After earning my bachelor degree in Psychology from the College of Charleston, I chose to join Edward Jones in 2018 as a second generation financial advisor. Today, I help families in the Charleston area with their financial needs to support their aspirations in life. My fiancé Katie introduced me to The Lonon Foundation, and I have seen the impact of The Lonon Foundation on local families by attending events related to the organization. After hearing first-hand the stories from programs that support these children and families, I am eager to be involved with The Lonon Foundation and support their mission. In my free time, I enjoy playing golf, spending time with Katie and exploring the lowcountry with our dog, Tater.