Our People
Serving as a member of the Bluffton Self Help Board of Directors is both rewarding and challenging. As stewards of our clients and donors, we serve to fulfill our mission to help neighbors in need in every possible way, while at the same time carefully safeguarding the time and investments made by community volunteers and donors.
To learn more about involvement in the activities of Bluffton Self Help, and board-related commitments and activities, we encourage you to contact our Chief Executive Officer Courtney Hampson.
Executive Committee
Doug Adamson
Chair
Retired Business Executive
Doug Adamson
Chair
Retired Business Executive
Doug Adamson has been a member of Bluffton Self Help’s Board of Directors since 2014 and has served as its Chairman since 2017. Adamson and his wife Ronda retired to the Lowcountry in 2010 following his 40-year career in the banking industry. He held executive management positions in a community bank and large regional bank before joining the American Bankers Association in Washington, DC, where he served for 24 years as Executive Vice President. Doug, a self-described servant-leader, has held leadership positions in civic, charitable, and professional organizations throughout his life. While living in Bethesda Maryland, Doug was ordained as an Elder in the Presbyterian Church and currently serves on the Session of Lowcountry Presbyterian Church in Bluffton.
Joel Taylor
Vice Chair
CEO, Coastal Carolina Hospital
Joel Taylor
Vice Chair
CEO, Coastal Carolina Hospital
Joel Taylor was appointed Chief Executive Officer of Coastal Carolina Hospital, a 41-bed hospital, effective September 12, 2016, bringing with him many years of experience in successful leadership for several healthcare facilities. Effective April 11, 2018, he was named Hilton Head Regional Healthcare Chief Operating Officer, in addition to his position as Chief Executive Officer at Coastal Carolina Hospital. In this expanded role, Joel took on more operational leadership at Hilton Head Hospital, a 93-bed hospital, and is focused on driving growth in the health system’s key ancillary service lines. Joel was instrumental in the planning and opening of Tidewatch Emergency Department, a department of Coastal Carolina Hospital, the area’s first freestanding Emergency Department. Joel Taylor joined the Bluffton Self Help’s Board of Directors in 2019 and currently serves as Vice-Chair.
Mike Ventling
Treasurer
Retired Global Vice-Chair and CFO
Allan Schoenberger
Secretary
Schoenberger & Associates
Ashley Feaster
Past Chair
Community Affairs and Economic Development
Board of Directors
Don Brashears
Liberty Tax, Owner
James Cuff
Retired
Fred Hamilton
Town of Bluffton Councilman
Monie Hardwick
Executive Coach, Consultant at Hardwick Consulting Group
Neil Parsons
Town of Hardeeville, Administrative Services Director
Linda Peterson
Financial Analyst at L3Harris
Constance Martin-Witter
Founding Member
Our Staff
Courtney Hampson
Chief Executive Officer
Julia Violi
Director of Volunteers & Basic Needs Programs
Julia Violi
Director of Volunteers & Basic Needs Programs
Julia came to Bluffton Self Help after 15 years of Resort Food and Beverage Management, Catering Sales, and Event Management with a Bachelor’s Degree in Hospitality Management and Tourism from the University of Kentucky in 2003. In January 2018, her husband, Courtney and she welcomed a daughter, Paisley Jane. After a year at home, she stepped back into the workforce to support our team as Office Coordinator. “I’m grateful that I have found such a wonderful organization to work for and have enjoyed seeing the positive impact BSH makes in our community every day.” In February 2020, Julia was promoted to Program Manager overseeing Food, Clothing, and Special Programs.
Genesis Gonzalez
Director of Education Programs
Genesis Gonzalez
Director of Education Programs
In 2012, Genesis moved to South Carolina and quickly fell in love with the Lowcountry. She earned a bachelor’s degree in Biology from the University of South Carolina – Beaufort. That is where her experience in program coordinating began; creating associations/clubs, volunteer opportunities, and serving as a liaison between students and administration. Genesis is thrilled to be a part of Bluffton Self Help and the expansion of the education programs.
Candyce Childress
Client Intake Specialist
The Resource Hub
Barbara Bowers
Senior Client Advocate Manager
The Resource Hub
Barbara Bowers
Senior Client Advocate Manager
The Resource Hub
Barbara Bowers moved to Bluffton from the Northeast where she worked as a social worker for many years. Barbara was essential in opening our Education and Resource Center (ERC) in 2018. She is now the face of the ERC, has grown the programs and workshops offered to fit our neighbors’ needs. Many of our clients stop in just to see Barb and update her on their progress.
Malisha Peebles
Client Advocate
Kitties Landing Learning & Literacy Center
Malisha Peebles
Client Advocate
Kitties Landing Learning & Literacy Center
Janet Simonds
Basic Needs Program Manager
Janet Simonds
Basic Needs Program Manager
Janet is new to Bluffton, but not new to management. Most recently she comes from Publix Supermarkets where she served customers with their legendary customer service for almost ten years. Prior to that, in her hometown of Chicago, she served in the not for profit sector by coordinating a senior nutrition program providing home delivered meals and community dining locations for older adults.
Janet is thrilled to be in Bluffton and even more fulfilled working with Bluffton Self Help. She is passionate about all aspects of food and culture. She enjoys cooking, especially Italian dishes, watching the Chicago Blackhawks and the Chicago Cubs, visiting the coast and historical sites and most of all being a “mom” to her three young men.
Corina Altamirano
Center Manager
Learning & Literacy Center | Kitties Landing
Corina Altamirano
Center Manager
Learning & Literacy Center | Kitties Landing
Abigail Barna
Learning & Literacy Center Manager
Sheridan Park | Bluffton
Abigail Barna
Learning & Literacy Center Manager
Sheridan Park | Bluffton
Abby is originally from Mount Airy, Maryland. She moved to Hardeeville after graduating from Christopher Newport University in Virginia where she earned a BA in English and a minor in Leadership Studies. She is currently working towards her Masters in Library and Information Science through Syracuse University. If she is not busy with work or school she enjoys spending time with her fiance, Wyatt, and two dogs, Buster and Birdie. She enjoys reading, exploring the outdoors, and working on converting a 40ft school bus into a drivable tiny home that they hope to be living in after they are married.
“I have a huge passion for serving my community and giving back to those around me. I couldn’t be more excited to be a member of the Bluffton Self Help team,” says Abby.
Laural Johnson
Center Manager
Learning & Literacy Center | Hilton Head
Amanda de Verona
Curriculum Specialist
Carmen Bazaco
Center Coordinator
Hardeeville Learning & Literacy Center
Carmen Bazaco
Center Coordinator
Hardeeville Learning & Literacy Center
Carmen was born and raised in Spain. She met her husband while he was studying abroad in Spain and moved to the US after earning her BA in Spanish. After living in different parts of the country, Carmen and her family settled in Bluffton in 2017. She enjoys cooking, gardening, and playing board games with her two daughters. “I am excited to be a part of the Learning and Literacy Center and to serve our growing community throughout the Lowcountry,” says Carmen.
Jennifer Wallace
Development Manager
Jennifer Wallace
Development Manager
Jennifer moved to Bluffton in 2017. Before joining Bluffton Self Help, she spent 8 years in donor relations for a large non-profit in Atlanta, GA, and 4 years with the Palmetto Bluff Company sales and marketing teams. She is grateful to have joined an organization that is making an important impact on our neighbors path to success and looks forward to sharing that impact and our mission with the community. Jennifer and her husband enjoy being outdoors and long drives for great food.
Pam Wall
Grants Writer
Danielle Dekruif
Marketing & Communications Manager
Danielle Dekruif
Marketing & Communications Manager
Danielle moved to Bluffton in 2018 with her family, from Phoenix, Arizona where she earned her Bachelors in Nonprofit Management at ASU. With over 10 years of marketing and development experience in the Nonprofit sector, Danielle enjoys giving back and became involved in the community as a BSH volunteer. She is now a staff member and helps reach others interested in giving back. Danielle enjoys spending time at the beach and outdoors with her husband and two young daughters, Hayden and Holland.
Stefanie Laugen
Administrative & Donor Support Specialist
Stefanie Laugen
Administrative & Donor Support Specialist
