Sarah Allen, BA
Sarah graduated from Kennesaw State University with a bachelor’s degree in History with an English minor. Sarah has worked and volunteered with children and teenagers with learning disabilities and ASD for more than 10 years. Her experience and love for her work has led her to pursue certifications in Grant Writing and Employment Services. Sarah is so grateful to be part of the Lionheart WORKS team as a Vocational Training Instructor, Lionheart Tech Site Manager, and Social Media Coordinator.
Will Hamby, AA
Will is an avid outdoorsman that grew up in the Atlanta area. His love of outdoor recreation led him to spend his Gap year in Washington State. He moved back east to the mountains of North Carolina for college, where he earned an Associate’s Degree. Will has worked in the Outdoor Industry in multiple facets and spent every summer as a camp counselor. He became interested in a career with people with special needs when he worked with a Lionheart participant at camp. He felt like his interactions with this young man were enriching him in a way he had never been before. He is delighted to be working at Lionheart as a Vocational Assistant and is looking forward to continuing his education in the field of special needs.
Victoria McBride, M.Ed., CCC-SLP
Victoria is the Co-Founder of Lionheart and our Head of Therapeutic Services. Victoria has a Master’s Degree from the University of Georgia and is a certified and licensed Speech and Language Pathologist. She has worked for over 30 years with children in various settings; including private school, public school, and private practice with families. Victoria, along with Elizabeth Dulin, oversees every aspect of programming at Lionheart. She works closely with families to carefully identify individual needs and address them accordingly. Her many years of experience has afforded her the opportunity to work with the students to evaluate and assist them in successful transitioning to adulthood; overseeing the vocational and therapeutic aspects of Lionheart WORKS. She also works with our participants on their pragmatic language skills, articulation and oral-motor difficulties, as well as other language based challenges. Victoria mentors and supports the staff at WORKS. She is a DIR® certified specialist, embedding DIR® principles in her intervention strategies.
Kara McCoy, BA
Kara graduated from the University of Georgia with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science. She went on to pursue a career in real estate as a sales professional/broker. Kara has held numerous volunteer positions at Holy Redeemer Catholic School, Blessed Trinity Catholic High School, and Saint Brigid Catholic Church, including chairing the annual fundraising gala and working on the school advisory council. She has worked at Lionheart as a job coach in our WORKS program and a substitute teacher. She is thrilled to be a part of the Lionheart community. Kara is a co-manager of our LionheARTisans Cottage & Lionheart WORKS Internal Site Manager.
Kelley Petrini, MS, BCBA
Kelley developed a passion for teaching young adults functional skills to help them live more independent lives. Kelley received her Master’s in Psychology with a specialization in Applied Behavior Analysis from Florida State University, and she became a Board Certified Behavior Analyst in 2013. Kelley has worked with teenagers and young adults in vocational, clinical, school, residential, and community-based settings, and was the Vocational and Life Skills Clinical Director for a private school program outside of Boston. Kelley is thrilled to serve as the Assistant Director of Lionheart WORKS.
Heather Wagner, BSW, MA
Heather is the Director of Lionheart WORKS. She graduated from the University of Georgia with a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work and from Union Presbyterian Seminary (VA) with a Master of Arts in Christian Education with an emphasis in Community Building and Experiential Education. Heather is a certified Supported Employment Professional (ACRE trained) and is an active member of TASH and APSE on the national level. She has been with Lionheart since 2009.