Our Staff

  • Janell Reniers

    Executive Director

    Janell Reniers came to HGF having served in leadership positions in both the for profit and nonprofit sectors, including healthcare and children’s initiatives.

    Most recently, she was chief of staff at a large private foundation. Janell received a Bachelor of Science degree from North Dakota State University and an MBA from the University of Chicago.

  • Traci D. Patterson

    Communications Director

    Traci D. Patterson is a Greater Houston-based, nonprofit communications leader who specializes in public relations, marketing and social media for mental health, behavioral health, education, advocacy, and child welfare organizations that serve children and youth, families, women, military veterans, faith communities, and BIPOC communities.

    In her career, she has conducted local, state, national and international awareness and campaigns on a variety of issues such as child and youth mental health, transitional-aged youth, trauma and attachment, mental health parity, maternal mental illnesses, postpartum depression, OCD, suicide prevention, minority mental illness, and PTSD in post-9/11 military veterans for organizations including Family Roots for Life, Association for Training on Trauma and Attachment in Children, Hogg Foundation for Mental Health at The University of Texas at Austin, Mental Health America in Texas, Mental Health America of Greater Houston, DePelchin Children’s Center, Mission of Hope International Church, Texas Suicide Prevention Coalition, and National Alliance on Mental Illness (NAMI) Greater Houston.  She has also represented Texas as a national outreach partner and presenter for the National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) and national Mental Health America.

    An Austin, Texas native, Traci graduated from Southwest Texas State University (now Texas State University) with a Bachelor of Arts in Journalism, Public Relations and Business Administration. She enjoys cooking southern and ethnic foods, watching historical fiction and crime dramas, and traveling to U.S. museums.

  • Rylie York

    Program Director

    Rylie came to know His Grace Foundation first as a bone marrow transplant patient in 2019. As a survivor of Hodgkin’s Lymphoma, Rylie has become a leader, fundraiser, and advocate on behalf of children with critical illnesses.

    Rylie recently graduated from Baylor University with a degree in public relations and nonprofit marketing.

  • Katie Clancy

    Bookkeeper

    Katie brought her accounting expertise to His Grace Foundation in March 2021 after learning about the organization through her friend, HGF Board Member Cathy Marquis.

    Katie started EmPowered Business Solutions so that she could dedicate herself to being a full-time mom to her two beautiful children, a business owner, and a wife. A Summa Cum Laude alumna of the University of Houston Downtown, Katie received honors as an Outstanding Accounting Graduate of 2011.

  • Sarah Langston

    Assistant Program Director

    Sarah was born and raised in Houston, Texas. She is a proud Texas Aggie c/o 2004 with a background in early childhood education. She has a Bachelors of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies of Education and a Masters of Education in Administration. Sarah is married to Brandon, a razorback fan, for over 15 years. She is a mom to a brilliant little girl named Claire and a little boy named Owen, who is her brain cancer survivor. When Owen was a patient on the Bone Marrow Transplant Unit, he and his family were blessed multiple times by His Grace Foundation. The selfless acts of others made such an impact, Sarah set the goal of returning to the unit as a volunteer with HGF after receiving Owen’s Welcome Basket during their first inpatient stay on the BMTU. Before starting her new role with His Grace Foundation, Sarah was a dedicated volunteer of HGF from 2018 to 2023. Additionally, she volunteers her time at a therapeutic horseback center that serves adults and children with different abilities.

Board of Directors

  • Rebecca Gentry

    Board Chair

    Rebecca is Assistant Vice President, Strategic Initiatives at the University of Houston, overseeing campaign strategy, communications, donor relations, events and volunteer programs in the office of University Advancement.

    Previously, she held advancement leadership positions in museums, historic homes, and foundations in Washington, DC and Miami.

    A graduate of Wake Forest University, Rebecca is an active volunteer with the Junior League, Houston Symphony, Salvation Army Guild, Alpha Delta Pi Sorority, and others.

  • Guillermo Ramirez

    Treasurer

    Guillermo’s professional career began through the ranks of JCPenney as an Operations Manager and later as the Lead Operations Manager for all new stores in the Houston Market.

    His banking career began in 2010 at Comerica Bank as a Banking Center Manager and later through the Credit Training Program where he learned in-depth analytics and credit underwriting skills in both the Corporate and Energy Markets.

    Guillermo is now the Vice President at Texas Capital Bank. Guillermo received a Bachelor’s Degree in Business and an MBA in Global Energy Management from the Bauer College of Business at the University of Houston.

  • Catherine Marquis

    Secretary

    Catherine was a middle school educator for several years in the Cypress Fairbanks Independent School District. She thoroughly enjoyed teaching and building relationships with her 8th grade students.

    In 2011, her youngest daughter, Sydney, was diagnosed with Acute Lymphoblastic Leukemia and underwent a bone marrow transplant at Texas Children’s Hospital. During their inpatient stays at the hospital, they were deeply grateful for the services and support of His Grace Foundation.

    Sydney is now a thriving college student, and Catherine is honored to have this opportunity to give back.

  • Kiran Ali

    Board Member

    Kiran became involved with His Grace Foundation after learning about the organization when her daughter received a double Bone Marrow Transplant in 2021 at Texas Children’s Hospital.  She felt deeply connected to give back and volunteer with HGF, and was eager to make a direct impact on the same unit her daughter was treated.

    Kiran is the Director of Admission and Enrollment Management at The Regis School of the Sacred Heart and has previously worked at Good Reason Houston, Teach for America, and Barclays Capital.

    Kiran received her Bachelor of Arts in Economics from Vanderbilt University and an MBA from Rice University.

  • Val Anderson

    Board Member

    Val Anderson has been involved with HGF since its inception, working at the grassroots level to help the organization take flight as the best friend and supporter of Erin Kiltz, HGF Founder.

    Val served as HGF’s Executive Director for 17 years, where her administrative, fundraising and people skills expanded HGF to double its program services.

  • Monique Pappas

    Board Member

    Monique graduated from Texas A&M in 1986 with a BBA in Accounting. She spent time working as an auditor for Siedman & Siedman as well as BFI, but her best job has been mom to her two children. Monique has worked the past 7 years in the accounting department of Annunciation Orthodox School where both her children attended preschool through 8th grade.

    While a stay at home mom, Monique volunteered with AOS in many different capacities including Gala & Book Fair Treasurer, PTC Treasurer, PTC President, Annual Fund Chair and Care Committee Chair.

    She was also active with her daughter’s National Charity League Chapter, where Monique became acquainted with and started volunteering with His Grace Foundation. Monique has also held board positions with NCL Bayou City and Camp Cho-Yeh.

  • Hunter Sage

    Board Member

    Mr. Sage is Managing Director and General Counsel of Stonelake Capital Partners, LLC, a fully-integrated private equity real estate firm. Prior to joining Stonelake in 2012, Mr. Sage practiced law in the Houston office of Locke Lord LLP from 2004 until 2012.

    While at Locke Lord, Mr. Sage represented institutional lenders, regional lenders and investment funds in connection with lending matters, workouts and foreclosures.

    Mr. Sage also serves as Secretary and General Counsel of Post Oak Little League and is a member of St. Michael Catholic Church. Mr. Sage received his Bachelor of General Studies Degree, summa cum laude, from Louisiana State University and his Juris Doctor, with honors, from the University of Texas School of Law.

  • Corynne Hume Yamasaki

    Outside Board Representative, Junior League of Houston

    Corynne works as a Project Engineer for the Aerospace Corporation.  She has supported the Extravehicular Activity and Human Surface Mobility Program at NASA in Project and Hardware Management of the space suit and tools used by our astronauts on spacewalks for 15 years.

    The activities of her two children she shares with her husband, Chris, keep her agile and enjoying this special time in life. She has been an active volunteer with the Junior League of Houston for the past 8 years.

    A graduate of Washington University in St. Louis with a bachelor’s degree in Biomedical Engineering, Corynne also earned an MBA from Rice University.

  • Janell Reniers

    Executive Director/Ex-Officio

    Janell Reniers came to HGF having served in leadership positions in both the for profit and nonprofit sectors, including healthcare and children’s initiatives.

    Most recently, she was chief of staff at a large private foundation. Janell received a Bachelor of Science degree from North Dakota State University and an MBA from the University of Chicago.

  • Erin Kiltz

    Founder/Ex-Officio

    Erin co-founded His Grace Foundation with her husband, John, in 1997, and co-founded Wheels of Fun, a company that creates custom spoke guard covers for wheelchairs, in 2006.

    Each of these endeavors was inspired by the youngest of the Kiltz’ three children, Gracie (the namesake of His Grace Foundation) who was born with Down Syndrome, battled leukemia, and suffered complications from treatment that resulted in a severe brain injury.

    Erin is now the Executive Director of Brookwood in Georgetown, a vocational community for adults with disabilities.

  • John Kiltz

    Founder/Ex-Officio

    John is a Co-Founder and Managing Partner of Stonelake Capital Partners. He directs the firm’s institutional investment and acquisition program. In 1997, John co-founded His Grace Foundation with his wife, Erin.

    He received his undergraduate degree in Marketing from the University of Wisconsin and his Masters of Business Administration from the McCombs School of Business at the University of Texas.

    John currently serves as a Board Member of Brookwood in Georgetown and The Brookwood Community of Houston.