Carrie is the Founder and Director of Families Forward Charlotte. Carrie has lived in Mecklenburg County since she was 1 years old and is now raising her family in Charlotte with her husband Tom. She graduated from West Charlotte High and earned her Masters of Arts in teaching from Winthrop University. She loves coaching high school volleyball and watching her kids enjoy sports as they grow.

Carrie was devastated to learn about the Harvard study on Equality of Opportunity that found Mecklenburg County ranked 50 of 50 in upward mobility. Meanwhile, her family had been supporting poverty stricken families each Christmas through the help of local teachers. These families struggled to keep a roof over their heads and food on the table. When dropping off Christmas gifts and household items in December 2016, the idea to start a non profit was born. Carrie wanted to provide year round support to ease the burden of poverty on local children and families, and in researching her goal she learned just how difficult it is to find local resources for families and her mission grew. Carrie quickly gained support within the community and with a dedicated board of directors, Families Forward Charlotte was born.

Carrie is thankful for the opportunity to serve the community she grew up in and adores.

Tatiyana grew up in Wilmington, Delaware and has lived in Charlotte since 2017. She is a double alumna of the Pennsylvania State University with a Bachelor's degree in Political Science and a Master's degree in Education. Tatiyana has a passion for helping and empowering others. She has dedicated her time to making a difference in the community by partnering with local nonprofits and organizations to bring about positive change. She is committed to promoting educational opportunities for our youth and bringing awareness around racial inequalities and social disparities.

Daniel grew up in Louisiana and has lived in Fort Mill since 2018. He graduated from Morris College with a Bachelors in Political Science and a minor in Pre-Law. Daniel is currently pursuing his Masters in Public Administration/Public Policy. Daniel has thirteen years experience in Non-profit work. Daniel has a passion and dedicated his life to empowering families to become their best versions of themselves. Daniel is committed to uplifting families for educational, social, and youth development.

Shelby grew up in Summerville, SC and has lived in Charlotte since 2018. She graduated Winthrop University with a Bachelor's degree in Family and Consumer Sciences and a minor in business in 2014. Shelby has worked in the child welfare field for the past 8 years on a state, federal and nonprofit level. Shelby has a passion for empowering others to become the best versions of themselves and is committed to helping families in her community.

Becky Cathcart is the Operations Manager for Families Forward Charlotte. She grew up in Fairfax, Virginia and obtained her Bachelor's in Psychology from Virginia Tech in 2003. Becky completed her Master's Degree in Psychology with a concentration in Child and Adolescent Development in 2017. She wrote her thesis on educational achievement gaps and how poverty negatively impacts early learning, which leads to poor educational outcomes and generational poverty. Carrie Christian, the founder of Families Forward Charlotte, sparked Becky's interest in this subject by bringing her attention to the Harvard study regarding the poor economic mobility and generational poverty in Charlotte. Since then she has been active in the community and sought out various volunteer opportunities through her church and with Families Forward Charlotte. She worked as an Administrative Support Specialist for Mecklenburg County Department of Park and Recreation for four years where she enjoyed engaging with and serving the public. She joined Families Forward Charlotte in the Spring of 2021 and looks forward to supporting our family partners as they work towards economic stability.