Board of Directors
Chair
Kaki Kabazzi was elected to serve on the board in 2017. Kaki currently works as an Associate Attorney at Levin Law P.A. in the firm's litigation section. Kaki graduated magna cum laude from Loyola University New Orleans and received her law degree magna cum laude from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law in 2015. Kaki enjoys serving on the Board of Directors for HandsOn New Orleans because she is constantly amazed by the visible impact the organization has on the New Orleans community and the surrounding region.
VICE CHAIR
Kelly Lusco was elected to serve on the board in 2019. She is currently responsible for Event and Sponsorship Marketing in Louisiana for Cox Communications. Kelly has a B.A. in Communications from Louisiana State University and an M.A. in Advertising from the University of Texas. Kelly is excited to serve on the board for Hands On New Orleans because she sees how important it is to connect volunteers and community partners to create meaningful volunteer opportunities for both the people volunteering and those being served.
Secretary
Rebekka Veith was elected to serve on the board in 2021. Rebekka is an attorney at Fishman Haygood LLP practicing commercial and environmental litigation. She graduated from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill in 2010 and from Tulane University Law School in 2014. Rebekka is excited to serve on the Board of Directors for HandsOn New Orleans because she grew up in New Orleans and is always looking for ways to connect with and give back to the city in meaningful ways.
TREASURER
Rena Harris was elected to serve on the board in 2014. Rena currently works as the SOX Compliance Manager, Vice President at InvestarBank. Rena Harris is a Certified Public Accountant. Rena received her undergraduate degree in Accounting from Loyola University New Orleans in 1999 and MBA from the University of Phoenix in 2003. What Rena enjoys most about serving the organization is being able to use her gift of giving.
IMMEDIATE PAST CHAIR
Kate Uhle was elected to serve on the board in 2017. She currently works as the Registrar at Ursuline Academy where she manages the life cycle of a student from enrollment through graduation. Kate has a B.A. in Advertising from the University of Southern Mississippi and a M.A. in Advertising from the University of Texas. She loves serving with HandsOn because it has given both her and her family opportunities to serve in New Orleans with diverse projects and with amazing people.
Directors
Megan Douglas was elected to serve on the board in 2022. She currently works at Primo Water Corps. Megan earned a B.S. in Business Administration from Louisiana State University. After spending more than ten years living outside Louisiana, she is excited to be back in the south and eager to use her skills and energy supporting her local community's needs as a member of the HandsOn team.
Val Gibbons was elected to serve on the board in 2021. She is currently the Marketing Manager at Cox Communications and has a B.S. in Public Relations and American Studies from the University of Miami. Val is excited to serve on a board that does tangible, timely work in the community she loves.
Mike Pugh was elected to serve on the board in 2022. He is currently the President of Royal Engineers & Consultants and has a BS in Civil Engineering from LSU. He also attended Harvard Business School’s OPM Program. As President of Royal, Mr. Pugh supervises all technical operations and business development for the company. Mike has a broad experience in engineering and construction resulting from nearly 25 years in the engineering and construction practice.
Henna Silvennoinen was elected to serve on the board in 2020. Henna currently works at Spotify. Henna has a Bachelor’s and Master’s in English Literature from the University of Warwick in the United Kingdom. She is excited to serve on the Board of Directors for HandsOn New Orleans in order to have a tangible positive impact on her new hometown.
Erin Tade was elected to serve on the board in 2020. Erin works at Shell Oil as a Distribution Operations Manager and has a Bachelor’s in Electrical Engineering from Lamar University. She is excited for the opportunity to give back to the city and its amazing people.
Anne Wolff was elected to serve on the board in 2018. She currently works as the Director of Human Resources at Eustis Mortgage Corporation and is responsible for strategic planning and growth, workforce development, benefits and compensation, and change management. Anne received her Bachelor of Arts from Vanderbilt University and attended the Catholic University Columbus School of Law. Anne is looking forward to engaging community partners and employers in an effort to galvanize support for HandsOn projects and initiatives.
Lauren Badout, McGlinchey Stafford, PLLC
Patrick McManus, Next Op
David Morris, Horne