About Us

Meet Our Team

Lisa Steven

Founder and Executive Director

303.429.1012 ext. 227

Lisa Steven has more than 20 years of experience working with teen moms. She co-founded Hope House and has served as the Executive Director since 2003. Lisa has led Hope House to new levels and growth that, with a budget of over $1 million, has joined the top 10 percent of nonprofit organizations in the United States. She is a member of the CU Leeds School of Business Women’s Council and the Denver Women’s Leadership Forum. In 2013, Lisa was named the Arvada Woman of the Year for her contributions to the community and also received the West Jeffco Chamber’s Outstanding Women of Jefferson County Award in 2010.

Lisa Schlarbaum

Director of Development

303.429.1012 ext. 241

Lisa Schlarbaum has been involved with Hope House for nearly a decade: formerly a member of the Board of Directors, Lisa assumed the role of Director of Development in 2011. With over 20 years of sales experience, she brings expertise in new client acquisition, strategic account management and client relationship development to Hope House. Lisa is a Member of the Association of Fundraising Professionals and serves on the Membership Committee of the Colorado chapter. She also sits on the Colorado Nonprofit Advisory Committee for Community First Foundation’s Colorado Gives event and serves on the Revenue Generation ….

Gail Strobel

Director of Finance and Operations

303.429.1012 ext. 227

Kara Mapel

Residential Program Manager

303.429.1012 ext. 238

Kara Mapel has worked at Hope House since 2015, originally as a Residential Counselor in the Residential Program and an Early Learning Teacher in the Early Learning Program. After several promotions, today Kara is the Residential Program Manager. Kara holds a Bachelor of Arts from Northwest Missouri State University and is trained in the Bridges Out of Poverty approach to self-sufficiency. Kara has also worked for Fellowship of Christian Athletes Sports Camps and Spectra Autism Center, where she mentored youth in a structured environment.

Jenny Macias

Program Director

303.429.1012 ext. 228

Jenny Macias earned a Bachelor of Liberal Arts degree in Communications from Colorado State University. She began working as the Mentoring Program Manager in February 2012 and transitioned to Community Program Manager in 2014. Before joining the Hope House staff, Jenny managed a mentor program for a foster care agency in Grand Junction that provided mentors for over 150 foster children each year. She was responsible for recruiting, training and managing a staff of 40+ paid mentors as well as teaching a Bridges Out of Poverty class to the teenagers in the program.

Ashley Seastone

GED Program Coordinator

303.429.1012 ext. 234

Ashley holds a Master of Public Health with a concentration in Global Health and Health Disparities from the Colorado School of Public Health. Her passion is working with teen moms in order to help them overcome social determinants, obtain an education, and be prepared for the workforce. Ashley accepted the GED Program Coordinator position in 2014. She also tutors through Whiz Kids and enjoys building positive mentoring relationships with youth.

Mria Gamble

Early Learning Program Coordinator

303.429.1012 ext. 235

Mria graduated Metropolitan State College of Denver with a Bachelors of Arts in Human Development and Early Childhood Education. Mria has worked in area schools, childcare centers and preschools where she enjoyed working with at-risk youth. She has also volunteered as Childcare Coordinator for Magnificat Moms, where she coordinated childcare workers as well as the bi-monthly lessons for the preschool age classroom, and worked with Bright Beginnings as a home visitor providing development and literacy materials to parents and grandparents in the Denver Metro area.

Trisha Daly

MA HSC Registered PsychotherapistCounselor & Healthy Relationships Coordinator

303.429.1012 ext. 235

Trisha has a Masters in Human Services Counseling from Regent University. She worked for many years at a crisis pregnancy center before moving to Nashville, where she worked for three years as a children’s counselor in a domestic violence shelter. During that time she also worked at a women’s prison leading groups on domestic violence and parenting. Trisha recently co-wrote a book called The Story of Hope that features a healthy relationships curriculum for teen moms; the book is available on Amazon

Melinda Smith

Parent Educator

303.429.1012

Melinda Smith is the Parenting Educator at Hope House. She has over 10 years experience working with at-risk children and teens. Melinda began her career working as a family counselor and case manager. She also has worked for a domestic violence shelter working specifically with teens who were in abusive dating relationships and providing community education programs on dating violence. Melinda moved to a Pregnancy, Education & Parenting Counselor position in the Arlington School District where she counseled teen parents at two high schools.