About The Georgetown Project

E-mail: rob@georgetownproject.org
Phone: 512-943-0074

Rob Dyer, Chief Executive Officer for The Georgetown Project, is a former educator and public school leader.  Rob served for 29 years in public education leadership and as a teacher in elementary and secondary schools. He worked with Georgetown Independent School District (GISD) for 20 years including seven years as Principal of Richarte High School, GISD’s academic alternative school of choice that supports students at risk to not graduate, returning to earn a diploma, or seeking an option to the traditional campus.

He also served as Principal at Mitchell Elementary, Assistant Principal at Williams Elementary, and as a school administrator and teacher in Round Rock ISD, Lake Travis ISD and Amarillo ISD. He has served on several district-level strategic planning and design committees and played major roles in the successful opening of three schools including Ridgeview Middle School in RRISD, James E. Mitchell Elementary in GISD, and GISD’s Future Ready Center, the new home of Richarte High School.

Rob has a M.Ed. in Education Administration from Texas State University, San Marcos; a B.S. in Elementary Education & History/Anthropology with minors in Spanish and PE from Eastern New Mexico University; and studied Special Education, Bilingual Education & English as a Second Language at West Texas A&M.  Rob was a member and officer of the Sigma Alpha Epsilon Fraternity.

E-mail: jane@georgetownproject.org
Phone: (512) 943-0074

Jane moved to Georgetown 30 years ago from New York. She worked for GISD for 20 years as a registrar, campus secretary, and administrative assistant at three different campuses. She started her career with The Georgetown Project at the NEST Empowerment Center in 2014 and moved into her new role as Administrative Operations Manager in 2024.

In her free time, she and her husband take day trips around Texas, visiting friends and family and enjoying a variety of activities.

E-mail: cheryl@georgetownproject.org
Phone: (512) 943-0074

Cheryl joined The Georgetown Project in 2022 as our Finance Assistant, bringing over 30 years of invaluable accounting experience.

A resident of Georgetown for the past 25 years along with her husband, Cheryl is delighted to serve her hometown community. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, gardening, quilting, and spending quality time with friends, family, and her beloved grandchildren.

Lonnie Perez is a retired high school counselor with 28 years of experience in education. He joined The Georgetown Project in July 2026 to serve as a Youth Support Staff for The NEST.

Lonnie earned his undergraduate degree in History from the University of Texas and a master’s degree in Educational Counseling. He is passionate about supporting students and families and brings a wealth of experience in education and student development to his community involvement.

He and his wife, Cynthia, have a son, AJ, who attends the University of North Texas.

Laura Gibson joined The Georgetown Project in August 2026 to serve as a Youth Support Staff for The NEST. Laura brings more than 25 years of experience with nonprofit organizations.

Laura and her husband, Tom, adopted their daughter, Dana, at age 17 in 2014. Between raising her daughter, helping with a brother 20 years her junior, and being a trusted adult to many “nieces” and “nephews” over the years, Laura, or “Auntie Lars” as she is known to some, has spent much of her life supporting and encouraging young people as they navigate the sometimes complicated path to adulthood.

Laura lives in Round Rock with her husband and their six rescue dogs, plus, more often than not, a foster dog or three.

E-mail: tanya@georgetownproject.org
Phone : (512) 864-3008

Tanya Alvarado-Galvez joined the Bridges to Growth team as the bilingual Administrative Assistant in August 2025. Tanya spent her early childhood in Mexico, then moved to Round Rock TX in 2007. She attended Austin Community College, obtaining an associate degree.

She and her husband have been blessed with two kids . They enjoy taking their kids on hikes, kayaking, and traveling.

E-mail: kristen@georgetownproject.org
Phone:  (512) 943-0074

Kristen T. Adams is a Licensed Clinical Social Work (LCSW) with over fifteen years experience in the positive youth development space. She previously served as The NEST Social Worker (2018-2019) and the NEST Coordinator (2024-2025) before beginning her role as Impact Coordinator in June 2025.

Throughout her career she has spent time serving youth in after-school and summer programs, supporting attachment between teen parents and their infants, and counseling youth involved with the criminal legal system and in her private practice, GTX Teen Therapy. She operates from a trauma-wise lens and is trained in Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) as a Practitioner and in Neuroscience, Epigenetics, Adverse Childhood Experiences, and Resilience (NEAR Science) as a master trainer.

In her various roles, she empowers youth and families to find belonging in themselves, with one another, and with their community by finding self-acceptance and confidence from within.

Kristen spends her time frisbee golfing, on a yoga mat, volunteering at R.O.C.K., or playing with her dog Penny. Kristen is married and has two young-adult stepchildren. Kristen graduated from Texas Christian University with a Bachelor of Science in Sociology and from Columbia University with a Master of Science in Social Work.

E-mail: kelly@georgetownproject.org
Phone:  (512) 943-0074

Kelly Manfredini brings 22 years of nonprofit development and communications expertise to The Georgetown Project, along with a storyteller’s instinct that turns mission into meaningful connection.

Over her career, Kelly has raised millions for mission-driven organizations, managing everything from major gifts and donor stewardship to federal grant administration and capital campaigns. She architects multi-channel communications strategies that drive engagement, grow giving, and earn media attention for the causes she champions.

That commitment to storytelling runs deep. Kelly is also a USA Today Bestselling and award-winning suspense author and she’ll be the first to tell you that fiction and fundraising share the same foundation: knowing your audience, earning their trust, and moving them to act.

At The Georgetown Project, Kelly is honored to put these skills to work for a community she believes in , where every child and young person feels loved, supported, and full of possibility.

E-mail: veronica@georgetownproject.org
Phone:  (512) 943-0074

Veronica Jones serves as the Director of Programs for The Georgetown Project.

Leslie joined The Georgetown Project as Program Director in 2000, following a long career with a statewide nonprofit in Austin. She moved into the Chief Executive Officer role in 2010. Leslie blends 36 years of nonprofit management and program development experience with a small-town upbringing—complementary perspectives for a community-based organization like The Georgetown Project dedicated to engaging adults in every-day healthy connections with children and youth.

Leslie has a Masters Certificate in nonprofit management, and as CEO, oversaw all operations for TGP programs and partnerships. She led The Georgetown Project Collaborative for Children & Youth, Smart Beginnings Alliance, Afterschool Alliance, and Summer Youth Employment Alliance. She also provided mentoring and training for youth coalitions across Texas and beyond.

Leslie was raised in Coleman, TX, and has a Bachelor’s Degree in Agricultural Journalism, with a minor in Political Science, from Texas A&M University, where she met her husband I.G., who was raised in Elgin. Leslie has lived in Williamson County for 40 years (34 in Georgetown). She and I.G. have two sons, Sam (a graduate of Georgetown High School and Angelo State University) and George (a graduate of Georgetown High School and Texas A&M University), two Texas Tech Red Raider daughters-in-law, Carly and Morgan, and two grandsons, Beckett and Crew.

Leslie says the work of The Georgetown Project speaks to her heart, and provides a unique opportunity to join with partners to build a community where all Georgetown kids have the opportunity to thrive. Leslie retired as CEO of The Georgetown Project in May 2024 but is staying involved with TGP as Collective Impact Consultant.