Get to know the amazing Austin Bat Cave team!
Richard Z. Santos
Executive Director
Richard Z. Santos has a degree in English and History from UT Austin, an MA in English from Georgetown University, and an MFA in Creative Writing from Texas State University. He taught nearly every English class and elective from grades 8-12 and most of the Social Studies courses. Trust Me, his debut novel, was published by Arte Público Press. In a previous career, he worked for some of the nation’s top political campaigns, consulting firms, and labor unions.
Heather Jones
Program Director
Heather holds a degree in comparative literature from Oberlin College and a master’s in social work from UT Austin and is passionate about developing programs that teach writing as a tool for healing and social change. Prior to joining ABC, she worked in the areas of publishing, youth mental health, and restorative practices.
Leticia Urieta
Regional Program Manager
Leticia is a proud Tejana writer from Austin, TX. She is a graduate of Agnes Scott College and holds an MFA in Fiction writing from Texas State University. She has been a teacher and teaching artist in the greater Austin area for ten years and loves working with folks to help them tell their stories.
Tammy Beard
Grants & Donor Relations Director
Tammy earned a BBA from Texas A&M University and MS in Psychology from Texas Tech University. She is passionate about the ways that nonprofit development can make real changes in a community by helping organizations grow stronger and fulfill their missions. Before joining Austin Bat Cave, Tammy served as the Director of Development at 826CHI.
Karinna Pérez Cantú
Intergenerational Program Manager
Karinna is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with a passion for using creative arts to assist people on their therapeutic journey. She has a BS in Communication Studies and an MSSW from the University of Texas at Austin. Karinna has been a part of the local acting community for 20 years and earned an Emmy nomination for her writing with a local sketch comedy group. Prior to joining ABC, she worked as a social worker and therapist with public schools and non-profit organizations.
Xochitl Gonzalez
Program Associate
Xochitl is an Austin native and lives with her two dogs. Her first experience with a nonprofit was Austin Bat Cave, and it was so impactful she decided to major in business and pursue a career in the industry of giving back. Working for the people who started it all for her is a dream come true.
Jack Betancourt
MSSW Intern
Jack holds a BSA in Human Development and Family Sciences from UT Austin. He is continuing his education at UT as a first year social work and public health masters student. Currently, Jack also works for his university’s writing center where he assists undergraduate students in recognizing their agency in becoming better writers. Jack is joining as an intern to learn more about writing as a tool for healing and other restorative practices
Board of Directors
- Deborah de Freitas, President
- Katie Haab, Vice President
- Jack Kaulfus, Secretary
- Steve Taylor, Treasurer
- Yvonne Adams
- Dalia Azim
- Sindya Bhanoo
- Timothy Braun
- Joel Gross
- Gerson Gutierrez
- Kyle Hawley
- Rachel McElroy
- Katherine Moore
- Matthew Patin
- Simone Pollard
- Aisha Gayle Turner
- Indira Gutierrez
- Laura Razo
Associate Council
- Susan Johnston Taylor, President
- Matthew Burgin
- Chris Friedrich
- Chris O’Connell
- Sofia Sokolove
- Jared Walls
Advisory Council
- Roberto Ainslie
- Wendy Carnegie
- Claudia Chidester
- Doug Dorst
- Spike Gillespie
- Tom Grimes
- Syed Ali Haider
- Michael Hall
- Shaun Jordan
- Keith Kreeger
- Richard Linklater
- James Magnuson
- Naomi Shihab Nye
- James Pennebaker
- Ruth Pennebaker
- Lara Prescott
- June Rodil
- Evan Smith
- Ana Stapleton
- Natalia Sylvester
- S. Kirk Walsh
- Simone Wicha
Volunteer with Austin Bat Cave
Every year, Austin Bat Cave is fortunate to work with an amazing team of volunteers who provide one-on-one and small-group writing support. They inspire students to undertake and complete writing projects which they proudly share. Students emerge from our programs with edited and polished written projects, greater confidence in their voices, sharpened writing skills, and a lifelong appreciation for writing.
If you’re interested in learning more about volunteering, please contact our Program Director or join our volunteer list.
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