Finance & Operations Team

Jeff Stover

Jeff Stover

Vice President, Finance and Operations

Jeff has more than 30 years of experience in financial leadership across corporate, academic, and nonprofit sectors. Known for his strong financial acumen, Jeff excels in strategic thinking, business strategy development, financial reporting, and applying financial concepts to guide sound decision-making.

Before joining E3 Alliance, Jeff worked as assistant dean for fiscal administration in the Department of Education and Human Development at the University of Texas at San Antonio. He also served as the inaugural chief financial and administrative officer at Texas Global, the University of Texas at Austin’s international programs office. In these roles, Jeff led major financial operations. He managed budgets and forecasts, oversaw contracts, ensured endowment compliance, and handled internal controls and staffing. Jeff also held leadership roles at IBM, Ricoh, and Dell Technologies earlier in his career. These positions gave him a deep understanding of operational excellence and business strategy.

Jeff earned an MBA from St. Edward’s University and a bachelor’s degree in accounting and finance from Texas A&M University. He is also a certified public accountant. Outside of work, Jeff enjoys traveling, cooking, and baking. He has a strong appreciation for different cultures around the world.

Jeff Stover

Christie Hepburn

Christie Hepburn

Senior Director of Operations

Christie got a call from Susan Dawson in 2008 asking if she would support upcoming Deliberative Dialogue work. She’s been connected to E3 Alliance ever since. With roles spanning from collective impact and transformation services, to communications and operations, Christie brings her passion for education and learning, her dedication to human connection, and her penchant for organization to every role.

Prior to joining E3, Christie worked in public schools for 15 years after receiving her master’s degree in Bilingual Special Education at The University of Texas at Austin. In her earlier days, Christie was a Peace Corps volunteer in Micronesia.

Christie Hepburn

Mackenzie Allen

Mackenzie Allen

Executive Assistant and Board Liaison

Mackenzie joined E3 Alliance after previously working with Vacasa as their Office Coordinator. She has also worked with the City of Austin, St. Edward’s University, and H&R Block in various administration roles.

Mackenzie holds a bachelor’s degree in Theatre from St. Edward’s University.

Mackenzie Allen

Jill Camba

Jill Camba

Accountant

Jill has over 15 years of experience in a variety of industries including banking and nonprofit sectors. During tax season, Jill volunteers her time preparing tax returns for seniors and lower income individuals at Bell County community centers.

Jill has bachelor’s in Accounting and is completing coursework to prepare for the CPA exam.

Jill Camba

Patsy Lockett

Patsy Lockett

Grant & Earned Revenue Accounting Manager

Patsy joins E3 Alliance with over 15 years in education grants administration and management and nearly 10 years of business and accounting operations experience within the Texas education sector.
She previously served at the Texas Center for Educator Excellence (TxCEE) division of the Region 18 Education Service Center, where she began as a grants specialist and ultimately became the business operations manager. Earlier in her career, Patsy also served at the Texas Education Agency, where she was first introduced to grants management. She believes that faithfully maintaining the business side of education is as important as education itself and takes pride in her work serving students, educators, and communities in Texas.
Patsy holds a bachelor’s degree in human resource management and a Master of Business Administration degree, both from Concordia University, Texas.
Patsy Lockett

Lydia Nelson, M.A., PMP

Lydia Nelson

Project Manager

Lydia brings over 10 years of diverse experience in education, engagement, and research to E3 Alliance, which has centered on developing collaborative processes to enhance experiences and systems.

Before joining E3 Alliance, Lydia taught undergraduate courses at Arizona State University and The University of Texas at Austin and worked as a multidisciplinary communications consultant. Most recently, she managed strategic projects and community partnerships for the Creative Learning Initiative in Austin ISD, a citywide collective-impact model to advance arts access in education.

Lydia is a proud New Englander raised by two public school teachers. She earned a Project Management Professional certification, a master’s degree in communication from Arizona State University, and a bachelor’s degree in history from Western Kentucky University, where she competed on the national champion forensics team and was commissioned a Kentucky Colonel by the Commonwealth in recognition of her service and accomplishments. In her free time, Lydia is a passionate participant in Austin’s vibrant arts scene.

Lydia Nelson

Emily Pickens

Emily Pickens

Operations Manager

Emily Pickens comes to E3 Alliance from a local nonprofit, Women in Neuroscience, where she was the director of programs. She brings a strong background in neurologic music therapy and business, and a lifelong passion for service, volunteerism, and advocacy. She uses her unique skills and experiences to find creative, intentional, and focused ways to get the job done. Emily is passionate about collaboration, connecting people with opportunities, and creating equitable systems of operation. 

A Florida native, Emily completed her undergraduate degree in Music Therapy at The Florida State University before relocating to Austin in 2012, where she has since made her mark on the community. In 2019, she enhanced her qualifications with a master’s in business administration from Texas State University, focusing on non-profit management. 

 Outside of her professional endeavors, Emily enjoys singing, spending time with her husband, their dog, and 13 chickens. She loves exploring the Green Belt, binge-watching old seasons of Survivor, cooking delectable meals, and getting lost in the latest thriller by Harlan Coben. 

Emily Pickens

Susan Dawson Fellows

Spring 2026 Cohort

Jennifer Bernard

Jennifer Bernard

District Analysis Fellow

Jennifer Bernard is a recent dual master’s degree graduate (MSSW/MPAff) of the UT Austin School of Social Work and the LBJ School of Public Affairs, where she fell in love with analytical work and mathematical models. Her background as a classical musician and educator ignited her passion to understand how we can strive for excellence while remaining rooted in compassion and respect for our humanity. Jennifer’s musical career also gave her opportunities to travel around the world, where she saw how different economic and cultural systems impacted human well-being. Her core areas of interest are education, mental health, and workforce development. Jennifer will be collaborating with the E3 Alliance Center for Community Engagement as a District Analysis Fellow to refine a Superintendent Engagement Workbook. 

Jennifer Bernard

Samuel Burgazzi

Samuel Burgazzi

Data Animation & Visual Design Fellow

Samuel Burgazzi is a multilingual UX and visual design student with a background in astronomy and data analysis. Originally from Italy and now based in Austin, he will graduate this spring from Austin Community College. As the Data Animation & Visual Design Fellow at E3 Alliance, he supports the Communications Team by creating visual and motion-based storytelling assets that make education data more accessible and engaging. Drawing on international academic experiences across Europe, South America, and the United States, Samuel brings a global perspective to his work and is passionate about turning complex information into clear, human-centered visual narratives that support education equity. 

Samuel Burgazzi

Soe Reh

Soe Reh

District Analysis Fellow

Soe Reh was born in Thailand and later moved to Austin. Soe is a student at UT Austin’s McCombs School of Business studying Management Information Systems and previously worked on the Ed-Fi team at the Michael & Susan Dell Foundation supporting education data initiatives. He applied to the E3 Alliance Susan Dawson Fellowship to gain hands-on experience working on real projects that create impact. He will be working with the E3 Alliance Center for Community Engagement as a District Analysis Fellow. Soe is especially interested in using technology and data to improve education systems and student outcomes. Outside of school, he enjoys playing soccer and hiking. 

Soe Reh

Sholeh Moradibavi

Data Resources & Competitor Analysis Fellow

Sholeh Moradibavi is a Ph.D. student in Special Education at UT Austin with a concentration in Learning Disabilities and Behavior Disorders. Sholeh’s research focuses on reading and literacy to improve academic outcomes for multilingual learners, including English learners, across reading and content areas such as science and social studies. Sholeh currently works as a Graduate Research Assistant on projects including MELVA-S and IS2RW, supporting survey design, assessment administration, and data collection and analysis. Sholeh will be working with E3 Alliance’s Research and Data Systems Team as a Data Resources and Competitor Analysis Research Fellow.