Meet the team
““My philosophy in the work that we do is from Matthew 25: ‘Truly I say to you, to the extent that you did it to one of these brothers of Mine, even the least of them, you did it to me.””
Employees
executive director
Maria Young
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Maria has been a clinical social worker in Wake County since 1998. She received a BA in Psychology from Bucknell University and her Masters of Social Work at UNC-Chapel Hill. After working with countless impoverished families with various needs, her family and close friends decided to actively make a difference in the lives of many. In 2010, she co-founded A Doorway to Hope. Maria is passionate about her work serving others and does so with the support of her husband Michael and their two children Gabriella and Nicholas. They love to play pickleball, watch hockey and enjoy time in the outdoors.
Program & Marketing Manager
Olivia Buchanan
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Program Manager for Operation Give Pack and Food Security
Olivia grew up in the Apex area where she attended St. Mary Magdalene and Cardinal Gibbons High School. She earned a BA in Psychology from East Carolina University in 2023. During college, she found her passion for helping others while working at a nonprofit in Greenville. Upon graduating, Olivia was excited to learn about opportunities at A Doorway to Hope and officially joined the team in 2024.
Program Manager
Leigh-Ann Mutch
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Program Manager for Crisis and Angel Tree Teams
Leigh-Ann was born and raised in Cary. She is a graduate of Cary High School and East Carolina University, where she earned a BS in Elementary Education and English. She taught second grade for years before marrying her high school sweetheart and starting a family. She enjoyed helping out in the classrooms while her three children were in school and volunteering in community programs, such as Brown Bag Ministry and A Doorway to Hope. In her free time, she enjoys cooking with her family, playing tennis and pickleball, and walks with her dog.
Board of Directors
Paul Mastropolo
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Paul grew up in New York but has lived in the Cary area since 1995. He graduated from UNC Chapel-Hill with a BS degree in Business Management and from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst with an MBA. He currently is the Human Resources Director for JMP, a subsidiary of SAS Institute. Paul and his wife, Amanda, have four children. He is passionate about volunteering and serving others. Paul is very involved in various ministries at St. Mary Magdalene, including youth group leadership, the Knights of Columbus, and men’s faith formation, and serves as a volunteer soccer coach for a local league.
Nikki Nahas
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Nikki was raised in the Midwest and attended Indiana University where she obtained degree in Social Work. After college she worked for Catholic Charities in Chicago, specializing in homeless prevention. Nikki has enjoyed being involved with Doorway to Hope the past several years and is excited to take a more active role. Since 2011, she has called North Carolina home, where alongside her husband Damon and three children, she has immersed herself in both family life and community service.
Tom Karpus
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Tom was born and raised in Michigan, but he has been a Cary resident since 1995. Tom holds a BS and MS degrees in Electrical Engineering from Michigan Technological University and Syracuse University, respectively. He is currently a Senior Applications Engineer with Analog Devices, Inc. in Raleigh. Tom has been active in our community, including serving as a volunteer youth sports coach for the Town of Cary and the Cary YMCA, a member of the St. Michael Parish Finance Council, Chairman of the St. Michael Pastoral Council, and Co-chair of the St. Michael “God’s Work, Our Challenge” capital campaign.
Leonard Lynch
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Lenny lives in Cary with his wife, Kathy, and their children, Conor, Fionan and Aine, who have all graduated from St. Mary Magdalene School and Cardinal Gibbons HS. Lenny is a member of the Saint Mary Magdalene parish where he has served on both the School Advisory Committee and the Parent School Organization. He was also a Chairperson of the Church Fundraising Committee to finance the building of the Church on the property. Lenny is originally from Ireland and was educated at St. Mary’s College and University College Dublin.
Alberto Luis Roman (Paco)
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Paco is an organizational development consultant and executive coach with over 20 years of experience working in the technology and healthcare industries. Originally from Puerto Rico, he was raised in Connecticut and came to North Carolina in 1992 to attend Graduate School at NCSU where he met his wife Ashley. They have lived in Cary since 1998 and have 3 children. Paco has been involved with A Doorway to Hope since its inception. He has been a member of the NC Society of Hispanic Professionals and served on the St. Michael Honduras Parish committee and technology committee at Cardinal Gibbons High School. He was also a founding member of the DadCru at Cardinal Gibbons. Paco has coached youth football for the Carolina Copperheads and the Raleigh Revolution.
Cesely Smith
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Cesely Smith has proudly called North Carolina home since 2002, along with her husband Roger and their four children. They’ve instilled a strong sense of community and giving back in their family. Cesely actively contributes to organizing annual gala events and helps lead summer food, playing a vital role in their success. As a board member of Doorway to Hope, she channels her passion for making a difference into strategic initiatives. Cesely’s unwavering commitment to service embodies the spirit of compassion and community here in wake county. She continues to strive for a brighter future through her dedication to making a positive impact among the working poor.
Executive Board
president
Kathy Cawley
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Kathy has an undergraduate degree in Economics from the University of Virginia and an MBA from Marymount University. She is married with three children and two dogs. Kathy worked at Verizon for over 28 years, holding various executive leadership positions, including Director of Financial Operations. She led hundreds of employees across the globe, supporting the full spectrum of Verizon’s revenue stream – product development, mergers & acquisitions, system consolidations, customer contracting, pricing, billing, auditing, testing, and service. Currently, Kathy works in Senior Management with Verizon’s Internal Audit organization. Kathy has been a dedicated volunteer in our community for over 20 years, serving Wake County Public Schools, Dress for Success, and A Doorway to Hope. Her husband, TJ, the Mayor of Morrisville, is also a dedicated community volunteer.
vice president
Tony Gilliam
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Residing in Cary, Tony is a native of the area. Tony developed a sports announcing career early in life which has him now enjoying announcing work for many global sports-entertainment events. Tony has been a long-time business owner in the Cary/Triangle area and enjoys partnering with local charities to serve many separate needs in our area.
treasurer
Martina Young
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Martina is one of the founders of A Doorway to Hope. She has lived in the area for over 30 years and has been involved in a wide variety of service organizations in the area and internationally. Martina received her A.A. from Miami University, in Oxford OH, B.S. in Accounting from Rutgers University, and M.R.E. from Loyola University in New Orleans. She also attended Michigan State University. She currently owns her own accounting business focusing on small businesses.