Meet Our Staff

  • Chief Executive Officer - Kay Austin
    Kay Austin

    Kay Austin has served as the Chief Executive Officer of Santa Maria Hostel since 2005 and has been with the organization for 12 years. Ms. Austin has served as Clinical Program Director and Chief Operations Officer during her tenure at the organization.

    In 2007, Ms. Austin was elected by the Texas Association of Addiction Professionals, Houston Chapter, the 2007 Addiction Professional of the Year for Houston.

    Ms. Austin has worked in the addictions treatment field in medical/surgical hospital settings and residential facilities since 1984 in both the private and public sector. She has worked with a general adult population, adolescent care, and, most recently at Santa Maria, with a specialized female population of women and their children.

    Ms. Austin's commitment to the clients she serves at Santa Maria is to select talented, committed staff to provide the best possible evidenced-based curricula and to assist these clients by offering court liaison services, family therapy, and co-occurring psychiatric and substance use services to meet their needs.

    Kay Austin is a mother, grandmother, and great grandmother.  She utilizes her clinical training and experience each day, along with her education and personal life experience to recognize and provide for the full continuum of needs of the clients in treatment at Santa Maria Hostel.

  • Chief Financial Officer - Barbara M. Page
    Barbara M. Page

    Barbara Page joined the management staff of Santa Maria during 2006, bringing with her over 20 years of high level financial experience with non-profit organizations both in Houston, Texas and Richmond, Virginia, as well as medical group management and private financial and business development consulting expertise.

    Although Barbara has managed the fiscal operations of businesses with revenues in excess of $18 million, her passion has been to work with organizations where revenues have an opportunity to change lives.  From her years of dedication to the start-up of a residential non-profit organization serving abused and abandoned children, to leading a shelter for homeless women and children into an era of unsurpassed growth made possible through sustaining private donations coupled with over $500,000 in private foundation grants, Barbara has also excelled in the areas of development, grant writing, human resources, and operations. She is proud to be able to bring the strengths of this multi-faceted background to her position as Santa Maria’s CFO.

    Barbara also brings in a fresh fiscal and operating perspective due to her service on numerous non-profit Boards of Director’s both in Texas and Virginia.  Family, integrity, ethics, and faith are at the root of all Barbara’s work, both in the office and out. She challenges herself, her staff, and fellow employees at Santa Maria to earn the public’s fiscal trust each day. She creates a working environment aimed at setting and nurturing high performance goals, meeting and exceeding expectations, and working with attention to detail and perfection, not just to perform a job, but to change lives through the performance of that job.

    Barbara and her husband, Wayne, have been married for 28 years; have three grown sons and one daughter who is a junior at Clemson University, and eight grandchildren.

  • Controller - Adriana Sandoval
    Adriana P. Sandoval Zahm

    Adriana Sandoval was born and raised in Cuernavaca, Morelos, Mexico in 1973 and graduated from Lawrence University, Appleton, Wisconsin, in 1995 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in anthropology, and Spanish Literature.
    Volunteerism has always been a part of Adriana’s life. Throughout her schooling she focused primarily in social and cultural aspects of Anthropology and at times she seemed to be involved in many more hours of volunteer activities than class hours. Being so far away from home, she was always quick to utilize her university breaks to help coordinate and participate in Habitat for Humanity trips. She was co-founder of VIVA!, a student group dedicated to expand awareness of Hispanic Culture reaching members both within the campus and the greater community. She was also an active member of Kappa Kappa Gamma fraternity for women, in which she served as Philanthropy chair.

    Soon after graduating, she followed in her mother’s footsteps as she had done when she finished her studies: Mrs. Zahm had joined a church group in her native El Dorado, KS to volunteer three years of lay service in Barquisimeto, Venezuela.  Adriana joined the now former VESS (Volunteers of Educational and Social Services) and selected to have Santa Maria Hostel become her “mission site” for a year. She later decided to renew her commitment with VESS at Santa Maria Hostel for an additional two years and has dedicated her career to Santa Maria ever since.

    Throughout her trajectory at Santa Maria Hostel, Adriana has been involved in practically every department of Santa Maria Hostel.  Adriana has seen Santa Maria Hostel grow from having a budget of less than one half million to over 5 million.  In her current position, she is proud of being able to make decisions for Santa Maria Hostel with the knowledge of how her personal insight will be impacting the bottom line most effectively, our clients.

    Adriana now calls The Woodlands home, where she lives with her husband and 4 year old daughter.

  • Quality Control Manager - Cheryl Empey

    Biography coming

  • Director of Development - Jennifer Helley

    Biography coming

  • Court Liaison - Tommy Austin
    Tommy Austin

    Tommy Austin graduated from Sam Houston State University in 1975 with a bachelor of science in law enforcement/police science. Tommy was a U. S. Customs Service agent responsible for the investigation of the illegal exportation of American industrial high technology, weapons of war, nuclear weapons, nuclear devices, and enforcing the Trading with the Enemy Act from 1994 to 1997.

    Tommy might have anticipated at least some of the dangerous and exciting assignments he has faced. What he did not anticipate, however, was meeting a four-year-old boy named Christopher Greicius in Phoenix, Ariz., in 1977, and what would happen as a result of that meeting. Chris Greicius was suffering from cancer and his greatest wish was to be a police officer. After Austin and his law enforcement friends gave Chris helicopter and police cruiser rides, a badge, and his own uniform, complete with police helmet and goggles, the Greicius Make-A-Wish Foundation was born.

    Austin, now retired from the Customs Service, has earned his Masters of Social Work from the University of Houston. With the awards, memberships, and involvements he has amassed in his law enforcement and volunteer agency career and his education, Mr. Austin was appointed court Liaison in 2001, and his efforts in this capacity have resulted in better client outcomes in court and in Family Protective Services hearings.  He has proven himself a real community leader who represents the clients served by Santa Maria and demonstrates daily a vested interest in the success of the families he serves.

  • Human Resource Coordinator - Leslie Hamilton

    Biography coming

  • Payroll Specialist - Maria E. Llamas
    Maria Llamas

    María Eugenia Llamas was born in Aguacalientes, Ags., and raised in México City. Maria Eugenia graduated from Colegio Mercedes with a degree in Accounting and studied Fine Arts at the Instituto Nacional de Bellas Artes in Mérida, Yuc., Casa de la Cultura de Coyoacán in Mexico City, and Instituto Cultural Helénico. She worked in her father's grain business for 25 years as the general manager. During this time, she also operated her own business in graphic design.

    Maria came to the United States in 2000 and resided in San Antonio, Texas where she worked for San Antonio Metals, Inc. as a bookkeeper and Mexicana Airlines in its reservations center. In 2003, she began working at Santa Maria in data entry and was promoted to Human Resources. She has been part of the organization growth from less than 60 employees to now over 100 and has recently been named Payroll Specialist. In order to meet her job demands, she recently became certified in Human Resources through the Houston Community College.

    Maria Eugenia has two children, a daughter and a son, and three grandchildren who reside in Mexico City.  In 2007 Maria became a naturalized United States citizen.  Painting is foremost among her hobbies, having won first, second and third place in an art competition of over several hundred artists in Houston. She is a team player who has donated artwork to Santa Maria Hostel to use in fund raisers and is dedicated to the good work that Santa Maria Hostel is doing in the community.

  • Volunteer Coordinator - Pam Vangiessen

    Biography coming

  • Medical Records & Billing Manager - Deddra McGee

    Biography coming

  • Director of Admissions - Nancy Daughtry

    Nancy Daughtry entered the field of chemical dependency treatment in 1990 and has worked for the last 18 years in counseling programs, including residential, outpatient, and extended care with both adults and adolescents.  Prior to coming to Santa Maria Hostel, Nancy was a Regional IOP Coordinator, overseeing the operations of five IOP offices and staff. Nancy has always had a calling to work with women to help them discover the blessings of recovery.  Her experiences in the treatment field have given her a clear perspective that gender specific treatment is the most beneficial a woman can receive.

    Nancy was born in Memphis, Tennessee and grew up in both Tennessee and Louisiana as her father’s work moved them from state to state. She moved to Houston in 1969 and made Houston her home. Nancy is the proud mother of three adult children and 8 grandchildren. Her children are all wonderful, caring parents and are successful in their own rights.

    Nancy completed the University of Houston Chemical Dependency Counselor Program with honors and subsequently went back to college to obtain a Bachelors of Science in Counseling.  She has continued the education process over the years and has extensive knowledge of the process of addiction and the process of recovery. Nancy’s personal goal as Director of Admissions of SMH is to be of genuine service to the clients, referral sources, fellow employees, and friends of Santa Maria Hostel.

  • Program Director, Women and Children's Program - Donna White
    Donna White - Program Director

    Donna White has been in the field of addictions since 2000. She received her associate's degree in Mental Health from Houston Community College. She is currently attending University of Houston-Victoria and is in the Criminal Justice Program.

    Donna began working Donna White has been in the field of addiction since 2000. She received her associate's degree in Mental Health from Houston Community College and is currently attending University of Houston-Victoria and is in the Criminal Justice Program.

    Donna began working with women involved with Child Protective Services in the beginning of her career in the addiction field. While as a counselor intern she developed an outpatient program for dual-disorder clients in 1999. Donna came to Santa Maria in 2000, loves her work, is dedicated to her client’s success, and is committed to providing the best quality care to clients and their children.

    with Women involved with Child Protective Services in the beginning of her career in the addiction field. While as a counselor intern she developed an outpatient program for dual-disorder clients in 1999. Donna came to Santa Maria on September 30, 2000. She loves her work and is committed to providing the best quality care to clients.

  • Program Director, Specialized Female Programs - Penny Hardin

    Penny Hardin has been a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor since 1995.  She has specialized certifications as a Faith Based Counselor, Texas Board Certified Addiction Counselor, and International Certified Addiction Counselor.  She has experience in management positions for nine years for both non-profit and for profit agencies. Her experience includes serving as program director for the Next Step for women, working in the criminal justice system, Child Protective Services, and with drug court clients, as well as working with dually-diagnosed client populations. She has also been involved in three “start up” chemical dependency programs.

    Early in her career with Santa Maria Penny implemented the WHO (Women Helping Ourselves) program at Santa Maria.. She integrated addiction counseling with Community Supervision Officers offering a unique treatment team approach to address the many needs of the women who enter Santa Maria under a court order and remain in residence for six months.  Penny is a client advocate whose passion for care through excellence is evidenced at Santa Maria Hostel and propelled her to her most recent promotion to the position of program director for all specialized female services.

  • Program Director, COPSD & COSIG Programs - De'Audra Whiting
    De'Audra Whiting

    De'Audra Whiting is a native Houstonian and a veteran of the United States Army. She earned a degree in Business Administration from City Colleges of Chicago while in the Army.

    In 1994 she became interested in the field of Chemical Dependency and attended the University of Houston to continue her education. She obtained a scholarship to complete the Chemical Dependency course to become a LCDC. Upon completion of school Ms. Whiting began working with Teenagers seeking Chemical Dependency Treatment.  De'Audra implemented Prevention Programs for Elementary Schools in Fort Bend ISD, Lamar Consolidated ISD and Stafford Municipal School District.

    In 2003 De'Audra joined the staff of Santa Maria as a COPSD Clinician providing outreach COPSD services to various treatment facilities within the city. Her dedication, skills, leadership and talent earned her the position as Director of the COPSD Program, where she continues to bring dedication to clients, hard work and attention to detail.  De'Audra is also responsible for the COSIG program for the Co-Occurring State Incentive Grant which is designed to increase accessibility to services for persons with co-occurring psychiatric and substance abuse disorders. Her creativity and passion to empower Women in recovery is reflected through various programs she implemented for the COSIG Program.

    De'Audra enjoys spending time traveling with her son. She enjoys teaching him to be open to learning all that life has to offer. De'Audra believes that life's true gift is laughter and she spends her day making people exercise their face and stomach muscles as well as their spirit through laughter.

  • Program Director, Outpatient & Transitional Programs - Isaac Stephens

    Biography coming