Board of Directors
Meet our Board
At the heart of KIND of the Upstate is our dedicated Board of Directors, a group of passionate and visionary individuals united by a shared commitment to enriching the lives all individuals. Their leadership and unwavering dedication guide our mission and drive us forward. Get to know the inspiring people who are shaping a bright, inclusive, and KIND future for all.
Anna Kate Brown
Anna Kate graduated from Presbyterian College in 1997 with a degree in elementary education, specializing in early childhood education. She earned a masters in elementary education from Furman University in 2000 and is currently enrolled in Clemson University, set to graduate in the spring (2024) with a masters in literacy. She taught kindergarten in Greenville County Schools for 8 years before “retiring” to be home with her children. In the 15 years she was home, she spent her free time volunteering and serving on local nonprofit boards and the PTAs/PTSAs of her children’s schools. Once her children were older, Anne Kate went back to teaching and is currently in her 4th year teaching kindergarten at Westminster Weekday School. She is married to Will and has 3 children: Beau, Lucy Mac, and Mary Dot.
KIND is important to her for both personal and professional reasons. Her two younger brothers were diagnosed with Fragile X Syndrome as young children in the early 1980s, and her experiences growing up as their big sister led her to teaching. The very first KIND Days were held at the school where she now teaches. No matter what your age or ability, the importance of being KIND is one of the most important lessons to learn.
Carmen Hancock
Carmen graduated from the Nell Hodgson Woodruff School of Nursing at Emory University with a Bachelor of Science in Nursing in 2009. She earned a Master of Science in Nursing from Augusta University in 2013. She is a Family Nurse Practitioner with oncology certification and has spent her career taking care of adults with cancer. She has more recently enjoyed focusing on cancer prevention and survivorship at the Center for Integrative Oncology and Survivorship at Prisma Health. She loves the patient education and wellness promotion aspects of her role.
Carmen and her husband, Thomas, are high school sweethearts. They moved from Atlanta to Greenville in 2016. They have two sons and a daughter, Alden, Nolan, and Eleanor.Carmen started volunteering with KIND in 2023 and has loved each opportunity to teach about kindness, disabilities, and inclusion. She feels that we should strive to be kind to others in our communities, be accepting of differences as this is what makes us great, and lend an inclusive hand to all. She has realized this is all even more important since becoming a mom and wants to instill these lessons in her own children. She is grateful for the opportunity to serve on the Board to further this mission.
Rebecca Huntington
Rebecca was born and raised in Huntington, WV. She attended Marshall University where she double majored in Psychology and Spanish. After graduation, she spent a year studying and working in Valparaiso, Chile. Upon her return to the states she enrolled in the University of South Carolina School of Law, graduating in 2012.
Rebecca began practicing law in Charlotte, North Carolina where she met her now husband, Will, who was completing residency there.
Rebecca and Will moved to Greenville in 2016 and are proud to call the city home. They have two children, Mason and Emma. Rebecca has paused her law practice to devote herself to her family and volunteer efforts, like KIND, that help young people learn to make the world a better place.
Candice Hipp
Candice holds a master’s degree in health administration from the Medical University of South Carolina and a bachelor’s degree in finance from Wofford College. She worked in the health care field for 10 years and found a passion for establishing new innovative population health models that focused on improving the overall health of upstate communities. Candice has served on the KIND Board since 2021.
Candice’s sister, Caroline Giguere, is a co-founder of KIND and her son, Candice’s nephew, Row, is the reason why she is driven to support KIND’s mission. Candice has three children and believes that introducing kindness, acceptance and inclusion of people with disabilities at a young age can provide lifelong benefits. Candice enjoys teaching KIND’s curriculum and seeing the positive impact made on the children served.
Laura Johnson
Laura Johnson, who is originally from Aiken, SC, graduated from Clemson University with a degree in Industrial Engineering and Georgia State with a Masters in Business Administration. She has worked at GE (now GE Vernova) for the last 17 years in various operational and business transformation roles and is currently a Services Executive. Laura, her husband Whit, and their three children moved to establish roots in Greenville three years ago.
Laura’s youngest child, Beckett, has Trisomy 21 (Down syndrome). When Beckett was born in 2020, it opened up a whole new world to Laura and her family. Beckett is an adventurous, playful, loving, and kind 4 year old boy. His sister says, “to have a hug from Beckett makes you come alive”. Laura wants the world to be able to experience the joy of inclusion and friendship with those with disabilities, which is exactly what KIND is all about.
Julia Mowlajko
Julia, originally from Charleston, SC has lived in Greenville with her husband Andy for 10 years. They have 2 daughters, Emory and Palmer. Julia graduated from Clemson University with a degree in Health Science. She then attended MUSC where she earned her nursing degree. Julia has been a nurse for almost 14 years and currently works as a nurse at Prisma in the operating room.
Julia had an incredible friend growing up named Elizabeth who had Muscular Dystrophy (MD). While her MD progressed over time requiring her to use a wheelchair, her love for life and adventure never stopped. Julia credits Elizabeth’s family for encouraging Elizabeth and her friends to do all sorts of activities. They never let Elizabeth’s disease stop them from exploring life together. To Julia, this is KIND. She hopes to share this “KINDness” with her own children and the community. Elizabeth demonstrated that with an open heart and an open mind a friendship to last a lifetime can grow no matter what differences we have.
Ellen Wilson
Ellen was born and raised in Spartanburg, SC. She graduated from Presbyterian College in 2010 with a B.S. in Early Childhood Education. She also received her Masters of Education in Classroom Leadership from Southern Wesleyan University in 2019.
She has taught public school for the last 15 years and is passionate about teaching children through literature. She believes that children are born with a curious nature and if we can nurture that curiosity and encourage inclusivity at an early age then the world will be a more beautiful place. She is passionate about teaching her students that peoples’ differences should be celebrated and honored. She teaches her students that we should include others not by the ability of our bodies or by the color of our skin, but rather by the color of our hearts. Her favorite way to connect with students in this way is through literature, using texts to inspire and enlighten students.
Ellen and her husband, Mahon, have two daughters- Mary Hazael is 6 years old and Sarah is 3 years old. She wants her children to grow up in a world where everyone is accepted and valued.
We Need Your Help
KIND of the Upstate is a registered South Carolina 501(c)(3) non profit organization. 100% of your donation goes towards our mission and is tax-deductible to the extent of the law.