Our Team
Our Founder
Christine Deschaine, Executive Director
Christine Deschaine is a Senior Vice President in Kennedy Wilson’s brokerage division and specializes in the leasing and sale of retail property. She has more than 25 years of experience in tenant and landlord representation and has worked extensively in urban redevelopment with some of the area’s most prominent retail developers. Since joining BHTF in 2019, Christine has visited Bringing Hope in Uganda eighteen times and helped to develop the Building Women and Crisis Pregnancy Center program. She is also the Founder and Board Member of ThinSpace, a nonprofit that works to bring vital resources and opportunities to the people of Kaihura, Uganda.
Additionally, Christine works with City of Hope as an agent at Kennedy Wilson and the Commercial Real Estate, where she received the Spirit of Life® Award for her professional and humanitarian accomplishments. For 20 years, she has volunteered with Harvest Home and helped in programs including fundraising and hands-on programs including Bible studies, baby and mother baskets, sorting baby clothing and landscaping projects. Her work continues at Ann Douglas Women Center DTLA, supporting women with life recovery services. Christine’s passion for non-profit work is extensive as she has dedicated her life to serving the needs of others.
Board of Directors
Leeza Hoyt
Chief Business Development Officer
Our newest board member, Leeza Hoyt, has been a friend of Bringing Hope to the Family for over ten years. Born in Cairo, Egypt, Leeza’s family returned to the United States when she was young and, via Kansas City, ended up settling in Los Angeles, California, which she calls home to this day. She serves as president of The Hoyt Organization, Inc., (Hoytorg.com) a leading public relations agency based in the Los Angeles area. She has been involved in championing change for her clients for more than 25 years. Today, the company has a team of 12 professionals that manage ongoing campaigns, major trade show events, company launches and more. These campaigns have resulted in more than 100 awards and national as well as international recognition by its peers.
Today, the firm is the Los Angeles area partner for the Public Relations Global Network, which has more than 50 member agencies worldwide. Accredited by the Public Relations Society of America, Leeza holds a bachelor’s degree in journalism with an emphasis in public relations from the University of Southern California and a master’s degree in business administration from Loyola Marymount University.
Carl Hebeler, CPA, JD,
Chief Financial Officer + Treasurer of the Board
Carl Hebeler, CPA is President of Hebeler Accountancy Corporation serving a wide array of clients in their individual and business tax needs. For over 20 years, Carl has shared his depth of experience in business and financial management with many charitable organizations, including the city-based Los Angeles Center of Photography, and the international charitable organization, The Prem Rawat Foundation.
Carl's academic credentials include Michigan State University (B.S); Suffolk University, Boston (MBA); Florida International University, Miami (M.A. Accounting); and from Abraham Lincoln University law school, Los Angeles (J.D.) His passion for non-profit work led him to BHTF where he serves as the CFO and Treasurer of the Board. Carl brings his depth of experience to the BHTF's board of directors, in support of revenue and programmatic growth to drive impact.
Tori Robinson
Board Member
After graduating from UCLA in 1985 with a BS in Psychology, Ms. Robinson began in the real estate industry as an appraiser and then mortgage broker. In 1989 she began her career in title insurance. She is currently responsible for revenue generation for the Settlement Services and Title operations of the Los Angeles National Commercial Services office of First American Title Insurance Company.
Ms. Robinson is a Past President of Commercial Real Estate Women of Los Angeles (CREW-LA) and currently serves on the Diversity, Equity and Inclusion Task Force of CREW Network, the umbrella organization to which all 77+ chapters belong. She recently served as CREW Network Foundation Champion Director for two years and was named as the 66th CREW Visionary in 2018, a recognition for charitable giving to advance the careers of women in commercial real estate. She is also a member of the UCLA Real Estate Alumni Group (REAG) and serves as a member of the Endowment Circle of the organization. Additionally, Ms. Robinson serves on the Real Estate Charitable Giving Committee for Providence St. Joseph Foundation in Burbank, CA and is a member of Bruin Professionals (BP), a business networking organization. Most recently Ms. Robison was invited to be a board member for Bringing Hope to The family, USA. A position for which is honored to have accepted.
Personally, Ms. Robinson enjoys charitable activities focused on championing the under-represented in CRE, yoga, cooking and playing live music. She is married and resides in Calabasas, California.
Dr. Helen Easterling Williams
Board Member
Dr. Helen Easterling Williams serves as Vice Chancellor of Advancement at Pepperdine University in California where she develops mutually beneficial relationships that support university goals and aspirations. As Dean of the Graduate School of Education and Psychology, she managed the efforts of approximately 270 faculty, 100 staff, 18 board members, and numerous volunteers while overseeing the educational experience of approximately 3,640 on-ground and online students. In addition, she added new programs and increased revenue by 352% over an eight-year period. Dr. Easterling Williams also developed community engagement programs such as Urban Initiatives 2.0. and earned a Doctor of Education degree in Educational Leadership from the University of Delaware, a Master of Science Degree in Speech and Language Pathology from Towson State University in Maryland, and a Bachelor of Science Degree in Speech Correction with a minor in Biology from Jersey City State College in New Jersey.
She is an Honorary Lecturer of the COGDEL/Beijing #35 School in China, she received the Los Angeles Business Journal Women’s Council 2019 Executive of the Year, is a lifetime member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Inc., and an ordained Elder in the African Methodist Episcopal Church.
Dr. Easterling Williams has two daughters, a son-in-love, and three grandchildren that inspire her daily.
USA Staff
Kelly Reynolds
Ambassador
Kelly provides oversight to the team's strategic social media initiatives and strategic counsel for BHTFUSA. A digital native, he cooperatively oversees many of BHTFUSA’s organic and sponsored social campaigns. Kelly brings 3 years of social media management experience to the BHTFUSA team. Born and raised in Los Angeles, he received his bachelor's degree in Journalism and Public Relations at the University of Oregon.
As an Account Executive at The Hoyt Organization, Kelly develops media relations and social media strategies focusing on brand growth and awareness, helping lead team initiatives throughout a range of multi-layered marketing and public relations campaigns. During his 1.5 years with the agency, he has championed public relations efforts for the organization's PRopel programs, partnering with institutional, educational, and community-driven non-profits in the Los Angeles area.
Carmen Hall
Ambassador
Carmen is a sophomore at Duke University and spent two months in 2023 participating in an eight-week Duke Engage and Bringing Hope to the Family program in the Village of Kaihura, Uganda, Africa. Carmen has a passion for education since she worked very closely with 155 High Hope Lower Primary students and 130 Kindergarten students.
Carmen is the first Duke University Ambassador for Bringing Hope to the Family, USA. Carmen will focus on education and teacher development since she has already raised tuition for one of the BHTF teachers to complete her bachelor’s in education. Carmen's goal is to help teachers to further their studies and strengthen the teaching staff at BHTF.
Jackie Jacquemoud
Advisory Board & Communications
Jackie Jacquemoud spent 40 years as a retail professional in the golf industry. Her first foray into retail management was at the iconic Desert Inn Hotel and Country Club on the famed Las Vegas Strip where she worked for over 20 years, eventually managing all the retail shops at the resort. When the hotel became Wynn Las Vegas, Jackie was recruited by another iconic business, Las Vegas Golf and Tennis, where she oversaw buying, merchandising, and marketing for a five-store expansion. After 14 years with Las Vegas Golf and Tennis, she retired.
Currently, Jackie is pursuing a life-long dream of writing professionally. She is delighted to be able to channel her energy into the Bringing Hope to the Family USA newsletter and any other writing tasks that come her way. She is currently working on her first novel