Staff

About Us
History
Board of Directors

Ronda Englander
Co-Founder and Executive Director
ronda@comfortcrew.org

Child advocacy has long been a passion for Ronda. For over 25 years, she has worked as a child advocate, supporting children in need and promoting child health and education issues. She holds a Masters degree from The University of Texas in Child Development and has worked with youth populations at Brackenridge Hospital in Austin, at the Child Life Department at John’s Hopkins Hospital in Baltimore, worked as a Child Life Specialist at Children’s Medical Center in Dallas, and as the Director of the Early Childhood Center at La Vega Independent School District in Waco.

From a chance meeting with Trevor in 2003, the Trevor Romain Company—a children’s educational publishing company—was born. In 2007, eager to pursue their vision of helping children cope during difficult times, the Trevor Romain Foundation was launched.

Having lost her father in combat during the Vietnam War, Ronda has had a special passion for the difficulties faced by military families. She has participated in the Huey 091 Foundation, a foundation focused on military loss. Ronda’s personal experience and understanding of the challenges faced by military families resulted in the Foundation developing a partnership with the DOD and USO, and the eventual creation of resources specifically designed for military children.

Patsy House
Special Programs Consultant
patsy@comfortcrew.org

For over 15 years, Patsy has had the privilege of working as an advocate supporting public policies and industry practices that promote the health and well-being of children, women, the elderly, and individuals living with disabilities in Texas and across the U.S. She has a solid background in non-profit organizational development, building and facilitating collaborative relationships and community partnerships. Patsy earned a B.A. in Political Science and Business Administration from Sam Houston State University and a Masters in Public Administration from Texas State University.

Patsy’s father is a proud U.S. Army veteran, who served two tours in Vietnam. Patsy’s husband—U.S. Army active duty—is currently deployed, serving his third tour in Iraq. She is proud and honored to be a part of a community of men and women who are passionate and committed to serving and protecting our country.

Angela McDonald
Development Manager
angela@comfortcrew.org

Angela was born in Panama, where her father was stationed at the time.  She earned her B.S. in Marketing and her M.Ed. in Student Affairs at Clemson University, while playing basketball for the Lady Tigers.  Through running the student-athlete community outreach program, Angela discovered her passion for helping kids.

Angela first met Trevor Romain in 2011 while organizing a free camp for military youth in Austin. Responsible for fundraising and development, she’s excited to be a part of The Comfort Crew in helping to support military children and their families with the unique challenges they face.

Beth Frost
Special Events and Donor Relations Coordinator
beth@comfortcrew.org

After graduating from the University of Texas at Austin in three years with a B.A. in French and a Business Certification, Beth spent several years acquiring experience in office and event management. With an avid interest in marketing and event coordination, she is excited and proud to help support military kids as a part of The Comfort Crew.

Melissa Misselhorn
Executive Assistant
melissa@comfortcrew.org

Melissa has a background in communication research and has investigated communication processes as they occur within and among individuals, groups, organizations, and societies. She received a B.A. in Communication Studies and a MA in Technical communication from Texas State University. She has studied abroad at the Freie Universität Berlin and Middlebury College in Vermont.

Born and raised in Central Texas, Melissa grew up in a small community east of Austin. Her family has seen its share of the hardships that deployment brings.  Her father was in the National Guard, and both of her grandfathers were proud veterans of WWII.

Meeting other peoples’ needs despite adversity was one thing Melissa was devoted to during her work assisting students with disabilities. She also served as executive assistant for a water rights company. She enjoys participating in theatre and directing a handbell choir.