Meet the Family Connects Team

Kathryn Treviño, RN, BSN
Family Connects Nurse Supervisor

Kathryn is a native Austinite and has been a nurse for over 25 years. She obtained a BSN from the School of Nursing, at the University of Texas in Austin in 1999. Working with the maternal-child population is her passion and being able to support a family as they welcome a new baby into their household, continues to be an awesome experience. She enjoys helping mothers identify their strengths and use these skills towards self-confidence and empowerment. Her nursing background includes employment in the NICU, OB/GYN clinic, staff development, and as a school nurse. In addition, she has previous experience as a Nurse Home Visitor and Nurse Supervisor, with the Nurse-Family Partnership (Any Baby Can). Kathryn has 5 children of her own and while they are well past the newborn stage, she understands that parents are always learning, growing and adjusting to support their children.

Amiee Lam, RN, IBCLC
Family Connects Nurse Supervisor

Amiee is a registered nurse and IBCLC Lactation Consultant specializing in maternal-child nursing. She completed her BSN from Hunter College School of Nursing, New York in 2009. She started her career in inpatient High Risk Antepartum, Postpartum, Pediatrics and NICU before joining an OB-GYN outpatient clinic supporting obstetrics and women’s health. She was born and raised in Brooklyn, New York City. She relocated to Austin, Texas to join Family Connects. She is passionate and excited to be serving families at a community level to improve maternal/child outcomes. She believes in the importance of capturing and nourishing the postpartum transitional period for all families. On spare time, she spends it with her two younger children exploring all that Austin has to offer. She also enjoys trying different foods, cooking and DIY projects.

Ann Ingram, RN, BSN
Nurse Home Visitor

Ann grew up in San Antonio, Texas but married a military man and did some traveling. She earned her associate degree in nursing in 1998 and worked primarily in critical care. She realized she wanted a career in public health nursing, so she went on to earn her BSN from the University of Colorado at Colorado Springs and graduated in 2004. Ann worked as a public health nurse with Mother’s First, Strong and Healthy Families, Nurse Family Partnership, and HCP. She moved back to her home state of Texas from Colorado after many years of being away. She enjoys taking care of her cats and farm animals. She is also passionate about health and fitness. She has two children who are her pride and joy.

Kelly Chandler, RN
Nurse Home Visitor

Kelly is an Austin native and has been a nurse for 10 years. She started her nursing career with caring for Newborns in Nursery/NICU and has many years experience as a mother/baby nurse providing couplet care, with over 15 years of experience in Women’s Health. She is passionate about helping women and families navigate through the joys and challenges of the postpartum period. She enjoys providing parents with tools and education that help support and empower them. She is a wife/mother and loves spending time with her family, cooking and traveling.

Bessy Matute, RN, IBCLC
Nurse Home Visitor

Bessy is a bilingual registered nurse and International Board-Certified Lactation Consultant (IBCLC), fluent in both Spanish and English. Originally from Honduras, she has called Austin home since the age of seven. With a deep passion for public health, Bessy has dedicated her career to supporting mothers through their breastfeeding journey and helping them navigate the challenges of early parenthood.

Her career in maternal and child health began as a peer counselor with the WIC program and Mom’s Place Lactation Center, where she discovered her calling. Since then, she has continued to advocate for families through compassionate, evidence-based care across a range of settings, including inpatient hospital setting and outpatient private practice.

Bessy is proud to be part of a program that empowers families and strengthens communities. Outside of work, she enjoys spending quality time with her daughter, hiking, dancing, and swimming.

Lanna Barbaroux, RN, BSN, IBCLC
Nurse Home Visitor

Lanna has more than 20 years of experience in maternal-child nursing and loves helping new moms and families nourish and nurture their babies. She worked as a labor and postpartum doula in the Pacific Northwest before becoming a labor & delivery and mother-baby nurse once she earned her RN-BSN, magna cum laude, in 2000. After living in Ireland and France, Lanna moved to Austin in 2007 and has enjoyed working as a maternity nurse and IBCLC Lactation Consultant with St David’s and Ascension Seton. She loves babies, especially her new grandson, Lucas, but also believes, as the sociologist Barbara Katz Rothman said, that “Birth is not only about making babies. Birth is about making mothers – strong, competent, capable mothers (and fathers) who trust themselves and know their inner strength.” She hopes her work with Family Connects will go a little way toward doing just that.

Marla Andrade, RN, BSN
Nurse Home Visitor

Marla is a registered nurse fluent in Spanish and English. She was born and raised in Michigan and has lived in the Austin area since 2009. She received her first degree in Social Anthropology with a focus in Public Health from the University of Michigan and obtained her Nursing degree from Texas State University. Throughout her career she has always focused on supporting families in different capacities. Her nursing experience includes working at a children’s hospital and with Nurse-Family Partnership. Before becoming a nurse, she was a pre-kindergarten teacher, a family advocate at a local Head Start, and taught nutrition classes to families with children who were overweight or obese. Marla is passionate about improving the health of her community and is excited about improving maternal/infant outcomes through Family Connects. Outside of work, Marla enjoys being outdoors on a hike or run, exploring restaurants and cooking, traveling, and spending time with her family and friends.

Sandy Thomas, RN
Nurse Home Visitor

Sandy is a Registered Nurse with over 25 years of experience in Labor and Delivery, Maternity and Newborn Care and is Nationally Certified in Obstetrics . During her time working in the hospital setting, she assisted in the delivery of over 3,500 babies and feels it was truly a privilege to be with these families during such an unforgettable time in their lives, as every delivery is a unique experience. She is passionate about helping families navigate through the transition of welcoming a newborn home and enjoys helping families during the postpartum period, as she remembers her own experiences as a new mom. Learning about each baby’s individual needs and personality is exciting. She has been a part of Family Connects since 2020 and provides education, compassion and reassurance to her families. Sandy has called Austin her home for over 35 years and has one adult son. In her free time she enjoys learning Spanish, traveling and SCUBA diving.

Debbie Martinez
Community Alignment Specialist

Born and raised in the vibrant city of Austin, Texas, Debbie is a passionate advocate for social justice and community well-being. With seven years of dedicated service at Austin Public Health, she has made a significant impact by assisting some of the most vulnerable populations in navigating the complexities of their social determinants of health. As a Community Alignment Specialist for Family Connects, she harnesses her exceptional communication skills to build bridges between families and essential resources, ensuring that every individual has the support they need to thrive. Debbie believes in the power of community and the importance of empowering voices that often go unheard, and she tirelessly works to create a more equitable and compassionate society for all.

Paris Acosta
Program Support Specialist

Paris has lived in the Austin area the majority of her life, but currently calls Kyle home. While breastfeeding her three children, Paris had the privilege to serve with WIC as a Breastfeeding Peer Counselor. The close connection to the mothers of the Austin community awakened a passion. Paris began working to ensure health equity for all moms. As a member of the BIPOC community, she strives to advance health equity for all marginalized communities. Paris is currently trained as a Maternal Support Practitioner (doula) and Childbirth Educator. This work led her to Family Connects in January 2020. During her time with Family Connects, she became a Global Health Corps alumna, where she deepened her commitment to building equitable healthcare systems alongside global leaders. Paris believes that until true health equity is achieved, her work will never be done.

Sara Acevedo, MSSW
Program Support Specialist

Sara has called Austin home for nearly 10 years—a city that holds a special place in her heart as the birthplace of her two sons. She believes the earliest years of life are the most transformative and is honored to be able to support new parents during one of the most vulnerable and powerful moments in their lives.
Sara pulls her experience from a diverse background in community outreach, youth development, education, and social work to ensure families feel seen, supported, and connected to resources from the start. She also draws her knowledge from being a 2024 Fellow with Prenatal-to-Three (PN-3) Leaders at the Rockwood Leadership Institute.

She holds a bachelor’s degree in sociology from the University of Puerto Rico–Río Piedras and a master’s in social work from the University of Texas at Austin. Outside of work, Sara is a dedicated runner, proud soccer mom, and avid traveler—always happiest when exploring the world alongside her two adventurous boys.

Alejandra Torres
Program Support Specialist

Alejandra is a Mexican native but lived in the Rio Grande Valley most of her life and is fluent in both English and Spanish. In early 2021 she moved to the Austin area and instantly fell in love with the city! Alejandra has over 10 years of experience in dental health where she participated in many community healthcare fairs that provided free services for families. Her love for public health emerged when she realized the impact she could make in her community by helping provide these basic needs programs. She has also had the privilege to work closely with Casa Mami, a nonprofit in Reynosa, Mexico that provides housing and basic needs to single mothers and their children. Alejandra believes all moms, regardless of their background, deserve health equity and truly believes Family Connects is the perfect way to achieve that. In her free time, she loves crafting, gardening, dancing, and nature walks. She also enjoys exploring the city with her husband, daughter, son, and two dogs.

Smyia Romero
Program Support Specialist

Smyia has lived in Austin for the past six years but proudly calls the Rio Grande Valley home. She has been with Family Connects for two years, and is fluent in both English and Spanish. With over 13 years of experience in customer service and a lifelong passion for helping others, Smyia’s transition into the maternal-child field has been eye-opening, allowing her to learn about the realities of pregnancy and the postpartum journey, which has only deepened her commitment to supporting others. She truly believes in the power of making a positive impact, no matter how small, and this work feels more like a calling than just a job. Smyia finds fulfillment in uplifting communities and being part of something greater than herself. Outside of work, she enjoys reading, traveling, and attending concerts.