Adriana M. Higgins, Executive Director
Dr. Adriana M. Higgins joined the Affiliate team in October 2007. She has several years experience in educational administration, major gift development, fund raising, and planned giving. Adriana served as Director of Major Gifts and Planned Giving for the Houston Zoo and is a member of the Board of Directors for the Planned Giving Council of Houston. Before her career change to Institutional Advancement, Adriana served as Director of Admissions at both the University of Houston and Texas A&M Galveston, and has held several adjunct professor positions. Adriana has a Doctorate from the University of Houston and completed her Bachelors and Masters Degrees in Communications and Management respectively.
Tania Cruz, PR and Events Manager
Tania Cruz joined the Affiliate team in June 2007. She graduated from the University of Houston in December 2006 with a degree in health education. As an active member of Kappa Delta Chi Sorority Inc. and having the opportunity to intern and work for the Lupus Foundation of America, Texas Gulf Coast Chapter, she is knowledgeable about the non-profit world. With her passion and desire to give back to the community, she hopes to continue to expand her skills and make a difference in the lives of those who need it.
Avis Harris, Donor/Grants Database Coordinator
Avis Harris joined the Komen Affiliate team in May 2011. Avis has over 12 years experience in relational database management. Before coming to Komen, she held similar positions with Memorial Hermann Foundation, Baylor College of Medicine and Girl Scouts of San Jacinto Council. She is excited to bring her expertise to build and manage Komen’s donor database, making it a highly resourceful and effective tool for the Komen Houston Affiliate.
Naomi Hollingsworth, Executive Assistant
Naomi Hollingsworth joined the Affiliate in March 2010. She moved here from Hawaii where she worked in Banking. She previously worked with the Greater Greensboro Open Golf Tournaments in Greensboro NC. She has 15 years experience as Executive Assistant.
Deana Hyma, Financial Manager
Deana is a recent addition to the Komen family. She is a native Houstonian with more than 20 years experience in accounting with more than 11 years in the non-profit field. In addition to her enjoyment of working with non-profits, she is an active volunteer in her community and dedicated to raising her family.
Ginny Thompson Kirklin, Mission Director
Ginny Thompson Kirklin, MPH, CHES, joined the Affiliate team in February 2010. She has over 13 years experience in conducting cancer intervention research, program planning, developing evaluation tools, coalition building and training. She has volunteered for Komen Houston for many years and served as the Education Committee Chair and Chair of Photovoice. Before coming to the Affiliate, Ginny served as the Manager for the National Cancer Institute’s Cancer Information Service, serving Texas and Oklahoma, and was a Health Educator at Komen Headquarters.
Annie Stafford, Special Events Manager
Annie Stafford is a new addition to the affiliate team having come on board in March 2011 as the Special Events Manager. Annie has several years of experience with event planning and marketing. She worked in Ft. Lauderdale for a boutique event company, where she managed several national accounts. A third generation native Houstonian, Annie went to the University of Texas and graduated with a Bachelor of Science degree. She and her husband, Trey, are new parents to a healthy baby boy. Annie is excited to be part of this great organization and she can't wait to inspire others.