OUR TEAM | ricRACK

Our Board

Board Chair

Lauren Anderson

Lauren Anderson created her consulting and coaching practice in 2015 with a focus on individual and organizational capacity building. It is informed by her experience as a nonprofit CEO for 20 years, advocate and service on innumerable nonprofit and for profit boards. She was certified as a professional coach in 2015 by Leadership That Works. She has provided consulting for small businesses, nonprofits and emerging leaders with a focus on strategic planning and leadership transition. Anderson is a graduate of Barnard College and Rutgers University School of Law. She also has two professional certificates from Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government. She has worked in the private, nonprofit and public sector and has taught as an adjunct professor at Rutgers University and University of New Orleans College of Urban and Public Affairs. And in her spare time, she is a quilter and fiber artist.

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Board Vice Chair

Trish Thibodeau

Trish Thibodeau, CPA, is a costume-loving crafter with a passion for sustainability and a knack for turning scraps into something spectacular. She joined ricRACK’s Board of Directors in 2024 and serves as Vice Chair, where she helps champion the magic of reuse and hands-on creativity. Inspired by heritage skills and the joy of making, Trish brings both heart and know-how to ricRACK’s mission. When she’s not stitching, gluing, or glittering, she enjoys travel, dining, and spending time with her husband and two dogs, Rowdy and Otis.

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Board Secretary

Brooke Walker

Brooke Walker is an immigration attorney based in New Orleans. She holds a Political Science degree from The George Washington University and a J.D. from Loyola University New Orleans College of Law. A lifelong crafter inspired by her grandmother, Brooke joined ricRACK’s Board of Directors in 2024 to support its mission of preserving heritage skills. In her free time, she enjoys golf, tennis, traveling and movie nights with her pug, Mio.

Board Treasurer

Jena Hausman

Originally from Pensacola, Florida, Jena’s love of music brought her to New Orleans in 2009, where she attended the University of New Orleans and earned dual degrees in Accounting and Business Administration. She went on to complete her Master of Business Administration at UNO in 2023.
With more than a decade of experience in public accounting—specializing in small business consulting and nonprofit auditing—Jena transitioned to the nonprofit sector in 2020 and currently serves as Accounting Manager at the Greater New Orleans Foundation.
Her passion for creativity and sustainability led her to ricRACK, where her love of costuming, crafting, and environmental advocacy found a natural home. Since January 2025, she has proudly served as Board Treasurer, combining her financial expertise with her dedication to community, the arts, and a more sustainable future.

Board Member

Helena Robinson

Director of Sustainability and Quality Control, Xavier University of Louisiana

Helena is a seasoned professional with over 15 years of experience in education and higher education operations, dedicated to advancing sustainability initiatives. Leveraging an MS in Industrial/Organizational Psychology and an MBA, she strategically develops and implements programs that cultivate climate champions and optimize facility operations. Since 2019, as Director of Sustainability and Quality Control, she has been instrumental in driving Xavier University's environmental stewardship through strategic planning, grant writing, and the formalization of sustainability programming. Her expertise encompasses waste reduction, urban forestry, climate action campaigns, and the promotion of clean energy infrastructure. Helena's commitment to continuous improvement is evident in her certifications as a TRUE Zero Waste Advisor, Climate Wayfinding Facilitator, One Point Five Fellow, and GNOF Emerging Leader.

Board Member

Malika Freydberg

Malika Hadley Freydberg is a multi-medium performance and visual artist based in New Orleans, Louisiana, as well as the owner and lead guide of walking tour company, Anansi’s Daughters, LLC. She’s a four time national slam poet, a burlesque performer, musician, and recently completed her first novel. She’s had a fascination with costuming and anything that glitters for as long as she can remember. Serving on the board of ricRack is the perfect complement to her love for, and borderline obsession with, the city of New Orleans.

Board Member

Paul Tassin

Paul Tassin practices housing law with a regional legal aid organization. He met ricRACK early in the Covid pandemic while helping organize the mask-making effort, then became a dedicated ricRACK student and customer. He joined the Board of Directors in 2024. As a third-generation New Orleans sewist, Paul has sewn for friends and family, Mardi Gras krewes, film and TV productions, and the Louisiana Stars Drum and Bugle Corps; today his fellow attorneys know they can count on him to mend their court clothes at the last minute.

Board Member

Holis Hannan

ABC

Board Member

Mitchell Turnbough

ABC

Board Member

Romina Piersanti

Romina Piersanti is a leadership coach and learning strategist with 20+ years of experience helping mission-driven organizations grow with purpose.

As Head of Content at Positive Intelligence and founder of Firefly and Sage, she designs learning experiences that blend high performance with conscious leadership.

She began her career teaching high school English in New Orleans with Teach for America and later coached educators across NYC. This foundation in education continues to shape her work with values-driven teams and leaders.

Romina holds degrees in Marketing and French, a Master’s in Educational Leadership, and multiple coaching certifications. Inspired by her parents’ love of sewing and a deep commitment to community, she joined ricRACK’s Board in 2025.

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Founder, Board Member

Alison Parker

Alison Parker started her professional career developing and maintaining costumes for the Cirque du Soleil. In recent years she shifted her focus to wardrobe for TV shows like Girls, NCIS New Orleans, and Stephen Soderbergh’s Mosaic, or feature films like Looper, I Am Legend, or The Highwaymen, costuming Kevin Costner and Woody Harrelson.

After spending 20 years surrounded by the waste of fabrics and clothing, and finding a lack of sewing resources, Alison Parker knew ricRACK was an organization that needed to exist. Born in Bradford, England, Alison immigrated to the States in 1980, and went on to graduate from the University of Florida with a degree in theatre production, specializing in Costume Design. In November 2019, Alison accomplished her greatest feat by combining her passions, historical costuming, social justice, and repurposing clothing. She created prototypes and patterns, organized sewing circles, and in effect, costumed close to 300+ re-enactors for Dread Scott’s 1811 Slave Rebellion Re-enactment. Her techniques are the most prolific and sustainable used by any costume designer today. When Alison and her husband are not working, they live on their sailboat in Southshore Harbor with Beatrice the Boat Cat and Thibodeaux the dog.

OUR STAFF

Sustainability Coordinator, Aubrey Mann

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Creative Reuse Shop, Shel Roumillat

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Creative Reuse Shop, Anjle Latiha C

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Anjle is a creative polymath who draws on over 20 years of experience in fiber art, costuming, performance art, theater, music, writing, drawing, and painting to create art that combines story, image, and form. Anjle enjoys the challenge of applying skills across disciplines to develop their own unique approach to their craft. combines story, image, and form. Anjle enjoys the challenge of applying skills across disciplines to develop their own unique approach to their craft.

Instructor, Carolina Gallop

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Carolina was born in La Ceiba, Honduras and was raised in Boston, MA. She moved to New Orleans from Los Angeles in 1999 where she trained as a Fashion Designer. Carolina enjoys hosting Fashion Show events and had done so since arriving in New Orleans.
Carolina has been teaching adult and children sewing since 2010 and enjoys the “Art of Sewing”. She enjoys the look on her student’s faces when they finally “get it”.
Carolina enjoys working with the Community and likes to meet new people. She is trained in Medical Administration and is also a trained Paramedic. Carolina enjoys teaching and sewing new projects and is currently creating and making hats for an upcoming show in Massachusetts. She leads several adult beginner to intermediate classes.

Instructor, Lorenza De la Puente

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Lorenza De la Puente is a New Orleans native who graduated from the Fashion Institute of Technology in 2019 with a Bachelors in Fashion Design. She has spent the last two years working on her Masters in fashion design at Politecnico di Milano. Lorenza loves to crochet, knit, and sew and she is passionate about teaching and working with children.

Instructor, Alester Stalling

Instructor, Iz Eagles

Instructor, Gala Glyphon

Instructor, Marwan Pleasant

Instructor, Ari Chalew