Dena Petty originally founded Mentors Care in 2009, as a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization. Everything about the program and what she hopes to accomplish is based on what Dena wished she had as a kid growing up in a very dysfunctional environment. Dena is passionate about helping young people in similar situations to realize their potential by giving them the necessary tools to do so.

Dena is best described as a cheerleader. She encourages young people to believe in themselves, to understand that each of us exists to live out our own potential and to find our own path in this world. Dena has been married to Todd Petty for 35 years. Her son, Bryce Petty, wife Jordan, and daughter Rivi, is a former quarterback for Baylor University in Texas and then the NFL’s New York Jets & Miami Dolphins. Her daughter, Lexie Petty, is an outstanding athlete in her own right as well as a recent graduate from the University of Texas at Tyler nursing school graduate and is now a critical care nurse at Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas.

Dena attended Louisiana Tech University studying fine art and interior design where she was on the ladies golf team and played on the Future’s Professional Golf Tour for two years. She was the youth pastor of Cabot United Methodist Church from 1999 – 2005 before she created and implemented Mentors Care.

Brian Blackwell began working with at-risk youth at the Arlington Boys and Girls Club when he was a Business student at UT-Arlington. What started out as a part time job helped him find his passion for helping kids. He changed his major to Education, graduated from UTA, and began teaching and coaching in Midlothian ISD in 1993 at Frank Seale Middle School.

In 1998, he accepted his first assistant principal job in Venus ISD, where he worked for two years. Returning home to MISD in 2000, he served as Assistant Principal and Principal at Frank Seale Middle School. In 2005, he was named the first principal at Walnut Grove Middle School in Midlothian, where he served until 2020.

Brian retired from public education in 2021 after serving for 28 years. As a mentor with Mentors Care during the 20-21 school year, he saw first-hand what the organization does and the powerful impact that it has on kids. Brian is married to Karena Blackwell, Principal at Longbranch Elementary, and has a daughter, Kylie, who is a paralegal.

Michelle started working for Mentors Care in 2016 where she began as the Maypearl High School Coordinator and is currently one of the Area Coordinators.

She and her husband Jeff have lived in Maypearl since 2013 along with their 3 kids; Meagan, Garrett, and Cutter. She is active in her church and also in her community. Michelle loves to garden, hike, read, and spend time with her family.

Before she began working with Mentors Care, she was a stay at home mom for 13 years and also began an outreach program in an impoverished area in Ellis County for at-risk kids and teens. There is such a mission field out there and her heart has always been centered on the lonely and the lost, especially children. Her passion is to love, guide and mentor kids who are overlooked and struggling.

Susan Baker was born and raised in Midlothian, TX, a graduate of Tarleton State University and now resides in Grandview with her husband Cody, and daughters, Cadyn and Chyan. In her free time, Susan enjoys spending time with her family and being their biggest cheerleader. She is active in her community and church.

Susan comes to Mentors Care with a background in event planning and a heart for serving. She is excited to put her talents to work towards building a better future for the lives we touch.

Sean is from Fort Worth, Texas where he graduated from Southwest High School. After high school, he enlisted in the U.S. Air Force. He met his wife and best friend, Kristal, and married her in 1994.

After serving four years in the Air Force, He felt called to the ministry. He served as a youth and children’s minister from 1997 to 2011. He took a sabbatical from ministry to return to school and pursue a bachelor’s in Criminal Justice from Texas A & M-Commerce. In 2015, he joined the Mentors Care team as the Campus Coordinator at Heritage HS and served in this role until June 2018. In the fall of 2018, Mentors Care opened in Red Oak HS and he moved there to be the Campus Coordinator. In the Fall of 2021, he moved to a different role as Expansion and Community Engagement Coordinator, where he assists all of our campuses with finding mentors and resources for our students.

He and his wife Kristal have two amazing kids, Dylan and Ashlyn and in 2023, they welcomed a new addition to their family, a new Daughter in Law, Emily.

Kaitlyn Czap grew up in Midlothian, TX, and is currently pursuing her degree in Social Work from Liberty University. Ever since she was a child, she has loved helping others. Her family often went on mission trips and in 2019 she had the privilege of being a missionary in the Philippines. There she served as a team coordinator overseeing the daily schedules for the volunteers as well as managing the birthing clinic.

Since moving back to the states, she has worked as a case manager for an elderly couple. She loves finding meaning in her work and always seeks to serve others.

Kaitlyn lives in Midlothian with her husband and four children (Burke, Eli, Dax, and Indy). In her free time, she enjoys traveling, playing ball with her boys, yoga, and spending time with family and friends.

Kaitlyn is very excited to join the Mentors Care Team and can’t wait to see what this chapter looks like. She has a passion for helping people discover their strengths and is looking forward to giving back to the community she lives in.

Jessica and her family have made Maypearl their home since 2011. She loves working with Mentors Care and considers it a privilege to serve her very own community through the program. Chad and Jessica have been married since 2008 and have two amazing kids, Mason and Rylee! They are both proud Maypearl Panthers!

Their family loves any and everything outdoors, working on their own little ranch, and being involved at their home church, FBC Midlothian. She finds her joy in investing in the lives of others and walking alongside those who find themselves struggling. She can’t wait to see what God has in store through each new adventure!

Arlene was born and raised in Northeastern Oklahoma. After graduating high school her life became one of service, she honorably served twenty-years in the United States Army. After military retirement, she worked in education through employment with Midlothian, Waxahachie, and Ft. Worth Independent School Districts. Arlene began working for Mentors Care in 2018, specializing in connecting volunteer mentors to students as a channel of hope; building trust-based relationships to inspire students towards academic and personal fulfillment.

As a child, Arlene saw herself as a cheerleader with a deep passion to serve, encourage and inspire others. Her unique life assignments through military service, Christian ministry, international missions, and community efforts all epitomizes her faith in the Lord. In her personal time, she enjoys spur-of-the-moment shopping and eating adventures with her husband Beachey, decorating, gardening, and relaxing in total silence. She resides in Midlothian, Texas with her husband, they have two sons, Beachey and Keion. She's a Tarleton State University graduate with a Bachelor's Degree.

Payton Belcher is a Coordinator for Maypearl High School. She began as a coordinator in 2022 for Avalon, Italy and Milford High Schools. When she started this position she set a goal to create an atmosphere of safety and encouragement; and now she feels like she has set the foundation for that atmosphere!

She specializes in strategic planning and has helped her students and surrounding community in achieving their desires and goals. In her spare time, she volunteers with her home church youth group and she loves to flip furniture with her mom because it gives her space to unwind!

Mark Blakely was born in Plattsburgh, New York, and moved frequently as his father was a navigator in the Airforce. He finally landed in Savannah, Georgia, and spent most of his formative years there. After graduating from Georgia Southern University, he lived all over the United States, working for Hilton hotels. In 1993, Mark started his own business in Miami, FL called “Hospitality Purchasing Network”. He met his wife Sara in 1999, while living in Miami. They married in 2000 and Sara, being a native of Texas, quickly moved Mark to Texas in 2007 with their two children Jack and Hunter. Sara teaches at Wylie High School in the Family and Consumer Sciences Department.

Mark spent many years coaching Little League and enjoys playing golf in his spare time. Mark and his family are members of Beltway Park Church where he works with the church youth every Wednesday of the school year. He has participated in Rotary, March of Dimes, and Junior Achievement. Mark feels he has been called to make a difference in the lives of at-risk students and feels blessed to have been given the opportunity to serve with Mentors Care since 2021.

Kristal is a preachers kid so she and her family have traveled a lot in her young life, but she graduated from high school at Chapel Hill in Tyler, TX. Soon after graduation she met the love of her life, Sean Byars. They have a beautiful marriage and attribute their happiness to keeping God as the head of their home. They have two amazing kids, Dylan and Ashlyn, who are successful and walking in their callings. Dylan married the love of his life, Emily in March 2023.

Kristal earned her bachelor’s degree in early education from Texas A & M Commerce. Before coming to Mentors Care, Kristal was an elementary PE teacher. She currently is the Youth Pastor and Worship Pastor at her church.

Every day, she strives to be a blessing to everyone with whom she comes in contact and wants to help people realize that what seems impossible is actually POSSIBLE and can be a REALITY! Kristal’s desire is for her office to be a safe haven, refuge, and all to feel accepted and wanted.

Jennifer grew up in Mansfield, TX. She and her husband, Zach, have been married for 14 years and have five beautiful children. They moved to Grandview in 2015 and attend and serve FBC Grandview.

Jennifer started her career in the corporate world, but after having kids decided to be a stay at home mother. She knew education was the place for her and went back to work as a teacher for 3 years before joining Mentors Care. She is excited to work directly with struggling teens in Grandview and Keene. She hopes to create a loving atmosphere and show kids they have a community that is rooting for them!

Stephanie grew up and graduated from Waxahachie ISD. She obtained her bachelors degree in Spanish from UNT in Denton. She served as a secondary classroom teacher from 2016-2022 at Red Oak ISD. This is where she realized that her passion and calling was to work with at-risk youth. The most rewarding part of her job was hearing success stories from former students, especially those who struggled during their high school years. It was then that she realized her passion for working closely with these students and to serve in a capacity to help at-risk students succeed and have the tools they need to overcome challenges in life.

She is the second oldest of 5 children. Family is very important to her and she credits them and God for any success that she has had in life. Her time serving students does not end in the classroom, she also serves at her church teaching Kids Church on Sundays and Girls Ministries on Wednesday nights. She has been a lifelong member at Bethesda Assembly of God in Waxahachie.

In her free time, she enjoys thrifting, spending time with her 16 year old Labrador that she’s had since high school, 12 year old Australian Shepherd mix and feisty 10 year old Yorkie. However, she still makes time for her one and only 14 year niece and her late night food run requests.

She believes God has placed her with Mentors Care and is blessed to work for an organization that believes in empowering young people during a crucial part of their lives.

A lifelong resident of Ennis, Stacy is excited to be on the Mentors Care journey. Participating first as a mentor she is blessed to now be on the coordinator side and watch the lives of many students and mentor’s lives be changed. She feels that God has placed her in the Mentors Care family and she cannot wait to see what adventures are ahead!

Over many years working with youth at her home church and substitute teaching she has seen teens flourish when they know they have value and worth. She believes that students will succeed when they believe in themselves, believe there is hope for their future, and she intends to watch them walk right into that future!

Stacy and her husband, Glenn, have been married for 37 years. In 2010 God called them to plant The Road Church in Ennis. They also own a local contracting company which has been in business for over 35 years. Their free time is spent hanging out with family, traveling as often as they can and watching the Dallas Stars. They have two sons, Andrew and Adam, and Adam has a beautiful wife, Haley. Their grandson Cole who is a 1st grader in Ennis, is the light of their lives. They try to never miss a game when he is on the ice playing hockey.

Lisa grew up in Midlothian and graduated from Midlothian High School in 1998. She graduated from Dallas Baptist University and began teaching in 2001. She has spent 10 years teaching 6th grade Math at Walnut Grove Middle School.

Her 13 years in education include teaching elementary and middle school and serving homebound high school students in Mansfield Independent School District (ISD). She has been married to Greg more than 20 years, and they have two children, Luke, who attends Oklahoma State University, and Olivia, who attends Midlothian Heritage High School.

She is a valued member of the Mentors Care team and loves serving the students at Heritage High School. She has a heart for at-risk students and is passionate about providing love, support, and guidance to students in need. In her free time, Lisa enjoys spending time with her friends and family, traveling, and listening to live music.

Kelsie and her family have been a part of the Palmer community since 2007. She and her husband Jeremy have been married for more than 15 years and have two awesome kids!

Kelsie Irion is a program coordinator for Palmer High School's Mentors Care program since 2021. She loves her calling to work with the students in the program and can't wait to go to work to see them every day! Outside of Mentors Care she enjoys watching her kids participate in any sport or event they get a chance to be a part of. Her family also enjoys spending time at Dallas Stars hockey games and at Lake Whitney.

Katrina was a member of the Red Oak Community for over 20 years and has been a Midlothian Resident since 2010. She is a proud citizen of Ellis county, living there most of her life.

Katrina has been married to her husband, Christopher, since 2009 and have two boys, Cannon and Knighten. Outside of work, she enjoys serving her church and community, hiking, camping, watching her son in karate, baseball, and movies!

Katrina is extremely excited to be a part of the Mentors Care team. Her passion, and heart belongs to secondary students and their success. Having been a part of Red Oak ISD for 18 years in the classroom, she loves to connect with students in a different way as a Mentors Care coordinator. She feels that God called her to this new mission and adventure. She can not wait to see where God leads!

Ev’marie grew up in Arlington, TX. She attended Baylor University where she received her Undergraduate and Master’s Degree in Social Work. She met her amazing husband while attending Baylor University and got married in 2008. They moved to Beaumont, TX where she worked for the housing authority for 3 years as a Family Self Sufficiency and Bound For Success Coordinator. A job change brought them back to the DFW area where Ev’marie worked for the Dallas Housing Authority. She later took a position as a Case Manager Supervisor for a small foster care agency in DeSoto, TX, and worked there for 5 years.

Each part of my life has been a steppingstone that has led me to Mentors Care, and I am truly blessed to be here. I love teens and enjoy helping them navigate through the uncharted waters as they prepare for the real world and become adults.

In her free time, you can find her cooking, baking, dancing, swimming, and spending time with her family and friends. Ev’marie and her husband have two sweet and spunky kiddos- Seth and Luci who bring joy to their lives daily! Ev’marie and her family have lived in Midlothian since 2013 and they are active members of their church and community.

Azaria is from Waco where she graduated from Waco High School. After high school, she pursued her Bachelor's in Education at UT Arlington. Throughout her journey in the school district, she realized her passion was working closely with at-risk youth and started working in youth ministry. Through this connection, she learned about Mentors Care and knew this would be her new home.

She and her fiance have a two-year-old son together and they plan to get married in 2024. In her free time, she enjoys baking and cooking. As the coordinator at Life School Oak Cliff, she plans to empower and support our mentors in providing guidance and inspiration to our mentees. By facilitating effective mentorship relationships and fostering a collaborative and nurturing environment.

Kimmey and her family live in Waxahachie, Texas. She and her husband Derrick have been married for 21 years and are blessed with two beautiful daughters.

She has enjoyed 20 years working with children and has spent the last 12 years working at Life school Red Oak. While there she has developed a strong desire in her heart to listen, encourage and love students who are struggling to be/see their best self, due to life circumstances.

Enduring, her own challenging, and at times tragic childhood, along with a rigid teenage past. She knows her experiences have only successfully equipped her with the tools she needs to aid Mentors Care, and reach the hearts of our students to encourage them to realize their past circumstances or choices shouldn’t weigh on them as an anchor.

She desires to help students use their desperate situations to build, one stepping stone at a time to recognize their past, will never define who their future self can be.

Melanie is a proud resident of Ennis, Tx and has lived there most of her life. As a former Art teacher, Melanie loves to use her passion for art to lift the spirits and self-esteem of her Mentors Care students. It is her greatest mission in life to inspire, encourage and spark hope in students who struggle though desperate situations.

Melanie has been married to her husband Jeff for over 25 years and together they have two wonderful daughters Annie and Adeline, and a son-in-law, Kyle. There is nothing Melanie enjoys more than spending time with her family and traveling with friends.

Melanie enjoys working with young people, helping them, and watching them grow as individuals. As a graduate of EHS, Melanie is humbled and grateful to be able to serve and mentor students in her hometown community!

Dena Petty originally founded Mentors Care in 2009, as a 501 (c) (3) non-profit organization. Everything about the program and what she hopes to accomplish is based on what Dena wished she had as a kid growing up in a very dysfunctional environment. Dena is passionate about helping young people in similar situations to realize their potential by giving them the necessary tools to do so.

Dena is best described as a cheerleader. She encourages young people to believe in themselves and to understand that each of us exists to live out our own potential and to find our own path in this world. Dena has been married to Todd Petty for 35 years. Her son, Bryce Petty, wife Jordan, and daughter Rivi, is a former quarterback for Baylor University in Texas and then the NFL’s New York Jets & Miami Dolphins. Her daughter, Lexie Petty, is an outstanding athlete in her own right as well as a recent graduate from the University of Texas at Tyler nursing school graduate and is now a critical care nurse at Parkland Hospital in Dallas, Texas.

Dena attended Louisiana Tech University studying fine art and interior design where she was on the ladies golf team and played on the Future’s Professional Golf Tour for two years. She was the youth pastor of Cabot United Methodist Church from 1999 – 2005 before she created and implemented Mentors Care.

Chip Boyd feels truly blessed, having been a Mentor to four students, within the ROHS Mentors Care program, beginning in 2018. He looks forward to this next opportunity to serve and to continue to see this incredible program grow and positively impact the lives of the young people, within it.

Chip grew up in Del Rio, TX, and received his degree in Environmental Resource Management, from the University of Texas at Austin, in 1992. He has spent his professional career in the world of Residential Land Development, starting in the Austin market and, most recently, within the John Houston Family of Companies, based in Red Oak, which is how and where the Mentors Care program was introduced to him.

Chip lives in Colleyville, with his beautiful wife, Angela, and their two sons, Cole and Ben. Cole is studying business at Harvard, and Ben attends Colleyville Heritage High School. Angela is the CFO for the John Houston Family of Companies.

Tom has been married to his wife Cyndi for the past 30 years.

They have two children, Hunter and Mckynsi.

Tom has been a self-employed broker in the packaging industry for the past 23 years and formerly served the Midlothian area community as a Midlothian ISDschool board member from 2006 through 2017.

He has also served on the Friends of Midlothian FFA Board and the Midlothian education foundation along with coaching youth sports.

Karen retired from public education in 2016 after serving 36 years. She taught first and second graders in various Texas school districts including Midlothian ISD for 24 years. She spent the last 12 years of her career as Principal of Mt. Peak Elementary in Midlothian ISD. Her goals were to always do what was right by students and to lead her staff by example! She gives credit for any success in her career to having wonderful personal and professional mentors who lead and helped her along the way.

Karen was born and raised in Dallas, Texas.

She attended NTSU (now UNT) where she met her husband, Bryan. She has a beautiful daughter, a wonderful son-in-law, and two adorable grandsons.

Karen started mentoring with Mentor Care after her retirement in 2016. She says it is a way she can continue giving back to Midlothian ISD, the district she loves so much, and to keep working and helping students reach their goals.

Greg Babbitt, originally from Garland, TX, now makes his home in Palmer, TX. He is the technology coordinator for Palmer Independent School District, where he has worked since the fall of 2020. Before that, he worked in the automotive industry in repair and insurance. He is also a graduate of Northwood University.

Greg has been a mentor for Mentors Care for 5 years at Palmer High School. He enjoys getting to know the students of his community and investing in their lives.

Greg is married to Jennifer, who also works for Palmer ISD as an instructional technologist. They have been married for longer than 12 years and they live with their three dogs.

Outside of work, they enjoy spending time with friends and family, volunteering at their church, and taking road trips. Greg is excited to continue serving with Mentors Care and serving as a positive role model for the students of Ellis County.

Ann Margaret has been a resident of Midlothian for 19 years.

Graduate of Texas Woman University – BBA Denton, Texas.

Retired- Flight Attendant for Delta Airlines (17 years), Retired- Anesthesiologist and Associates, Office Manager (18 years), Currently Co-Owner of Midlothian Based Birdies Designs.

She has been indirectly involved in School Districts most of her adult life. Most recently, her late husband (of 32 yrs.), Carl Smith, served as President of MISD School Board, whom spent over 50 years educating and serving kids.

“It is my desire to help and have a positive impact on the lives of ANY Child that just needs a little extra help and support through Mentor Care.” she said.

“I am humbled to be a part of this group.”

Kim Gilson has served in public education for almost 30 years. Her career began as a band director in her hometown of Desoto. After having her first child, she became a math teacher and eventually moved to Midlothian, where she was an assistant principal. After serving MISD as a Coordinator for Curriculum, Assessment, and Accountability, she joined the Region 10 Education Service Center.

She is currently in her 2nd year as the Chief Academic Officer at Advantage Academy. Kim is a Zig Ziglar certified motivational speaker and coach, and occasionally dabbles in comedy. She lives in Midlothian and has two sons, Trent and Cade, and attends Harvest Hill Church. Her motto in life is “Go big or go home.”

Brian Blackwell began working with at-risk youth at the Arlington Boys and Girls Club when he was a Business student at UT-Arlington. What started out as a part time job helped him find his passion for helping kids. He changed his major to Education, graduated from UTA, and began teaching and coaching in Midlothian ISD in 1993 at Frank Seale Middle School.

In 1998, he accepted his first assistant principal job in Venus ISD, where he worked for two years. Returning home to MISD in 2000, he served as Assistant Principal and Principal at Frank Seale Middle School. In 2005, he was named the first principal at Walnut Grove Middle School in Midlothian, where he served until 2020.

Brian retired from public education in 2021 after serving for 28 years. As a mentor with Mentors Care during the 20-21 school year, he saw first-hand what the organization does and the powerful impact that it has on kids. Brian is married to Karena Blackwell, Principal at Longbranch Elementary, and has a daughter, Kylie, who is a paralegal.

Judy Walling joined the Board of Mentor’s Care in August of 2022. She has been an educator for over 39 years. Judy retired from Midlothian ISD in December 2020 after serving in various administrative roles for 27 years. Prior to that she worked in Cedar Hill ISD for 10 years as a special education teacher and special education administrator. She started her education career at the University of North Texas Lab school while working on her Masters degree in Public School Administration.

“Education is a calling and I have always been blessed to work in excellent districts where decisions are made through the lens of what is best for students and staff.” Mentor’s Care started in Midlothian ISD in 2009 and I saw countless lives that it impacted (for both the mentee and the mentor). I want to be a part of that process and be involved in such a worthwhile organization.

Mark is a local attorney and former Mentors Care Executive Secretary. His selfless service to the Mentors Care program has been crucial to the organization’s health, sustainability, and growth.

Mark is the managing partner of Lish Law Firm, LLP, a corporate, commercial, real estate, technology and transactional law firm with principal offices located in Duncanville, Texas. He has more than 27 years’ experience working closely with large corporate clients and businesses of all sizes including-profit organizations.

He drafted (and was one of the three original directors named in) the certificate of formation and the articles of incorporation for Movement Toward a Future (now known as Mentors Care). Mark was also instrumental in the organization’s filing for recognition of tax-exempt status with the Internal Revenue Service, which resulted its recognition of Mentors Care’s 501(c)(3), tax-exempt status on March 29, 2012.

Acting as general counsel for Mentors Care, Mark has provided insights, strategic vision and guidance relating to a variety of business and legal matters, including Mentors Care’s recent re-branding initiative.

Together with other members of the Board, he has also been instrumental in the development of a growth and expansion model which promises continued expansion into other school districts throughout the State of Texas and beyond.

Raymond is the Pastor of 8 years at Foundation of Life Church in Ennis Texas where he has been the.

He and his wife, Eunise have been married for 20 years and have a beautiful teenage daughter, Layla.

Raymond was born in Ohio, raised in Tennessee but has resided in Texas for over 20 years.

Raymond and his wife are graduates of Southwestern Assemblies of God University in Waxahachie.

Raymond has been involved with mentoring with different programs for the past 10 years. Raymond has been a part of Mentors Care since 2021 at Ennis High School, where he currently meets with 3 students.