Our Team
At The Hope Closet, we are honored to be led by a dedicated team of women united by a shared love for serving others. Each member of our Board of Directors brings a heart for community, a commitment to compassion, and a belief that every person deserves to be seen, valued, and supported.
As a women-led 501(c)3 nonprofit, we work together to connect the neighbors in need with the neighbors who care. Through generosity, collaboration and a deep sense of purpose, we strive to bring hope, dignity, and practical support to families throughout our community — one relationship, one home, and one act of kindness at a time.
Ashley Manstedt serves as Founder and President and oversees the mission and goals of The Hope Closet, focusing on program logistics, operations, partnerships, fundraising and event planning. A native of southern Wake County, North Carolina, she brings over a decade of experience in community advocacy and grassroots leadership, with a focus on serving underserved populations. Inspired to respond to the immediate unmet needs and poor living conditions she encountered in local Section 8 housing, she founded The Hope Closet in her garage and built it into a vital emergency resource in southern Wake County. She has a degree in English and Education from Meredith College and has worked in a hybrid of both law and government for the past 20 years.
Ashley Manstedt
Jill Luttman serves as Founder and Vice President and oversees the mission and goals of The Hope Closet, focusing on program logistics, operations, partnerships, fundraising and event planning. She has a doctoral degree in Cancer Biology from Duke University and worked as a consultant for 5 years managing projects for large and mid-size pharmaceutical companies. From an early age, she began volunteering with nonprofits as her mother was an involved volunteer with the Leukemia and Lymphoma Foundation and she continued her advocacy work through her bachelors and doctorate degrees working with groups focused on funding cancer research or helping underrepresented groups enter into the STEM fields.
Jill Luttman
Theresa Cooley serves as Treasurer for The Hope Closet Board of Directors. She has a bachelor and a masters degree in social work. Her professional experiences were primarily within the community mental health services and K-12 educational systems, including grant procurement and management and oversight of grants. Theresa’s contributions to the Board focus on consultative and advisory services to the Board of Directors, its individuals, and the organization as a whole.
Theresa Cooley
Alie Vaughan serves as Secretary for The Hope Closet Board of Directors and has a background in non-profit management and community outreach. Vaughan has an associates degree in Occupational Therapy, working primarily in the geriatric healthcare field for the past nine years. She has recently earned her bachelor's degree in Business Administration with a Concentration in Nonprofit Management from Southern New Hampshire University, and is now putting her degree to good use as a board member of The Hope Closet. She has been involved in numerous Christian youth ministries over the years and has a passion for helping families experiencing crisis in her community.
Alexandra “Alie” Vaughn
Joyce Mistler serves as Director of the Committee for Economically Disadvantaged Families. She is a U.S. Navy veteran and community advocate with more than 20 years of experience in the legal field. Born in New York and now based in Fuquay‑Varina, NC, she holds a Criminal Justice degree from CW Post/Long Island University. Over the past two years, Joyce has worked closely with low‑income families, focusing on access to resources, stability, and support. She is also the owner of Pawsitively Delicious, a small business that partners with local animal rescues through sponsorships, fundraising, and fostering. Joyce’s combined background in service, advocacy, and entrepreneurship strengthens her commitment to improving outcomes for economically disadvantaged families.
Joyce Mistler
Deb Obermeier serves as co-Director of the Committee for the Unhoused. She helps source and organize a quarterly Street Outreach at the soup kitchen in downtown Raleigh, in addition to helping with monthly food deliveries to local transient and economically challenged households. Her passion over the past 5+ years is serving those most vulnerable with love and compassion. She has a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Special Needs and was a preschool special ed teacher for 30 years in Wisconsin prior to moving to NC in 2015.
Debra “Deb” Obermeier
Carol Staup serves as co-Director of the Committee for the Unhoused. She is a former high school and special education teacher. She has been an involved member of the local community for over 20 years with a specific focus on assisting homeless individuals by collecting and distributing donations directly to the unhoused. Most recently, she founded the Grassroots Food Closet with a mission to invite the local community to participate in serving those experiencing food shortage.
Carol Staup
Christine Williams serves as the Director of Senior Services. She holds a degree in Business and brings more than 30 years of experience serving consumers. Christine has served as Chair of the State Employees Combined Campaign and has supported local elderly populations for more than five years. She also leads a ministry serving seniors in economically disadvantaged apartment communities, reflecting her deep commitment to advocacy and access for older adults.