Meet the HopeCAT Team!

---

Lorie Hines
President & Executive Director

Lorie joined HopeCAT in 2023 after working in several C-level positions at not for profit organizations that worked towards the alleviation of poverty, hunger, and impacting communities for the better. Each of her positions provided her opportunity for growth and have profoundly impacted her life.  Lorie has a B.A. in Organizational Leadership from Houghton College and a Masters of Arts in Organizational Leadership from Malone University. She is the mother of two young adult children and three dogs. She enjoys spending time with her husband riding bicycles, hiking, traveling, and camping.

Megan Gabriel
Director of Adult Training

​​Meg joined the HopeCAT team in April 2021. She is a Certified Medical Assistant with over 13 years of experience and taught for our Medical Assistant Program for three years before becoming the Director of Adult Training in the fall 2023.  She works closely with PDE, as well as collaboratively with the Director of Marketing and Development to help promote our programs and the Executive Director to explore and develop new programs/curriculum. In her spare time, she volunteers at a local animal shelter and enjoys spending time with her family and with her animals.

Erin Flaherty-Harris
Student Services Coordinator

​​Erin joined HopeCAT as Student Services Coordinator with more than 25 years of experience in customer service. She is a certified community health worker and recovery coach who enjoys connecting with people, providing support and helping others succeed. Her previous work with individuals experiencing homelessness strengthened her commitment to helping people identify their goals and connect with the resources they need.

Outside of work, Erin enjoys spending time with her husband of 22 years, her stepdaughter and their spoiled Chihuahua, Reese.

Francesca Baldarelli
Director of Arts

Francesca “Cheka” was born and raised in Hermitage, PA.  She has her Bachelor's of Fine Art from YSU and her MFA from the University of Alabama (roll tide).  She worked as a Teaching Artist for the past 5 years and became the Director of Arts in 2024.  Cheka looks forward to growing the Arts Programs and collaborating with the community to create experiences through arts and culture. In her free time, she likes to go for walks with her son, Michael, and her beloved doggo, Najee. She also is an avid reader (while pretending to watch football with her Alabama native husband!). ​

Karole Kantner
Medical Assistant Program Coordinator / Instructor

"Nunnie" Teaches many courses for our Medical Assistant program.  She is a Registered Nurse with 30+ years of experience, still working per diem at Family First Urgent Care. Nunnie is a lifelong resident of the Valley and enjoys sharing her knowledge by teaching at HopeCAT.

Tim Krummert
Construction Trades Coordinator / Instructor

Tim joined the team in 2025 with over 25 years of experience in carpentry. A Mercer, PA native, he honed his craft at Penn Tech for Carpentry and further expanded his expertise by studying Electrical Technician at LTI. With a passion for the outdoors, he enjoys hunting, fishing, and camping in his free time. When he's not working with his hands, he can be found spending time with friends and family or enjoying live music.

Christian Kuharik
​Arts Program Coordinator (Ceramics)

Christian is a native of Sharpsville who has his BFA from Edinboro University.  He moved back to the area after receiving his MFA from WVU in 2003 and works full-time in our Ceramics studio. Christian has made pottery his life for the past 25 years and enjoys sharing the knowledge and wisdom of his craft with HopeCAT students, the local community, and anyone who will listen. ​

Ashley Vaughan
Arts Program Coordinator (2D Studios)

Ashley, among other arts education, has her BFA from YSU.  Her printmaking style could be described as creepy, mysterious and enticing. Some pieces are more traditional prints with an application of heavy black inks, while others are more contemporary with poppy surreal color combinations. She likes to make screen prints that are more graphic and illustrative. Because lithography allows for more of a value range, she is able to achieve more realistic imagery in those prints.  In her spare time she likes to go swimming, spend time with family, roller skate, and go camping. Ashley also plays roller derby for the Little Steel Derby Girls in Youngstown. ​

Monica Savchuk
Director of Administration

With more than 25 years of progressive leadership experience in administration, accounting, project management, and human resources, Monica provides strategic oversight of the organization’s administrative operations while fostering collaboration, efficiency, and organizational excellence.
Outside of her professional role, Monica is dedicated to preserving her Croatian heritage through traditional music and dance. She is actively involved with her local Croatian club, where she helps promote and celebrate the culture while supporting its preservation for future generations.

Doug Dorio
Facilities Maintenance

Doug graduated from Clarion University with a Bachelor's degree in Elementary Education and a minor in Athletic Coaching. He later obtained a Master's degree from SRU in Special Education. Prior to joining the HopeCAT team, Doug was an educator for 7 years teaching grades 4th-8th in various subjects. Doug is an assistant coach with the Penn State Shenango Men's Basketball team, marking his 15th year coaching basketball. Before his teaching career, Doug worked in several maintenance departments and also has  years of landscaping experience as a laborer and foreman. In his spare time, Doug enjoys spending time with his wife Erica and their pet family.