Christina Beg, Director of Development

Responsible for fundraising at both the local and national level, Christina brings a wide range of experience to her role as Director of Development. Prior to joining Flashes of Hope, she was a Planned Giving Officer at University Hospitals of Cleveland. She also worked at the Daybreak Day Center, a drop in center for mentally ill homeless women in Santa Monica, California. Trained as lawyer, Christina spent several years practicing maritime law at the New York firm Kenny, Sterns & Zonghetti. She graduated from Kenyon College and received her law degree from Fordham.

Lisa Cencula, Marketing and Special Events

As Director of Operations for Kaleidoscope, a 35-person design firm she founded with her husband in 1989, Lisa brings a wealth of entrepreneurial experience to the Flashes of Hope team. Working with customers such as Procter & Gamble, Rubbermaid, and Moen, she designed and executed the firm's strategic marketing plans, including tradeshow and special events planning. After selling Kaleidoscope in 2004, Lisa worked in Retail Marketing for Stark Enterprises, a regional developer of mixed-use properties. Lisa graduated with honors from The Cleveland Institute of Art with a BFA in Photography. She is an avid supporter of Therapy Dogs International.

Allison Clarke, Founder

Allison and her husband Kip founded Flashes of Hope during their son's successful treatment for cancer. The first shoot was held in August of 2001 at Rainbow Babies and Children's Hospital in Cleveland, Ohio. Prior to founding Flashes of Hope, she was a Senior Account Executive at Imagio/J.Walter Thompson in Seattle. She began her career in television as a producer for the NBC affiliate in Cleveland and then as an on-air reporter for the ABC station. Allison also appeared in national commercials and print campaigns as a model. She graduated with honors from Boston College on a full athletic scholarship and was named an Academic All-American.

Kristine DiFiore, Executive Director

Kristine DiFiore joined Flashes of Hope in 2005 and was instrumental in planning and executing Flashes of Hope's national expansion. Prior to assuming the role of Executive Director, Kristine ran the organization's national operations out of the Cleveland headquarters and managed the Flashes of Hope Chapters across the country. She began her career as a loan officer for Bank of Boston before becoming an executive with GCC Technologies in Boston, MA. Over the past ten years, she has served a variety of community organizations and currently holds board positions serving the arts, recreation and youth athletic programs. Kristine graduated from Bowling Green State University with a BA in Health Care Administration.

Jessica Edmunds, Image Upload Coordinator

Jessica started her career working fashion industry trade shows and representing designers to boutiques across the country. She shifted her focus to photography and interned for various photographers while in school. After graduation, she worked as a photographer's assistant for a variety of top commercial photographers and founded her own business focused on children and families. She holds a B.S. from Ohio University, an associate's degree from Tri-C and also took courses at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York.

Natalie Kontur, Image Management and Photographer Relations

Natalie served as a volunteer for Flashes of Hope for several years and now works with our volunteer photographers across the country. Before joining the national office team, she worked as a lead photographer and studio manager New Image Photography. Natalie has also traveled extensively pursuing freelance photography work. She graduated from Kent State University with a degree in Interior Design and Photo-Illustration in 2004.

Hannah Terrell, Chapter Director Liason and Public Relations Coordinator

Hannah Terrell served as the New York City Chapter Director before joining the national office staff as the Chapter Director Liason and Public Relations Coordinator. Most recently, she was on the advertising sales team for the History Channel at A&E Television Network. She also worked as a media buyer on the Bristol Myers Squibb account at Mindshare in New York. Hannah began her career in the training program at Nordstrom after graduating from Vanderbilt with a double major in English and Child Development.

Courtney Ross, Kick It Coordinator

Courtney has served as the fashion show coordinator for Flashes of Hope's annual "Big Shots and Little Stars" event since its inception. She is a well known model who has appeared in a variety of national ad campaigns and coordinates fashion shows throughout Northeast Ohio. Courtney also works as a relocation specialist for Howard Hanna and as a certified personal trainer.

Cathy Welcsh, Kick It Director

As Kick It Director, Cathy is responsible for running the program and raising money for childhood cancer research. She recently worked in marketing at the Elevation Group and has significant fundraising experience in schools. She was the co-owner of Seattle Coffee's House, a successful coffee store in the Wooster, Ohio community. Cathy also worked as an Account Executive for Pleasant Holidays and Nabisco. She received a Bachelor of Arts from Baldwin Wallace College.