MANIFEST CREATIVE - Key Persons
Amber Godbold, a Houston native, joined the Manifest Creative team in June 2023. In her role with Manifest Creative, Amber uses her skills in administration and customer service to support the team in their day-to-day duties and client facing tasks. She's likely the first one you'll speak to when you call the Manifest Creative offices and always exemplifies the company's commitment to "service with a smile."
She brings years of experience in administration for property management, including HOA, high-rise, commercial and master planned communities, as well as front-of-the-house hospitality and reception services, client experiences, procedural development and risk and litigation.
In her previous administrative roles, she managed day-to-day office operations while overseeing organizational functions and special event coordination. She is tech savvy, creatively inclined and skilled in C-suite executive support, quality control, data entry, special projects and more.
She recently completed an accelerated program in information technology and is excited to bring her IT expertise and skills to the Manifest Creative team and clients. In her spare time, she loves reading, crafting and spending time with her two cats, Gadget and Gizmo.
Job Titles:
- President
- Membership Strategy / Partner
Cathi Hight, President of organizational development firm Hight Performance Group, is Manifest Creative's go-to expert and resource on all things membership related, assisting Manifest Creative's association clients to build strategies for membership recruitment and retention, journey mapping and more. Her firm aims to lead its clients to the development of healthier organizations that manage constant change, enhance customer loyalty and "work smarter, not harder." She is the developer of "The Member Retention Kit," "A New Approach to Tiered Membership," and the "Work Smarter, Not Harder" program. Cathi and her team offer resources to help associations attract, engage, and retain members, as well as provide them with tools to stay relevant, deliver benefits that members appreciate, and effectively communicate the value of membership with proven strategies that save time and increase the bottom line. As a certified Wiley Workplace Solutions Partner, Cathi works with organizations to develop high performing teams, effective leaders and productive work environments. Cathi believes in living a balanced lifestyle and loves spending time with her grandkids, cooking, traveling, knitting, and watching her Netflix queue.
Craig brings that range of expertise to support Manifest Creative in his role as Operations Manager. Earlier in his career, Craig was an award-winning broadcast journalist and the Director of Communications for a Fortune 200 company. He moved to Texas with his family in 1999 and made the decision to work in the non-profit sector a few years later.
Gayle Wheeler-Lesueur, who is originally from Houston and now based in Northern California, is a creative and multi-talented graphic designer with 20+ years of experience in the management of the complete design process, from conceptualization to delivery. Gayle has been Manifest Creative's go-to designer for nearly 10 years, helping their clients bring their ideas to life through great design. She is well-grounded in a creative and deadline driven environment while upholding customer relations, organizational and creative design skills. She consistently upholds the Manifest Creative value to go above and beyond, and is always up for whatever challenge the team and their clients throw her way. She is a graduate of St. Edward's University in Austin, where starting out as a Photography major, ultimately led her to a degree in Media Production and Graphic Design. When not designing, Gayle enjoys playing video games with her husband and their two children, attending Anime conventions with her oldest daughter and cooking with her youngest. She also loves animals and volunteers at the local SPCA.
A native Texan, Jennifer joined the Manifest Creative team in March of 2021. She has spent her career working in the nonprofit field, first for museums and later in nonprofit and association management. While working in small museums, she gained experience in everything from exhibit design to volunteer management, even helping to publish a series of books for the 150th anniversary of the Civil War.
After returning to Texas in early 2021, Jennifer joined the staff of Manifest Creative as Account Coordinator, where she exercises her skills in design and administration on behalf of nonprofit clients in Houston and across Texas. She holds a BA in Anthropology from Vanderbilt University, an MA in Museum Science from Texas Tech University and an Undergraduate Certificate in Graphic Design from Sessions College for Professional Design. Off the clock, she is an avid reader and foodie, trying out new recipes and restaurants as often as possible.
Job Titles:
- Certified Public Accountant
Joanne Gore is Manifest Creative's CPA and bookkeeping partner. Joanne is a responsive CPA who blends personal service with integrity and loves working with small businesses, not-for-profit organizations and individuals, providing assistance in navigating complex tax codes and guiding clients in best practices. She formed her CPA practice in 2004 after several years of experience at various local CPA firms after graduating from the University of Houston in 1992 and securing her CPA license in 1995. Joanne, who is originally from Seattle, has lived in Texas most of her adult life. Her after-hours interests and passions include scuba diving, traveling, gardening and reading for pleasure.
Kristi joined the Manifest Creative team as Assistant Account Manager in December 2020, after a two-year stint in New Orleans as a Client Specialist for an MSP IT company. Happy to be back "home" in Houston, she is thrilled to return to her passion - working with non-profits - while supporting the various efforts of the firm and its diverse and exciting client roster.
As the oldest of five children, Kristi is very close to her parents, siblings, nieces and nephews. She loves spending time with her best friends laughing, dancing and enjoying wine. After living in the UK for several years, Kristi is now a bit obsessed with anything and everything British, including quoting her favorite British comedies. When she's not hanging out with family and friends, Kristi can be found curled up with a cuppa and a good book.
Job Titles:
- Co - Owner
- COO
- SR. ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
- VICE PRESIDENT
Maureen, Manifest Creative's Co-Owner, officially joined the Manifest Creative team in May 2012 as Vice President & Chief Operating Officer when the firm expanded its scope to include association management.
Originally from Philadelphia, Maureen has called Houston "home" since 2005 when she began her career as a meteorologist at Weather Research Center (WRC) and museum coordinator at The John C. Freeman Weather Museum in the Houston Museum District. She became Chief Meteorologist in 2008 and Executive Director of the Museum in 2011.
Mona Fluitt has worked with the Manifest Creative team for many years offering a variety of services, from bookkeeping to event logistics for conferences to general non-profit administration consulting. She has enjoyed a nearly 35-year career as a nonprofit manager serving many of Houston's finest nonprofit organizations. Her work includes board training, strategic planning, project management, volunteer management, event management, nonprofit accounting, grant writing and management, grant review, database management, records management, and state and IRS compliance. Mona has taught on these topics at the University of Houston Small Business Development Center and the United Way of Greater Houston as well as being a speaker at state and national conventions. She is an expert in QuickBooks accounting software and developed a training program for using QuickBooks in nonprofit organizations. Most recently, she has added app developer to her extensive resume. She recently launched the Festival Chasers mobile app and is developing apps for a variety of nonprofit management purposes. When she's not working, Mona and her husband enjoy traveling and entertaining friends and family.
Job Titles:
- CEO
- PRESIDENT
- SR. ACCOUNT EXECUTIVE
Job Titles:
- Video Editing & Production Partner
Ramon West of DesignsW, a creative services studio he runs with his lovely wife Christine West, is Manifest Creative's video editing and production partner. He specializes in creating and developing projects that include sound designs, video editing, motion graphics design, and voice over, as well as audio composition and correction for video projects. Ramon works in all aspects of video editing for projects including web streaming, conference videos, event productions, and web applications. He and Christine are based in Albuquerque, New Mexico and enjoy spending time hiking and exploring the great outdoors with their adventurous canine sidekick Riley.
Rebecka Phillips started working with Manifest Creative in September 2023. She joins the team with nine years of expertise in providing administrative and accounting support in the property development sector, working in architecture, real estate, and construction. Driven by her passion for helping others achieve their dreams, she takes pride in providing the best support possible.
Rebecka is delighted to return to the non-profit sector after her initial exposure while working as an adoption counselor at Citizens for Animal Protection. She brings a wealth of knowledge to Manifest Creative in all facets of administrative and accounting work, enabling her to adapt to different clients' demands.
Rebecka attended the University of Houston where she majored in Psychology. She resides in Houston with her four children. She enjoys spending time outdoors, listening to jazz music, and reading horror/thriller literature when she is not working or caring for her children.
Job Titles:
- Merchant Services Partner
Job Titles:
- Information Technology Partner