Executive Team
Valerie Crabbe, Founder & CEO
Valerie Crabbe is the Founder & CEO of Being Beautiful Foundation, a nonprofit dedicated to improving the lives and outcomes of youth in foster care—through safe housing, advocacy, and life-skills development. Driven by faith, compassion, and lived experience, Valerie established the Foundation to ensure that every young person served feels valued, supported, and prepared for a successful future. Her visionary leadership and unwavering commitment continue to shape BBF’s mission and impact across the community.
Devon Lassiter, Executive Director
With more than 15 years in social services, Devon’s work is rooted in a deep desire to create safe, nurturing spaces where people truly feel cared for. She brings a wealth of experience in managing programs, but her true passion lies in finding the best ways to support families in need. For over a decade, she has poured her heart into the SOAR Mentoring and Training Program, a volunteer initiative she created to help families find their footing and secure a permanent home after a crisis.
Devon holds a master’s degree in management and leadership, and she uses that expertise to mentor her staff with kindness and respect. For her, social work is about more than just care plans and assessments—it’s about treating every individual with genuine compassion. Outside of her professional life and her role in the Urban League of Philadelphia, Devon finds her greatest joy as a wife and a mother to her eight children.
Larry Harris, Vice President & CFO
Larry Harris serves as Vice President & Chief Financial Officer of Being Beautiful Foundation, bringing strong financial leadership and strategic oversight to the organization. In his role, he oversees fiscal management, compliance, and long-term financial planning to ensure the Foundation’s sustainability and growth. Larry is deeply committed to advancing BBF’s mission of creating safe, loving, and supportive homes for children in foster care, and he works diligently to ensure that every resource is stewarded with integrity, accountability, and purpose.
Lisa MacDonald, Special Projects
Lisa is a passionate and results-driven leader with a proven track record of guiding cross-functional teams and managing multimillion-dollar operations across diverse markets, including healthcare, human services, and non-profit organizations. With expertise in operational leadership, human resources, strategic planning, and business development, Lisa enjoys driving process efficiencies, fostering stakeholder relationships, and delivering measurable outcomes. She has committed to high-quality service, transparency, and innovation, which has led to significant achievements in organizational transformation and talent management.
Employment highlights include – Healthcare Professional Services at CynergisTek and Aramark, the Columbus Organization serving underserved children with IDD, and America’s Future with a focus on Training and Awareness around Child Exploitation and Trafficking. Lisa joins HMK as Executive Director.
Board Members
Kenneth G Lassiter Sr., Chair of the Board
Kenny G. Lassiter Sr. is a dedicated community leader and veteran with over 30 years of experience in business development and public service. As the former President of the Lassiter Group Inc, Philadelphia Mortgage Services Inc., and the Philadelphia Chapter of 100 Black Men of America, Kenny has a proven track record of championing youth mentoring and organizational growth. He is a 14-year veteran of the U.S. Air Force and the US Army, currently serving as Co-Owner of Handi Boyz LLC, where he applies a mission-first mindset to property restoration and safety. His diverse background—spanning from avionics technology to luxury real estate—allows him to bring a unique, multifaceted perspective to community-driven initiatives.
Kathryn Sargent
Kathryn brings a strong record of nonprofit service, financial leadership, and mission‑driven work to every organization she supports. Before joining the Being Beautiful Foundation’s fundraising efforts, she contributed her skills to Rahab’s Hope, helping advance its mission to support individuals experiencing homelessness in Montgomery County.
Her professional foundation is rooted in more than 17 years with ECRI, where she served as a key member of the Accounting and Finance department for a nonprofit dedicated to improving medical practices and patient safety nationwide. Prior to her tenure at ECRI, Kathryn spent five years as Controller at Rosemont College, overseeing financial operations with precision and care. She began her career as an auditor with KPMG, gaining rigorous experience in financial analysis, compliance, and organizational accountability.
Across every role, Kathryn is known for her integrity, reliability, and commitment to strengthening organizations that make a meaningful impact.
Leah Stauffer
Leah launched Half A Million Kids 501c3, a charity born out of a documentary she embarked on about the U.S. Foster Care System and the absence of substantial recruitment campaigns for individuals and families looking to adopt.
Leah’s dedication to finding permanent homes for foster children eligible for adoption gave rise to the organization, which aims to positively alter the life trajectory of more than 3400 kids in the Philadelphia Region and approximately 500,000 kids nationwide.
As Founder, Leah holds the vision for Half A Million Kids results based 3-Phase Plan as well as design and development of the Campaigns, Matching Tech, Bridge Program, and scaling of The National Model.
She has vast experience as a 25-year entrepreneur, producer, author, and trainer. She has been featured in local, national, and international media. The benefits of her work have been documented in a multi-center research study by Indiana State & Temple University. She also serves on The Boards of Philadelphia-based Partners for Civic Pride (PFCP), North10/The Lenfest Center, and Texas-based Willow Tree Projects and Being Beautiful Foundation.
Leah’s life’s purpose and work are now dedicated to the often overlooked and underserved foster and trafficked children of our country.
Linda Brockway
Linda Brockway, LCSW, is a clinical social worker, now retired from agency, school, and private practice, where she specialized in work with children, teens, and families. She is a board member and Education Committee Chair of the Pennsylvania Society for Clinical Social Work (PSCSW), and is a consultation group leader for A Home Within, a national organization providing weekly ongoing therapy to clients who are or have been in foster care. She also facilitates a monthly support group for moms of special needs kids, now all young adults, which has been ongoing for almost 20 years. In retirement, she enjoys traveling, reading, learning bridge and golf, and spending time with her six grandchildren.