Author: maria

Flavia Neto

Written by maria on July 14, 2023. Posted in Leadership.

As our office specialist, Flavia simply takes care of things… not just the office, but our people, too. She is truly a servant at heart.

She came to the U.S. in 2002 from Portugal, looking for a better life for her three kids. She co-founded a private Christian school and has always loved being around children.

We’re not surprised to hear that people describe her as funny, kind-hearted, attentive and hardworking, because that pretty much sums it up. In her role, she has a hand in finance and assists day-to-day office happenings and events, of which there are many.

Flavia says that joining the Roc Solid team was exactly what she needed, which is funny because she’s exactly what we needed!

She also loves to dance (Waltz, anyone?).

Trey Barham

Written by maria on July 6, 2023. Posted in Leadership.

Don’t let him fool you – Trey is not as serious as he first comes across. But he is definitely as competitive as he seems.

After graduating from VMI, he played professional baseball for 8 seasons with the Oakland A’s. Between that and his experience working in memberships and sponsorships, he’s not shy – he can literally talk to anyone. His goal is to make sure people smile or laugh at least once a day.

His favorite part of his job are the kiddos we serve. “All they want to do is smile and play, and we get to bring that to them.”

He loves spending time with his wife Rachel, daughter Taryn and “puppy” Nuke.

Overall, Trey is just an enjoyable guy to be around (or maybe watch a game with). Just don’t try to race him at a stoplight. He will win.

Kristin Psimas

Written by maria on July 6, 2023. Posted in Leadership.

“I will figure it out.”

This is why we love Kristin. She’s analytical and a great problem solver, and she runs toward (not away from) technical challenges and projects. As digital marketing coordinator, she also creates communications workflows, oversees Google Analytics and SEO and manages digital ad campaigns.

Kristin says this position was her answer to two years of prayer and patience – and we’d say the same for us! She previously worked in digital marketing in the corporate world and is a graduate of Elon University.

She says her worst quality is overanalyzing things… but we certainly wouldn’t change anything about that personality trait (see above).

Kristin’s favorite part of her job is the people – the passion of our team members, the courage of our families and the dedication of our volunteers.

She’s tiny, she’s feisty, she loves organization and she has tons of energy. We’re just so happy she’s part of our team, helping to further our mission by making us more efficient at what we do.

Devon Smith

Written by maria on July 6, 2023. Posted in Leadership.

Meet our program specialist who loves to play! Devon really enjoys being around kids and has worked with them in many different settings, including years developing programs in preschools and camps.

After experiencing her first Roc Solid playset reveal, and seeing first-hand the joy it left behind, she was hooked to our mission and knew she was in the right place.

She says enthusiasm is her best and worst quality, but we’d say it’s just her best. She jumps into every situation with both feet and a great attitude, and for that we are so thankful.

Devon is also known for sharing great stories, so if you ever get to sit down with her and hear one, you are a lucky human!

Kandi Deitemeyer

Written by maria on February 28, 2023. Posted in Leadership.

Kandi Deitemeyer has spent her 30+ year career in higher education. She currently serves as
president of Central Piedmont Community College in Charlotte, North Carolina. Throughout
her professional career she has led with purpose to impact and transform lives.

Kandi is a leader best described as engaging, collaborative, and energetic. She has an
unmatched passion for the student experience and has strategically focused Central Piedmont
on ensuring student success is at the heart of all that it undertakes.

Kandi brings her high-impact energy and engagement to many local, statewide, and national
efforts. Yet, it is her commitment to her faith and family that is most important to her.

Kandi enjoys spending time with her family, prefers the call of the mountains, and would hike
every day if she could. She would describe the best day as having just a few simple things:
quiet time, a cup (or 2) of great coffee, a few moments with hubby, and seeing joy in her
daughter’s eyes.

Kandi and her husband, Gary, and their daughter Zoe were personally impacted by the mission
of Roc Solid in 2011. Since that time, they have been avid supporters and champions of building
hope. It is safe to say, Kandi is a proud mama bear!

Todd Joyce

Written by maria on February 8, 2023. Posted in Leadership.

Todd Joyce is a Senior Vice President with Rodgers Builders, Inc. He is responsible for their
Raleigh Regional Office operations. He has been with Rodgers Builders, Inc. since 2013 and in
the Healthcare and Commercial Construction Business for over 30 years.

Todd was born and raised in Patrick County, VA and is a 1993 graduate of Virginia Tech with a
Bachelor of Architecture. Todd currently resides in Mooresville, NC with his wife Lisa and their
three boys: Owen, Ryan and Reed.

Todd was introduced to Roc Solid by Richard Childress prior to a playground build with a
NASCAR group in 2019. Since that build and the introduction to the mission of Roc Solid, he has
developed a passion for bringing people and companies together to support the organization
and witness how a playground build or packing a Ready Bag changes families’ and
individuals’ lives. He loves building playgrounds for families.

In his free time, he enjoys being at his sons’ sporting events, being on the lake with family and
friends, watching or attending a NASCAR race, or just hanging out in the backyard doing some
grilling and cornhole.

Dieuleveut Biringanine

Written by maria on October 25, 2022. Posted in Leadership.

We call her Dei (“Day”) for short. She was born in the Democratic Republic of Congo and speaks fluent Swahili. She was named Miss Anchorage while working toward her degree in political science at the University of Alaska Anchorage.

But with that incredibly interesting background, she is also very down to earth, kind, loves to laught and has a passion for working with kids.

“I 100% believe that kids will change the world if we invest in them,” she says. “And play is one of the most important building blocks.”

In her position at Roc Solid, Dei gets to work with our families and does whatever it takes to make them feel loved and supported through their journey. She really enjoys hearing their stories and giving them opportunities to bring normalcy back into their lives during hardship.

In her free time, you can find her enjoying tea. And when she’s not doing that, she’s talking about tea. Did we mention she likes tea?

Chris Schaefer

Written by maria on October 12, 2022. Posted in Leadership.

Did we mention he likes sports?

Chris previously worked in development in the athletics departments for Old Dominion University and then University of Richmond.

“I believe in the power of escape,” he says. “Working in athletics for over a decade, I saw how sports allow people to forget about the stressful things happening in their lives. If we can do that for kids and families fighting pediatric cancer, even for a second, we’ve done them an incredible service.”

Chris graduated from NC State and then received his Master’s from Old Dominion. Now, he’s full-speed ahead leading our development team to engage sponsors and donors all over the country.

Even though some (ahem, his wife) might say he’s a little too competitive, it makes him a great fit for helping us grow our mission!

Becca Kiser

Written by maria on September 22, 2022. Posted in Leadership.

Becca likes to show up at team meetings with baked goods, and we are here for it!

A graduate of Christopher Newport University, Becca is a marketing coordinator who creates social, email and online content to share the stories of our community. What she enjoys most is getting to know our Roc Solid families and finding creative ways to honor them and spread awareness for what they’ve been through.

“I see so much value in being present and willing to help during the hardest parts of someone’s life, and I find it to be an honor that I get to come alongside so many awesome people to be a community for kids and their parents fighting pediatric cancer.”

Her friends say she’s the most “mom-like” person who isn’t a mom. And we definitely see it in the way she cares for the people who are part of our mission!

Kali Abernathie

Written by maria on March 9, 2022. Posted in PDC Build Leader.

“My “why” for building is to give these amazing kids and families a little bit of sunshine and hope when going through such a hard time. If I can make them smile and forget for even one day about cancer then it’s all worth it. I do believe that play defeats cancer and giving back to others feels good and makes me happy.”

Author: maria

Join Roc Solid’s mission to build 30 playsets in 30 days for kids fighting cancer during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September.

Join Roc Solid’s mission to build 30 playsets in 30 days for kids fighting cancer during Childhood Cancer Awareness Month in September.