Staff

Since joining the CIS Chatham County team as the organization’s first student support specialist in July 2014, Tych has served in a number of capacities with the agency – most recently as Director of School Based Programs. Starting April 1, 2020 Tych will assume the role of Executive Director. His focus will be aimed at supporting the 7 CIS school and community based programs, by continuing to build on their strong tradition of youth and family support. Tych will also assist with social media communications, expansion support, and community engagement as well as program oversight and personnel management.

Tych arrived in North Carolina just under 10 years ago from Topeka, Kansas after completing his Masters of Business Administration at Washburn University. Tych has held a wide variety of roles throughout his professional career, and joined the CIS Chatham County team after two years as an Operations Assistant with the University of North Carolina football team. Tych has been a teacher, coach, and mentor, and is excited for the opportunity to utilize his people skills and passion for community development. In his free time, you can find Tych firing up the grill, playing with his 13 year old pitbull named Slim, and enjoying the outdoors with his wife Courtney.

As a first-generation college graduate – earning her Bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Accounting – Perla will bring her passion for helping youth and business experience to her role as Chief Operations Officer.

Perla was first introduced to CIS Chatham County through her engagement as a high school volunteer with two Family Advocacy programs – Hablando Claro and Cuidate, and now returns in her role as COO. She maintains her commitment to being a positive role model for youth in the community, and is excited to take on this new opportunity. When she is not crunching numbers and building budgets, you can find Perla spending time with her beautiful family, including her two lovely children – one who is in third grade at Siler City Elementary.

She is inspired by the quote ‘everything is possible if you believe in yourself’, and looks forward to helping grow CIS Chatham’s impact in the years to come.

There is more to bettering a child’s life; she realized that the overall well-being of the family as a whole is essential. She now dreams of empowering children’s lives and helping families strive for a better future. The family is the most important foundation in a child’s life!

She has served in many different roles throughout her career; including nine years of experience working with children and families in this community. Eva is a strong believer that it is essential that we put our care and love into our children today because they are our future tomorrow! If we grow successful children and families, then our world will be better and full of wonderful things.

“The best way to predict your future is to create it” –Abraham Lincoln.

Lydia is the Community Service and Restitution Program Manager, holding a degree in Social and Behavioral Sciences and bringing thirteen years of experience in human resources. With a big heart for helping people navigate challenges and thrive, she is dedicated to making a difference in the lives of youth and families.

She and her husband—her college sweetheart—have proudly called Chatham County home for the past three years. Together, they are raising two daughters who attend high school locally. Outside of work, Lydia enjoys word searches, true crime stories, and “thinking like a proton—always positive!”

In her role with Chatham County, Lydia is passionate about supporting young people who have made mistakes, guiding families through difficult times, and strengthening community partnerships. From connecting youth with meaningful worksite opportunities to engaging families and community members, she combines compassion, experience, and a can-do spirit to create lasting impact each day.

Travis is a life-long Chatham County native, and first became involved with CISCC in 2009 as a surveyor for what was then Chatham County Together’s! Plain Talk/Hablando Claro program. In 2010, Travis joined the permanent staff at CCT! as the Program Assistant for the Mentoring Children of Prisoners program, and served in several capacities until 2015, when the winds of change blew.

Travis stayed close to home and mission, and continued to empower youth and other community members through various projects and through work with other organizations. As of March 1, 2021, Travis returned to CISCC as the Community Service and Restitution Program Manager, and now looks forward to bringing his passion and perspective for youth services to the CIS Chatham team in his new role as GYS High School Success Coach at Jordan Matthews High School. As Frederick Douglass said, “It is easier to build strong children than to repair broken men.”

I grew up in Chatham County and attended Siler City Elementary, Bonlee Elementary, Chatham Middle and graduated from Jordan Matthews High School in 2007.

Growing up, the most challenging part for me was learning the academic part and the language at the same time. Being an immigrant showed me first hand the difficulties and the lack of resources that families can experience on a daily basis. This is a reason I am committed to be a tool to help our community. Understanding that our children do not learn the same way and their needs are different is essential to be able to guide them to success.

My favorite quote is from the book Horton Hears a Who! By Dr. Seuss “A person’s a person, no matter
how small.”

Erica was raised in Chatham County and grew up in Siler City, where she attended Virginia Cross Elementary, Chatham Middle School, and graduated from Jordan-Matthews High School in 2020. She continued her education at Guilford Technical Community College in High Point, earning her degree in Human Services in 2022.

A proud alumna of both Chatham County Schools and Communities In Schools (CIS), Erica brings a unique and personal perspective to her work. Having faced barriers as a student and received support from CIS herself, she understands firsthand the impact of having a caring adult and access to essential resources. This experience inspires her daily commitment to serving students and families.

Erica has remained deeply rooted in her community, serving as a K-12 Substitute Teacher and as the McKinney-Vento Homeless Liaison/Basic Needs Coordinator with Chatham County Schools. Along with assisting in other initiatives revolving children and community.
Today, Erica is committed to advancing the mission and vision of Communities In Schools. She is passionate about empowering students to overcome obstacles, stay engaged in school, and realize their full potential. Through her work, she strives to build a stronger foundation for equity, support, and long-term student success.

Karmen was born and raised in Siler City, North Carolina. She went to school in Chatham County, attending Siler City Elementary (SCE), Chatham Middle School, and Jordan-Matthews High School (JM). She went to the University of North Carolina at Greensboro to get her Bachelor’s degree in Communication Studies. After graduating, she moved back to Siler City and became a substitute teacher, primarily working at SCE. She also became an Assistant Coach for Track and Field and Cross-Country at JM, working with her past coach from when she attended the school.

Karmen is excited to take on her new role at CISCC. Growing up in Chatham County and sharing many experiences and relationships with students and staff in the community, she understands the importance of uplifting and supporting the youth here. She knows it is not a level playing field for a lot of the kids in Chatham County, so she wants to help ensure they have the resources they need to be successful. She believes it is necessary for students to feel seen and heard. They must be shown there are more opportunities for them in this world than just what they have experienced in the environments they grew up in. The possibilities are endless.

Karmen also has a passion for the arts. She hopes to incorporate creativity in every role she takes on and encourage artistic interests in youth. She loves being active and trying new things. As Julia Cameron wrote, “Leap, and the net will appear” (The Artist’s Way).