Staff

AJ Griffin, Ed.D.

CEO

With strong Oklahoma roots and a professional background in business, education, politics and nonprofit work, AJ Griffin brings to Potts Family Foundation tremendous insight into some of the most challenging issues facing Oklahoma families today.

A life-long Oklahoman, AJ grew up on a family farm in Adair. The child of educators, she holds degrees from Oklahoma State University, the University of Central Oklahoma and a Doctorate in Education from Baylor University in Learning and Organizational Change.

AJ spent six years in the Oklahoma State Senate and passed landmark legislation for children including mandating insurance coverage for autism treatments, improving the foster care and juvenile justice systems, and focusing on health care access for all Oklahomans. She was the recipient of numerous awards for her work as a legislator including the Kate Barnard Child Advocate of the Year award.

Linda Manaugh

Linda Manaugh

M.Ed., Chief Programs Officer

Linda is a retired educator having taught children with learning disabilities in Moore and Oklahoma City Public Schools and serving as an administrator at Metro Technology Centers. She also worked in OKCPS Curriculum and Instruction Department as a technology trainer, gifted education coordinator and grant writer. At Metro Tech, Linda served as the administrator over a dropout recovery, supervised two different instructional campuses, managed the school’s foundation and served as grants and federal programs administrator. She is a graduate of Oklahoma State University and the University of Central Oklahoma. “When Pat Potts – my longtime friend and mentor – asked me to come out of retirement to work for the foundation, I simply couldn’t say ‘no.’  As an educator, parent, grandparent, and life-long Oklahoman, I believe wholeheartedly in the work we are doing here!”

Sherry Fair

ARPA Program Specialist / Communications Manager

Serving children and families is a common thread running through Sherry’s career. She served as the Executive Director of Parent Promise/Prevent Child Abuse Oklahoma, an Oklahoma City nonprofit working to prevent child abuse and neglect, for eight years. While there, she oversaw four home visiting programs and the opening of one of the first three Family Resource Centers in the state.

Her Oklahoma City career began at a publishing company specializing in producing magazines featuring local business and civic leaders and later went on to manage the PR and communications department at what was Oklahoma’s largest urban school district at the time, Oklahoma City Public Schools.

Other career accomplishments for Sherry include leading a team of dedicated professionals in revitalizing a local nonprofit arts center and establishing a PR and communications department for a healthcare company specializing in the management of rural hospitals. Sherry has a bachelor’s degree in public relations from Purdue University.

Cassady Dixon

Office Administrator

Cassady comes to the Potts Family Foundation after having worked for over two years at Community Cares Partners. There, he helped facilitate the distribution of millions of dollars in Covid-19 relief funds to Oklahomans in need of help with their rental and utility payments. As that program began to wind down, Cassady was eager to continue working in the nonprofit world, and he jumped at the opportunity to be part of the Potts Family Foundation team. He was born and raised in Norman, and is a graduate of Chapman University in Orange, California. Cassady is excited to be back home in Oklahoma and helping the Potts Family Foundation mission of early childhood development and empowering all Oklahomans to reach their full potential.

Audra Haney

MSSW, LCSW and IMH-E® / Early Relational Health Specialist & Director / Oklahoma Association of Infant Mental Health

Audra has spent her career working on behalf of children and families. She has worked in foster care; outpatient mental health; for SoonerStart, Oklahoma’s Early Intervention Program, and most recently at the Oklahoma Department of Mental Health and Substance Abuse Services as the Senior Manager for Infant and Early Childhood Mental Health. She has worked collaboratively with other child-serving agencies to support the social and emotional needs of infants, toddlers, young children and their families.

Outside of work, Audra is the proud aunt of two nieces and one nephew, and mom to her fur baby, Katniss. She enjoys singing with the award-winning O.K. City Chorus of Sweet Adelines International.
Audra was raised in southwest Oklahoma. She earned her bachelor’s degree from Oklahoma Christian University in Oklahoma City and master’s in social work with an administrative focus from the University of Texas in Austin. Audra has been a Licensed Clinical Social Worker since 1998. She received her Endorsement as an Infant Family Associate in 2023 and is a certified trainer in Facilitating Attuned Interactions (FAN).

Haley Hegwood

MS, FLE / ARPA Program Specialist / Training Coordinator

Haley has committed her professional career to serving Oklahoma children and families. This work is significant to her because she was born, grew up, and is now raising a family of her own here. Haley graduated from The University of Central Oklahoma (UCO) and began her career providing home-based services to families facing difficult circumstances. Her passion grew and led her to earn a master’s degree from UCO focusing on family and child studies.

Her experience includes managing nonprofits, direct services to families and navigating systems that serve young children and families. She is a skilled trainer certified in The Growing Brain through Zero to Three, NEAR Science Mentor Trainer, and other trainings related to Early Relational Health.

Haley is motivated by the Potts Family Foundation vision of ensuring all Oklahomans can achieve their full potential. Her interests and expertise include Early Relational Health, Substance Use Disorder, Domestic Violence Education, Child Advocacy, Equity, Cultural Responsiveness, reaching underserved populations, and involvement in her faith and her community.