Meet Our Staff

Alli Milner
​Emergency Services Manager

A passion for adventure and helping others motivated Alli to move to Laurel after earning her bachelor's degree in Child & Family Studies from John Brown University. This same motivation led Alli to participate in two service projects in Guatemala, volunteer as an intern at Bethany Community Church, and pursue her position at LARS. It is Alli's desire to help others find stability and safety amidst hard stages of life. When she is not at work Alli loves to be the best aunt she can be to her nieces and nephews both here in Laurel and in her hometown of Sand Springs, Oklahoma.

Audrey Vaught, MSW
Manager of Supportive Housing & Self-Sufficiency Programs

While earning her degree in Criminal Justice at University of Maryland College Park, Audrey was inspired to pursue a career in Social Work. Audrey received her Master’s Degree in Social Work with a concentration in clinical mental health from The University of Maryland, Baltimore School of Social Work in 2015. Before becoming the Self-Sufficiency Program Coordinator at LARS, Audrey spent a year providing in-home case management and support services to families and children with behavioral needs. ​Audrey is a Laurel resident and is thrilled to be working for an organization that impacts her local community.

Jazmin Haley-Warren
Emergency Services Case Manager & Pantry Coordinator

Jazmin is a graduate of Morgan State University with a Bachelor’s in Social Work. Prior to joining LARS, she served as a Volunteer Maryland Volunteer Coordinator. Jazmin is thrilled to be working at LARS, as it gives her the opportunity to lead people in the right direction to build better lives for themselves and for their families. When not at work, Jazmin loves to focus on self-care, which includes spending lots of time with family and close friends.

Jessica Allen
Administrative & Data Coordinator

After working in the school system and in medical settings, Jessica joined the LARS team to give back and use her skills to help individuals and families. Raised by doctors who instilled in her to treat everyone with respect and dignity, these values have helped shape her into the woman she is today. She strives to also pass these values along to her two children. In her free time Jessica enjoys spending time with her family and being outdoors. 

Karina Valenzuela
Lead Case Manager

Coming Soon

Laura Wellford
Director of Development

With deep family roots in the Laurel community, Laura is passionate about caring for Laurelites in need. After seeing the power of non-profits first-hand through community service projects for St. Mary of the Mills School, St. Vincent Pallotti High School and Mount St. Mary's University, Laura wanted to make a difference in her hometown. As LARS' lead fundraiser, Laura works to secure financial resources and build community awareness for LARS' programs. In her free time you can find her hiking, rock climbing, or traveling.

Mark Huffman, LMSW
Interim Executive Director

After a career as a Christian pastor, Mark entered the field of social work because he wanted to be an advocate for social justice and directly engage the effects of poverty, inequality, and racism. Mark received his Master of Social Work degree from the University of Maryland Baltimore specializing in community action and social policy as well as clinical work. He is the father of three grown daughters and wants them to know they are each his favorite, in their own way.

Olushola Omomo
Emergency Services Case Manager & Volunteer Coordinator

Olushola was born and raised in Lagos, Nigeria, and moved to the United States in 2007. She lived in various cities in Maryland, but her family settled in Laurel 3 years ago. She has always had a heart for helping people, so she spent a lot of her teenage years volunteering. Her passion for vulnerable populations led her to study Community Health at the University of Maryland, College Park. She also earned a minor in global poverty which piqued her interest in women and children’s health. In her spare time, Olushola cares for her pet hamster named Cotton, spends time with her family, runs a hair braiding business, and a blog! She loves animals and hopes to soon be a dog mom.