Ruby's Rainbow is a 501(c)(3) non-profit org.

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Directors & Staff

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Co-founder, Executive Director

Liz Plachta

When Liz Plachta’s daughter, Ruby, was born “early, tiny, and rockin’ an extra chromosome,” Liz knew she wanted the world to see the strength, capability, and determination she saw in her daughter. Despite knowing little about Down syndrome at the time, Liz was inspired by Ruby’s resilience and potential.

In 2012, driven by a desire to create opportunities for individuals with Down syndrome, Liz co-founded Ruby’s Rainbow. The nonprofit is dedicated to granting scholarships to students with Down syndrome, empowering them to pursue higher education and independence. Under Liz’s leadership, Ruby’s Rainbow has granted over 1,000 scholarships totaling in almost $4 million dollars and become a beacon of awareness and inclusion while showcasing the incredible capabilities of those rocking that extra chromosome.

Liz’s unwavering commitment to kindness, integrity, education, community, inclusion, and inspiration continues to drive the organization’s mission, envisioning a world where people with Down syndrome are celebrated and supported in reaching their fullest potential.

Contact Liz at Liz@RubysRainbow.org.

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Chief Inspiration Officer

Ruby Plachta

Ruby is the inspiration behind Ruby’s Rainbow! Born “early, tiny, and rockin’ an extra chromosome,” her strength, spirit and determination planted a seed in her parents’ hearts to contribute something meaningful to the Down syndrome community.

These days Ruby is a typical teenager who loves cheerleading, playing on her school’s basketball team, and bowling with Special Olympics. Her favorite food is queso, and her favorite pastime is bouncing on her ball while singing along to any song by her number-one musical artist, Kelly Clarkson. In fact, she and her mom, Liz, were guests on Kelly’s talk show in 2024, and Ruby even got to sing onstage with Kelly at a show in Atlantic City!

Ruby loves awarding scholarships to the students she refers to as “my Recipients,” and is proud to help empower individuals with Down syndrome to pursue higher education and achieve their dreams.

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Co-founder, Board Treasurer

Tim Plachta

Tim Plachta is the co-founder of Ruby’s Rainbow as well as a board member and Treasurer. As Ruby’s father, Tim has been passionately involved with the organization since its inception in 2011.

Tim brings a wealth of experience in business operations and financial planning. He currently serves as an Equity Partner at ABA Connect, where he has overseen substantial growth and expansion since 2018. His background in wealth management and business consulting further enhances his ability to guide Ruby’s Rainbow’s financial strategies and operational efficiency.

Tim’s commitment to supporting individuals with disabilities extends beyond Ruby’s Rainbow. From 2015 to 2018, he served as the Presiding Officer of the Texas ABLE Advisory Committee, assisting the Texas Comptroller’s Office in launching ABLE Accounts throughout the state.

Through his work with Ruby’s Rainbow, Tim continues to champion educational opportunities for adults with Down syndrome, inspired by his daughter Ruby and driven by a vision of inclusive higher education for all.

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Associate Director of Operations

Jessica Mansfield

Jessica joined Ruby’s Rainbow in January 2025, bringing her expertise in operations management to help drive the organization’s strategic vision forward. Passionate about creating meaningful impact, she thrives on building efficient systems that support Ruby’s Rainbow’s mission.

Originally from Pennsylvania, Jessica has been proud to call Austin home since 2009. She lives with her husband, Taylor, their son, Max, and their playful pup, Ziegen. When she’s not fine-tuning operations, she’s out exploring Austin’s newest restaurants and local eats, hitting the trails for a scenic hike, or cheering on her favorite team when football season arrives.

Contact Jessica at Jessica@RubysRainbow.org.

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Administrative Manager

Jenny Schurk

Jenny joined Ruby’s Rainbow as the Administrative Manager in April 2025. With over a decade of experience in nonprofit organizations and a small software start-up, Jenny brings expertise in administration, fundraising, donor relations, event coordination, and operations. 

The mission of Ruby’s Rainbow is also very personal for Jenny as a proud mom to a daughter with Down syndrome, and she’s driven every day by a commitment to inclusivity, opportunity, and community for individuals with Down syndrome.

Outside of work, Jenny is a music enthusiast and record collector who volunteers as a programmer at KOOP 91.7FM, Austin’s community radio station. She also loves enjoying good food and wine and spending time enjoying the city and being outdoors with her family.

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Fundraising & Events Coordinator

Rebekah Vinyard

Rebekah joined the Ruby’s Rainbow team in 2025, bringing with her over 15 years of experience as a small business owner with a passion for building community and creating meaningful, joy-filled experiences. She’s driven by a deep love for connection, celebration, and uplifting families in the Down syndrome community. As Fundraising & Events Coordinator, Rebekah is thrilled to help bring the heart and magic of Ruby’s Rainbow to life—one event, retreat, and joyful moment at a time.

Based in Austin, Texas, Rebekah shares life with her husband, two awesome kiddos, and their sweet pup, Nova. When she’s not dreaming up fun ways to bring people together, you can find her playing sandlot baseball, metalsmithing, enjoying quality time with friends, or adventuring around town with her family.

Contact Rebekah at Rebekah@RubysRainbow.org

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Outreach & Partnerships Coordinator

Rachel Bhatia

Rachel Bhatia is a longtime fundraiser on the 3/21 Pledge Committee, volunteer and now Outreach and Partnerships Coordinator for Ruby’s Rainbow! To date, her and her family have granted 7 Ruby’s Rainbow scholarships and counting!

She lives in Northern NJ with her husband, two boys and poochie, Winter. Her oldest son, Miles, is rockin an extra chromosome and the motivation behind her love for the mission of Ruby’s Rainbow.

“Discovering Ruby’s Rainbow when Miles was an infant gave me hope for his future and what could be possible. I have a strong connection to advocacy work especially in the Down syndrome community. Every human being deserves the right to live in a world of belonging with opportunity to learn, grow and find purpose. Ruby’s Rainbow offers that opportunity and I’m overjoyed to have found my purpose through their mission!”

Contact Rachel at RachelB@RubysRainbow.org.

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Creative Advisor

Kelle Hampton

Kelle is thrilled to be joining Ruby’s Rainbow after helping them promote their 3/21 Pledge campaign starting in 2015. That year, she had the pleasure of spending the day with two Rockin’ Recipients at Western Carolina University for a day-in-the-life experience that changed how she views the future for her daughter Nella and for the opportunities that inclusion provides all of her children.

Kelle is a writer, blogger, and photographer who lives with her family in Naples, Florida. Her blog, Enjoying the Small Things, has provided hope for many families new to the world of Down syndrome. Bloom, the New York Times best-selling memoir, is the story of Kelle’s first year with her daughter Nella.

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Board President

Tyrell McElroy

Tyrell has spent his entire career working in the non-profit sector, only taking a brief 2½-year hiatus to do strategic planning in the public sector. Tyrell currently works for Boys & Girls Clubs of America as a Director of Organizational Development, assisting local Boys & Girls Clubs in establishing and achieving their organizational goals.

Tyrell met Liz after his wife attended the Lucky Mamas Retreat in 2017. After chatting with Liz about Ruby’s Rainbow’s mission, he quickly realized this was an organization that he knew he wanted to support. Tyrell’s passion for increasing organizational impact and organizational effectiveness is what he looks forward to bringing to the board of Ruby’s Rainbow.

Tyrell and his wife Katie, have two children, Charlie and Ansleigh, and reside in Tampa, FL. They adopted their son Charlie at birth, who rocks that extra awesome chromosome. Their plan had always been to adopt a child with Down syndrome, while also having a biological child six months younger to help with the developmental needs of their adopted child. Six months after Charlie was born, Ansleigh made her way to this world. Now that is some serious strategic planning.

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Board Vice President

Sara Plachta-Elliot

Sara has worked in the nonprofit community for over 25 years and currently operates an evaluation and learning consultancy called Gather Insight, LLC. She was previously the founding Executive Director of the Youth Development Resource Center in Detroit, Michigan, for 9 years. She works on projects related to youth development, post-secondary success, child and family well-being, and nonprofit strategy and capacity building.

She loves college so much that she went three times! She holds a bachelors of social work, masters in applied sociology and social policy, and PhD in child, youth, and family policy. She loves spending time helping Ruby’s Rainbow grow and improve to provide even more young adults rockin’ an extra chromosome with opportunities to pursue their post-secondary learning dreams.

Sara loves making art and being outside with her family. She is a proud mom to two girls and an aunt to five girls, including Ruby and Ella.

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Board Secretary

Leslie Jordan Garcia

Leslie Jordan Garcia, MPH, MBA is a proud board member of Ruby’s Rainbow and a passionate advocate for inclusion, equity, and opportunity for people with Down syndrome. As the mother of a vibrant daughter with Down syndrome, Leslie’s commitment to this work is deeply personal—but it goes beyond family. She believes in creating a world where every person with Down syndrome is seen, valued, and supported to thrive in their unique brilliance. With a background in public health and social justice, Leslie brings a fierce dedication to breaking barriers and expanding possibilities for all individuals with disabilities—not just for her daughter, but for every person who deserves the chance to shine.

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Board Member

Ross Clurman

Ross and his wife, Lesley, are good friends of the Plachtas. After meeting Liz and the Plachta family in 2013, Ross worked with Liz and Tim to rebuild Ruby’s Rainbow’s website and digital presence. A long-term friendship was born.

As a board member, Ross loves applying his experience in marketing and software to help support the organization’s digital infrastructure, growth initiatives, and operations. Ultimately, working to increase Ruby’s Rainbow’s reach and impact more people’s lives.

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Board Member

Stephanie Bomely

Stephanie and her husband, Chris, moved to Austin in 2006 with no intention to stay very long. Thirteen years later, they love this town and the opportunities it has brought for their daughter, Grace, who happens to be rockin’ an extra chromosome.

Stephanie is an active member of the Down syndrome community, and she has served as a volunteer for the DSACT Buddy Walk and at The Rise School of Austin. In her professional life, Stephanie sells and produces corporate events and trade shows. She focuses on coming up with fresh ideas and new ways of looking at things to help her clients achieve their goals. In her personal life, she loves traveling, enjoying all the new restaurants that pop up around town, and hanging with her hubby, daughter, and friends.

Stephanie is a former educator and has always believed college is a stepping stone to enhanced confidence, opportunity, and greatness. When Grace was first born, Stephanie wasn’t sure what that meant for a person with Down syndrome. Now, because of Ruby’s Rainbow, she knows Grace has the ability to take the next step with all her friends and cousins.

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Board Member

Marc Lippincott

Marc Lippincott, a lawyer and managing partner of the Austin-based law firm The Lippincott Law Firm, PLLC, and a Realtor with Stripe Realty, had little personal connection with the Down syndrome community prior to being introduced to Ruby and Ruby’s Rainbow. However, upon meeting the Plachtas and hearing about the organization and its purpose, Marc immediately made his firm an event sponsor, organized a bowling team, and began volunteering his time, ideas and effort to help Ruby’s Rainbow grow. Marc has been a director since 2015.

Marc and his wife Elisa have lived in Austin since 2000. Marc is a Texas Tribune Founding Member, a “Love” sponsor with the Austin Film Society, and a Life Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation, and a licensed HAM operator. Marc is also proud to be known as potentially the worst bowler ever to lace it up at a Rockin’ RainBOWL event, and one of the worst golfers ever to play in the Maudie’s Cup golf tournament. But hey, there’s always next year, right?

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Board Member

Catherine Avril Morris

Catherine first met the Plachtas in 2012 when her daughter, Pearl, was a baby. (Pearl is rockin’ an extra chromosome and is less than a year younger than Ruby!) Instantly, Catherine knew she wanted to get involved with this awesome family and their amazing organization, so she offered her services as a freelance writer and editor on a volunteer basis.

Over the next few years, she wrote website content and articles for and about Ruby’s Rainbow, with the goal of helping to spread the word about the organization and its inspiring Rockin’ Recipients. She also served as a Board member as well as on the Scholarship Review Committee from 2013–2015.

In 2017, Catherine came on as the Social Media Representative for Ruby’s Rainbow, and then, in January 2019, began working in-office as the organization’s Administrative Director. She held this position for six-and-a-half years before shifting back to serving on the Board in June 2025. She has loved working alongside Liz and the RR crew in all these different capacities, and helping Ruby’s Rainbow flourish.

Along with Pearl, Catherine is also mom to Zephyr and Emil, and she’s a freelance writer with work that’s been published all over the Web. She is the author of eight romance novels as well as co-author with YouTube star and motivational speaker Lizzie Velasquez of Dare to Be Kind: How Extraordinary Compassion Can Transform Our World. She also leads summer writing camps for kids. You can visit her on the Web at CatherineAvrilMorris.com.

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