Meet the Hearts Behind the Mission
Behind every cozy room, every comforting space, and every soft place to land for a child experiencing foster care, there are people. People who believe every child deserves dignity, safety, and warmth. Meet the team that brings Lily Pad’s mission to life every single day.
Our Founders
Benjamin and Jennifer Tice
After becoming parents in 2010, Benjamin and Jennifer Tice felt called to foster vulnerable children in South Carolina.
Ben, a former law enforcement officer, and Jenni, a registered nurse specializing in labor and delivery, opened their home and hearts to children in need. Together with their three children (Rhys, Zack, and Eric) they have parented over 40 children through foster care.
In 2022, the Tice family said goodbye to Lily, a foster daughter they had raised for 27 months. Shortly before Lily was reunified with her biological family, two sisters, ages 15 and 11, came into their home, opening Ben and Jenni’s eyes to the challenges older children face in foster care.
This new perspective inspired them to launch this nonprofit in Lily’s honor. And with that, Lily Pad: A Soft Place to Land was born.
Today, Jennifer serves full time as Lily Pad’s Executive Director, carrying forward the mission that began in their own home, to create comforting, child-centered spaces for every child experiencing foster care.
Jennifer Tice
Executive Director, Founder
jennifertice@lilypadinc.org
Benjamin Tice
Founder
benjamintice@lilypadinc.org
You are a child of God. You are wonderfully made, dearly loved, and precious in His sight.
- Psalm 139
You inspired all of this. We will love you forever. - Mama
Our dedicated staff carries out Lily Pad’s mission daily, coordinating room transformations, supporting our partners, and ensuring every detail reflects care and dignity. From managing logistics to comforting children and families, they work behind the scenes, and sometimes right on site, to make sure every space feels safe, soft, and welcoming.
Meet the Rest of Our Staff
Kendra Boettner
Director of Operations
Kendra Boettner is a proud South Carolina native, wife to Eric, and mom to three children. Together, Kendra and Eric share a heart for serving vulnerable youth. Eric volunteers with Lily Pad, supporting the same mission Kendra leads each day as Director of Operations.
In her role, Kendra oversees day-to-day organizational functions, manages volunteer coordination, and ensures our systems and processes run smoothly. Eric’s service alongside her adds a special dimension to their family’s dedication to children experiencing foster care.
Outside of work, Kendra enjoys baking and spending time with her family. She brings warmth, organization, and compassion to her role, helping ensure every child we serve feels seen, valued, and safe.
Kendra Boettner
Director of Operations
kendraboettner@lilypadinc.org
Eric Boettner
Volunteer
Cara Grubb
Creative Director
Cara Grubb brings beauty and comfort to life as Lily Pad’s Creative Director, designing child-centered spaces that help children experiencing foster care feel safe and valued. Her eye for detail and heart for vulnerable youth guide every design decision, creating rooms where children can breathe, rest, and simply be kids on a hard day.
Cara and her husband, Jonathan, who serves as Lily Pad’s Board Treasurer, have long shared a passion for caring for children and families. Together, they spent over three years as foster parents in Greenville County, SC, and are proud adoptive parents. After two decades in the Upstate and Midlands of South Carolina, the Grubbs now call Farmington Hills, Michigan home, where they continue to live out their calling to serve others. They have been married for 17 years and have three children who inspire their commitment to creating safe, nurturing spaces for kids.
Cara Grubb
Creative Director
caragrubb@lilypadinc.org
Jonathan Grubb
Board Member, Treasurer
jonathangrubb@lilypadinc.org
Our Board of Directors
Lily Pad’s Board of Directors, the stewards of our mission, provides leadership, accountability, and vision. These committed individuals ensure we steward every resource well and stay rooted in our purpose, creating comforting spaces for children and supporting those who serve them.
Sarah Steele Schwab (President)
Sarah Steele is a foster and adoptive mother. She has served other children as a guardian ad litem and she formerly worked as a caseworker for department of social services.
“People often tell me that I’m amazing or a hero for fostering [while single]. While I’d like to think I am that special, I actually just answered what I was called into. Not everyone is called to foster or adopt, but everyone can be a part of this journey. We are all called to be a part of this village!”
Dr. Stephanie Rees, Ph.D., NBC (Vice President)
Stephanie’s career in high school public education has made her aware of the needs of the vulnerable children she interacts with daily. She graduated with a Master’s degree from Clemson University and a Doctorate from Mercer University. In 2023, Stephanie officially became a mother when she adopted her two daughters from the South Carolina foster care system.
Jonathan Grubb (Treasurer)
Jonathan and Cara Grubb have lived in the Upstate and Midlands of South Carolina for the last 20 years. The Grubb family recently relocated to Farmington Hills, MI. Jonathan is a Controller for a healthcare services organization. Jonathan is an adoptee himself. He and Cara were foster parents in Greenville County, SC for 3.5 years and are also adoptive parents. They have been married for 17 years and have 3 children.
Emmanuel Daniel
Emmanuel and his wife were instrumental in the installation of two Lily Pad locations in York County, York County DSS and Midlands Adoption Services Rock Hill. They now, alongside a volunteer group from their church, continue to maintain those two locations. Emmanuel is a business owner, and active in his community by serving on the board of his HOA and Vice President of the PTO at his children’s school.
“I am willing to help support the mission of Lily Pad as we seek to make a difference in communities throughout the Upstate and all of South Carolina. I desire to see the local community surround and support some of the most vulnerable individuals in what is one of the most difficult times they may have had to face.”
Frank Condon
Frank is a foster/adoptive/biological father. He has fostered 25 children. Frank started his career in law enforcement. He has since founded and is the CEO of DevObal Technologies Inc. in Simpsonville, South Carolina. With his personal and professional experience, he understands what it takes to love others and meet them where they are at.
“I believe that God is omnipotent. Jesus is His Son, and we are called to LOVE others. I believe this is the foundation of our lives as believers. I am thankful that God has shown me a passion for these children, case workers, and the families who support these vulnerable children.”
Paige Johnson
Paige has a Masters in Special Education-Learning Disabilities and an Educational Specialist Degree in Elementary Administration. She is a wife, mother to three children including a daughter with special needs, and selflessly gives of her time outside her home to volunteer with Lily Pad. Paige was instrumental in bringing a Lily Pad space to Greenwood County SCDSS. She continues to volunteer and support Lily Pad in the midlands of South Carolina by laying groundwork for community-based volunteer teams and seeking out possible fundraising opportunities.
“Partnering with Lily Pad has given me a glimpse of how God is allowing volunteers like me to be the hands and feet of Jesus as we demonstrate God’s love to children and youth.”
Dr. Laurel Shaler
In order to help others, Laurel earned her Masters in Social Work from Florida State University, her PhD in Counselor Education and Supervision from Regent University, and a Master of Arts in Theological Studies from Liberty University. She is a Licensed Social Worker, Marriage and Family Therapist, Licensed Professional Counselor and National Certified Counselor. Laurel is a Professor at Liberty University, where she helps direct the Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counselor program. She is the author of “Reclaiming Sanity: Hope and Healing for Trauma, Stress, and Overwhelming Life Events," "Relational Reset: Unlearning the Habits that Hold You Back”, and "Loving Adopted Children Well: A 5 Love Languages Approach" (co-authored with Dr. Gary Chapman).
Laurel, her husband Nick, and their three precious children (two of whom came to their family through traditional adoption and one by embryo adoption) live in the deep south. Laurel enjoys spending time with family and friends, being involved in church activities & ministries, and volunteer work. Learn more at www.drlaurelshaler.com or connect with Laurel on Facebook (www.facebook.com/DrLaurelShaler).
As a counselor, professor, social worker, speaker, and writer, Dr. Laurel Shaler’s goal is to live out the words of Isaiah 61:1-3…”To proclaim good news to the poor, to bind up the broken hearted, to proclaim freedom for the captives, to release prisoners from darkness, to comfort all who mourn, and to bestow joy!”
Ashlyn, Our Lived Experience Voice
Ashlyn helps ground Lily Pad’s work in the real, human experiences of children navigating foster care. First placed in the Tice home as a teen, she later became family through her adoption by Jennifer’s sister. Today, as a beloved niece and trusted advocate, Ashlyn offers insight that only lived experience can provide. Her voice helps ensure every space we create reflects what children truly need to feel safe, seen, and valued.
Ashlyn knows firsthand what it means to wait in a DSS office on one of the hardest days of your life. Growing up in and out of foster care, she spent hours in cubicles and conference rooms—spaces never designed for comfort or calm. Her story became the spark that inspired our founders to create Lily Pad. Today, Ashlyn continues to serve as a trusted voice and volunteer, helping us stay rooted in compassion, guided by lived experience, and focused on the children at the heart of our mission. Her presence reminds us exactly why we do this work—and who we do it for.
“I wish I had a Lily Pad space where I could comfort my younger siblings and distract them from the trauma we were experiencing. Now that I have a safe family, I am working with Lily Pad to make positive changes for kids in foster care.”