Who We Are
Before officially launching Dancing with Fireflies Foundation as a 501(c)(3) in 2025, our founders spent years volunteering and showing their children and friends that even the smallest act of kindness can create meaningful change. Those experiences inspired us to focus our efforts closer to home—supporting youth in our own communities and ensuring that vulnerable children experience dignity, comfort, and joy during uncertain times.
We are three longtime friends, united by a shared love for our community and a passion for giving back. Each of us has devoted years to helping children and families, and we remain committed to teaching the importance of empathy, generosity, and service. Together, we lead Dancing with Fireflies Foundation with hearts full of hope and a steadfast mission: to help every child we reach feel seen, valued, and loved.
Our primary focus is serving the foster child community in Tennessee, along with providing support services for all orphans and underprivileged youth.
Meet Our Board
The leadership team of Dancing with Fireflies Foundation is united by a shared passion for serving children in foster care and at-risk youth. Each board member brings a unique blend of professional expertise, personal experience, and lifelong dedication to community service. Together, they guide the organization with compassion, integrity, and a commitment to ensuring every child feels seen, valued, and loved.
Katherine Cadiz
Co-Founder, President & Board Director
Katherine Cadiz brings nearly two decades of experience in administrative support, sales, and lending—expertise that strengthens the foundation’s financial stability and organizational leadership. As Co-Founder of the Dancing with Fireflies Foundation, she combines her professional excellence with a deep, personal commitment to empowering underprivileged youth and creating opportunities for them to thrive.
Beyond her professional achievements, Katherine has dedicated much of her time to community service. For nine years, she has volunteered as a co-leader for both Girl Scouts and Frontier Girls troops, where she has organized activities, coordinated events, and mentored young girls to grow through teamwork, confidence, and compassion. Through her guidance, she has helped them discover the power of their own talents and the importance of giving back to their communities.
Katherine’s unique blend of business acumen, leadership, and heartfelt empathy continues to drive the mission of the Dancing with Fireflies Foundation—inspiring lasting, positive change and brighter futures for youth in need.
📬 Contact: kathy@dancingwithfireflies.org
Jennifer Heitz
Co-Founder, Vice-President & Board Director
Jennifer Heitz is a passionate entrepreneur and devoted advocate for at-risk youth. With a strong background spanning the high-tech industry, small business operations, entrepreneurship, and education, she brings both strategic insight and heartfelt compassion to the board.
Jennifer began her professional journey as a Security Design Admin in the Silicon Valley, later gaining extensive experience in small business management and operations—skills that strengthened her expertise in organization, communication, and leadership. She went on to build and manage successful online businesses before spending five years in public service as a paraeducator for special needs students in the public school system. Service has always been at the heart of Jennifer’s life. For five years, she managed and led a local elementary school art program—training docents, teaching students, and inspiring creativity and confidence in young learners. For nine years, she served as the leader of both Girl Scout and Frontier Girls troops, empowering young girls to develop leadership, character, volunteerism, and a strong sense of community. She also chaired the Adult Volunteer Recognitions and Awards team for her local GSHCC chapter for two years.
Jennifer encourages volunteering as a way of life, often serving alongside her children, family, and friends to model compassion and connection in action. Through Dancing with Fireflies Foundation, Jennifer channels her lifelong passion for helping others into meaningful impact—bringing light, dignity, and hope to vulnerable children.
📬 Contact: jennifer@dancingwithfireflies.org
Amy Brown
Board Director
With a lifelong passion for protecting and uplifting children, Amy has been deeply connected to foster care advocacy from an early age. Her father, a child abuse detective and dedicated board member of the Exchange Club and other child-focused organizations, inspired her early involvement in community events supporting foster youth. Her grandparents also served as foster parents for many years and ultimately adopted one of their foster children—an experience that left a lasting impression on her heart and shaped her commitment to children in and aging out of the foster care system.
Following in her family’s tradition of service, Amy studied Administration of Justice before earning an associate degree in Early Childhood Education. She spent 16 years working in preschool education, several years as an office manager for a dance studio, and has been actively involved in her community—as a Boy Scout den mom for four years, a Girl Scout leader for three, and a longtime board member of the Coyote Ridge PTA.
Married to her high school sweetheart, a recently retired law enforcement officer after 28 years of service, Amy brings compassion, integrity, and a lifelong dedication to children and families to her work with the nonprofit.
Jacqueline Cadiz
Secretary
Jacqueline is a dedicated and compassionate member of our team, serving as Secretary for our nonprofit organization supporting foster children and at-risk youth. A 2025 high school graduate, she was a proud member of the National Honor Society and found joy in helping fellow students through tutoring during her school years.
A former Girl Scout and Frontier Girl for nine years, Jacqueline has always demonstrated a strong commitment to community service. She has participated in numerous volunteer activities, including food-packing events, tutoring children from low-income families, and assembling care bags for foster children. These early experiences fostered a lifelong passion for giving back and supporting those in need.
In her free time, Jacqueline enjoys reading, listening to music, watching anime, and cooking when inspiration strikes. She plans to pursue a career in architectural engineering, where she hopes to combine her creativity and analytical skills to make a meaningful and lasting impact.
Vanessa Heitz
Treasurer
A top 5% graduate of her high school class of 2025, Vanessa blends a sharp analytical mind with a deeply compassionate heart. As treasurer, she showcases exceptional math skills, organization, and efficiency with numbers—qualities that make her a valuable asset to any nonprofit.
Vanessa’s dedication to service shines through her extensive volunteer work supporting children and education. She has packed meals for children in need, tutored low-income students, assisted teachers in preparing classrooms during the summer, and volunteered to work events for public schools. A former Girl Scout and Frontier Girl, Vanessa has always sought meaningful ways to uplift her community.
Now pursuing a degree in Electrical Engineering, she is an active member of her college’s Engineering and Physics clubs. Outside of academics, she enjoys tinkering with electronics, adding a spicy twist to every new recipe, playing piano, gaming, and spending time with her two cats and dog.
With her blend of analytical precision, financial responsibility, and a genuine heart for children and animals, Vanessa brings both skill and empathy to every role she takes on—making her an ideal contributor to a nonprofit supporting foster youth.