Hi! My name is Whitney Lumpkin, and I am so excited and honored to serve as the Whitestone Elementary PTA President this year!

This is my 9th year with a kiddo at Whitestone, and our school community has become such a special part of our family’s life. Over the years, I’ve had the opportunity to serve Whitestone PTA in several roles, including 1st Vice President for the past two years, Volunteer Coordinator, and Room Representative.

My husband, Kyle, and I have lived in Leander for 14 years, and we have three kids. Rory is an 8th grader at Leander Middle School, Sadie is a 5th grader at Whitestone, and Knox is a 2nd grader at Whitestone.

My background is in education. I graduated from Texas A&M University with a master’s degree in Curriculum and Instruction and taught high school for several years before becoming a full-time mom.

I truly love Whitestone and the wonderful community of families, teachers, and staff who make our school so special. I’m looking forward to a great year and am excited to work alongside all of you to support our students, teachers, and school community!

Hello! I’m Michelle, and this is my second year on the Whitestone PTA board. My husband, Kyle, and I are Ohio natives and have lived in the Austin area for thirteen years. Our son, Jackson, is in second grade, our daughter Clara is in Kindergarten and our future Wildcat, Andrew, will be 2 in November. Our family enjoys exploring parks, swimming, trying new sports and activities and spending time with friends and family.

I spent 10 years working in the sports and non-profit fundraising and events world prior to leaving to focus on raising our kids.

I am thrilled to be a part of the Whitestone community and am grateful for the opportunity to serve alongside our other PTA Board leaders.

Hello, Fellow Wildcats

My name is Shardai (Shar) Gaines, and I’m excited to be serving my second term as 2nd VP – Fundraising on the Whitestone PTA Board.

I’m originally from Maryland, but my family and I made our way to Texas after living in California. We’re a big gaming family—both video games and board games. In fact, we still run an online Dungeons & Dragons campaign with friends back in California. Between my husband and me, we’ve owned nearly every game console ever released… except the Xbox One.

When I’m not gaming, you’ll usually find me reading, building puzzles (some of the Kinders saw me during STAAR Testing this year), or spending time with my two daughters, Selene and Sidra, who are heading into 6th grade (Go Tigers) and 5th grade.  

Professionally, before moving to California, I worked at Johns Hopkins University’s Institute for Clinical and Translational Research—yes, it really is a mouthful. My work focused on strengthening communication between researchers and the communities they serve. I’ve also had the opportunity to work with organizations including Dress for Success Baltimore, the VFW, and other nonprofits, helping ensure communities are informed, supported, and celebrated.

Joining the PTA has allowed me to continue that passion for community-building, communication, and transparency right here in Texas. I’m incredibly grateful to be part of the strong connection between Whitestone families, our school, and the PTA.

We’re truly happy to call Whitestone home, and I’m looking forward to another amazing year of fundraising, fun, and making a difference for our Wildcats.

Hi! I’m Kim Afflerbach, and I’m a mom of four—Emily (5th grade), Avery (2nd grade), and 3-year-old twins, Jack and Bryce. This is our family’s second year at Whitestone, and I’m so excited to serve on the PTA! I love helping create opportunities for parents to get involved, supporting our school programs, and doing my part to make Whitestone a place where kids truly love coming to school.

When I’m not volunteering, you can usually find me traveling with my family, tackling a home project, or cheering on my kids at volleyball, basketball, guitar, and musical theater!

My name is Roopal Patel and this is my 2nd year to serve on the board. I’ve been a room rep for the last four years and the role of supporting our teachers who have taken on this precious and honorable calling to educate our children has been close to my heart. My family is made up of my husband Sachin, our 2 daughters Rayna and Zara, both dual language Wildcats, and our Australian Shepherd Grace. I was born in Webster, Texas and made my way to Leander, Texas in 2011. I’ve been a small business owner since 2009, love to travel, try different cuisines, and appreciate anything extra and themed. Whitestone is a great school and the foundation is its teachers and staff and I hope, along with our school community, I can help support that foundation to the best of my ability. 

Hi Wildcats!  

I'm Whitney Taylor and I am excited to serve as the Events Coordinator for the PTA this school year!  My husband, Beau, and I both have Bachelors and Masters degrees from UT-Austin and stayed in the area after college.  I was a Pediatric Speech-Language Pathologist for 12 years and now am an Interior Designer focusing on sensory and universal design.  My daughter, Maisie, is in 1st grade and loves being a Whitestone Wildcat!  We are so thankful for the community at the school.  Looking forward to a wonderful year!

Hi, I am Mandeep Alvarado, and I am excited to serve on the Whitestone PTA board for the first time this year! I am looking forward to working with the wonderful room reps and volunteers at Whitestone as the Assistant Volunteer Coordinator! I served as a room representative last year and I am looking forward to doing it this year in addition to this role. I have a 1st grade daughter enrolled in the Dual Language Program here at Whitestone, and my 2 year old son will be joining the Wildcat family in the years to come. We have loved being a part of the Whitestone community over the last year, we have made many friends and we look forward to making more. 

Hi! I'm Bri Hughes and I'm excited to be the Whitestone Historian this year! This is my second year serving on the Whitestone PTA board and my third year on the Yearbook Committee! I am also running the Book Fair again this year. My husband, Kyle, and I moved to Leander 12 years ago, a few months before we had our first child. My husband grew up in Austin and I moved here from East Texas about 19 years ago. We are now in our 7th year as a part of the Whitestone community! My oldest, Jace, is in 6th grade at LMS and Ethan is in 2nd grade. I started as an Education major at UNT and then switched to Art and Photography when I transferred to Texas State. Photography has always been a love of mine, so it has been so fun being a part of the Yearbook the last few years! 

Waller Beccani, Parliamentarian, has a background in the culinary and wellness industry as a personal chef and yoga teacher. She built a career serving families in Nashville and the Bay Area, providing custom in-home and delivery meals, as well as cooking and wellness classes for private clients.  Waller relocated to Texas with her husband in 2021, where they are raising their two children. The couple also works to maintain rental properties in her husband's hometown in Italy. They are dedicated to exploring destinations throughout Europe each summer, seeking out opportunities for outdoor recreation and immersion in nature.