Catholic Charities Northwest Team
Meet the Team
Heather Reynolds, President & CEO
Heather Reynolds is the President and Chief Executive Officer of Catholic Charities Fort Worth (CCFW), where she leads the strategic direction of the Fort Worth–based, $32 million nonprofit serving tens of thousands of individuals and families each year across the 28-county Diocese of Fort Worth. CCFW delivers direct services, innovative poverty solutions, and income-generating social enterprises rooted in a relentless commitment to ending poverty—meeting families in the crisis they face today while building real, long-term pathways out of poverty.
Reynolds returned to CCFW in 2026 after seven years advancing the fight against poverty on a national scale at the University of Notre Dame, where she served as the Michael L. Smith Managing Director at the Wilson Sheehan Lab for Economic Opportunities (LEO). There, she helped grow LEO from a $1.5 million operation to more than $10 million annually, all in service to a mission grounded in rigor, evidence, and scaling what works.
Prior to Notre Dame, Reynolds spent 17 years at Catholic Charities Fort Worth, beginning her career as an intern at age 22 and becoming President and CEO at just 25. Under her leadership, CCFW transitioned from a primarily federally funded organization to one fueled by private philanthropy and bold vision. She led the organization toward a “both/and” approach— responding to immediate hardship while building long-term, research-backed solutions—work that laid the foundation for Padua® and Stay the Course®, nationally recognized models designed to help families escape poverty.
A nationally recognized voice on poverty and nonprofit strategy, Reynolds is known for challenging assumptions, pushing teams to innovate, and pursuing the relentless and often audacious goal of ending poverty. Her leadership has been recognized with numerous honors, including the Benemerenti Medal from Pope Benedict XVI, the Center for Nonprofit Management’s Nonprofit CEO of the Year, and TCU’s Social Work Alumnae of the Year award.
Reynolds holds a Bachelor of Social Work and an Executive MBA from Texas Christian University, as well as a Master of Social Work from The University of Texas at Arlington.
Laura Sotelo, Regional Director of Northwest Services
Laura grew up in Iowa where her family moved following her father’s retirement from the Marine Corps. She has worked at CCFW for nearly 25 years in a variety of roles including client services, program management, Parish Social Ministry, and Endowment & Planned Giving. Laura oversaw the planning team that developed the plan for expansion into the northwest part of our service area and became the first director of the Northwest Campus when it opened in Wichita Falls in 2014. Since then, she has been part of the development of both short and long-term services offered in the community and developed the plan to implement the Education Navigation program throughout the diocese.
Laura earned her Masters of Servant Leadership from Viterbo University in La Crosse, Wisconsin. She and her husband, Tim, love to travel and are blessed with four children and are the proud grandparents of three grandsons, who keep their weekends busy with lots of soccer.
Rita Gauthier, Director of Client Services
Rita has 35 years of experience in developing and leading teams with solution-oriented goals and outcomes. She helped develop and expand the Education Navigation program which now serves students in eight community colleges and three four-year universities across our 28-county service area. She serves as the Director of Client Services for the Wichita Falls campus.
Rita obtained her Bachelor of Arts degree from Midwestern State University and was a member of the Mortar Board National Honor Society. She and her husband Paul enjoy the outdoors and attend all the games and activities of their six grandchildren.
Daniel Dalton, Education Navigation Program Manager
Daniel Dalton has extensive experience in educational mentoring, systems, and research. His background is in Applied Psychology and Sociology with a master’s degree in Applied Psychology from Tarleton State University. His graduate work specifically focused on virtual and in-person support systems’ attenuation of stress resulting in an increase in general well-being. While completing his graduate work, Dalton began his work as a Navigator for Education Navigation applying his findings on support systems to empower vocational students to achieve their educational and financial goals. He has since worked as a supervisor and then a Program Manager within Education Navigation. Under his leadership, the Education Navigation program remains focused on implementing research-based practices, practical training, and transforming program systems.
Mindy Cuba
Engagement Coordinator
