Board of directors

A young woman with long, wavy, light brown hair, smiling in front of a dark gray background. She is wearing a beige top, a black blazer, and a gold necklace.
A young woman with long, wavy, light brown hair, smiling in front of a dark gray background. She is wearing a beige top, a black blazer, and a gold necklace.

Julie Pace

Founder & Executive Director

Julie Pace is a Rockingham County local, mom, entrepreneur, and community builder who is passionate about creating spaces where people feel supported, connected, and seen. With a background in business and a strong entrepreneurial mindset, she brings both heart and structure to the work she leads.

Her commitment to supporting families navigating autism is rooted in real-life experiences and meaningful conversations within her community. As a mom to twins who have both been diagnosed with autism, this work is deeply personal. Julie is known for bringing people together, building genuine relationships, and turning ideas into action that make a tangible difference for local families.

Deeply connected to Rockingham County, Julie values the strength of a small community and the way people show up for one another. That perspective shapes her approach, focusing on connection, accessibility, and meeting families where they are.

Outside of her advocacy work, Julie is a small business owner and enjoys spending time with her husband, Hunter, and their twins, Ashton and Abigail.

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Woman with long black hair in a green shirt sitting on a white wooden bench in front of a brick wall, smiling and looking at the camera.

Amy Chan Hardison

Co-Founder & Board Chair

Amy brings over 20 years of project management experience and a love for spreadsheets and to-do lists to her work as a small business consultant, helping businesses start strong and grow with confidence from planning and systems to websites and marketing.

​A proud UNC–Chapel Hill graduate, she earned her MBA in Chicago and later served as a Peace Corps volunteer in Vanuatu before returning to her hometown in North Carolina.

She is also a mom to a neurotypical son and is intentional about raising him to be inclusive, kind, and empathetic toward children of all abilities, including those with autism.

Outside of work, Amy supports her husband’s art career by helping manage large-scale public mural projects and enjoys life and travel with their young son.

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A woman with long, wavy, ombre hair and a nose ring smiling outdoors under a covered patio, with trees and a blue sky in the background.

Peyton Dawson

Board Member

Peyton Dawson is a devoted stay-at-home mom. Her and her significant other have been together for 11 years and are loving parents to their four-year-old son, who was diagnosed with autism at the age of two.

Following their son’s diagnosis, Peyton and her family fully embraced the journey, committing themselves to learning, advocating, and growing alongside him every step of the way. What began as a deeply personal experience has evolved into a heartfelt mission to support, encourage, and uplift other autism families within the community.

As a board member of Acts 4 Autism, Peyton brings compassion, understanding, and invaluable lived experience. She is dedicated to helping create meaningful change and ensuring that no family navigating an autism diagnosis feels alone.

A woman with long wavy blonde hair, blue eyes, and light skin wearing a brown blouse, gold jewelry, and smiling with arms crossed against a plain light-colored wall.
A woman with long wavy blonde hair, blue eyes, and light skin wearing a brown blouse, gold jewelry, and smiling with arms crossed against a plain light-colored wall.

Ashley snow

Board Member

Ashley Snow has worked in healthcare for over 15 years and has proudly called Rockingham County home her entire life. She is passionate about serving local families and strengthening opportunities for children in her community.

Ashley has been married for 13 years and is a proud mother of three, including one child with an autism diagnosis. Her personal experience navigating autism fuels her heart for advocacy, awareness, and increasing access to resources for families in Rockingham County.

She serves as PTO President at the local middle school and as President of the high school volleyball and softball booster programs. With years of experience leading fundraisers and organizing community events, Ashley brings strong leadership and a deep commitment to service to Acts4Autism.

Ashley is honored to be part of Acts4Autism and is dedicated to helping expand resources and awareness for autism in the community she loves.

A woman with shoulder-length wavy blonde hair smiling, wearing a teal blouse and a black blazer, standing against a light gray background.
A woman with shoulder-length wavy blonde hair smiling, wearing a teal blouse and a black blazer, standing against a light gray background.

Jillian Pruitt

Board Member

Jillian Pruitt is a Privacy Analyst at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill where she conducts investigations for both real and perceived privacy incidents as well as providing privacy guidance to stakeholders per federal and state privacy regulations.

Her background includes working within UNC-Chapel Hill’s Office of University Counsel as a Business Services Coordinator primarily supporting litigation and research regulatory matters.

She received her Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Personally, she is married to her high school sweetheart, and mom to Liam and Laina. Liam is autistic and is the primary reason for Jillian’s advocacy work in Rockingham County.

You can catch Jillian at her local CrossFit gym or curled up with her Kindle and a coffee while juggling all things motherhood.

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