Our Team
Syed Ali Haider
Executive Director
Ali received his MFA in fiction from Texas State University. He taught English at St. Stephen’s Episcopal School, where he developed the curriculum for the school’s introductory Creative Writing elective. While living in Texas, he has run summer writing camps and taught workshops in Austin and Corpus Christi.
Contact: ali@austinbatcave.org
Heather Jones
Program Director
Heather is a Licensed Master Social Worker with an MSSW from the University of Texas at Austin and a BA in Comparative Literature from Oberlin College. Prior to joining Austin Bat Cave, she worked with various local nonprofits, including Communities in Schools of Central Texas and the Institute for Restorative Justice and Restorative Dialogue.
Contact: heather@austinbatcave.org
Marilyse V. Figueroa
Regional Program Manager
Marilyse V. Figueora is a proud queer Xicanx-Boricua from Oklahoma and Texas. She received her Bachelor’s in English Literature and Cultural Studies with a focus in Creative Writing from the University of Oklahoma and her Master’s in Fine Arts in Creative Writing from Texas State University. She also volunteers with the summer creative writing workshop, Barrio Writers, as the Director of the San Marcos, Texas Chapter. Marilyse is a danzante, zine-maker, and is currently working on a chapbook of poems.
Contact: marilyse@austinbatcave.org
Tammy Beard
Grants Manager
Tammy traces here development work back to Chicago’s nonprofit literacy field. Before joining ABC, Tammy served as the Director of Development at 826CHI.
Contact: tammy@austinbatcave.org
Sydney Bartlett
Development Intern
Sydney is in the process of earning her Master of Arts in English with concentrations in Early Modern Literature and Religious Studies. She grew up in small towns of East Texas and was once a participant in an ABC workshop. In her spare time, Sydney writes short stories, cycles, runs, and is probably reading Paradise Lost for the 87th time.
Contact: sydney@austinbatcave.org