Our Team

Birthday Buddy
Chief Celebration Officer

Superpower - turning ordinary days into "Happy Birthdays"

Loves cheering on monthly donors who keep the party going all year long!

Least Favorite Thing: An UNhappy birthday.

Never says "no" to cake!

Marie Rudd-Gregory
Mother/Founder/Board President

Marie and her husband Todd founded the Brooke It Forward Foundation in June 2019. A graduate of Leadership St. Tammany (Class of 2023), she has long been active in charitable, civic, and business organizations. Before leading the foundation, Marie practiced law for over 25 years. When her 7-year-old granddaughter asked how much she was paid to work for Brooke It Forward, Marie replied, ‘I get paid in smiles.

Jessica Valladares | Executive Director

Jessica Valladares serves as the Executive Director of the Brooke It Forward Foundation, where she has the privilege of leading the day-to-day work of bringing birthday joy, hope, and the love of Christ to children who have experienced abuse, foster care, homelessness, food insecurity, and other difficult circumstances.

With more than 15 years of nonprofit leadership experience, Jessica is passionate about building meaningful relationships, strengthening community partnerships, and helping organizations grow in ways that create lasting impact. Throughout her career, she has led successful and sustainable initiatives serving children, families, and seniors, always believing that the greatest difference is made when people come together to serve others.

Jessica considers it an incredible blessing to work alongside Brooke It Forward's dedicated team, Board of Directors, volunteers, donors, mission partners, and supporters who make it possible to celebrate thousands of birthdays of children who need it most. Together, they are proving that there truly is a lot of power in a Birthday Box.