Leadership

Akilah Mance joined HFSC in 2018 as the corporation’s in-house general counsel. She serves as the chief legal officer for HFSC, providing legal advisement to the organization and its board of directors. She works closely with HFSC leadership and management to address the legal implications of HFSC’s daily operations. In her role as director of government affairs, she helps lead a team focused on building meaningful relationships with local, state, and federal officials on a wide range of organizational priorities.  Ms. Mance has over 16 years of experience in criminal law, municipal law, and general litigation.  Previously, she served as a senior felony prosecutor at the Harris County District Attorney’s Office and as an attorney at a municipal law firm. Her career in public service and government relations spans across county and city government as well as the state legislature. Ms. Mance earned her J.D. from the University of Georgia School of Law and a B.A. in Political Science and English from Rice University. She also completed coursework at Philipps Universität-Marburg in Germany and Oxford University in England.

Dr. Amy Castillo, HFSC’s COO and vice president, has been working for HFSC since its establishment in 2014. Previously, she served as HFSC’s director of research and development. In that role, Dr. Castillo’s division worked with all disciplines to identify and apply for new grants while also managing existing grants.  Prior to HFSC’s establishment, Dr. Castillo worked as a forensic biology criminalist under the HPD Crime Laboratory. She became a supervisor in July 2013, and helped oversee the elimination of Houston’s backlog of untested sexual assault kits. Dr. Castillo is also a member of The Texas Sexual Assault Survivors Task Force and the Harris County Adult Sexual Assault Response Team. She completed her doctoral degree in biochemistry at the University of Houston. 

Carina Haynes joined HFSC in 2017 as a crime scene supervisor and was promoted to director in May 2021. Beginning her career at the Durham Police Department in North Carolina, she has over 15 years of experience in crime scene investigation. In addition, Ms. Haynes has over 1,300 hours of training in various forensic disciplines and is certified by the International Association of Identification as a Senior Crime Scene Analyst. She is also a technical assessor for ANAB.  She is well versed in preparing new staff for a career as crime scene investigators, leading teams in high-stress environments, and providing emotional wellness for CSIs. Ms. Haynes has a B.A. in criminology from North Carolina State University. 

David Leach joined HFSC in 2015 as the organization’s chief financial officer and treasurer. He previously served as chief financial officer of a privately held chemical company. Prior to that, Mr. Leach spent 10 years at EnPro Industries, a publicly traded manufacturing company with revenues of more than $1 billion. After serving in several roles in EnPro, including vice president of business development, Mr. Leach became general manager of the company’s Lubrication Group. He oversaw all aspects of that $25 million facility and led a team through a process to resolve significant supply chain issues.

Jackie Moral became HFSC Quality Director in January 2023.  Prior to her promotion to Director, Jackie worked as Quality Division Specialist since 2014. In both roles, she has worked with all forensic disciplines to ensure their processes meet accreditation requirements while driving continuous quality improvement. Prior to her role in Quality, Jackie worked as a chemist in the Seized Drugs section for the Houston Police Department Crime Laboratory from 2007 until 2014. She has over 15 years of forensic science experience.  She is a certified Quality Auditor by ASQ and she has been an active accreditation assessor for ANAB since 2012. Mrs. Moral holds a master’s degree in pharmaceutical sciences from the University of Florida and a bachelor’s degree in biochemistry from Virginia Tech.

Dr. Peter Stout, HFSC’s CEO and president, initially joined the agency in 2015 as its chief operating officer and vice president. He has more than 25 years of experience in forensic science and forensic toxicology. Prior to joining HFSC, Dr. Stout worked as a senior research forensic scientist and director of operations in the Center for Forensic Sciences at RTI International. Dr. Stout also has served as president of the Society of Forensic Toxicologists (SOFT). He is currently the president of the Texas Association of Crime Lab Directors. Dr. Stout has a doctorate in toxicology from the University of Colorado Health Sciences Center in Denver. Dr. Stout also served as an officer in the U.S. Navy Medical Service Corps.

Dr. Preshious Rearden, Director of Research, Technology, and Development, joined HFSC in 2016. In this role, she oversees and leads the technical operations of the organization, which includes the Information Technology, Research and Development, and Lean Six Sigma Divisions. Dr. Rearden previously served as the HFSC’s Director of Research and Development. She has extensive experience in both industry and academia, spanning areas such as engineering, manufacturing, research and development, and higher education. Additionally, she possesses over twenty years of experience in project management. Dr. Rearden is a member of the Forensic Science Laboratory Needs Technology Working Group (FLN-TWG) and has co-authored several scientific papers and patents. Dr. Rearden has a Ph.D. in Chemistry from Ohio University.

Tai Aluko joined HFSC in 2023 as the organization’s Human Resources Director with more than 18 years of comprehensive experience in strategically planning and tactically implementing successful HR solutions. Prior to HFSC, Mrs. Aluko has previously worked in the public, manufacturing, and retail sectors, providing business partnering to senior leadership. Mrs. Aluko is dedicated to creating robust corporate cultures that promote continuous engagement by empowering and motivating employees to realize their full potential. As a certified HR professional, she holds the SHRM-SCP and SPHR designations. In addition, she holds a master’s degree in human resource management from Texas A&M University.