Our Team
Gina Cugliari, Executive Director/Founder
Gina Cugliari is the mother of Noah Hays, a High School athlete and lacrosse goalie who was diagnosed with Rhabdomyosarcoma, a rare form of cancer, at the age of 16. Gina, her husband, Joe, and Noah’s 2 older sisters, Kayla and Zoe, live in Charlotte, NC. Noah’s step-brother, Jeremy, and step-sister, Caitlyn, live in Michigan. The entire family is committed to carrying on Noah’s legacy through The NoahStrong Foundation. Gina is a Business Controls Specialist at Bank of America and is a big fan of the Carolina Panthers.
Kayla Kostarelos, Special Events Coordinator & Treasurer/Co-Founder
Kayla Kostarelos received a BSBA in Marketing and Management from East Carolina University in 2013. She currently works as a Senior Account Executive for Beacon Hill Financial in Charlotte, NC. Kayla is Noah’s sister and a Co-Founder of The NoahStrong Foundation along with her mother, Gina Cugliari, and sister, Zoe Kostarelos.
Zoe Kostarelos, Patient Relations Coordinator/Co-Founder
Zoe is Noah’s sister. She helped form the NoahStrong Foundation in 2019 alongside her mother, Gina and sister, Kayla. Noah’s journey has taught her many things that she will carry with her forever but most importantly has taught her to never take your life or health for granted. Despite the many challenges and bumps in the road, Noah never lost hope or the huge goofy smile on his face. She continues to live a life just as Noah would - helping others and spreading love, light, and kindness to the ones who need it most.
Jacquie Cugliari, Community Relations
Jacquie Cugliari is the Aunt to Noah Hays. She has held many non-profit Board positions after her career in the financial industry. She is the family photographer and loves to capture and share memories. Her passion is helping other children and their families fighting cancer in Noah’s memory.
Tonilynn Blair, Secretary/Merchandise Coordinator
Tonilynn is a second grade teacher who has a passion for working with and helping children. Being patient and kind helps her to understand and listen to people. She is a mother of two sons who were close friends of Noah Hays, Noah was like a third son to Toni. Being able to help spread Noah’s love and memory through this foundation is an honor for her to be a part of.
Kyle Mills, Creative Director
Kyle is one of Noah’s biggest fans and a proud supporter of everything NoahStrong. As a Director of Marketing with over a decade of experience in digital campaign development, Kyle is proud to be helping the team create awareness and continue to spread the love that Noah radiated during his life. Kyle is a diehard member of the Wolfpack (Go State!) earning his BA from NC State University and MBA from Wingate University, but will always pull for Tennessee in honor of his favorite guy, Noah.
Jacob Blair, Financial Analyst
Jacob Blair is a finance/economics major at Appalachian State University. His connection started with Noah Hays when they were in elementary school and they grew closer and closer as time went on. They experienced many things together like the first days of school, first jobs, and first cars. Jacob’s passion is finance and he looks forward to working with the NoahStrong Foundation to grow and find ways to help children and families fight the fight Noah and his family fought. He is honored to be part of this community.
Lydia Powell, Social Media Specialist
Lydia Powell is a recent Charlotte transplant after graduating from the University of Alabama in 2020 with a degree in marketing. She has a passion for helping people and enjoys helping them bring their ideas to life through social media marketing. Lydia is very excited to be a part of a team that can share the love that Noah is so well known for.
Kayla Marcotte, Community Relations/Admin Support
Kayla Marcotte received a Bachelor's Degree in Business Marketing and Management from East Carolina University in 2015. She currently works for Deixan, an International IT staffing company as the Immigration Manager. She has been a close family friend for years and loves supporting any and everything NoahStrong. She's excited to be joining this team to help raise awareness of pediatric cancer and spread Noah's love to his community!