About
Find out who you are and do it on purpose
Rhinestones meet reading at the Krewe of Dolly, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit Carnival krewe founded in 2020. We’re all-volunteer Dolly enthusiasts dedicated to one mission: ensuring every New Orleans child has access to quality books from birth.
We partner with Dolly Parton’s Imagination Library to deliver free books monthly to 15,000+ children across Orleans Parish. Every registered child birth through age 5 receives 60 books. We also roll down New Orleans streets in our signature style, attend community events, host fundraisers, and volunteer our time—because literacy advocacy doesn’t have to be boring. It should be fabulous.
Board of Directors
Clockwise from top left: Jill Dunchick⁺, Kari Ayala*, Alexis Culotta⁺, Heather Brutz*, Annie Wentz*⁺, Carolyn Babauta, Sarah Post*⁺, Elizabeth Selasky*.
Photo by Tammie Quintana
*Founding Board Member
⁺Educator
⁺Educator
Kari Ayala
currently serves as the President of the Krewe of Dolly. She is the owner/broker of New Orleans Property Services, a boutique brokerage specializing in all things real estate. Kari’s former career was in charter school education, having helped start the International School of Louisiana, worked at Esperanza Charter School and the International High School of New Orleans. She loves to travel, ski, golf, hike, eat oysters and have fun with friends and family.
Carolyn Babauta
is an award-winning sound engineer for television. Having served as float lieutenant and merch maven for various krewes, it’s fitting that she is Merch, Costumes and Throws Chair. Carolyn is passionate about crafting, good food, good books, live music, traveling the world and taking her daughter to all the Disney parks.
Elizabeth Selasky
a former goalkeeper at Jacksonville State University, brings her passion for the city of New Orleans to the Krewe of Dolly as Treasurer. With her extensive background in mortgage lending and marketing, Elizabeth plays a pivotal role in the Krewe’s fundraising for the Imagination Library. She combines her love for New Orleans with a commitment to honoring Dolly’s legacy through various charitable activities and festive gatherings.
Annie Wentz
is the founding president of the Krewe of Dolly and currently serves as the Board Secretary. As an educator with over 20 years both in and out of the classroom, Annie currently serves as the Science Writer and Editor for Achieve3000, an award-winning literacy program from McGraw Hill. She also serves on the board of New Orleans Science and Math Charter School. When not costuming, Annie enjoys yoga, running, gardening, crafting, and spending time with her two almost-adult boys!
Heather Brutz
currently serves as Vice President. Heather is a Civil Engineer turned stay at home mom. When she’s not volunteering at her kids school or running them around to various extracurricular activities, she loves to spend her free time on our nonprofit and get her creative juices flowing with crafting and costuming. Heather is always ready to share costume tips and learn more!
Alexis Culotta
currently serves as Parade Chair. When not organizing line-up on the route or double-checking dance moves (thanks to her unrequited dreams of becoming a professional ballerina when younger), she enjoys her “day job” as a professor of art history. She’ll take any opportunity to travel to new places and adores her fabulous family, which includes a mini dachshund who conveniently also loves to costume as Doggie Parton.
Jill Dunchick
currently serves as Literacy Chair and is the founder of Jill Dunchick Consulting, partnering with organizations to develop authentic, high-performing leaders. With nearly 30 years in education, she has served as a teacher, principal, and system-level leader, coaching thousands of leaders across more than 35 states. Jill integrates traditional and nontraditional approaches to build trust, strengthen teams, and cultivate authentic leadership. She teaches at the Barbara Brennan School of Healing and maintains a professional energy healing practice that supports personal transformation, authentic leadership, and alignment with soul purpose.
Sarah Post
currently serves as Director of Social Media. She is a speech-language pathologist who started her own business in 2019 serving children from various schools with dyslexia, autism spectrum disorder, and ADHD. She also works to raise money for children with brain cancer yearly on the only all women’s team at Hogs for the Cause, Sweet Swine o’ Mine.