Over the past 35+ years, SPS has helped bring more than 1,000 babies into the world. While we’re so proud of this milestone, we know none of it would have been possible without our incredible team.
Behind every match, every phone call, and every milestone is someone who genuinely cares about making each surrogacy journey as smooth, supportive, and rewarding as possible. Many have been surrogates themselves, giving them a unique understanding of the journey and the families they support.
We thought it was time to introduce them.
Cristie Montgomery, Founder & President
Surrogate Parenting Services was founded in 1990 by Cristie Montgomery after her own rewarding experience as a surrogate inspired her to help other families experience the joy of parenthood. More than 35 years later, that same passion continues to guide everything we do.
Cristie remains personally involved in every case and meets with each surrogate candidate and intended parent to help create fulfilling matches. Her hands-on approach and commitment to personalized care have earned her the respect of parents, surrogates, attorneys, reproductive endocrinologists, and nurses throughout the fertility community.
She is a member of the American Society for Reproductive Medicine, the Pacific Coast Reproductive Society, RESOLVE, the Society for Ethics in Egg Donation and Surrogacy, ACAL, and the Jefferson Infertility Counseling Conference. She also stays current on the latest advances in fertility and surrogacy by regularly attending industry seminars and conferences. Over the years, Cristie has been featured on television, in newspapers, books, and medical journals as an authority on surrogacy.
Today, she continues to lead SPS with the same goal she had from the beginning: to provide personal, compassionate support to every surrogate and intended parent. She and her husband are the proud parents of two daughters and have been longtime Southern California residents.
Michelle Montgomery, Matching Coordinator
Michelle grew up learning about surrogacy at an early age through her mother, Cristie, and saw firsthand how rewarding it is to help others build their families. In 2017, she became an egg donor and helped a family bring twins into the world—an experience that remains one of her proudest moments.
As Matching Coordinator, Michelle works alongside Cristie to thoughtfully match screened surrogates with intended parents. She enjoys getting to know both parties and guiding them through the matching process before they begin their journey with their assigned Case Manager.
Michelle is married and the mother of a young son—Cristie’s first grandchild. Outside of work, she has a passion for photography and specializes in newborn and children’s portraiture.
Heather Gonzalez, Program Manager
Heather joined SPS in 2018 after years in the hospitality industry, where she led high-performing teams while delivering exceptional customer experiences. As Program Manager, she enjoys helping intended parents grow their families while supporting surrogates throughout their journeys.
After watching the joy that the SPS team experienced from helping families, Heather decided to become a surrogate herself and delivered a healthy baby girl for a local couple in 2024. The experience gave her an even greater passion for assisting both surrogates and intended parents through this special journey. Outside of work, Heather enjoys spending time with her family and exploring the outdoors with her four children.
Caitlin Turner, Administrative Assistant
Caitlin is a lifelong Southern California resident who lives in Orange County with her husband and son. As Administrative Assistant, she brings more than a decade of customer service experience to SPS and is passionate about making personal connections while helping others.
Family has always been important to Caitlin, and she knew SPS was the right place for her because of the team’s genuine commitment to helping families grow. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family, her dog Dakota, and her eleven nieces and nephews.
Sherri Cook, Case Manager
Sherri joined SPS in 1990 after completing her first surrogacy journey with SPS. While she was pregnant, she began helping with surrogate screenings, and after her delivery, she became a Case Manager.
Having delivered 12 surrogate babies, Sherri knows firsthand the care, encouragement, and guidance surrogates need throughout their journey. She loves helping couples start or complete their families and says there’s no better feeling than seeing those dreams come true. When she’s not working, she enjoys spending time with her family and riding her horse whenever possible.
Ashley Hobbs, Case Manager
Ashley began her first surrogacy journey with SPS in 2011 and has since helped four families as a surrogate. She became a Case Manager in 2018 and enjoys helping both surrogates and intended parents have the most meaningful experience possible. Ashley plays an integral role in our surrogate intake process, walking each prospective surrogate through the process in the video interview, so surrogates know what to expect.
She and her husband have been together for more than 20 years and have two teenagers who also enjoy sharing the positive impact surrogacy has had on their family.
Daryl Kelley, Case Manager
Daryl joined the SPS team in 2015 after choosing SPS for her own surrogacy journey. She has been a surrogate three times for the same family and treasures the relationship they continue to share.
As a Case Manager, Daryl enjoys watching lifelong connections form between surrogates and intended parents and witnessing the joy of families meeting their babies for the first time. She loves having a meaningful career that truly changes lives. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her daughter, Ayla, volunteering at her school, and taking her dog on morning walks.
Stacy Waddington, Case Manager
Stacy is one of our Southern California Case Managers and an experienced SPS surrogate, having delivered twins in 2014 and a singleton in 2015. She loves supporting both surrogates and intended parents throughout their journeys and being part of such a meaningful experience.
Stacy has been married since 2005 and has two children. Outside of work, she runs a nonprofit roller hockey club in Irvine and enjoys cheering on her family’s activities.
Chantel Pilkington, Case Manager
Chantel joined SPS in 2020 and completed two successful surrogacy journeys before becoming a Case Manager in 2025. Having experienced surrogacy firsthand, she understands its profound impact on both surrogates and intended parents and is passionate about supporting others through the process. Chantel is dedicated to helping make every journey as positive and fulfilling as possible.
She has been happily married since 2010, has two children, and enjoys family trips to Disneyland and competitive board game nights.
Hillary Brown, Case Manager
Hillary lives in Southern California with her husband and three children. After becoming a surrogate with SPS, she fell in love with the experience of helping another family grow and was inspired to join the team as a Case Manager. She feels honored to support surrogates and intended parents through one of the most meaningful journeys of their lives.
When she’s not working, you’ll usually find her at the soccer field with her family or enjoying hiking and trips to the beach.
Alisha Hannah, Case Manager
Alisha began her journey with the SPS family in 2017 and has personally helped two families grow as a surrogate. She completed one journey in 2019 with fraternal twin girls and another in 2023 with fraternal twin boys before becoming a Case Manager with SPS. Alisha says SPS was the only organization she trusted with her own family’s care, and from the moment she met Cristie, she knew she was meant to be here. She’s grateful to support other surrogates and intended parents while continuing to grow within the SPS community.
Outside of work, Alisha enjoys spending time with her husband of more than 20 years, their two teenagers, a good book, great company, and making as many family memories as possible.
Blythe Smith, Medical Records Coordinator
Blythe joined SPS as a surrogate in 2015 and became a Case Manager in 2017 before transitioning into her current role as Medical Records Coordinator. She is also a licensed midwife, and her knowledge of pregnancy and birth plays an important role in reviewing medical records and supporting the surrogate approval process with IVF clinics. Blythe also leads SPS’s informational birth meetings, helping surrogates and intended parents prepare for labor, delivery, and the hospital experience. She believes every family deserves to feel supported, informed, and cared for throughout their journey.
Outside of work, Blythe enjoys spending time with her husband and six children, as well as yoga, hiking, snowboarding, traveling, and cooking.
We feel incredibly fortunate to do this work every day and to be part of so many life-changing journeys! If you’re ready to take the next step, we’d love to meet you and help you begin your own story.
