CWVE 2023: Bios
The Child Welfare Virtual Expo (CWVE) is an annual one-day event sponsored by the Children’s Bureau and the Capacity Building Center for States.
Speaker bios are arranged by session. Click on the session titles below to view the speakers for each session.
- Leaning Into the Wind: What We Know About the State of Child Welfare
- Understanding Employee Performance, Turnover, and Well-Being Data
- The Impact of Lived Expertise in Evidence-Based Practice Work
- Dynamics in the Recruitment, Development, and Retention of Legal Professionals in Child Welfare
- Work With Purpose: A Recruitment Campaign for Child Welfare
- Fostering Successful Opportunities for L.C.S.W. Supervision
- Organizational Readiness and Retention for People With Lived Expertise
- From Disparity to Unity: Transforming Child Welfare Through Racial Equity
- Attracting and Maintaining a Diverse Workforce: Addressing Moral Injury, Barriers to Advancement, and Becoming a Leader
- A Tale of 2 Counties: Development and Implementation of Coaching
- Building Onboarding and Training Programs for Success: Experiences in Tribal and County-Administered Agencies
- Closing Remarks
Jasmine Hayes, Capacity Building Center for States
Jasmine Hayes joined ICF in 2020 as the executive director of the Capacity Building Center for States, where she oversees a diverse team dedicated to supporting state and territorial public child welfare agencies and their partners to strengthen, implement, and sustain effective child welfare practice and achieve better outcomes for children, youth, and families. As a former child welfare caseworker, she brings more than 20 years of experience in federal, state, and local-level program and policy planning, development and implementation, evaluation, and change management.
Hayes is a recognized expert in managing complex projects that are strategic in nature and national in scope, with deep expertise in conducting training and technical assistance, and leading projects with internal and external partners. She has authored numerous cross-cutting policy and practice resources as well as presentations for human services audiences, including child welfare, housing and homelessness, and education and employment.
Earlier in her career, Hayes served as deputy director of the United States Interagency Council on Homelessness, leading federal efforts to prevent and end homelessness among youth and families with children. She obtained her M.S.W. from the University of Toronto (Canada).
Tony Parsons, Capacity Building Center for States
Robert “Tony” Parsons is a young adult consultant with the Capacity Building Center for States and has built a career working on behalf of children, youth, and families across multiple systems. He began as an intern with the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute in Washington, D.C., where he produced a policy report with recommendations for increasing permanency for foster youth.
After graduating from Michigan State University, Parsons worked as an academic advisor for educationally gifted students in a low-income community where he drafted curriculum, elevated student voice in the decision-making process, and convened stakeholders to improve educational outcomes. He also worked with the Michigan College Access Network, where he developed and implemented programs that helped over 50,000 students (many of whom were low-income, first generation, or students of color) apply to college.
In addition to his work with the Center for States, Parsons serves as a federal policy specialist at Youth Villages on policy related to transition-age youth, including the Family First Prevention Services Act, Medicaid, education, and juvenile justice.
Aysha E. Schomburg, Children’s Bureau, Administration on Children, Youth and Families
Aysha E. Schomburg, J.D., is the associate commissioner in the Children’s Bureau in the Administration on Children, Youth and Families, located within the Administration for Children and Families at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. As associate commissioner she heads the Children’s Bureau.
Schomburg joined the Biden Administration in March 2021 after serving as the senior administrator for program oversight for New York City’s Administration for Children’s Services (ACS). There she worked collaboratively with agency leaders to develop and implement plans for the operational infrastructure of ACS, while also developing and coordinating comprehensive organizational capacity building strategies across programs. In addition, during the COVID-19 public health crisis, she worked closely with New York City’s Department of Education and Department of Homeless Services to create and coordinate guidance for frontline staff. She also worked with the New York City mayor’s office to coordinate a platform for listening to nonprofits and social services agencies regarding COVID-19 challenges and proposed solutions. She provided counsel to New York City’s Office of Equity Strategies regarding implementation of the ACS race equity plan and has provided recommendations to the agency on how to tackle inequities and racism in child welfare. In 2019, she was awarded the ACS Distinguished Service Award for “Assisting Children Separated from their Families at the Border.”
Prior to joining ACS, Schomburg held a number of key leadership positions with the New York City Council, including assistant deputy director. Under this title, she managed legislative activities of 13 committees in the human services division and provided legal counsel to the speaker and council members. Prior to that she served as senior counsel and counsel to the Committee on Education.
Schomburg began her career at ACS as the director of parent recruitment where she focused on supporting foster and prospective adoptive parents. She also served as the director of youth development initiatives for the agency, where she developed a number of critical programs, including pioneering the implementation of the nurse family partnership program for parenting youth and the preparing youth for adulthood plan.
Associate Commissioner Schomburg, who has bar admissions in both the states of New York and New Jersey, received her bachelor of arts degree from the University of Virginia, her master’s degree from New York University, and her juris doctorate from New York Law School.
Rebecca Jones Gaston, Administration on Children, Youth and Families
Rebecca Jones Gaston is the commissioner of the Administration on Children, Youth and Families, at the Administration for Children and Families within the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. The Administration on Children, Youth and Families manages the Children’s Bureau and the Family and Youth Services Bureau.
Before joining the Biden Administration via confirmation by the U.S. Senate in December 2022, Gaston was the child welfare director for the state of Oregon’s Department of Human Services that oversees child protection, foster care, and adoption services, a position she held since 2019. During her time as director, Oregon launched a major transformation built on trauma-informed, family- and community-centered, and culturally responsive programs and services.
Prior to joining the Oregon senior management team, Gaston served as the executive director of the Maryland Department of Human Services’ Social Services Administration with oversight of child welfare and adult services. She has worked in the areas of human services and child welfare for nearly 25 years as a social worker, advocate, therapist, consultant, and administrator. Previously, she was a director with Casey Family Programs providing technical assistance to child welfare agencies throughout the United States and served as the national campaign director for AdoptUSKids, a collaboration with the Children’s Bureau and the National Ad Council. This major campaign, which she now oversees as commissioner of the Administration on Children, Youth and Families, continues to help increase the numbers of foster and adoptive families across the country.
A proud mother of two young adults, Gaston holds a degree in psychology from Georgetown University and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Pennsylvania.
Leslie Calloway, Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services, Division of Child Welfare
Leslie B. Calloway is the Deputy Assistant Secretary for Child Welfare Workforce Development for the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services. In this position, she spearheads the department’s efforts in recruitment, retention, development, training, job satisfaction, and overall employee wellness. By seamlessly aligning these vital elements, Calloway has been instrumental in facilitating better outcomes for children and families across the state.
As a distinguished alumna of the University of Southwestern Louisiana, Calloway holds a bachelor's degree in criminal justice, and she further fortified her expertise by obtaining a master of social work degree from Southern University at New Orleans. With more than 25 years of valuable experience within the Department of Children and Family Services, Calloway has passionately served in various key roles, ranging from casework and supervision to management, consultation, administration, and leading transformative special projects.
Notably, she played a pivotal role in securing and implementing a nationally recognized child welfare workforce development project, generously supported by the Administration for Children and Families. Through this groundbreaking initiative, Calloway contributed to the advancement of child welfare practices, employee retention, and the overall well-being of families. Her profound expertise and invaluable insights have been instrumental in shaping the trajectory of the department and driving positive change.
Beyond her exceptional professional achievements, Calloway's true strength lies in her genuine compassion for others and her unwavering appreciation for diversity in all its forms. She fervently believes in actively participating in the change we all aspire to see, fostering an inclusive work environment, and building meaningful relationships based on trust and respect. This intrinsic value system permeates through her work, cultivating a positive and collaborative atmosphere that empowers the workforce to achieve extraordinary goals.
Calloway embodies a strength-based outlook on life, perceiving every experience, be it positive or challenging, as an invaluable learning opportunity. Her unwavering dedication to personal and professional growth has solidified her position as an extraordinary leader in the field. With a keen eye for innovation and an unwavering commitment to improving the lives of vulnerable children and families, Calloway remains an influential force, inspiring positive change and creating a brighter future for all.
Miki Egan, Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services, Division of Child Welfare
Miki Egan has a master's degree in rehabilitation counseling. She has been employed at the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) for 20 years. Egan has served as a foster care worker and an investigator in Washington Parish. She was also a statewide supervisor and manager with the Child Protection Intake Hotline. Egan then went on to work with the CCWIS project to help cleanse and make changes to the Legacy Data Systems for DCFS. She is currently the Statewide Manager for the on-the-job-training (OTJT) program.
Egan has redesigned the OTJT program as well as expanded the number of regions served. OTJT serves new DCFS employees in Child Protection Services (Investigations), Family Services, and Foster Care programs. The trainers work in conjunction with the field supervisors to assist new employees in understanding key concepts and competencies to help staff become successful employees. Egan tracks trends among the new employees that trainers are working with, including worker satisfaction stay interviews and questionnaires, new employee knowledge and progress, and other trends that are affecting new workers participating in the OTJT program.
Ellen Hammons, Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services, Division of Child Welfare
Ellen Hammons, M.S.W., L.C.S.W. - B.A.C.S., has worked for the Louisiana Department of Children and Family Services (DCFS) since July 1991. She has worked directly with families as a child welfare professional and has served as a child welfare supervisor, manager, and area director for Shreveport and Monroe Regions, a state office programs child welfare consultant in the Continuous Quality Improvement and Regional Program Specialist Units. Harmons currently holds the position of child welfare manager for the statewide Regional Program Specialist Unit. This unit is a group of child welfare experts who work directly with staff and management to improve the practice of child welfare. Ellen has loved every minute of her work with DCFS and has a passion to improve the overall outcomes for the children and families served by improving the workforce of child welfare.
Charlotte Williams, Capacity Building Center for States
Charlotte Williams is a licensed clinical social worker with over 13 years of experience in direct service provision for children, youth, and families in the child welfare and foster care system, juvenile detention facilities, child advocacy and sexual assault centers, child abuse prevention agencies, and trafficking shelters. Williams has the demonstrated ability to engineer and deliver evidence-based, best practice learning methods designed to streamline and align with program objectives, particularly in sexual assault prevention, interpersonal and community violence reduction, juvenile justice reform, trauma-informed care and resilience, and community engagement and education. Previously, Williams led the National Training & Technical Assistance Center’s Office of Juvenile Justice & Delinquency Prevention’s Preventing Youth Hate Crimes special project to prevent and address youth hate crimes and identity-based bullying. Currently, Williams serves as the knowledge management and peer services specialist with the Capacity Building Center for States.
Michelle Graef, Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Development
Dr. Michelle Graef is currently the principal investigator and project director for the Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Development (QIC-WD), funded by the Children’s Bureau. The QIC-WD is working with eight state and tribal child welfare agency sites to design, implement, and rigorously evaluate an array of evidence-informed workforce strategies and interventions.
Previously, Graef was the principal investigator of a comprehensive, multiyear program evaluation of Nebraska’s Title IV-E Waiver Demonstration (2014–2019). Recently, Graef served as the coprincipal investigator and associate director of the Midwest Child Welfare Implementation Center, a 5-year cooperative agreement funded by the Children’s Bureau (2008–2014). In this role, she worked with states and tribes in a 10-state region to provide technical assistance and evaluation and to facilitate peer-to-peer support to achieve systems change. She designed and delivered technical assistance services to four statewide, multiyear systems change initiatives to improve the quality and effectiveness of child welfare services. These changes were focused on organizational culture, administration, and direct practice with children and families.
Earlier in her career, Graef directed a team responsible for job analysis, training needs assessment, training program evaluation, and the development and validation of competencies for all child welfare and juvenile parole workers in the state of Nebraska (1992–2008). She led the design, validation, and implementation of innovative research-based systems for the selection and performance management of child welfare staff. Finally, she provided methodological and analytic consultation to a number of large-scale child protective services case file reviews for quality assurance purposes.
Megan Paul, Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Development
Dr. Megan Paul is an industrial-organizational psychologist who has worked exclusively in child welfare for more than 19 years, focusing on personnel psychology, organizational development, research and evaluation, and child welfare.
Paul is currently research associate professor at the Center on Children, Families, and the Law at the University of Nebraska - Lincoln. She conducts child welfare training development and evaluation for the Nebraska Department of Health and Human Services Division of Children and Family Services and serves as the lead workforce specialist for the Quality Improvement Center for Workforce Development, doing workforce intervention research with child welfare agencies in Washington, Milwaukee, and Oklahoma.
Dawnia Flonnoy, National Sobriety Treatment and Recovery Teams (START) Training and Technical Assistance Program, Children and Family Futures
Dawnia Flonnoy currently serves as a Senior Program Associate at the National Center on Substance Abuse and Child Welfare. Flonnoy provides technical assistance to state and county child welfare jurisdictions for implementation of the Sobriety Treatment and Recovery Teams (START) model. She has 22 years of professional social work experience, as well as personal experience with familial substance abuse. Flonnoy worked with the public Children’s Services Administration in two Ohio counties and also served as a START social service worker and supervisor. She has assisted Family Drug Court teams and facilitated monthly meetings with mental health providers. Flonnoy provided training on child welfare, prenatal substance exposure, and substance use disorders to students, hospitals, and communities. She has expertise in child welfare, juvenile court, leadership, and collaborative practice. Flonnoy holds a master’s degree in justice administration from Tiffin University and a bachelor’s degree in rehabilitation and corrections from Wilberforce University.
Robby Hall, Richmond County, North Carolina Health & Human Services
Robby Hall has worked in the areas of social work, mental health, and habilitation for over 30 years, the past 18 years of which were as the director of social services in Scotland and Richmond County, North Carolina. He has helped implement both local and state improvements projects ranging from family group conferencing, juvenile justice prevention, peer support, and other grant projects. Hall holds undergraduate degrees in psychology and criminal justice and a master's in health administration.
Heather Hendley, Capacity Building Center for States
Heather Hendley is a seasoned child welfare professional with more than a decade of leadership experience. She currently serves as the performance improvement and research manager with the Capacity Building Center for States. Hendley comes from the State of Indiana Department of Child Services, where she worked for 11 years. There, she led her staff in three focus areas in order to improve outcomes for children and families: continuous quality improvement (CQI), quality service and assurance, and research and evaluation. In addition to many other responsibilities, Hendley was a CQI mentor and coach using Lean and Six Sigma methodologies; she was responsible for redesigning, developing, and implementing the Indiana Child and Family Services Plan; and she assisted with planning, implementing, and monitoring the state’s Program Improvement Plan as part of the federal Child and Family Services Review. Hendley is experienced in program development and played a pivotal role in cultivating and developing Indiana’s older youth program, Collaborative Care.
Kelly Kirk, Richmond County, North Carolina Health & Human Services
Kelly Kirk is a birth parent with child welfare system lived experience, is proud to be in long-term recovery, and is a survivor of intimate partner violence. Her lived experience is a direct result of her past struggles. Although her cases closed successfully, she's had to navigate child welfare systems more than once. Kirk works for the Richmond County (North Carolina) Department of Social Services as the Tri-County Child Advocacy Center Coordinator. She is also a certified peer support specialist, alcohol and drug counselor, Triple P facilitator, and nationally certified family peer specialist.
Kirk is a family consultant for the Capacity Building Center for States. She is a family partner on the North Carolina Department of Social Services Child Welfare Family Advisory Council (part of North Carolina's Family Leadership Model) and sits on their Child and Family Services Plan Permanency Design Team, Family First Prevention Services Act Prevention Workgroup, and other state-level teams. At the local level, she is a member of the Richmond County Drug Endangered Families Task Force and Family Engagement Committee. While serving on the Child Welfare Family Advisory Council Kirk co-presented at the Child Welfare League of America in Washington, D.C. (2023), co-facilitated the 2021 Kempe International Virtual Conference: Call to Action to Change Child Welfare Conference (October 2021), presented at the North Carolina Department of Social Services live online webinar “Permanency Matters: Safely Achieving Reunification” (September 1, 2020).
Tina Willauer, National Sobriety Treatment and Recovery Teams (START) Training and Technical Assistance Program, Children and Family Futures
Tina Willauer currently serves as the program director for the National Sobriety Treatment and Recovery Teams (START) Training and Technical Assistance Program at Children and Family Futures. In this capacity, she leads and manages the growth and expansion of the national START model.
With 32 years of experience in the child welfare field, Willauer is dedicated to identifying and spreading strategies that work for families affected by parental substance use, trauma, and child maltreatment. As the purveyor of the START model, she has worked in numerous jurisdictions to implement START and other child welfare system improvements. Before joining Children and Family Futures in 2017, she spent a decade serving as the director of the Kentucky START Program at the Department for Community Based Services overseeing the expansion and rigorous evaluation of the model. Willauer has achieved high standards of practice and has brought a change catalyst perspective to her every role, including as a frontline social worker, supervisor, senior manager, program director, and consultant within the public child welfare system. She has maintained her focus on transforming and strengthening the system of care within and between child welfare agencies, substance use and mental health treatment providers, the judicial system, and other family-serving entities. She has multiple peer-reviewed publications and a lengthy list of dynamic national presentations.
Willauer received her master’s degree in public administration from Cleveland State University and her bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Bowling Green State University.
Salih Alexander, Capacity Building Center for Courts
Salih Alexander joined the Capacity Building Center for Courts in June 2020 with a desire to help improve the court system around the country for the benefit of children and families. In this role, Alexander serves as the liaison for 11 states. He also works directly with Court Improvement Program (CIP) directors providing technical support and tailored services for their joint court-agency, hearing quality, and legal representation projects by using change management theory and creativity.
Alexander is a passionate advocate and litigator who has represented indigent criminal clients in bench and jury trials in serious adult felonies and misdemeanors, domestic violence, probation violations, and juvenile delinquency. He also handled cases involving child abuse and neglect, custody/visitation, child support, special education and school discipline, and traffic offenses. Alexander spent four years as a public defender in Hampton, VA and over six years as a solo defense attorney in Northern Virginia. Before working as a public defender, he served as the Hearing Officer/Administrative Attorney for the Portsmouth (VA) City Public Schools for three years handling student disciplinary hearings, writing code of conduct revisions, and providing professional development training to school administrators and staff. Alexander has been licensed to practice law in Virginia since 2004 and in the District of Columbia since 2003.
Alexander is currently a doctoral student at George Mason University, where he is completing his dissertation for a PhD in Criminology, Law, and Society. His dissertation examines the interaction between criminogenic needs and perceptions of procedural justice and legitimacy by serious juvenile offenders. He has also taught college criminology classes at George Mason University. He previously graduated from Regent University School of Education with a Master of Education degree in Cross-Categorical Special Education and Widener University School of Law (Delaware Campus). He is also a proud alumnus (magna cum laude in English) of Delaware State University.
Alexander’s background in litigation, teaching, and research makes his role at the Center a natural fit and allows him to impact issues at a systemic level. He is deeply concerned with tackling disproportionality and disparities, procedural justice, youth engagement, special education, legal representation, and judicial decision making. His analytical skills and ability to see nuances in issues allow him to help people see problems at a deeper level and then solve problems in a more robust and enduring manner.
Tara Grigg Green, Foster Care Advocacy Center
Tara Grigg Green (formerly Garlinghouse) is the Co-Founder and Executive Director of Foster Care Advocacy Center. Prior to founding Foster Care Advocacy Center, Grigg Green was a Staff Attorney and Skadden Fellow in the Houston office of Disability Rights Texas, helping to develop the Foster Care Team by providing direct representation to foster children with disabilities in state child welfare proceedings and ancillary proceedings, such as special education litigation and Medicaid appeals. While at Disability Rights Texas she authored an Amicus Brief in support of Plaintiffs in M.D. v. Abbott — class action litigation seeking to reform the Texas foster care system — that was subsequently cited by the Fifth Circuit in the decision affirming the State’s liability.
Grigg Green has extensive experience consulting on child welfare policy issues for organizations such as Casey Family Programs, the American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law, the Texas Children’s Commission, and the United States Children’s Bureau. She has also published several law review articles and research papers on the constitutional rights of children and families and quality legal representation in child welfare proceedings.
Grigg Green’s passion for this field comes from her family’s experience as a foster family caring for over one hundred foster children. She has received many honors and awards for her work in the field, and she was recently named the National Association of Counsel for Children’s Outstanding Young Lawyer. Grigg Green clerked for the Hon. Micaela Alvarez of the U.S. Southern District of Texas in McAllen. She holds a J.D. from the University of Pennsylvania Law School where she was a Toll Public Interest Scholar, a M.P.P. from the Harvard Kennedy School of Government where she was a Taubman Fellow, and a B.A. from Rice University.
Diana Rugh Johnson, Georgia Administrative Office of the Courts
Diana Rugh Johnson is the Director of the Court Improvement Program for the State of Georgia. Before taking that position in August 2021, Johnson served for 6 years as a Judge Pro Tempore in the DeKalb County Juvenile Court and practiced law in the areas of child welfare, disability, adoption, and custody. She was one of the first attorneys in Georgia to be certified as a Child Welfare Law Specialist. She serves on the steering committee of the American Bar Association’s National Alliance for Parent Representation and on the Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Advisory Commission for Delta Gamma Fraternity. Johnson holds a master’s of science degree in biochemistry from Clemson University and a juris doctorate degree from Georgia State University.
Jey Rajaraman, Capacity Building Center for Courts
Jey Rajaraman has over 18 years of experience with and commitment to promoting access to justice for families and children. Most recently, Rajaraman served as a management consultant at the newly created Family Integrity and Justice Works at Public Knowledge. She was Chief Counsel of the Family Representation Project at Legal Services of New Jersey (LSNJ) and before that worked in the Office of the Public Defender.
Rajaraman’s entire career and much of her non-career life have been dedicated to eliminating justice gaps for families and children that live in poverty in New Jersey and across the nation. Throughout the years, she has litigated on behalf of parents and children in the child welfare system and established antiracism initiatives to reduce racial disparities in state systems while managing a multidisciplinary team of attorneys, social workers, and parent allies.
Rajaraman has filed numerous emergent appellate applications and has had the opportunity to argue before the Appellate Division and the New Jersey Supreme Court. Additionally, she was the co-chief section counsel of LSNJ's Youth Law Project, which provides legal advice and information to New Jersey youth. As part of her work at LSNJ, she argued before the New Jersey Supreme Court and coauthored several of LSNJ's amicus briefs.
In addition to direct client work, Rajaraman has written articles related to child welfare, poverty, and racism intersections with child welfare and foster youth issues for the public (Looking Out) and a legal services community publication (LSNJ Report). She teaches appellate advocacy at Seton Hall University School of Law as an adjunct professor. A graduate of Mount Holyoke College, Rajaraman received her juris doctorate from Seton Hall University School of Law.
Michelle Clinch, National Child Welfare Workforce Institute
Michelle Clinch has 30 years of experience working in communications and adult education, with 12 of those in child welfare. As the National Child Welfare Workforce Institute’s National Campaign Manager, Clinch collaborates with team members to develop products and events, leads the social media strategy, and supports communication efforts.
Sharon Kollar, National Child Welfare Workforce Institute
Sharon Kollar, licensed master social worker, leads information-sharing networks, knowledge management, and dissemination efforts for the National Child Welfare Workforce Institute. As the LINKD Director, Kollar supports child welfare programs in developing a diverse, inclusive, and effective workforce by hosting, creating, and sharing events, resources, strategies, and tools. Her career has included monitoring, evaluating, and facilitating practice improvement efforts in public child welfare programs and providing direct services to adults, children, youth, and families. Kollar has coauthored articles on child welfare workforce turnover, worker safety, and peer networking and has served as an adjunct instructor and practicum support at the University at Albany School of Social Welfare and as an independent consultant.
Michelle Cover, Fairfax County Department of Family Services
Michelle Cover is the Clinical Supervisor within the Fairfax County Department of Family Services (DFS) Human Resources and Professional and Organizational Development program. Cover joined the team in July 2022 and is responsible for supporting DFS’ vision and values as they pertain to employee growth and professional development. She provides clinical supervision for supervisees seeking clinical licensure, coordinates clinical training to enhance staff’s skills, and supports clinical professional development opportunities for employees.
Cover has over 25 years of experience working within the District of Columbia, Michigan, and Virginia. She joined Fairfax County DFS in October 1999 as an Adoption Specialist and subsequently matriculated to the positions of Post-Adoption Specialist and Foster Care and Adoption Supervisor. During her tenure in the Foster Care and Adoption Program, she has served on several state and local committees to enhance and improve overall practices in human services. In addition, she has participated in many initiatives, including the Annie E. Casey Foundation Agents of Change Leadership Program and the Child, Youth and Families Trauma Committee, which included Systems of Care staff. She was a leading member of the Psychotropic Medication Management team and completed the Minority Professional Leadership Development fellowship program through AdoptUSKids and the Children’s Bureau in September 2021. As a part of these initiatives, Cover has been a big advocate for changes that will positively impact the lives of the individuals, children, and families served by the child welfare system.
Cover holds a master of social work degree from Howard University in Washington D.C., and a bachelor of social work degree from Andrews University in Michigan. She is a licensed clinical social worker and has been providing clinical supervision for several practitioners within DFS. In addition to her passion for elevating clinical practice for professionals, Cover believes in serving within her community.
Tiffany Haynes, Capacity Building Center for States
Tiffany Haynes is an accomplished professional with a passion for social justice, advocacy, and youth empowerment. With a diverse background and an impressive range of experience, Haynes has dedicated her career to addressing housing instability, addressing disparities in child welfare, advocating for marginalized populations, and fostering positive change within her community.
Haynes's career trajectory is marked by a series of impactful roles that demonstrate her dedication to social change. Her current role as a Lived Experience Engagement Specialist at ICF involves providing consultation and technical assistance to support states and jurisdictions serving children, youth, and families. Activities in that role have included working directly with states and at a regional level to advance youth development, authentic engagement, and race equity.
Haynes is a driving force in the realms of advocacy, research, and community engagement, with a steadfast commitment to creating equitable and sustainable change for marginalized communities. Her extensive experience, deep expertise, and passion for justice make her an influential figure in her field.
Haynes's dedication to her practice has earned her recognition and roles on advisory boards, coalitions, and policy teams. Her advocacy extends to being the founder of the Single Parents Club & Fund and CEO of Aiden Anthony LLC. Haynes’s commitment to social change is evident through her roles in child welfare and housing justice initiatives, policy development, and youth empowerment.
Kelly Kirk, Capacity Building Center for States
Kelly Kirk is a birth parent with child welfare system lived experience, is proud to be in long-term recovery, and is a survivor of intimate partner violence. Her lived experience is a direct result of her past struggles. Although her cases closed successfully, she's had to navigate child welfare systems more than once. Kirk works for the Richmond County (North Carolina) Department of Social Services as the Tri-County Child Advocacy Center Coordinator. She is also a certified peer support specialist, alcohol and drug counselor, Triple P facilitator, and nationally certified family peer specialist.
Kirk is a family consultant for the Capacity Building Center for States. She is a family partner on the North Carolina Department of Social Services Child Welfare Family Advisory Council (part of North Carolina's Family Leadership Model) and sits on their Child and Family Services Plan Permanency Design Team, Family First Prevention Services Act Prevention Workgroup, and other state-level teams. At the local level, she is a member of the Richmond County Drug Endangered Families Task Force and Family Engagement Committee. While serving on the Child Welfare Family Advisory Council Kirk co-presented at the Child Welfare League of America in Washington, D.C. (2023), co-facilitated the 2021 Kempe International Virtual Conference: Call to Action to Change Child Welfare Conference (October 2021), presented at the North Carolina Department of Social Services live online webinar “Permanency Matters: Safely Achieving Reunification” (September 1, 2020).
Regina Branch, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
Regina Branch currently serves as Chief of Staff to the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services (MDHHS) Children's Services Administration Senior Deputy Director. Branch is proud to be the first African American woman to serve in this role. Prior to this position, she served as the first regional Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Manager within MDHHS’ Children's Services Administration, covering five of the state's largest counties and creating 32 initiatives in her first year. She has almost 20 years of experience in various roles serving her community, including 12 years within MDHHS.
Branch is a staunch advocate for children and families and enjoys spending her time volunteering and raising awareness. She, along with her sister, recently began a program to raise funds for local nonprofit and grassroot organizations that impact marginalized communities. In her various roles with MDHHS, she has received the Black Excellence Award, Peer Award of Excellence, and Most Innovative award. She was recently recognized by the National Adoption Association as an “Ujima Leader,” working to maintain Black family connections within her state. She is looking forward to starting a fellowship with the AdoptUSKids Minority Professional Leadership Development program this fall. Branch has a bachelors in sociology and human services counseling, a master's in organizational management, and a certification in diversity, equity, and inclusion in the workplace; she is currently working on certifications in antiracism and inclusive and ethical leadership.
Kenisha Coon, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
Kenisha Coon is an individual with profound lived experience of trauma and resilience within the child welfare system. Possessing both bachelor's and master's degrees in psychology, Coon also holds a post-master's teaching certificate in psychology, along with a certification in diversity, equity, and inclusion (DEI) in the workplace.
Currently serving as the DEI Manager at the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services Children’s Service Administration, Coon leads DEI initiatives at the state level. Her responsibilities encompass a wide range of activities, including facilitating discussions, delivering training sessions, formulating strategic plans, and providing consultation.
Coon is a graduate of the Minority Professional Leadership Development Program and has collaborated with organizations such as AdoptUSKids, National Adoption Association, and Families Rising. Her collaborative efforts have focused on fostering racial awareness and equitable training within the child welfare sector.
Beyond her professional endeavors, she operates two businesses: Kenisha Coon Consulting, specializing in DEI consulting, and Lettering by Kenisha, which offers calligraphy services. She also dedicates her time to volunteering in various communities, with a primary focus on expanding and enhancing education about race equity and DEI for those who may not have had previous opportunities.
Coon recently authored a book titled "And Then She Persisted." The book narrates a story of overcoming generational trauma, abuse, and neglect, highlighting the journey of standing against racism. It underscores themes of advocacy, passion, allyship, and embracing one's purpose.
In her daytime role, Coon actively works to dismantle disparities affecting black and brown youth within the child welfare system while also imparting lessons on becoming antiracist. During her evenings, she engages in lettering, doodling, and creative pursuits, contributing to others' happiness and nurturing her own mental well-being. She is recognized as a consultant, speaker, ally, activist, writer, mother, and wife.
Carolyne Jones, Capacity Building Center for States
Carolyne Jones is a dedicated professional serving as the Tailored Service Coordinator with the Capacity Building Center for States. She holds a master's degree in public administration from Florida State University. Her diverse background includes roles as a senior administrative assistant for the Office of Head Start's Region IV TTA Network, a campaign organizer for Stacey Abrams during the historic 2018 gubernatorial race, a nonprofit director, and a youth mentor. The poet and scholar Rumi once stated, "When you do things from your soul, you feel a river moving in you, a joy." This quote reflects her dedication to infusing everything she does with passion and purpose while striving to create meaningful change in her community. Outside of her professional pursuits, Jones is an avid reader, enjoys art, and travels the world one exciting adventure at a time.
Louis Gasper, Capacity Building Center for States
Louis Gasper is the Jurisdictional Project Coordinator for the Capacity Building Center for States, where he assists in project management and coordination efforts for the Tailored Services Team. Gasper was originally a young adult consultant with the Center for States and has worked on reforming the foster care system since he was 13 years old by collaborating on and leading local, national, and international projects with California Youth Connection, the Mockingbird Society, FosterClub, Think of Us, Youth MOVE National, and the International Foster Care Alliance. Within these organizations, he served as a chapter president/leader, chairman of policy, legislative committee representative, programs and policy intern, “all-star” intern, conference facilitator, peer fellow, change management consultant, and youth trainer.
Gasper currently holds a position on the National Association of Black Journalists Political Task Force Executive Board as Secretary/Treasurer and has previously been a fellow with POLITICO and the Independent Journal Review, completed internships at NBC News "Meet the Press" and C-SPAN, and was a director for a community radio station. His interdisciplinary approaches and skills for analyzing public policy, reviewing legislation, writing and editing, project management, media monitoring and curation, and communications enhances his work to offer a unique approach to solutions addressing child welfare reform.
Deborah Germany, Minority Professional Leadership Development Program
Deborah Germany is the Minority Professional Leadership Development (MPLD) director. Prior to joining MPLD, Germany served as the state adoption director for the state of Georgia for over 13 years. Germany has worked passionately in child welfare since 1992. She held various positions in adoptions in the state, including as the statewide recruitment manager, where she is most proud of being a key developer of Georgia’s IMPACT curriculum used for the training and development of foster and adoptive parents and for using her MPLD Action Research Project to initiate racial equity, disproportionality, and disparities discussions with Georgia’s judicial partners.
During Germany’s tenure as the state adoption director, she led Georgia’s efforts to achieve timely and safe adoption outcomes for children in foster care and oversaw programs that focused on the adoption continuum, from recruitment to postadoption and postguardianship programs. Germany recently served as a board member for the National Adoption Association Executive Board and an officer for the National Adoption Program Managers Board. Germany is an honored recipient of the 2022 Adoption Excellence Award. Germany also coauthored “Navigating Racism in Child Welfare: The Impact on Black Children, Families and Practitioners” published in CWLA 2022 Special Issue. Germany is a proud graduate of the MPLD fellowship and Auburn University.
Kendra Lowden, Capacity Building Center for Tribes
Kendra Lowden is an enrolled member of the Citizen Potawatomi Nation and a descendant of the Osage Nation. She currently serves as a senior program associate at the University of Denver Graduate School of Social Work, where her work is focused on the Capacity Building Center for Tribes. She worked in tribal child welfare direct practice for a decade, specializing in foster care and adoption at the Chickasaw Nation and Citizen Potawatomi Nation.
Lowden is an alumnus of the AdoptUSKids Minority Professional Leadership Development program where she completed a research project that led to the creation of Indian Child Welfare Act training that is now delivered to all state-approved foster, adoptive, and kinship parents in Oklahoma. She holds a master of science in Native American leadership and is a doctor of education candidate at Southern Nazarene University. Her dissertation research examines how training and agency support impact transracial foster and adoptive parents’ engagement of children in their cultures of origin.
Michelle Seymore, Minority Professional Leadership Development Program
Michelle D. Seymore focuses her efforts on equity by striving to eliminate disparities in child welfare. Seymore started her career in child protection case management for a nonprofit providing support to families that offered an alternative response to traditional services. This role gave direction to her public service career. As a human services area manager for Ramsey County child welfare, she remains committed to identifying systemic barriers and discriminatory policies impacting families. Additionally, through a collaboration with the University of Minnesota and the Child Welfare Training Academy, Seymore writes curricula and trains child welfare professionals in compliance with governing state statutes and provides training, consulting, and professional development through her LLC, Michelle D. Seymore Consulting. With over 20 years of child welfare experience, she remains passionate about and committed to better outcomes for families of color.
Kamisha Brady, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
Kamisha Brady is a Children’s Protective Services (CPS) Training Program Manager for the Michigan Department of Health and Human Services, in the Western Wayne District Office. Kamisha began her child welfare career 27 years ago as a case manager at the Residential VIP Shelter Unit for girls who experienced abuse or neglect. After 5 months in the residential setting, Brady transitioned to Orchards Children’s Services, a private foster care and adoption agency, where she acquired many professional and foundational skills that have allowed her to thrive in the child welfare industry.
Brady’s career experience spans across social services and child welfare, career development, training and recruitment, program facilitation, secondary education, and sales and marketing. Ms. Brady has been with the department since 2016 and worked as both a CPS Specialist and CPS Ongoing Services Specialist before serving in a leadership capacity. Brady is a Michigan State University graduate. She is a licensed bachelor’s social worker and certified career development facilitator.
Lynette Wright, Michigan Department of Health and Human Services
Lynette Wright began her Michigan state service in 1993 as a services specialist in Wayne County. In 1999, Wright was promoted to juvenile justice policy analyst in the Central Office, and then in 2002 she was promoted to services manager in Macomb County. Wright has managed adult protective services and child protective services, adult services, family to family, and foster care and permanency planning staff. In addition to those duties, Wright served as the child welfare human resources liaison in Macomb County. Wright was promoted to section manager in Genesee County Children’s Services in August 2010. In June 2015, Wright came back to Wayne County as a district manager for Children’s Services. Wright was promoted to deputy director for Children’s Services in Wayne County in February 2017 and subsequently began her role as the director for Children’s Services in January 2021.
In addition to her Department of Health and Human Services employment, Wright has worked as a clinical social worker and child therapist throughout the last 25 years. Wright’s vast experience ranges over 30 years in child welfare. She is committed to working with children and families and believes that we can all make a difference if we apply realistic interventions and strategic collaborations across the services spectrum.
Wright earned a bachelor’s of science degree in Psychology from Eastern Michigan University and a master’s of social work degree from the University of Michigan.
Matthew Gyger, Nevada Partnership for Training, University of Nevada Las Vegas
Matt Gyger is the Title IV-E training coordinator for the Nevada Partnership for Training at the University of Nevada Las Vegas. He has a master of social work degree with an emphasis on management and community practice from the University of Nevada Las Vegas. He has over 25 years of experience working in organizational development and has worked in the School of Social Work for the past 17 years. He currently has leadership and oversight for all of the Nevada Partnership for Training’s endeavors—the Nevada Child Welfare Training Academy, new supervisor training, in-service specialty training, and Title IV-E Child Welfare Stipend Program. Gyger interests specific to training include transfer of learning, the effect of organizational culture and climate on the workforce, implementation science, and the use of technology as a tool in workforce development.
Lisa Martinez, Clark County, Nevada Department of Family Services
Lisa Martinez is a deputy director for the Clark County Department of Family Services in Las Vegas, Nevada. She oversees the divisions of field operations, Independent Living, guardianships, and adoptions. Martinez has a master’s degree in social work with an emphasis in child welfare from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and is a seasoned leader with over 26 years of experience working in Nevada’s public child welfare system.
Lisa Shaw, Clark County, Nevada Department of Family Services
Lisa Shaw is a manager with the Department of Family Services in Las Vegas, Nevada. She is a licensed social worker in the state of Nevada. Shaw’s journey in child welfare began 25 years ago. She has held the position of caseworker, adoption worker, and supervisor, and over the past 8 years she has been a part of the Department of Family Services leadership team. Shaw currently manages all training for the department, which includes the new hire academy and ongoing training to support staff development, Independent Living services, and adoption recruitment and subsidy services.
Karen Tyler, Nevada Partnership for Training, University of Nevada Las Vegas
Karen Tyler has a passion for working with leaders, youth, children, and families. She serves as a certified co-active professional life coach (ACC), as well as a child welfare workforce development specialist and associate professor at the University of Nevada Las Vegas (UNLV) in the school of social work, where she challenges the minds of students and emerging leaders within the bachelor’s and master's Programs. Tyler supports workforce development via partnerships between Department of Family Services and Nevada Partnership for Training Team, a grant-funded program at UNLV. Her role is to provide coaching, leadership and professional development, and training for Department of Family Services staff.
Tyler serves on the Statewide Nevada Core Steering Team, which was responsible for implementing CoachNV, a child welfare coaching model in Nevada. This intervention is in the fidelity and sustainability phases. She also serves as a liaison for statewide initiatives amongst various jurisdictions.Tyler earned her bachelor’s and master’s of social work degrees at Jane Addams College of Social Work at the University of Illinois at Chicago. She has served in the social and human services arena for nearly 30 years, with a focus on child welfare. Tyler has excelled in the areas of foster care, transitional living, and independent living programs (including pregnant and parenting programs). She has worked as a caseworker, a supervisor, and assistant program director. Tyler enjoys spending time with family and friends, as well as skating and traveling.
Jeremy Harvey, Capacity Building Center for States
Jeremy Harvey currently serves as a state and jurisdiction liaison with the Capacity Building Center for States for Region 5 (Minnesota, Michigan, Wisconsin, Ohio, and Indiana). Previously, Harvey worked with the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services for 5 years in a variety of leadership positions: deputy director of strategic planning, deputy chief of staff, and chief accountability officer. In these roles he helped support and define innovation, guide implementation, and enhance granting and contracting processes. Before that, Harvey worked in the Cook County Public Guardian’s Office for 7 years, where he assisted lawyers in representing children in foster care and juvenile justice, an office that represented over 6,000 children. This is more than a job for Harvey, this is a life mission, that started because he spent 20 years as a young person in the Illinois Foster care system, bringing both a firsthand experiential lens, a court process informed lens, and a systems leadership lens to his current role where he helps states, counties and jurisdictions identify need areas, define potential supports needed, and managing consultant teams to support and build the capacity of project partners.
Tamara Jones, Capacity Building Center for States
Tamara Jones is a project manager at the Capacity Building Center for States and lives in Raleigh, North Carolina. She has 9 years of experience coordinating and managing large-scale federally funded projects in Kentucky, Kansas, and North Carolina. Jones is a certified project management professional and holds a master’s degree in public health. When she is not managing projects, Jones enjoys group fitness classes, traveling, and being outdoors, especially in the mountains.
Meghan Fine, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, North Carolina
Meghan Fine (Arnold) has had the pleasure of serving the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians (EBCI) since 2017. She served as site implementation lead and co-designer for the EBCI onboarding curriculum for social workers, lead developer for EBCI’s IV-E Prevention Plan, and most recently the lead designer and project coordinator of the Gadugi Project, a multifaceted intervention seeking to connect ancestral wisdom and cultural values to modern practice and family needs in order to build a continuum of support for those caring for their relatives or navigating family life after reunification.
Julie Brown, Wisconsin Child Welfare Professional Development System
Julie R. Brown has been the Director of the Wisconsin Child Welfare Professional Development System at the University of Wisconsin - Milwaukee since 2005. She holds bachelor’s and master of arts degrees in communication and has completed Ph.D. coursework in communication. Her 40 years of professional experience in adult instruction, curriculum design, organizational development, and management includes positions in academic, private industry, and social service settings. She has designed, delivered, and administered instructional programs covering a wide range of academic, skill-based, and technical content using a variety of instructional modalities. Prior to assuming her current position, Brown held two director-level positions at Lutheran Social Services of Wisconsin and Upper Michigan, created a private consulting business specializing in organizational development in private industry, and taught courses in communication at Hope College, the University of California - Davis, Sacramento State University, the University of Utah, and the University of California - Santa Barbara.
Jennifer Heil, Wisconsin Child Welfare Professional Development System
Jennifer Heil is an associate director for the Wisconsin Child Welfare Professional Development System. She is responsible for oversight of planning and delivery of foundational and ongoing training for child welfare professionals, including the WiLearn Program. Heil has been involved in the child welfare training system since 2009, specializing primarily in Foundation training, and served as the Caseworker Foundation Training Manager from 2016-2022. She spent fifteen years in direct child welfare practice with county agencies in Northeast WI prior to joining the training system. Heil received her BSW – Child Welfare Emphasis (UW-Green Bay) in 1994 and obtained her MSW (UW-Green Bay) in 2009.
Tamara Jackson, Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians, North Carolina
Tamara Jackson is a member of the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians and resides on the Qualla Boundary in Western North Carolina. Jackson commits most of her time to raising her four Cherokee children whom she adopted from the foster care system.
Personally, Jackson began her introduction into the human services world by becoming licensed as a foster placement with the State of North Carolina and the latter with the Eastern Band of Cherokee Indians.
During Jackson’s career she has worked to help her Cherokee people achieve self-sufficiency, both through her tenure with the tribe’s Housing Division – Transitional Housing Program and now as a social worker/investigator with the tribe’s Family Safety Program. She has a bachelor’s degree in family and human development with a minor in sociology from Arizona State University. Jackson is also certified in TIPS Mapp – Native American Edition and Native American Life Skills from the University of Missouri – St. Louis. During her free time, Jackson enjoys attending Cherokee social dances, watching her children play sports, and knitting.
Alex Paquet, Capacity Building Center for States
Alex Paquet is a coordinator for the Capacity Building Center for States. Prior to joining the Center for States in 2021, they worked as a volunteer coordinator for Court Appointed Special Advocate (CASA) of Franklin County, Ohio. They live in Columbus, Ohio. Outside of work, they enjoy fitness, practicing classical guitar, and volunteering as a lay guardian ad litem with their CASA organization.
Darin Smith, Wisconsin Child Welfare Professional Development System
Darin Smith is the executive director of the Wisconsin Child Welfare Professional Development System. In this role he is responsible for oversight and management of the system components, including central office staff as well as all contracts, subcontracts, and purchased services. He received his bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Wisconsin - Stevens Point and his master’s degree in public administration from the University of Wisconsin - Oshkosh. Darin has over 30 years of experience working in child welfare in a number of different roles. Prior to beginning his work for the Wisconsin Child Welfare Professional Development System in December 2011, he was the director of a county social services department.
Tiffany Haynes, Capacity Building Center for States
Tiffany Haynes is an accomplished professional with a passion for social justice, advocacy, and youth empowerment. With a diverse background and an impressive range of experience, Haynes has dedicated her career to addressing housing instability, addressing disparities in child welfare, advocating for marginalized populations, and fostering positive change within her community.
Haynes's career trajectory is marked by a series of impactful roles that demonstrate her dedication to social change. Her current role as a Lived Experience Engagement Specialist at ICF involves providing consultation and technical assistance to support states and jurisdictions serving children, youth, and families. Activities in that role have included working directly with states and at a regional level to advance youth development, authentic engagement, and race equity.
Haynes is a driving force in the realms of advocacy, research, and community engagement, with a steadfast commitment to creating equitable and sustainable change for marginalized communities. Her extensive experience, deep expertise, and passion for justice make her an influential figure in her field.
Haynes's dedication to her practice has earned her recognition and roles on advisory boards, coalitions, and policy teams. Her advocacy extends to being the founder of the Single Parents Club & Fund and CEO of Aiden Anthony LLC. Haynes’s commitment to social change is evident through her roles in child welfare and housing justice initiatives, policy development, and youth empowerment.
Tamara Vest, Capacity Building Center for States
Tamara Vest is an accomplished foster alumni, advocate, and social worker. She enjoys using her lived experience to contribute to transforming the child welfare system. During her time as an advocate on Kentucky’s foster youth leadership council, she and her team worked to pass child welfare legislation, SB 115 (Foster and Adoptive Tuition Waiver), in April 2020. As supervisor of the council, Vest led the team in passing SB 8 in 2022, which included changes to foster youth rights and extended foster care in her state. She trains young advocates in strategic sharing, cultural competency, and policy. After receiving her master’s of social work degree, Vest began serving as a policy analyst in Kentucky, where she now drafts, analyzes and lobbies for policies that support children and families. Vest aspires to continue using her knowledge and experience to run for political office on a state or national level and continue promoting policies that help marginalized communities.
Interested in Learning More About Past CWVE Topics?
Explore the archived CWVE session videos and associated resources from previous Child Welfare Virtual Expos are available on the CWVE Learning Experiences webpage.