Conference Faculty
Yodit Amaha, MSW
Senior Supervisor
Lutheran Children and Family Services
Philadelphia, PA
Jacqueline Atkins, PhD
Vice President
Strengthening Families, Children’s Institute
Los Angeles, CA
Rick Azzaro, LCSW
Executive Director
Family Design Resources, Inc.
Harrisburg, PA
Kelley Hartman Barr
Analyst
California Department of Social Services
Sacramento, CA
Colleen Bennett, MD
Fellow Physician, National Clinician Scholar
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA
Rachel Berger, MD
Chief of the Division of Child Advocacy
Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh
Pittsburgh, PA
Richard Berk, PhD
Professor
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Nadeem Bezar, Esq.
Partner
Kline & Spector
Philadelphia, PA
Elizabeth Bouchard
Program Manager
The Children’s Advocacy Center of Suffolk County
Boston, MA
Sheela Bowler, MPH
Special Advisor, Foster America Fellow
NYC Administration for Children’s Services, Division of Child and Family Well-Being
New York, NY
Mae Ackerman-Brimberg, JD, MSW
Attorney
National Center for Youth Law
Oakland, CA
Kate Walker Brown, JD
Director
National Center for Youth Law Collaborative Responses to Commercial Sexual Exploitation Initiative
Oakland, CA
Kate Burdick, Esq.
Senior Attorney
Juvenile Law Center
Philadelphia, PA
Matthew Butensky, BA, MPA Candidate
Youth Development Coordinator
State Education Foster Care Point of Contact, Center for Schools and Communities/ Educational Stability for Foster Care Youth
Camp Hill, PA
Prudence Beidler Carr, Esq.
Director
American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law
Washington, DC
Frank Cervone, Esq.
Executive Director
Support Center for Child Advocates
Philadelphia, PA
Barbara H. Chaiyachati MD, PhD
Child Abuse Pediatrics Fellow
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA
Alexandra Citrin, MSW, MPP
Senior Associate
Center for the Study of Social Policy
Washington, DC
Cindy Connolly, PhD, RN, FAAN
Rosemarie B. Greco Endowed Term Chair in Advocacy, Associate Professor of Nursing
University of Pennsylvania School of Nursing
Philadelphia, PA
Jenny Cooper, PFE
Chief Research & Development Officer
Benchmarks
Raleigh, NC
Elizabeth Dabney
Director of Research and Policy Analysis
Data Quality Campaign
Washington, DC
Judy Dawson, RN
Nurse Care Coordinator
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA
Melissa DeMotta, MSW
Program Specialist
Pennsylvania’s Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness, Educational Stability for Foster Care Youth
Reading, PA
Paul DiLorenzo
Senior Director for Strategic Consulting
Casey Family Programs
Bala Cynwyd, PA
Ilene Dubin, Esq.
Legal Training Division Manager
Statewide Adoption and Permanency Network (SWAN)
Harrisburg, PA
John Ducoff, Esq.
Chief Legal Officer
Covenant House International
New York, NY
Pebbles Edelman, MEd, EdS, LMHC
Sr. VP of Clinical and Community Services
Partnership for Strong Families, Inc.
Gainesville, FL
Keith Fanjoy, LCSW-C
Chief Executive Officer
San Mar Family and Community Services
Hagerstown, MD
Julie Fanning, MSW, LCSW
Owner/Therapist
Holding Hope Services
West Dundee, IL
Nan Feyler, JD, MPH
Stoneleigh Fellow
City of Philadelphia Department of Human Services
Philadelphia, PA
Anne-Ashley Field, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA
Kara R. Finck, Esq.
Practice Professor of Law, Director of Interdisciplinary Child Advocacy Clinic
University of Pennsylvania Law School
Philadelphia, PA
Kristine Fortin, MD MPH
Attending Physician
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA
Antonio Garcia, MSW, PhD
Associate Professor, Co-Director
Child Well-Being & Child Welfare Specialization, University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy & Practice
Philadelphia, PA
Gabrielle Gault, MSW, LSW
Training Coordinator
Rutgers University, School of Social Work, Center on Violence Against Women and Children
New Brunswick, NJ
Richard J. Gelles, PhD
Professor, Joanne and Raymond Welsh Chair of Child Welfare and Family Violence, Managing Faculty Director
Field Center for Children’s Policy, Practice & Research, University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy & Practice
Philadelphia, PA
Jennifer Good, MPA
Data Analysis Administrator
Philadelphia Department of Human Services
Philadelphia, PA
Johanna H.P. Greeson, PhD, MSS, MLSP
Assistant Professor, Co-Director
Child Well-being and Child Welfare Specialization, University of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy & Practice
Philadelphia, PA
Esther Gross, BA
Senior Research Analyst
Child Trends
Bethesda, MD
Michelle Guymon, MSW
Director
Los Angeles County Probation Department
Los Angeles, CA
Daniel Heimpel
President
Fostering Media Connections
Los Angeles, CA
Kristen Hoffa, BA
Regional Coordinator
Pennsylvania’s Education for Children and Youth Experiencing Homelessness, Educational Stability for Foster Care Youth
Reading, PA
Dana Hollinshead, PhD, MPA
Assistant Research Professor
Kempe Center
Harvard, MA
Liz Isakson, MD
Executive Director
Docs for Tots
Astoria, NY
Sara Jaffee, PhD
Professor
University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Sharon Jeon
Research Associate
Hunter College, City University of New York
New York, NY
Vera Stiefler Johnson
Senior Research Associate
Children’s Institute
Los Angeles, CA
Traci B. Jones
Adoption Program Manager
Division of Family Services. Virginia Department of Social Services
Richmond, VA
Syreeta Owen-Jones, MSW
Family and Youth Engagement Administrator
City of Philadelphia, Department of Human Services
Philadelphia, PA
Colleen Cary Katz, PhD
Associate Professor
Silberman School of Social Work, Hunter College, City University of New York
New York, NY
Marina Lalayants, MPA, PhD
Associate Professor
Hunter College, City University of New York
New York, NY
Angela Lamb, MSW LSW
Social Worker
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA
Elizabeth Overall Lee, MSW
Project Manager
Virginia Department of Social Services
Richmond, VA
Julie Lennon, MSW, LSW
Sr. Training Specialist
The MENTOR Network
Broomall, PA
Bridgette Lery, PhD
Director of Research & Evaluation
San Francisco Human Services Agency
San Francisco, CA
Ioana Marinescu, PhD
Assistant Professor, Faculty Research Fellow
National Bureau of Economic Research, University Of Pennsylvania School of Social Policy & Practice
Philadelphia, PA
Jared Martin, MA
Implementation & Training Specialist
California Evidence-Based Clearinghouse, Rady Children’s Hospital: Chadwick Center for Children & Families
San Diego, CA
Megan Martin, MSW
Vice President, Director of Policy
Center for the Study of Social Policy
Washington, DC
Kathleen McNaught, JD
Director, Education Projects
American Bar Association Center on Children and the Law, Legal Center for Foster Care and Education
Washington, DC
Cathy Moffa, MSS, MLSP
Youth Advocacy Program Manager
Juvenile Law Center
Philadelphia, PA
Seth Morones, MSEd
Stoneleigh Emerging Leader Fellow
Field Center for Children’s Policy, Practice & Research, University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Hilda Escalante-Nimchuk, MSW
Housing Director
Congreso de Latinos Unidos
Philadelphia, PA
Megan Novak, AM
Research Analyst
Child Trends
Bethesda, MD
Wanja Ogongi, PhD
Assistant Professor
Millersville University School of Social Work
Millersville, PA
Taylor Hawes-Pacheco Esq.
Staff Attorney
Support Center for Child Advocates
Philadelphia, PA
Colleen Paul, LMFT, LPCC, EC, RPFII
Public Education Specialist IV
University of California, Davis, Center for Continuing and Professional Education (CPE), Resource Center for Family Focused Practice
Davis, CA
Jordan Porter, OTR/L
Occupational Therapist
Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, PA
Lisa Primus, LMSW
Senior Associate
Center for the Study of Social Policy
New York, NY
Emily Putnam-Hornstein, PhD.
Associate Professor
University of Southern California
Los Angeles, CA
Trupti Rao, PsyD
Director of Psychology Training
Westchester Institute for Human Development
Valhalla, NY
Tom Rawlings, MA, JD
Director
Georgia Division of Family and Children’s Services
Atlanta, GA
Beth Reiman, PhD, LCSW-R
Coordinator of Forensic/Clinical Services
Westchester Institute for Human Development
Valhalla, NY
Emily Rhodes, MPP
Researcher
Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago
Chicago, IL
Anthony Simpson
Youth Advocate
Juvenile Law Center: Youth Fostering Change
Philadelphia, PA
Rhoda Smith, PHD, MSW
Assistant Professor
Springfield College School of Social Work
Springfield, MA
Christina K. Sorenson, Esq.
Zubrow Legal Fellow
Juvenile Law Center
Philadelphia, PA
Linda Spears, MSW
Commissioner
Massachusetts Department of Children and Families
Boston, MA
Carol Wilson Spigner, MSW, DSW
Former Associate Commissioner
United States Children’s Bureau
Washington, DC
Allison Thompson, PhD, MSS
Senior Research Officer
Philadelphia Department of Human Services
Philadelphia, PA
Rhema Vaithianathan, PhD.
Professor
Auckland University of Technology
Auckland, Australia
Sharon Vandivere, MPP
Senior Research Scientist
Child Trends
Bethesda, MD
Lorelei Vargas, MPP, MA
Deputy Commissioner
NYC Administration for Children’s Services, Division of Child and Family Well-Being
New York, NY
Bridget Warner, Esq.
Divisional Deputy City Solicitor
Philadelphia Law Department, Child Welfare Unit
Philadelphia, PA
Caroline L. Watts, EdD
Senior Lecturer and Director of School and Community Engagement
University of Pennsylvania Graduate School of Education
Philadelphia, PA
Sarah Wasch, MSW
Program Manager
Field Center for Children’s Policy, Practice & Research, University of Pennsylvania
Philadelphia, PA
Margaret Wayne, MPH
Health Liaison
Docs for Tots
Astoria, NY
