2019 Conference Program

Table of Contents: 04
05
Thank You to our Sponsors 06
Welcome Letter from our CEO 07
Welcome Letter from our Board President 08
Conference Maps 09
Conference At-A-Glance - Monday 10
Conference At-A-Glance - Tuesday 11
Inspiring Leadership in Adoption 15
Conference Schedule - Monday 19
Conference Schedule - Tuesday 20
2019 National Awards 21
Professional Headshots
Board of Directors

03

Thank you

to all of the generous
benefactors who have
contributed to helping
us find families for all
children in need of
adoptive homes.

National Adoption Conference Sponsors

Dave Thomas Foundation for Adoption
Augmented Intelligence, Inc
Sunshine Health
AdoptUSKids

AAA Welcome Letter from our
Chief Executive Officer

Dear Colleagues,

Welcome to the 2019 AEA Conference, “Inspiring
Leadership in Adoption.”

The AEA Conference is well-known as an intimate
forum where adoption professionals from across the
country can come together to share and learn from
one another through experiences and best practices.

This year AEA would like to celebrate this unique
experience by spending the next two days inspiring
one another. Whether you are a student majoring
in social work, new to the profession, a seasoned
professional in the field, or enjoying a recent retirement, we can honor
and give recognition to our collective efforts and continue to inspire,
grow, and learn as professionals.

As the need for finding loving families for children and youth in foster
care remains a shared commitment among us, it is my hope that every
adoption professional here will return home feeling strengthened by this
commitment and excited about the work I know you will continue to do
for children, youth and families.

Best,

Kamilah Bunn
Chief Executive Officer
Adoption Exchange Association

05

AAA Welcome Letter from our
Board President

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

I would like to welcome all of you to the 2019 Adoption
Exchange Association Conference here in sunny
Orlando, Florida!
The AEA conference provides the opportunity for a
network of diverse individuals in the adoption and
foster care community, and a diverse community
of people who come together to learn, share
achievements, best practices, as well as challenges.
Throughout the next two days let’s take time to
not only commit to excellence on behalf of waiting
children and youth, but to connect with one another as a community to
expand and strengthen our networks, our thinking, and our knowledge
so we can continue to work toward our shared goal of improving the
lives of children and youth who deserve and are waiting for permanent,
safe, loving homes.
I look forward to seeing all of you at the incredible workshops, general
sessions, awards presentations, and silent auction we have planned!
With Inspiration,
Jacqueline D. Wilson, Ph.D. LSW
President of the AEA Board of Directors
Adoption Exchange Association

06

CConference Map
Main Level

Second Level

Regency Foyer

07

CConference At-A-Glance: Monday, April 29
8:45 General Session 1:
am What Inspired You to Lead: A Historical Perspective
from Experienced Leaders in Adoption

Salon 5/6/7
8:45-10:00am

10:15 Adoption Professional Track 1: Adoption Professional Track 2: Executive Track 1:
Recruiting and Retaining Rural Effective Photolisting: Best Scaling Wendy’s Kids -
am African American Adoptive Practices for Developing A Colorado Example
Families: Strategies for Success Strengths-Based Narratives

Salon 8 Salon 10 Salon 9
10:15am-11:30am 10:15am-11:30am 10:15am-11:30am

11:45 Breaking Down Barriers to Adoption:

am National Match Event Lunch & Learn

Ballroom C
11:45am-1:15pm

1:30 Adoption Professional Track 3: Adoption Professional Track 4: Executive Track 2:
A Call To Action: Setting up a Beyond the Profile: Brain Based Leadership
pm System to Serve Families Moving Reimagining Recruitment
Toward or Already Achieved Content and Putting Youth Salon 9
Adoption or Guardianship Voices First 1:30pm-2:45pm

Salon 10 Salon 8
1:30pm-2:45pm 1:30pm-2:45pm

3:00 Adoption Professional Adoption Professional Adoption Professional Executive Track 3:
Track 5: Developing Track 6: Increasing Track 7: Getting to Know Non-Social-Workers
pm and Supporting Doing Social Work:
Prospective and Positive Outcomes in the You: Innovative Strategies How Interdisciplinary
Current Adoptive Post-Adoption Experience for Increasing Adoptability Teams Provide
Parents through Trauma-Informed for Older Youth in Child Effective Recruitment
Parent Education and Welfare
Salon 8 Innovative Practices Salon 5
3:00pm-4:15pm Salon 10 3:00pm-4:15pm
Salon 9 3:00pm-4:15pm
3:00pm-4:15pm

4:30 AEA Welcome: 08

pm Networking Reception and Silent Auction

3NINE Club
4:30pm-6:00pm

CConference At-A-Glance: Tuesday, April 30
8:45 General Session 2:

am Adoption Leadership Today: Perspectives on the
Current Challenges and Opportunities Facing
Leaders in Adoption Now

Salon 5/6/7
8:45am-9:45am

10:00 Student/Early Career Adoption Professional Adoption Professional Adoption Professional
Professional Track 1: Track 8: Track 9: Track 10:
am Opportunities in the Developing an New Policy & Practice Collaborating to
Adoption Field Adoption Competent Assessment Tool for Prevent Re-entry After
Network of Providers Organizations Serving Adoption
Salon 8 LGBTQ Youth &
10:00am-11:15am Salon 9 Families Salon 3
10:00am-11:15am 10:00am-11:15am
Salon 10
10:00am-11:15am

11:30 AEA National Awards:

am Luncheon & Keynote Address

Salon 5/6/7
11:30am-1:00pm

1:15 Student/Early Career Adoption Professional Track 11: Adoption Professional Track 12:
Professional Track 2: NTI: Supporting Permanency The Art of Recruitment:
pm Speed Networking for Social Work through Adoption Competent We Are Doing Well and What
Students: Connect with Peers and Mental Health Service We Can Do
Employers

Salon 10 Salon 9 Salon 8
1:15pm-2:30pm 1:15pm-2:30pm 1:15pm-2:30pm

2:45 General Session 3:

pm Inspiring Future Leaders in Adoption:
The Next Generation

Salon 5/6/7
2:45pm-4:00pm

09

IInspiring Leadership In Adoption

2019 CONFERENCE

Inspiring
Leadership
in Adoption

April 29, 2019 - April 30, 2019

Rosen Plaza Hotel
9700 International Drive
Orlando, FL 21819

Network! Conference Registration

Sunday April 28, 2019 | 4:00pm-7:00pm
Location: Second Floor Regency Foyer

Monday April 29, 2019 | 7:00am-8:30am
Location: Second Floor Regency Foyer

Network! Student Registration

Tuesday April 30, 2019 | 7:30am-8:30am
Location: Second Floor Regency Foyer

Network! Continental Breakfast

Monday April 29 + 30, 2019 | 7:30am-8:30am
Location: Second Floor Regency Foyer

10

CConference Schedule: Monday, April 29
Network! Continental Breakfast:
Connect!
Tuesday April 30, 2019 | 7:30am-8:30am
Network! Location: Second Floor Regency Foyer

General Session 1

Monday April 29, 2019 | 8:45am-10:00am
Location: Salon 5/6/7

What Inspired You to Lead: A Historical Perspective from Experienced
Leaders in Adoption

Opening Remarks: Kamilah Bunn, CEO, Adoption Exchange Association

Welcome: Zackary Gibson, Chief Child Advocate and Director, Office of Adoption and Child Protection,
Executive Office of the Governor (invited)
Panelists: Ernesto Loperena, Jane Morgan, and Bob Rooks

Hear from experienced leaders in the adoption field as they reflect on their careers, the way the
field has progressed as a result of federal legislation and other factors, and what excites them about
the future of foster care adoption.

Refreshment Break

Monday April 29, 2019 | 10:00am-10:15am
Location: Second Floor Regency Foyer

WORKSHOPS

Monday April 29, 2019 | 10:15am-11:30am

Adoption Professional Track 1:

Location: Salon 8

Recruiting andRetaining RuralAfricanAmericanAdoptiveFamilies: Strategiesfor Success

Presenter: Joe Haynes at Adoption Advocacy and Ruth McRoy at Boston College School of Social Work

This session focuses on strategies to reduce the disproportionately high number of African
American children in foster care and awaiting adoptive placements. Research findings will be
presented on Adoption Advocacy of South Carolina’s successful approaches to recruiting and
retaining African American adoptive families. A 9 step model for finding and supporting rural
families who adopt waiting African American children will be highlighted and strategies will be
provided for implementing the model in other communities.

Adoption Professional Track 2:

Location: Salon 10

Effective Photolisting: Best Practices for Developing Strengths-Based Narrative

Presenter: Mary Boo and Tracy Serdjenian at AdoptUSKids

This workshop will present ways to implement AdoptUSKids’ guidance on best practices for writing 11
high-quality child narratives for photolistings. It will provide strategies for ensuring children’s
narratives are compelling and highlight a child’s individual strengths while protecting their safety,
privacy, and dignity. Presenters will cover specific tips for engaging children and youth in the
process. They will also discuss ways to build agency capacity and change culture and
infrastructure to ensure best practices and outcomes.

CConference Schedule: Monday, April 29
Executive Track 1:

Location: Salon 9

Scaling Wendy’s Wonderful Kids - A Colorado Example

Presenter: Lauren Arnold at The Adoption Exchange, Jennifer Justice and Rita Soronen at The Dave
Thomas Foundation for Adoption

This workshop will provide an overview of DTFA’s scaling initiative and a case study of
implementation from Colorado. Attendees will hear more about DTFA’s overall scaling
strategy and how it has worked on the ground in Colorado - from the initial idea stage to
getting four-party funding in place from local philanthropy, state, county, and DTFA, as well as
contracting, hiring and implementation.

SPECIAL EVENT

Monday April 29, 2019 | 11:45am-1:15pm

Network! Breaking Down Barriers to Adoption:

Location: Ballroom C
National Match Event Lunch & Learn

Join us for our National Match Event Lunch & Learn to network with agencies and bring together families!

Attend as a participant and hear presentations on available families and children, browse the
table displays of exhibiting agencies, and discuss potential matches with presenters. Or attend as
a presenter and make a presentation of the families and children you serve to the match event
audience. A boxed lunch will be provided to attendees.

Please note: pre-registration is required! Please sign-up at the conference registration desk
located on the second floor in the Regency Foyer.

WORKSHOPS

Monday April 29, 2019 | 1:30pm-2:45pm

Adoption Professional Track 3:

Location: Salon 10

A Call to Action: Setting up a System to Serve Families Moving Toward or Already
Achieved Adoption or Guardianship

Presenter: Melinda Lis and Leslie Cohen at Spaulding for Children

The QIC-AG has developed six messages designed to inspire those who work with families
moving toward adoption/guardianship as well as those who have already achieved permanence.
The messages highlight the urgency of changes needed in perceptions and actions on behalf of
these families. This workshop will highlight six messages that will be illustrated with examples
from the eight QIC-AG pilot sites. Participants will then be encouraged to discuss how these
messages pertain to their own sites.

12

CConference Schedule: Monday, April 29
Adoption Professional Track 4:
Location: Salon 8
Beyond the Profile: Reimagining Recruitment Content and Putting Youth Voices First
Presenter: Nick Baumgartner and Jessica Tholmer at Northwest Adoption Exchange
We know what to expect from traditional photolisting. A paragraph about a child’s behaviors and
interests paired with picture. At Northwest Adoption Exchange, we’ve seen the positive impact
on family recruitment when youth have the leading voice. By utilizing digital tools to tell their
own stories in creative, relevant ways, we resist relying on traditional narrative structures. The
result is compelling content that honors kids and creates deeper connections. Come learn how
to incorporate voices of youth to reimagine recruitment.

Executive Track 2:

Location: Salon 9
Brain Based Leadership

Presenter: Janice Goldwater at Adoptions Together, Inc.
The internal culture of an organization directly impacts the quality of services to clients. In order
to effectively deliver trauma informed services organizational culture must reflect the principles.
This workshop utilizes brain science to provide a leadership model that promotes safety and
connection for staff and drives engagement, creativity and joy in the workplace.

Network! Refreshment Break

Monday April 29, 2019 | 2:45pm-3:00pm
Location: Second Floor Regency Foyer

WORKSHOPS

Monday April 29, 2019 | 3:00pm-4:15pm

Adoption Professional Track 5:

Location: Salon 8
Developing and Supporting Prospective and Current Adoptive Parents

Presenter: Mary Boo at AdoptUSKids and Deborah Burrus at Georgia Division of Children and Family Service
To ensure the best possible outcomes, agencies need to have a strong pool of families for
children in foster care. This means preparing and supporting parents from inquiry through
placement and throughout their lives. This workshop discusses effective responsive systems;
techniques for preparing families to evaluate and develop their capacities in preparation
for realistic matching; efforts necessary to manage expectations after a potential match is
identified, how to increase parental capacity, and challenges faced during the adoption process.
The presenters will also discuss ways to support families after placement and how these
post-placement services are connected to the support provided during the recruitment process.

13

CConference Schedule: Monday, April 29
Adoption Professional Track 6:

Location: Salon 9

Increasing Positive Outcomes in the Post-Adoption Experience through
Trauma-Informed Parent Education and Innovative Practices

Presenter: Ashley Beckwith and Paige Ross at Heartland for Children

This workshop will promote practices and tools that can be utilized for the selection, assessment,
and in the preparation process for prospective adoptive families. The processes that will be
shared are completed in stages on a multi-level approach; integrating current research about
trauma, using tools such as the NEO-PI and ACE Survey, and employing a transparent quality
assessment along with a solid preparation process for adoptive families, which in return will
assist in permanency for children in need of a forever home through adoption.

Adoption Professional Track 7:

Location: Salon 10

Getting to Know You: Innovative Strategies for Increasing Adoptability for Older
Youth in Child Welfare

Presenter: Cindy Adams at Washoe County Human Services Agency

This workshop will reveal a variety of less stressful techniques that emphasize more natural
settings to allow families and children to connect. Participants will explore the higher success
rate of building natural connections across time (i.e., Dating) versus “mail order bride”
matching practices.

Executive Track 3:

Location: Salon 5

Non-Social-Workers Doing Social Work: How Interdisciplinary Teams Provide
Effective Recruitment

Presenter: Anna Wolak at Indiana Adoption Program, Children’s Bureau Inc. and Heidi Raubenolt at
Michigan Adoption Resource Exchange, Judson Center

Both Indiana and Michigan use media profiles and matching events to highlight children’s
strengths and to match those children with adoptive homes. Both states also use foster and
adoptive parents to recruit more foster and adoptive parents. But these tasks take skills
that social workers don’t necessarily have. The presenters will share their lessons learned in
managing interdisciplinary teams and how non-social workers have turned into some of the best
resources for waiting youth and families. They will also provide practical examples of successful
adoption recruitment tools and methods, discuss the ways they leverage public and private
partnerships, and then explore promising practices for the future of adoption recruitment.

Network! Welcome Reception & Silent Auction

Monday April 29, 2019 | 4:30pm-6:00pm
Location: 3NINE Club

Hosted by: AEA Board of Directors

Please join us for our welcome reception and silent auction. Build relationships and
connect with peers across the country, while supporting AEA through our silent auction.
Enjoy hors d’oeuvre and social time with members of the adoption community.

14

CConference Schedule: Tuesday, April 30
Network! Continental Breakfast:

Tuesday April 30, 2019 | 7:30am-8:30am
Location: Second Floor Regency Foyer

Connect! General Session 2:

Tuesday April 30, 2019 | 8:45am-9:45am
Location: Salon 5/6/7
Adoption Leadership Today: Perspective on the Current Challenges and
Opportunities Facing Leaders in Adoption

Panelists: Darlene Allen, Maria Quintanilla, and Oriana Carey
Facilitator: Deborah Burrus at Georgia Division of Family and Children Services
The field of foster care adoption is dynamic. Join us for a panel discussion with today’s leading voices
in child welfare about our changing landscape, recent big wins for kids and families, and the many
exciting opportunities ahead.

Network! Refreshment Break

Tuesday April 30, 2019 | 9:45am-10:00am
Location: Second Floor Regency Foyer

Learn! WORKSHOPS

Tuesday April 30, 2019 | 10:00am-11:15am

Student and Early Career Professional Track 1:

Location: Salon 8
Opportunities in the Adoption Field

Presenter: Dr. Jackie Wilson at Three Rivers Adoption Council
Dr. Jackie Wilson, CEO of Three Rivers Adoption Council and Social Work Professor at the
University of Pittsburgh will share information on how to successfully transition from college into
a career in adoption. Dr. Wilson will discuss what entry-level jobs are available in adoption, the
skills that are needed to successfully perform these jobs, what to expect during your first year of
employment and with your first set of clients. Students and early career professionals will learn
how to “manage up” with your supervisor, impress your Executive Director, and collaborate well
with your colleagues, all while supporting the needs of children and teens who are waiting to be
adopted in foster care.

15

CConference Schedule: Tuesday, April 30
Adoption Professional Track 8:
Location: Salon 9
Developing an Adoption Competent Network of Providers
Presenter: MelindaLisatSpaulding forChildrenandJohnWebbat New JerseyDepartment ofChildrenandFamilies
For adoptive families, the “village” needed to raise a child must include adoptive competent
health care, education, and social service professionals. It is critical for professionals who interact
with adoptive families to understand issues and concerns specific to the adoption experience.
This workshop provides information on how child welfare systems and adoptive parents can
partner with medical and educational professionals along with examples of how two states have
developed adoption competent systems of care.

Adoption Professional Track 9:

Location: Salon 10
New Policy & Practice Assessment Tool for Organizations Serving
LGBTQ Youth & Families

Presenter: Alison Delpercio atHumanRights CampaignFoundation

LGBTQ youth are over-represented in foster care and far too many of them enter systems that
are failing to meet their needs. LGBTQ-headed families continue to experience barriers when
pursuing foster care or adoption. This workshop will cover the key policy and practice areas
that organizations should focus on when working to improve the experiences and outcomes
of LGBTQ youth and families. The presenter will identify strategies for creating real change for
LGBTQ young people in foster care​and LGBTQ-headed families by advocating for these policy
and practice changes.​ Participants will get an overview of an online agency self-assessment tool
that can help guide this work. Specific policies and practices related to the work of adoption
exchanges will be emphasized.

Adoption Professional Track 10:

Location: Salon 3
Collaborating to Prevent Re-entry After Adoption: Adopt America Network and
National Exchange Parent Aide Program Explore a Collaborative Approach to
Prevent Adoption Disruption and Dissolution

Presenter: Wendy Spoerl at Adopt America Network and Genevieve Stults at The National Exchange Club
Adopt America Network and National Exchange Club are exploring a partnership to bring the
Exchange Parent Aide program to adoptive families to prevent disruptions, dissolutions and
re-entry of children into foster care. Intensive, relationship-based in-home services for families
from match through post-finalization will assist the family in accessing the additional services
needed and provide guidance as they navigate educational, medical and mental health systems.
Program funding will be explored through the Family First Prevention Services Act, Adoption
Incentive funding and IV-E de-link savings for post-adoption services.

16

CConference Schedule: Tuesday, April 30
Celebrate! AEA National Awards Luncheon & Keynote Address

Tuesday April 30, 2019 | 11:30am-1:00pm
Location: Salon 5/6/7

Keynote Address: Claudia Fletcher

The luncheon will include a special presentation by Augmented Intelligence, a new social impact com-
pany that develops software and services with the help of artificial intelligence solutions, to help human
services agencies evolve from case management to care management. Additionally, Claudia Fletcher
will deliver a keynote address on resiliency and leadership, sharing hilarious stories from her experiences
as an adoptive mom and professional.

The Generosity of Spirit Award, Lillian Lansberry Award, and the National Wednesday’s Child Award will
be provided to outstanding adoption professionals and leading organizations in the child welfare field.

Learn! WORKSHOPS

Tuesday April 30, 2019 | 1:15pm-2:30pm

Network! Student and Early Professional Career Track 2:
Student Speed Networking

Location: Salon 10

Speed Networking for Social Work Students: Connect with Peers and Employers

Connect with employers and future peers during the speed networking session for students and
early career professionals! Join us to meet adoption professionals and executives representing
some of the leading child welfare organizations in the country.

17

CConference Schedule: Tuesday, April 30
Adoption Professional Track 11:
Location: Salon 9
NTI: Supporting Permanency through Adoption Competent Mental Health Service
Presenter: Lisa Maynard and Dawn Wilson at Center for Adoption Support and Education

This workshop will highlight the need for adoption mental health competency training for
child welfare professionals and mental health practitioners, and present the state of the art
training initiative: the newly developed web-based National Adoption Competency Mental
Health Training Initiative (NTI), developed by the Center for Adoption Support and Education
(C.A.S.E.) and funded through a Cooperative Agreement with the Department of Health and
Human Services Administration of Children, Youth and Families Children’s Bureau # 90CO1121.
Presenters will discuss the need for adoption competency, overview of the training initiative
and pilot in 9 sites, demonstration of the web-based trainings, discussion of implementation
experiences in pilot sites, and a review of evaluation results from the pilot of the curriculum for
Child Professionals and Supervisors.

Adoption Professional Track 12:

Location: Salon 8
The Art of Recruitment: What We Are Doing and What We Can Do

Presenter: AdrienneJubileeatCenterforAdoptionSupport andEducation

This workshop is an open discussion about adoption recruitment. Moving the conversation
beyond a checklist of steps to be completed to incorporating the subtle and nuanced practices
involved in finding forever families for children. Using the Dave Thomas Foundation’s Wendy’s
Wonderful Kids evidenced based recruitment model as a framework, the presenter will lead the
participants through a discussion about current practices that are successful areas that can be
improved. Topics of discussion include; connecting the child’s vision to recruitment through a
variety of conversations, which can be fun and empowering; connecting with potential adoptive
families beyond the home study; and incorporating the biological family in the process. This
workshop is designed to move the discussion about recruitment beyond a simple formula to the
art form that it truly is.

Network! Refreshment Break

Tuesday April 30, 2019 | 2:30pm-2:45pm
Location: Second Floor Regency Foyer

Connect! General Session 3

Tuesday April 30, 2019 | 2:45pm-4:00pm
Location: Salon 5/6/7

Inspiring Future Leaders in Adoption: The Next Generation

Facilitator: Heidi Raubenolt at Michigan Adoption Resource Exchange

Meet the 2019 University of Central Florida Social Work Student Scholars. Hear their perspective on
foster care adoption work and what excites them about entering the field of adoption.

18

AAAwards: 2019 National Awards
Wednesday’s Child Award

Winner: National Adoption Center, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

Segment: “Christopher”

Wednesday’s Child is used to describe a unique partnership between Adoption Exchanges, child
welfare agencies, and television stations that has blossomed across the country to find adoptive
families for children waiting in foster care in the United States. Exchanges and agencies team
up with local television stations to film and air one child or one group of siblings each week.
Communities across the United States have embraced this initiative for the last several decades.
For the Wednesday’s Child Award, member agencies nominate Wednesday’s Child partner stations
by submitting their best waiting child segment. The segments are judged by a panel of media
and child welfare experts on technical quality, appeal, and sensitivity to the subject. The winning
“Wednesday’s Child” segments are housed in the Museum of Broadcasting in New York City.

Lilian Lansberry Award

Awardee: Bree Bofill

The Lillian Brooks Lansberry Award for Excellence in Adoption was established to honor the life of
this staunch adoption advocate. The award is given to an adoption worker who makes extraordinary
efforts to connect waiting children with families. Lillian Brooks Lansberry devoted her life to the
tireless effort to place waiting children into permanent adoptive families. Her vision of loving homes
for all children stemmed from a 30-year career as a line worker, supervisor, trainer, administrator,
board member, and author. The Adoption Exchange Association was fortunate to have Lillian Brooks
Lansberry as a long-time member, Board Member and Vice President. On December 15, 1997 Lillian
died unexpectedly while conducting adoption research with a colleague in Atlanta, Georgia.

Bree Bofill is the Adoption Specialist Supervisor for Our Kids, the lead child welfare Community Based
Care agency in Miami Dade and Monroe County. Bree has more than 20 years’ experience in the child
welfare system working as a Child Protective Investigator, Child Dependency Case Manager, District
Adoption Home Finder, Adoption Specialist and as an Adoption Specialist Supervisor. Bree is a certified
Adoption Competent Trainer and a certified Child Welfare Case Manager. Bree is very passionate
about her work in adoption and considers herself blessed to be able to do the work she does.”

Generosity of Spirit Award

Awardee: Jane Morgan

The Board of Directors of the Adoption Exchange Association created the Generosity of Spirit Award
to honor individuals who have made significant contributions to AEA, and to acknowledge that the
organization’s success is shared by many people, past and present.

Jane Morgan joined the Children’s Bureau at the US Department of Health and Human Services as
the National Adoption Specialist in 1999 and currently serves as the Director of the Capacity Building
Division. Under her leadership, this Division coordinates the national initiatives for adoption, foster
care and child welfare workforce development as well as training and technical assistance provided
to States and Tribes to assist them in providing quality child welfare services. She spent the first
23 years of her career with the Oklahoma Department of Human Services as a case carrying child
welfare worker, supervisor, training coordinator and the state adoption program manager. She was a
founding member of the National Association of State Adoption Program Managers and in 2002 she
was named an Angel in Adoption by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute. In 2005 she
received the Administration for Children and Families Award for Exemplary Leadership for her work
in promoting the Department’s national adoption initiatives including launching the AdoptUSKids
Project in 2002 and the National Adoption Recruitment Campaign in 2004. In 2009 she was honored
by the North American Council on Adoptable Children with the Friend of Children Award. She
received her Master of Social Work degree from the University of Oklahoma.

19

PProfessional Headshots
Monday, April 29, 2019 (7:00am - 8:30am)
Location: Mezzanine Alcove
Slots: 6
Price: $30 per person
Monday, April 29, 2019 (10:15am - 11:30am)
Location: Mezzanine Alcove
Slots: 5
Price: $30 per person
Monday, April 29, 2019 (1:15pm - 4:15pm)
Location: Mezzanine Alcove
Slots: 12
Price: $30 per person
Tuesday, April 30, 2019 (10:00am - 11:15am)
Location: Mezzanine Alcove
Slots: 5
Price: $30 per person
Tuesday, April 30, 2019 (1:15pm - 2:30pm)
Location: Mezzanine Alcove
Slots: 5
Price: $30 per person

20

BBBoard of Directors: AEA
Dr. Jacqueline Wilson, President
CEO - Three Rivers Adoption Council
Pittsburgh, PA

Darlene Allen, Vice President

CEO and Executive Director - Adoption Rhode Island
Providence, RI

Joe Haynes, Treasurer

Director - Adoption Advocacy
Easley, SC

Maria Quintanilla, Secretary

Founder and Executive Director - Latino Family Institute, Inc.
West Covina, CA

Deborah Burrus

State Adoption Manager - Georgia Division of Families and Children Services
Atlanta, GA

Orianna Carey

CEO - Coalition of Children, Youth and Families
Milwaukee, WI

Lisa Funaro

Executive Director - Massachusetts Adoption Resource Exchange
Newton, MA

Janice Goldwater

Founder & Executive Director - Adoptions Together, Inc.
Calverton, MD

Claudette Henderson

Adoption Specialist & AREVA Coordinator - Virginia Department of Social Services
Richmond, VA

Virginia “Ginny” Kenny

Adoption Operations Program Manager - New Jersey Department of Children and Families
Trenton, NJ

21

BBBoard of Directors: AEA
Heidi Raubenolt
Director of Child and Family Services - Michigan Adoption Resource Exchange
Ann Arbor, MI
Melody Roe
Senior Vice President of Programs - The Adoption Exchange
Aurora, CO
Bob Rooks
Director - Florida’s Adoption Information Center
Jacksonville, FL
Wendy Spoerl
President - Adopt America Network
Toledo, OH
Richard Valenza
Founder & CEO - RaiseAChild
Los Angeles, CA
Kamilah Bunn
Chief Executive Officer - Adoption Exchange Association (AEA)
Linthicum, MD

22

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children and families!

On adoptuskids.org, you’ll find a wealth of resources, including:
• A free national photolisting to help you match children in need of permanent
homes with parents who are approved to adopt from foster care
• Guides, tip sheets, and webinars on topics ranging from writing children’s
narratives to interstate adoption to supporting families

Access our free resources or contact a foster care
and adoption specialist:

ADOPTUSKIDS.ORG 888-200-4005

AdoptUSKids is operated by the Adoption Exchange Association and is made possible by grant number 90CO1133 from the Children’s Bureau.
The contents of this advertisement are solely the responsibility of the Adoption Exchange Association and do not necessarily represent the official
views of the Children’s Bureau, ACYF, ACF, or HHS.