Adoption Knowledge Affiliates - Board of Directors

2010 Board of Directors
	Dawn Scott (President) is an adoptive stay-home mother parenting her toddler daughter, Ava together with husband of 18 years, David. Prior to relocating to Austin from Dallas in 2000, Dawn worked in marketing, sales and training for a nationwide telecom provider. She has also enjoyed employment in the wine industry both in Texas and previously in California. Born and raised in the San Francisco Bay Area, she studied Rhetoric and Art History at U.C. Berkeley and San Jose State. A 22 year member of Beta Sigma Phi International, she has served on the Boards of several Chapters and City Councils. Dawn joined AKA four years ago, and believes the education, sharing and support offered by triad members to be critical to her understanding of issues that directly impact her family. You can contact Dawn at dawn11scott@austin.rr.com.
	John Marostica (Past President) was born while his birth mother was residing at the Home of the Holy Infancy, now Marywood Children and Family Services in Austin, Texas. John was lucky enough to be adopted before his 2nd birthday. John has a Bachelors degree in Business Administration, with a major in Computer Information Systems from Southwest Texas University. In his work life, he has been a statistician for the Texas Vital Statistics Unit of the Department of State Health Services, a computer programmer and an electronic technician in prior jobs. When working for the State of Texas, John was the webmaster for the Texas Vital Statistics Unit website. He and his wife (Jean) are currently webmasters for Adoption Knowledge Affiliates and Austin Pets Alive. Both are active members in the Austin Genealogical Society. While John grew up in New Braunfels, Texas, he has lived in Austin since 1970 and has been married to Jean over 30 years. John is committed to the beliefs that everyone has the right to know the details of their origin; that open adoptions are healthier than closed adoptions, and that laws advancing the rights of adopted persons need to be pursued, not only in Texas, but throughout the United States. You can contact John at John@Marostica.org.
	Rowena Fong, Ed.D., MSW (Vice President) is the Ruby Lee Piester Centennial Professor in Services to Children and Families in the School of Social Work at the University of Texas at Austin. She has written books in the areas of child welfare, immigrants and refugees, and culturally competent practice. A graduate of Harvard University (EdD), the University of California at Berkeley (MSW) and Wellesley College (BA), Dr. Fong's interest in adoptions began when she was doing clinical social work in Oakland California and worked with adopted children and families as a social worker in a Day Treatment and Residential Treatment Center. When she was a professor at the University of Hawaii she helped Casey Family Programs set up their POI (permanent option initiative) with adoptive families and did focus groups and research with all TRIAD members. She has also worked with American families who have adopted children from China and has done training for fost/adopt parents in China with the Beijing Child Welfare Institute. You can contact Rowena at rfong@mail.utexas.edu.
	Sheri Williams (Secretary) was born in Whittier, California and raised in Houston, Texas. She received a McCombs scholarship for applied voice in the music program at the University of Texas in Austin in 1983. She moved to New York in 1986 where she found her career path in Human Resources in 1988. Sheri works for the Texas Medical Association as Manager of Human Resources. Sheri and her husband Lowell live in Driftwood, Texas with their 2 dogs and 5 llamas. She and her coworkers share shifts to cover every Monday for Meals on Wheels in central Austin. Sheri is a birth mother who placed her son through Edna Gladney when she was 15. Closed adoption was the only option discussed so 27 years later, the door opened! Her biological son Allen sought her out and with the full support of both of their wonderful families, the reunion is helping them with long unanswered questions. AKA's mission and members have been an integral part of Sheri's journey and healing process. You can contact Sheri at sheri.williams@texmed.org.
	Mike Schoenfelder (Treasurer), an adoptive parent, was born and raised in El Paso, Texas. In 1983, he moved to Austin to attend The University of Texas. Mike earned his Bachelor of Science degree in Electrical Engineering with high honors, then went on to earn his Master's degree in Engineering. While pursuing his Ph.D., Mike and another student decided to start a computer consulting business that continued for 10 years. Now, Mike works as a software development manager for Avaya, a telecommunications corporation. Mike lives in Austin with his wife, Katy, and their son, Griffin. In addition to volunteering with AKA since 2003, Mike has been an active volunteer in his faith community. Mike appreciates the knowledge obtained from AKA and wishes to give back to such a uniquely helpful organization. You can contact Michael at mschoenfelder@austin.rr.com.
	Irma "DeeDee" Barrera (Member At-Large) has been a member of AKA for four years. She has served as membership committee chair and on the conference and education committees. She and her husband, Carlos, are adoptive parents of two boys. Presently, she is a stay-home mother, a lector at St. Albert the Great Catholic Church, and actively involved in the schools and extra-curricular activities of her children. She enjoys exercising and completed two triathlons last summer. As a speech-language pathologist, she is interested in developmental issues of children, and in particular, how adoption may impact their social-emotional skills. She has also taken an interest in nutrition and alternative medicine as a means to address the development of the whole child, including how emotions, behaviors, and health are inter-related. She believes that AKA has educated and supported her in this endeavor. You can contact DeeDee at cbarrera2@austin.rr.com.
	Monica Faulkner, LMSW (Member At-Large) is a Social Worker who has worked in child welfare and has an interest in adoption. She is currently a Doctoral Student and Assistant Instructor at the University of Texas at Austin School of Social Work. Her research involves examining issues related to child welfare, including adoption and foster care. Monica currently works on a research team evaluating the AdoptUsKids program through the U.S. Children’s Bureau. She has worked on research and publications related to post adoption services and open adoptions. Monica has taught a class on Contemporary Issues in Foster Care and Adoption for Social Work students. Prior to pursuing her doctorate, Monica worked at with children at a domestic violence shelter and a children’s shelter. She also worked in the Texas Legislature on issues related to health and human services. Monica joined AKA because she believes it provides a unique environment for open discussion of adoption issues by members of the adoption triad. Based on her experiences working with children in foster care, she is particularly interested in increasing the number of adoptions from the foster care system. Monica currently serves as AKA’s librarian and is happy to assist individuals looking for resources about adoption. You can contact Monica at MFaulkner@mail.utexas.edu.
	Robyn Gobbel, LCSW (Member At-Large) is a therapist and adoption home study specialist. Her practice, Gobbel Counseling & Adoption Services, is located in Bastrop, TX and serves children and their families. After growing up in the Midwest, Robyn has lived in Central Texas since 2004. Robyn is interested in adoption both personally and professionally, as adoption as touched many aspects of her life. Robyn completed her undergraduate degree at Miami University in Ohio, then moved to Salt Lake City to obtain her master's degree in social work at the University of Utah. In 2009, she earned a postgraduate certificate in Therapy with Foster and Adopted Children. Robyn first came to AKA in 2007. She is consistently humbled by the fact that the best way to learn about adoption is not from books or professionals, but from the families living adoption every day. Robyn has enjoyed becoming more involved in AKA, joining the board in 2010 and moving into the role as chair of the Education Committee. You can contact Robyn at robyn@gobbelcounseling.com.
	Stephanie Holmes, LMSW (Member At-Large) is a Foster Care and Adoption Specialist with Children's Protective Services. Her adoption career began in 2003 when she worked for a private adoption agency serving as the Adoptive Parent Coordinator. She then earned her Master's Degree in Social Work from UT Austin, during which time she became involved with AKA. She has served as our Volunteer Librarian as well as our Educational Chairman. Stephanie is impressed with the mission and purpose of AKA, and she finds both the supportive and educational roles of the organization to be imperative in the adoption journey. As Educational Chairman, Stephanie works to uphold our commitment to reach the entire adoption triad with support and education as well as to bring professionals in the adoption community together. You can contact Stephanie at S.Holmes.LMSW@gmail.com.
	Britney (Member At-Large)

Services Philosophy

Adoption Knowledge Affiliates
PO Box 4082 Austin, TX 78765
512.442.8AKA
Email: aka@adoptionknowledge.org