Conference Keynotes & Speakers
Chelsy Alexander, LMSW (Foster Care Workshop)
Chelsy earned her Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from the University of North Texas in 2009. During her time in undergraduate studies she began her work in the social service field with Communities in Schools and also spent time working with Collin County Children’s Advocacy Center in various roles. She earned her Master’s Degree in Social Work from The University of Houston in 2011. She continued to work with children and families in multiple capacities including Baylor College of Medicine Community Programs and Texas Children's Hospital. Most recently, she worked as the Family Development Coordinator for The Settlement Home for Children, Foster Care and Adoption Program where her efforts went towards recruiting and training potential foster/adoptive families.
As the Director of Foster Community, you can find Chelsy managing events, recruiting families, and building relationships with amazing organizations that are serving the foster care and adoption community. Chelsy is passionate about seeing more families of color engaged in the foster care and adoption community with the rates of dis-proportionality steadily increasing here in Central Texas.
When Chelsy is not working, she spends a lot of time trying to TBRI her entire family, including herself. Chelsy and her husband moved from Houston four years ago after they had their second child and adopted two children all within six months of each other. They have four children total; two bonus kids, AJ and Olivia and two biological children, Bailey and Preston. As adoptive parents, she understands the details of the licensing process and the unique style of parenting that is utilized when raising children who have been in foster care. As a family they enjoy dancing and listening to music, spending time with friends, and watching sports.
Clare Allen, MSW (Behind Me/Before Me)
Clare Allen is an adoptee and a first/birth mother. She is a therapist who currently works as an Outpatient Clinician in community mental health. Additionally, she is an advocate of adoption reform and family preservation. Following her own biological mother’s adoption in 1970, Clare was adopted in a closed adoption in the late ’80s and since 2008 has had an extremely open adoption with her birth son. Through personal experience, education, and also working professionally with folks impacted by adoption, Clare has begun a further exploration of how intergenerational trauma from adoption loss has impacted the lives of her clients, her loved ones, as well as her own life.
Torrey E. Carroll, MA, LPC + Nikki M. Carroll, MA, LPC Founders, The TNC Psychotherapy Group, PLLC (Navigating the Intersections of Transracial Adoption)
Partners in life and work, Nikki and Torrey Carroll believe in the redemptive power of relationships. They have championed the cause for more than a decade by walking alongside marriages and families as they heal and grow. As adoptive parents and psychotherapists, they understand and respect both the pressures involved in building a family, coupled with the unique gifts and learning experiences that the adoption dynamic brings.
The Carrolls are frequent speakers at conferences and have extensive experience collaborating with non-profit organizations, agencies and community ambassadors to develop programming that revitalize and enrich individuals and family systems. Their clinical training and specializations include marriage and family therapy, crisis intervention, trauma, and adoption-sensitive therapy, including parenting skills within the adoption triad and transracial adoption issues. Their clinical experience extends to working with individuals of all ages who are connected to the child welfare system such as adoptees, first families, adoptive families and caregivers. Nikki and Torrey are founding Board members of Relationships First™ and Safe Conversations® Master Trainers. They have been featured in a number of publications and news media including Success Magazine, WFAA’s Daybreak, and CBS’s Plugged Into DFW, and co-hosted the Safe Conversations® Practice and Share DVD alongside Imago relationship therapy co-creators.
Prior to becoming Licensed Professional Counselors, Nikki and Torrey successfully managed a 20- year career within corporate America. Nikki holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Baylor University, a Master of Arts degree in Professional Counseling and a Master of Arts Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Amberton University. Torrey holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from The University of Texas at Dallas, a Master of Arts degree in Professional Counseling, and a Master of Arts Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Amberton University.
The Carrolls have been married for twenty years. Their journey has been filled with rich experiences that have varied from softly spoken messages, to loud and obnoxious life lessons on how to manage and maintain a healthy marriage. The Carrolls reside in a suburb of Dallas and call it an honor to be the parents of two ‘wonder-filled’ children. As a husband, wife, and parents of two, they bring extensive life experience and a heart for supporting and serving families in the foster care and adoption community.
Sharon Cloninger, JD (Equal Access to Original Birth Certificates: Fighting for Our Rights in the State of Texas)
Sharon is new to the Board of Support Texas Adoptee Rights (STAR). She is a paternal birth grandmother who met her 9-year-old granddaughter for the first time in 2010. She’s been blessed to be in an open relationship with her granddaughter and her adoptive family ever since. Sharon mostly grew up in Peru and New Orleans, coming of age in the Watergate era. She took her cue from Woodward and Bernstein to graduate from Baylor with a double major in journalism and political science. Subsequently, she edited an English-language newspaper in Norway for American and Canadian expatriates who worked in the North Sea oil industry; wrote for Baha’i publications in Willamette, Illinois; was a journalist with the Austin American-Statesman; and worked in State Comptroller Bob Bullock’s public information office before a mid-life career switch. True to the adage, Sharon’s life began again at 40. That year, the single mother of three sons graduated from the UT School of Law and became engaged to her landlord Tom. He and Sharon will celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary in June. Sharon worked as an attorney for the Department of Public Safety from 1994 until 2000, and as an Administrative Law Judge with the State Office of Administrative Hearings until retiring in 2017. She’s currently a member of the local Sierra Club’s social media team, an aspiring novelist, and a hopeful blues guitarist. She has six grandchildren in total.
April Dinwoodie (The Urgency of Seeing Color in Adoption and Foster Care)
As a transracially adopted person, April Dinwoodie was raised in a predominately white environment and lives a life where it is imperative that she gracefully and safely move through circumstances and situations related to differences of race, class, and culture. While her New England upbringing taught her about labor, and her white family taught her about love, she had to teach herself about life as a woman of color. Through the very poignant and often misunderstood experiences of adoption, she has woven elements of the journey thus far into her work as a writer, podcaster, speaker/trainer, coach, and consultant. April is fiercely dedicated to developing a healthy identity, building stronger relationships, and elevating our collective ability to navigate differences of race, class, and culture.
Patricia Martinez Dorner, MA, LPC (Ethics Panel)
A pioneer in open adoption and post adoption services, Patricia Martinez Dorner has been a relentless proponent of adoption reform. Her adoption focused practice includes education, support and training to individuals and professionals. She is a frequent conference speaker and author of many adoption related books. The adoptive mother of 2 adult daughters, she lives adoption personally and professionally.
Dr. Monica Faulkner, Ph.D. (Ethics Panel)
Monica Faulkner, Ph.D., is a research associate professor at the Steve Hicks School of Social Work and the director and co-founder of the Texas Institute for Child & Family Well-being. Faulkner holds bachelor degrees in government and social work from The University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Social Work from the University of Houston. She received her PhD in Social Work from The University of Texas at Austin in 2010. As a social worker, Faulkner has worked as an advocate for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault and as a case manager for children in foster care. She has also worked in the Texas Legislature focusing on policy issues related to health and human services for two legislative sessions. Currently, Faulkner uses her research expertise to build evidence for interventions and policies that improve the lives of marginalized populations of youth and families. She specializes in program evaluations related to child maltreatment prevention, foster care, and adolescent sexual health. She has also conducted original research related to Latino undocumented parents, permanency of foster youth, and educational outcomes of foster youth. Using her research and practice experience, Faulkner has facilitated training for child welfare professionals and foster parents related to sexual health and working with young parents in foster care. She also provides training on trauma informed practice for professionals working with asylum seekers, survivors of family and sexual violence, and parents who have experienced childhood trauma. Faulkner is the co-principal Investigator of the Title IV-E training grant, which provides training and support for social work students working in child welfare.
Will Francis, LMSW (Ethics Panel)
Will Francis, LMSW is excited to serve as the new Executive Director for the National Association of Social Workers, Texas Chapter. He previously served as the Government Relations Director for the chapter, and has a background in early childhood, child welfare and education. Will received a master’s in social work at the University of Texas, Austin in 2010 and a bachelor’s degree in English from Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia in 1997. Will lived in Hong Kong and Singapore at an early age, and residing abroad helped him develop a love of travel and an appreciation for cultural diversity. He has a passion for promoting the profession of school work and believes strongly in supporting social justice through public awareness. He is married to a social worker who works as a therapist, and they have two young daughters and a newborn son. Will was selected as the 2018 NASW Gilman Wells Award Recipient for his successful track record representing Texas social workers and their clients at the Texas State Capitol.
Jennifer Frederickson (BEHIND ME / BEFORE ME)
Jennifer Frederickson is the kept daughter of a mother who relinquished and is a grandmother of loss. Surrounded & immersed by adoption loss, she has recognized the pattern of trauma passed down through generations in her family. She speaks from an extremely unique perspective within the family constellation, of the great consequences to all. She is a strong advocate of family preservation & currently serves on the Board of Saving Our Sisters.
Maggie Gallant (Hot Dogs at the Eiffel Tower)
British-born writer and performer Maggie Gallant has lived in Austin with her husband, Erik, since 2000. Her solo show 'Hot Dogs at the Eiffel Tower' chronicles Maggie's life-long search for her birth father, 'French Papa'. Maggie was honored to perform the show at the AKA Conference in 2015. After many further twists and turns in the story, an updated version of Hot Dogs played at the Winnipeg Fringe in 2019 followed by a five-week run at the Hyde Park Theatre in Austin, Texas. Maggie continues to write for the stage on all aspects of the adoptee experience.
Renee Gelin, (Saving our Sisters (SOS)
After losing her son to a devastating unnecessary adoption Renee discovered her purpose – to help other mothers avoid unnecessarily separating from their newborn babies and helping them preserve their families. She began reaching out and connecting with others in the online adoption community for support. Renee started speaking to other expectant mothers and realized that many of the reasons that they were considering adoption, were similar to hers – temporary. She started to explain the lifelong trauma that maternal separation causes both the mothers and their newborns and the mothers were listening. Many in the adoption community began to see the moms with their babies and began to support her efforts of family preservation. Others online began to direct mothers considering adoption to speak with Renee and the concept of Saving Our Sisters became a reality. Renee married her son’s father and together they parent their 2 daughters in Florida. Renee Currently serves as the Board President of Saving our Sisters.
Suzanne Gilbert, Author
Suzanne recently served as Keynote for both the 39th Annual Adoptive Parents Committee Conference in NYC as well as for the annual luncheon of the National Council of Jewish Women-Metrowest where she also spoke in 2015. She has led and served on workshops, speaker presentations, multiple adoption panels, and written fiction with adoption themes. Venues and recognition include: 2019 Author Roundtable at the 40th annual American Adoption Congress in Washington, D.C.; 2019 and 2018 guest speaker at Ethical Culture Society of Maplewood on Searches in Literature & Religion; 2019 workshop on making a gratitude practice at The Center for Spirituality; 2014 performance for "The Moth" StorySlam; St. John's University presenter at The Adoption Initiative conference; and numerous adoption-related panels or discussions including ones hosted by her own “alma mater”, the Spence-Chapin Adoption Agency. Suzanne is taking a break from a career in cyber security to focus on writing a series of cybercrime procedurals and has a prequl, the adoption quest novel Tapioca Fire, which was selected as one of four recommended books for 2014 by Concerned People for Adoption (CPFA). Her shorter works of fiction and non-fiction have been included in anthologies and literary magazines. She curates a Facebook page with over 7,000 organic/unpaid readers as of mid 2019 that highlights both fiction and non-fiction on adoption, fostering, and other cultural topics @Suzanne Gilbert.Author. Her personal observations there are based on a love of reading and parenting a blended family with three now grown boys who are adoptees like herself
Lesli Johnson, LMFT (Transforming Trauma: Resilience and Healing for the Adoption Community)
Lesli Johnson is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Coach. She specializes in adoption and related issues. Her clients include all members of the adoption and foster care community: adoptees, adoptive parents, waiting parents, birth parents, foster parents, and families. An adoptee herself, Lesli’s personal experience allows her to connect with this community in a unique way. Lesli is a certified EMDR therapist and trained in Brainspotting and the Trauma Resiliency Model. In addition to her work in private practice, Lesli provides coaching services both in-office and virtually to adoptees, adoptive parents and birthparents worldwide. She facilitates ongoing adoption support groups and conducts adoption awareness and education workshops in schools, universities, and mental health settings to help professionals better understand issues related to adoption. Connect with Lesli and find community at www.askadoption.com
Kate Livingston, PhD (Feminist Perspectives on Adoption)
Kate Livingston earned a Ph.D. in Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies from The Ohio State University, where her research investigated the political debates on adoptee access to original birth certificates in the State of Ohio. She worked with Betsie Norris as a member of the core team that developed and successfully lobbied for the passage of Ohio’s adoptee access legislation. Dr. Livingston is a birthmother and the founder of Ohio Birthparent Group (OBG), a birthparent-led community group that provided peer support groups and public advocacy to Ohio birthparents and their allies from 2010-2017. She is an award-winning educator who has taught graduate and undergraduate courses on gender, race, sexuality, media, feminism, and the politics of reproduction at Indiana University-Bloomington, The Ohio State University, and University of Cincinnati. Currently, Dr. Livingston is a teaching consultant specializing in equity issues at University of Michigan’s Center for Research on Learning and Teaching.
Leslie Pate Mackinnon, LCSW (BEHIND ME / BEFORE ME)
Leslie Pate Mackinnon, LCSW, is a consultant & trainer on issues that impact families conceived through adoption & 3rd party reproduction. She was drawn to the field after relinquishing her firstborn sons and led to this specialty following reunion with both of them. Her story is in THE GIRLS WHO WENT AWAY. Leslie previously served on the board of CUB & the Evan B. Donaldson Institute. She currently assists the participants of LONG LOST FAMILY through the tumultuous emotions of reunion. For more: lesliepatemackinnon.com
Traci Onders (Decoding Your DNA Identity)
Traci joined the Adoption Network Cleveland staff in 2016 as the Program Coordinator – Adult Adoptees and Birthparents and is the Search Assistance Specialist. Traci assists birthparents and adult adoptees by providing support and guidance and has coordinated the General Discussion Meeting Program and the Birthmother’s Support Group. An essential part of her role is to provide insight, support, and guidance through the search process as well as after — when that support may be more needed. Traci has been integral in the expansion of Adoption Network's Search Assistance program to include using DNA to solve for unknown parentage and has attended Basic Genetic Genealogy and Advanced DNA Evidence trainings at the Genealogical Research Institute in Pittsburgh. Traci has assisted many in using DNA to connect with birth or biological family, including adoptees and individuals who have misattributed parentage or were donor-conceived. As an adoptee, Traci has used DNA to connect with birth relatives and to determine her ancestry, including the parentage of her birthfather, who was a kinship adoptee himself, and also has connected with a previously unknown half-brother who has misattributed parentage.
Tyler Pennington, Esq. (Ethics Panel)
Tyler Pennington founded Pennington Law, PLLC in January 2013. Prior to starting the firm he worked for 18 months as an associate attorney for a small Austin law firm where he handled family, criminal and civil litigation cases. Tyler takes pride in being a well-respected litigator, who is not afraid to take a case to trial or to challenge the trial court on appeal, but he also knows how to settle a case when that is in the client’s best interest. He can be your advocate and your voice of reason. Over 90% of his practice is referrals and he takes pride in providing hands-on representation to individuals from all walks of life. Since being licensed he has handled hundreds of family law matters involving divorce, custody, adoption, and termination of parental rights, CPS litigation, child support and complex property division. He obtained his bachelor’s of science in social psychology from Park University where he graduated Magna Cum Laude in December 2006. During his undergraduate program, he worked at a non-profit early childhood center for children with special needs and at an elementary school in an autism program. After obtaining his bachelor’s degree he attended law school at University of Missouri-Kansas City graduating in May 2010. During law school, he represented families and individuals in the Child and Family Services Clinic and also helped re-author the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association Attorney Practice Handbook on Termination of Parental Rights. He received the award of most outstanding clinic student for his work in the clinic. This is where he truly began to develop a passion for family law.
Joellen Peters, Ph.D. (Equal Access to Original Birth Certificates: Fighting for Our Rights in the State of Texas)
Joellen Peters is a psychologist, mother of 2 teenage boys, and an adoptee rights advocate. She is past president on the Board of Directors for AKA, current president of Support Texas Adoptee Rights (STAR) and is a reunited adoptee who found her birth parents approximately 20 years ago. Dr. Peters initially began working with families affected by adoption when she went through her own adoption reunion. She now works with adult adoptees, birth parents, and adoptive families in her private practice. Joellen’s initial advocacy work started in 2015 when she began talking with legislators at the Capitol in Austin. In 2017 she became more involved with both testimony and more assistance to STAR.
Amanda Reno (Decoding Your DNA Identity)
Amanda began assisting with adoptee family research after reuniting with her sister five years ago. Their reunion inspired a positive shift in her life as she discovered her passion for solving DNA mysteries. As a Genetic Genealogist, Amanda assists individuals with their personal DNA research. Most recently, Amanda co-founded AdvanceDNA, a company established to assist law enforcement agencies in the development of DNA leads on cold cases, where she serves as the Director of Genetic & Forensic Case Management. She is a reoccurring presenter at the University of Cincinnati, where she leads an annual DNA event with the student organization IDENTITY. She has volunteered for Adoption Network Cleveland as a speaker as well as served as a consultant in family research. In 2017, she was awarded the Adoption Network Triad Advocate of the Year Award.
Barbara Lynn Robertson, LMSW (From the Unknown to Known: Living in Complexity after the Search)
Barbara Lynn Robertson, LMSW, is an Ohio-born, New York Adoptee who received a copy of her Original Birth Certificate after new Ohio legislation took effect in March 2015. Since then, she has been able to discover her biological origins and establish contact with both maternal and paternal sides of her family. Barbara is a strong advocate for adoptee rights, volunteering her time providing online education and support to all members of the adoption triad. She currently serves as Co-Facilitator of Adoption Network Cleveland's monthly Virtual Webcam General Discussion Meeting, available to participants who live outside of the state of Ohio. Barbara has also written a piece for the Dear Adoption blog and is a contributing author to the book, Black Anthology: Adult Adoptees Claim Their Space, edited by Susan Harris O'Connor, MSW; Diane Rene Christian; Mei-Mei Akwai Ellerman, PHD.
Sharon Kaplan Roszia, MS (The Ethical Traps in Building Families Through Adoption and Permanency)
Sharon Kaplan Roszia, M.S., is an internationally known trainer and author who helped pave the way for open adoption practice believing in keeping connections over time. She has been devoted to her work in adoption and foster care since 1963 and is also a parent by birth, adoption, and foster care. She has co-authored two books on open adoption, The Open Adoption Experience and Cooperative Adoption. She is the recipient of an ‘Angel in Adoption’ award from the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute; ‘Humanitarian Award’ from the American Adoption Congress and awards from The North American Council on Adoptable Children, ATTACh, and the Annette Baran and Rubin Pannor Award for Outstanding Work in Adoption. Sharon’s most recent book is THE SEVEN CORE ISSUES IN ADOPTION AND PERMANENCY, co-authored with Allison Maxon and released in 2019.
Karey Scheyd, MPA (Best Practices for Serving LGBTQ Youth in Foster & Adoptive Families)
Karey Schevd is a nonprofit management consultant with particular expertise in foster care, adoption, and LGBTQ services. She has been a National Advisory Council member and consultant for the Human Rights Campaign’s All Children – All Families (ACAF) program since 2007 and has served as the National Training Manager for ACAF since 2013, providing training and technical assistance on LGBTQ services to child welfare organizations across the country. In her spare time, you can find Karey traveling the world with her partner, Irfan, or spending quality time with her dog, Ruby. Karey is a proud graduate of Mount Holyoke College and NYU’s Wagner School of Public Service, and is currently working on a Master of Arts in Counseling degree at St. Edward’s University.
Amanda Schranghamer, LSW (Supporting Positive Identity Development)
Amanda Schranghamer, LSW, has over ten years’ experience in child welfare supporting children and families in various roles. Amanda is the assessor and adoption curriculum developer at the Institute for Human Services, the current training coordinator for the Ohio Child Welfare Training Program. Amanda’s passion is educating others on adoption-related topics.
Dr. Elaine Schulte (Is It Just ADHD? Understanding the Adopted Child's Behavior)
Dr. Schulte is a board-certified pediatrician and adoption medicine specialist. In 1996, she founded one of the first adoption programs in the country. She served as Chair of the Department of General Pediatrics at the Cleveland Clinic until 2017, where she was also the Medical Director of the Adoption Program. Dr. Schulte is the Vice-Chair for Academic Affairs and Faculty Development at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore in the Bronx and Professor of Pediatrics at Einstein College of Medicine. She is the medical director of the Adoption Program. The Adoption Program offers pre-adoption consultation, post-adoption evaluations and ongoing medical care for adopted children and their families. Dr. Schulte is an active member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Foster Care, Adoption, and Kinship Care. She is the author of “Caring for Your Adopted Child; an Essential Guide for Parents” published by the American Academy of Pediatrics. She has created clinical guidelines and educational programs for pediatricians and adoption.
Erin Spalding, LCSW (Intersections of Unresolved Grief, Mental & Behavioral Health, and Adoption)
Erin Spalding is the Program Director of The Christi Center, a non-profit grief support center. She has over 11 years of clinical experience supporting grieving kids, teens, and adults, while developing programs to strengthen the community’s capacity to serve all those in grief. She is also an adjunct professor at the UT Steve Hicks School of Social Work, teaching Group Intervention, Grief Counseling and Grief & Loss Individual, Family and Cultural Perspectives.
Holly Spencer-Trueman, BA, Mdiv (Let’s (Learn How to) Talk about Sex! An Adoptive/Kinship/Foster Parent’s Workshop)
Holly has worked in the field of Child Welfare for 15 years; first as an Adoption Navigator/Supervisor for Adoption Network Cleveland and most recently as OhioGuidestone’s Foster Parent Recruiter and Trainer. As an Institute of Human Services Certified Foster Parent Preservice Training trainer since 2004, Holly has done Preservice and other on-going training workshops for multiple local and public child welfare agencies, including Cuyahoga County DCFS, Beech Brook, Bellefaire and NYAP. Finally, Holly, along with her husband Joe, is also the Foster/Adoptive parent of three amazing adults/children who are her everyday motivation and her very best teachers.
Carrie Thompson, LPC (BEHIND ME/BEFORE ME)
Carrie Thompson was drawn to the field of adoption as an adolescent. On her journey to becoming an LPC, Carrie discovered that her family history and own birth story included four generations of relinquishment. Though stories had been hidden and minimized and feelings masked, emotional evidence and patterns had remained. The Thompson family has recently concluded the search for her grandmother’s firstborn – locating extended family members in England and New Zealand after over a 70-year separation. Carrie continues her work with children, teens, and families as they find peace with emotional and mental health, learning challenges, and trauma in the field of individual and school counseling.
Richard Uhrlaub (Male Adoptee Group, Friday Evening)
Rich Uhrlaub, M.Ed. has been dedicated to support and effective advocacy for the interests of adults impacted by relinquishment and adoption for over 20 years. He currently serves as Adoption Search Resource Connection president. Relinquished and adopted at three weeks old, Rich located and connected with his family of origin in 1995. Rich has testified before legislative committees and consults with advocacy efforts in various states. He has presented and facilitated at various conferences nationwide. He founded the Male Adoptee/Alumni Impact Summit. He has been interviewed for local and national radio, television and newspaper stories. Rich is a contributing author to Finding Our Place: 100 Memorable Adoptees, Fostered Persons and Orphanage Alumni (2010), Adoption and Mothering (2012). His professional background includes leading the Learning Solutions Team and Management Competencies Program for an international technology firm; telecommunications and digital marketing sales; and medical-legal claims and risk management in the private and public sectors.
Chelsy earned her Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from the University of North Texas in 2009. During her time in undergraduate studies she began her work in the social service field with Communities in Schools and also spent time working with Collin County Children’s Advocacy Center in various roles. She earned her Master’s Degree in Social Work from The University of Houston in 2011. She continued to work with children and families in multiple capacities including Baylor College of Medicine Community Programs and Texas Children's Hospital. Most recently, she worked as the Family Development Coordinator for The Settlement Home for Children, Foster Care and Adoption Program where her efforts went towards recruiting and training potential foster/adoptive families.
As the Director of Foster Community, you can find Chelsy managing events, recruiting families, and building relationships with amazing organizations that are serving the foster care and adoption community. Chelsy is passionate about seeing more families of color engaged in the foster care and adoption community with the rates of dis-proportionality steadily increasing here in Central Texas.
When Chelsy is not working, she spends a lot of time trying to TBRI her entire family, including herself. Chelsy and her husband moved from Houston four years ago after they had their second child and adopted two children all within six months of each other. They have four children total; two bonus kids, AJ and Olivia and two biological children, Bailey and Preston. As adoptive parents, she understands the details of the licensing process and the unique style of parenting that is utilized when raising children who have been in foster care. As a family they enjoy dancing and listening to music, spending time with friends, and watching sports.
Clare Allen, MSW (Behind Me/Before Me)
Clare Allen is an adoptee and a first/birth mother. She is a therapist who currently works as an Outpatient Clinician in community mental health. Additionally, she is an advocate of adoption reform and family preservation. Following her own biological mother’s adoption in 1970, Clare was adopted in a closed adoption in the late ’80s and since 2008 has had an extremely open adoption with her birth son. Through personal experience, education, and also working professionally with folks impacted by adoption, Clare has begun a further exploration of how intergenerational trauma from adoption loss has impacted the lives of her clients, her loved ones, as well as her own life.
Torrey E. Carroll, MA, LPC + Nikki M. Carroll, MA, LPC Founders, The TNC Psychotherapy Group, PLLC (Navigating the Intersections of Transracial Adoption)
Partners in life and work, Nikki and Torrey Carroll believe in the redemptive power of relationships. They have championed the cause for more than a decade by walking alongside marriages and families as they heal and grow. As adoptive parents and psychotherapists, they understand and respect both the pressures involved in building a family, coupled with the unique gifts and learning experiences that the adoption dynamic brings.
The Carrolls are frequent speakers at conferences and have extensive experience collaborating with non-profit organizations, agencies and community ambassadors to develop programming that revitalize and enrich individuals and family systems. Their clinical training and specializations include marriage and family therapy, crisis intervention, trauma, and adoption-sensitive therapy, including parenting skills within the adoption triad and transracial adoption issues. Their clinical experience extends to working with individuals of all ages who are connected to the child welfare system such as adoptees, first families, adoptive families and caregivers. Nikki and Torrey are founding Board members of Relationships First™ and Safe Conversations® Master Trainers. They have been featured in a number of publications and news media including Success Magazine, WFAA’s Daybreak, and CBS’s Plugged Into DFW, and co-hosted the Safe Conversations® Practice and Share DVD alongside Imago relationship therapy co-creators.
Prior to becoming Licensed Professional Counselors, Nikki and Torrey successfully managed a 20- year career within corporate America. Nikki holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree from Baylor University, a Master of Arts degree in Professional Counseling and a Master of Arts Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Amberton University. Torrey holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Finance from The University of Texas at Dallas, a Master of Arts degree in Professional Counseling, and a Master of Arts Degree in Marriage and Family Therapy from Amberton University.
The Carrolls have been married for twenty years. Their journey has been filled with rich experiences that have varied from softly spoken messages, to loud and obnoxious life lessons on how to manage and maintain a healthy marriage. The Carrolls reside in a suburb of Dallas and call it an honor to be the parents of two ‘wonder-filled’ children. As a husband, wife, and parents of two, they bring extensive life experience and a heart for supporting and serving families in the foster care and adoption community.
Sharon Cloninger, JD (Equal Access to Original Birth Certificates: Fighting for Our Rights in the State of Texas)
Sharon is new to the Board of Support Texas Adoptee Rights (STAR). She is a paternal birth grandmother who met her 9-year-old granddaughter for the first time in 2010. She’s been blessed to be in an open relationship with her granddaughter and her adoptive family ever since. Sharon mostly grew up in Peru and New Orleans, coming of age in the Watergate era. She took her cue from Woodward and Bernstein to graduate from Baylor with a double major in journalism and political science. Subsequently, she edited an English-language newspaper in Norway for American and Canadian expatriates who worked in the North Sea oil industry; wrote for Baha’i publications in Willamette, Illinois; was a journalist with the Austin American-Statesman; and worked in State Comptroller Bob Bullock’s public information office before a mid-life career switch. True to the adage, Sharon’s life began again at 40. That year, the single mother of three sons graduated from the UT School of Law and became engaged to her landlord Tom. He and Sharon will celebrate their 25th wedding anniversary in June. Sharon worked as an attorney for the Department of Public Safety from 1994 until 2000, and as an Administrative Law Judge with the State Office of Administrative Hearings until retiring in 2017. She’s currently a member of the local Sierra Club’s social media team, an aspiring novelist, and a hopeful blues guitarist. She has six grandchildren in total.
April Dinwoodie (The Urgency of Seeing Color in Adoption and Foster Care)
As a transracially adopted person, April Dinwoodie was raised in a predominately white environment and lives a life where it is imperative that she gracefully and safely move through circumstances and situations related to differences of race, class, and culture. While her New England upbringing taught her about labor, and her white family taught her about love, she had to teach herself about life as a woman of color. Through the very poignant and often misunderstood experiences of adoption, she has woven elements of the journey thus far into her work as a writer, podcaster, speaker/trainer, coach, and consultant. April is fiercely dedicated to developing a healthy identity, building stronger relationships, and elevating our collective ability to navigate differences of race, class, and culture.
Patricia Martinez Dorner, MA, LPC (Ethics Panel)
A pioneer in open adoption and post adoption services, Patricia Martinez Dorner has been a relentless proponent of adoption reform. Her adoption focused practice includes education, support and training to individuals and professionals. She is a frequent conference speaker and author of many adoption related books. The adoptive mother of 2 adult daughters, she lives adoption personally and professionally.
Dr. Monica Faulkner, Ph.D. (Ethics Panel)
Monica Faulkner, Ph.D., is a research associate professor at the Steve Hicks School of Social Work and the director and co-founder of the Texas Institute for Child & Family Well-being. Faulkner holds bachelor degrees in government and social work from The University of Texas at Austin and a Master of Social Work from the University of Houston. She received her PhD in Social Work from The University of Texas at Austin in 2010. As a social worker, Faulkner has worked as an advocate for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault and as a case manager for children in foster care. She has also worked in the Texas Legislature focusing on policy issues related to health and human services for two legislative sessions. Currently, Faulkner uses her research expertise to build evidence for interventions and policies that improve the lives of marginalized populations of youth and families. She specializes in program evaluations related to child maltreatment prevention, foster care, and adolescent sexual health. She has also conducted original research related to Latino undocumented parents, permanency of foster youth, and educational outcomes of foster youth. Using her research and practice experience, Faulkner has facilitated training for child welfare professionals and foster parents related to sexual health and working with young parents in foster care. She also provides training on trauma informed practice for professionals working with asylum seekers, survivors of family and sexual violence, and parents who have experienced childhood trauma. Faulkner is the co-principal Investigator of the Title IV-E training grant, which provides training and support for social work students working in child welfare.
Will Francis, LMSW (Ethics Panel)
Will Francis, LMSW is excited to serve as the new Executive Director for the National Association of Social Workers, Texas Chapter. He previously served as the Government Relations Director for the chapter, and has a background in early childhood, child welfare and education. Will received a master’s in social work at the University of Texas, Austin in 2010 and a bachelor’s degree in English from Hampden-Sydney College in Virginia in 1997. Will lived in Hong Kong and Singapore at an early age, and residing abroad helped him develop a love of travel and an appreciation for cultural diversity. He has a passion for promoting the profession of school work and believes strongly in supporting social justice through public awareness. He is married to a social worker who works as a therapist, and they have two young daughters and a newborn son. Will was selected as the 2018 NASW Gilman Wells Award Recipient for his successful track record representing Texas social workers and their clients at the Texas State Capitol.
Jennifer Frederickson (BEHIND ME / BEFORE ME)
Jennifer Frederickson is the kept daughter of a mother who relinquished and is a grandmother of loss. Surrounded & immersed by adoption loss, she has recognized the pattern of trauma passed down through generations in her family. She speaks from an extremely unique perspective within the family constellation, of the great consequences to all. She is a strong advocate of family preservation & currently serves on the Board of Saving Our Sisters.
Maggie Gallant (Hot Dogs at the Eiffel Tower)
British-born writer and performer Maggie Gallant has lived in Austin with her husband, Erik, since 2000. Her solo show 'Hot Dogs at the Eiffel Tower' chronicles Maggie's life-long search for her birth father, 'French Papa'. Maggie was honored to perform the show at the AKA Conference in 2015. After many further twists and turns in the story, an updated version of Hot Dogs played at the Winnipeg Fringe in 2019 followed by a five-week run at the Hyde Park Theatre in Austin, Texas. Maggie continues to write for the stage on all aspects of the adoptee experience.
Renee Gelin, (Saving our Sisters (SOS)
After losing her son to a devastating unnecessary adoption Renee discovered her purpose – to help other mothers avoid unnecessarily separating from their newborn babies and helping them preserve their families. She began reaching out and connecting with others in the online adoption community for support. Renee started speaking to other expectant mothers and realized that many of the reasons that they were considering adoption, were similar to hers – temporary. She started to explain the lifelong trauma that maternal separation causes both the mothers and their newborns and the mothers were listening. Many in the adoption community began to see the moms with their babies and began to support her efforts of family preservation. Others online began to direct mothers considering adoption to speak with Renee and the concept of Saving Our Sisters became a reality. Renee married her son’s father and together they parent their 2 daughters in Florida. Renee Currently serves as the Board President of Saving our Sisters.
Suzanne Gilbert, Author
Suzanne recently served as Keynote for both the 39th Annual Adoptive Parents Committee Conference in NYC as well as for the annual luncheon of the National Council of Jewish Women-Metrowest where she also spoke in 2015. She has led and served on workshops, speaker presentations, multiple adoption panels, and written fiction with adoption themes. Venues and recognition include: 2019 Author Roundtable at the 40th annual American Adoption Congress in Washington, D.C.; 2019 and 2018 guest speaker at Ethical Culture Society of Maplewood on Searches in Literature & Religion; 2019 workshop on making a gratitude practice at The Center for Spirituality; 2014 performance for "The Moth" StorySlam; St. John's University presenter at The Adoption Initiative conference; and numerous adoption-related panels or discussions including ones hosted by her own “alma mater”, the Spence-Chapin Adoption Agency. Suzanne is taking a break from a career in cyber security to focus on writing a series of cybercrime procedurals and has a prequl, the adoption quest novel Tapioca Fire, which was selected as one of four recommended books for 2014 by Concerned People for Adoption (CPFA). Her shorter works of fiction and non-fiction have been included in anthologies and literary magazines. She curates a Facebook page with over 7,000 organic/unpaid readers as of mid 2019 that highlights both fiction and non-fiction on adoption, fostering, and other cultural topics @Suzanne Gilbert.Author. Her personal observations there are based on a love of reading and parenting a blended family with three now grown boys who are adoptees like herself
Lesli Johnson, LMFT (Transforming Trauma: Resilience and Healing for the Adoption Community)
Lesli Johnson is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Coach. She specializes in adoption and related issues. Her clients include all members of the adoption and foster care community: adoptees, adoptive parents, waiting parents, birth parents, foster parents, and families. An adoptee herself, Lesli’s personal experience allows her to connect with this community in a unique way. Lesli is a certified EMDR therapist and trained in Brainspotting and the Trauma Resiliency Model. In addition to her work in private practice, Lesli provides coaching services both in-office and virtually to adoptees, adoptive parents and birthparents worldwide. She facilitates ongoing adoption support groups and conducts adoption awareness and education workshops in schools, universities, and mental health settings to help professionals better understand issues related to adoption. Connect with Lesli and find community at www.askadoption.com
Kate Livingston, PhD (Feminist Perspectives on Adoption)
Kate Livingston earned a Ph.D. in Women’s Gender and Sexuality Studies from The Ohio State University, where her research investigated the political debates on adoptee access to original birth certificates in the State of Ohio. She worked with Betsie Norris as a member of the core team that developed and successfully lobbied for the passage of Ohio’s adoptee access legislation. Dr. Livingston is a birthmother and the founder of Ohio Birthparent Group (OBG), a birthparent-led community group that provided peer support groups and public advocacy to Ohio birthparents and their allies from 2010-2017. She is an award-winning educator who has taught graduate and undergraduate courses on gender, race, sexuality, media, feminism, and the politics of reproduction at Indiana University-Bloomington, The Ohio State University, and University of Cincinnati. Currently, Dr. Livingston is a teaching consultant specializing in equity issues at University of Michigan’s Center for Research on Learning and Teaching.
Leslie Pate Mackinnon, LCSW (BEHIND ME / BEFORE ME)
Leslie Pate Mackinnon, LCSW, is a consultant & trainer on issues that impact families conceived through adoption & 3rd party reproduction. She was drawn to the field after relinquishing her firstborn sons and led to this specialty following reunion with both of them. Her story is in THE GIRLS WHO WENT AWAY. Leslie previously served on the board of CUB & the Evan B. Donaldson Institute. She currently assists the participants of LONG LOST FAMILY through the tumultuous emotions of reunion. For more: lesliepatemackinnon.com
Traci Onders (Decoding Your DNA Identity)
Traci joined the Adoption Network Cleveland staff in 2016 as the Program Coordinator – Adult Adoptees and Birthparents and is the Search Assistance Specialist. Traci assists birthparents and adult adoptees by providing support and guidance and has coordinated the General Discussion Meeting Program and the Birthmother’s Support Group. An essential part of her role is to provide insight, support, and guidance through the search process as well as after — when that support may be more needed. Traci has been integral in the expansion of Adoption Network's Search Assistance program to include using DNA to solve for unknown parentage and has attended Basic Genetic Genealogy and Advanced DNA Evidence trainings at the Genealogical Research Institute in Pittsburgh. Traci has assisted many in using DNA to connect with birth or biological family, including adoptees and individuals who have misattributed parentage or were donor-conceived. As an adoptee, Traci has used DNA to connect with birth relatives and to determine her ancestry, including the parentage of her birthfather, who was a kinship adoptee himself, and also has connected with a previously unknown half-brother who has misattributed parentage.
Tyler Pennington, Esq. (Ethics Panel)
Tyler Pennington founded Pennington Law, PLLC in January 2013. Prior to starting the firm he worked for 18 months as an associate attorney for a small Austin law firm where he handled family, criminal and civil litigation cases. Tyler takes pride in being a well-respected litigator, who is not afraid to take a case to trial or to challenge the trial court on appeal, but he also knows how to settle a case when that is in the client’s best interest. He can be your advocate and your voice of reason. Over 90% of his practice is referrals and he takes pride in providing hands-on representation to individuals from all walks of life. Since being licensed he has handled hundreds of family law matters involving divorce, custody, adoption, and termination of parental rights, CPS litigation, child support and complex property division. He obtained his bachelor’s of science in social psychology from Park University where he graduated Magna Cum Laude in December 2006. During his undergraduate program, he worked at a non-profit early childhood center for children with special needs and at an elementary school in an autism program. After obtaining his bachelor’s degree he attended law school at University of Missouri-Kansas City graduating in May 2010. During law school, he represented families and individuals in the Child and Family Services Clinic and also helped re-author the Kansas City Metropolitan Bar Association Attorney Practice Handbook on Termination of Parental Rights. He received the award of most outstanding clinic student for his work in the clinic. This is where he truly began to develop a passion for family law.
Joellen Peters, Ph.D. (Equal Access to Original Birth Certificates: Fighting for Our Rights in the State of Texas)
Joellen Peters is a psychologist, mother of 2 teenage boys, and an adoptee rights advocate. She is past president on the Board of Directors for AKA, current president of Support Texas Adoptee Rights (STAR) and is a reunited adoptee who found her birth parents approximately 20 years ago. Dr. Peters initially began working with families affected by adoption when she went through her own adoption reunion. She now works with adult adoptees, birth parents, and adoptive families in her private practice. Joellen’s initial advocacy work started in 2015 when she began talking with legislators at the Capitol in Austin. In 2017 she became more involved with both testimony and more assistance to STAR.
Amanda Reno (Decoding Your DNA Identity)
Amanda began assisting with adoptee family research after reuniting with her sister five years ago. Their reunion inspired a positive shift in her life as she discovered her passion for solving DNA mysteries. As a Genetic Genealogist, Amanda assists individuals with their personal DNA research. Most recently, Amanda co-founded AdvanceDNA, a company established to assist law enforcement agencies in the development of DNA leads on cold cases, where she serves as the Director of Genetic & Forensic Case Management. She is a reoccurring presenter at the University of Cincinnati, where she leads an annual DNA event with the student organization IDENTITY. She has volunteered for Adoption Network Cleveland as a speaker as well as served as a consultant in family research. In 2017, she was awarded the Adoption Network Triad Advocate of the Year Award.
Barbara Lynn Robertson, LMSW (From the Unknown to Known: Living in Complexity after the Search)
Barbara Lynn Robertson, LMSW, is an Ohio-born, New York Adoptee who received a copy of her Original Birth Certificate after new Ohio legislation took effect in March 2015. Since then, she has been able to discover her biological origins and establish contact with both maternal and paternal sides of her family. Barbara is a strong advocate for adoptee rights, volunteering her time providing online education and support to all members of the adoption triad. She currently serves as Co-Facilitator of Adoption Network Cleveland's monthly Virtual Webcam General Discussion Meeting, available to participants who live outside of the state of Ohio. Barbara has also written a piece for the Dear Adoption blog and is a contributing author to the book, Black Anthology: Adult Adoptees Claim Their Space, edited by Susan Harris O'Connor, MSW; Diane Rene Christian; Mei-Mei Akwai Ellerman, PHD.
Sharon Kaplan Roszia, MS (The Ethical Traps in Building Families Through Adoption and Permanency)
Sharon Kaplan Roszia, M.S., is an internationally known trainer and author who helped pave the way for open adoption practice believing in keeping connections over time. She has been devoted to her work in adoption and foster care since 1963 and is also a parent by birth, adoption, and foster care. She has co-authored two books on open adoption, The Open Adoption Experience and Cooperative Adoption. She is the recipient of an ‘Angel in Adoption’ award from the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute; ‘Humanitarian Award’ from the American Adoption Congress and awards from The North American Council on Adoptable Children, ATTACh, and the Annette Baran and Rubin Pannor Award for Outstanding Work in Adoption. Sharon’s most recent book is THE SEVEN CORE ISSUES IN ADOPTION AND PERMANENCY, co-authored with Allison Maxon and released in 2019.
Karey Scheyd, MPA (Best Practices for Serving LGBTQ Youth in Foster & Adoptive Families)
Karey Schevd is a nonprofit management consultant with particular expertise in foster care, adoption, and LGBTQ services. She has been a National Advisory Council member and consultant for the Human Rights Campaign’s All Children – All Families (ACAF) program since 2007 and has served as the National Training Manager for ACAF since 2013, providing training and technical assistance on LGBTQ services to child welfare organizations across the country. In her spare time, you can find Karey traveling the world with her partner, Irfan, or spending quality time with her dog, Ruby. Karey is a proud graduate of Mount Holyoke College and NYU’s Wagner School of Public Service, and is currently working on a Master of Arts in Counseling degree at St. Edward’s University.
Amanda Schranghamer, LSW (Supporting Positive Identity Development)
Amanda Schranghamer, LSW, has over ten years’ experience in child welfare supporting children and families in various roles. Amanda is the assessor and adoption curriculum developer at the Institute for Human Services, the current training coordinator for the Ohio Child Welfare Training Program. Amanda’s passion is educating others on adoption-related topics.
Dr. Elaine Schulte (Is It Just ADHD? Understanding the Adopted Child's Behavior)
Dr. Schulte is a board-certified pediatrician and adoption medicine specialist. In 1996, she founded one of the first adoption programs in the country. She served as Chair of the Department of General Pediatrics at the Cleveland Clinic until 2017, where she was also the Medical Director of the Adoption Program. Dr. Schulte is the Vice-Chair for Academic Affairs and Faculty Development at the Children’s Hospital at Montefiore in the Bronx and Professor of Pediatrics at Einstein College of Medicine. She is the medical director of the Adoption Program. The Adoption Program offers pre-adoption consultation, post-adoption evaluations and ongoing medical care for adopted children and their families. Dr. Schulte is an active member of the American Academy of Pediatrics Council on Foster Care, Adoption, and Kinship Care. She is the author of “Caring for Your Adopted Child; an Essential Guide for Parents” published by the American Academy of Pediatrics. She has created clinical guidelines and educational programs for pediatricians and adoption.
Erin Spalding, LCSW (Intersections of Unresolved Grief, Mental & Behavioral Health, and Adoption)
Erin Spalding is the Program Director of The Christi Center, a non-profit grief support center. She has over 11 years of clinical experience supporting grieving kids, teens, and adults, while developing programs to strengthen the community’s capacity to serve all those in grief. She is also an adjunct professor at the UT Steve Hicks School of Social Work, teaching Group Intervention, Grief Counseling and Grief & Loss Individual, Family and Cultural Perspectives.
Holly Spencer-Trueman, BA, Mdiv (Let’s (Learn How to) Talk about Sex! An Adoptive/Kinship/Foster Parent’s Workshop)
Holly has worked in the field of Child Welfare for 15 years; first as an Adoption Navigator/Supervisor for Adoption Network Cleveland and most recently as OhioGuidestone’s Foster Parent Recruiter and Trainer. As an Institute of Human Services Certified Foster Parent Preservice Training trainer since 2004, Holly has done Preservice and other on-going training workshops for multiple local and public child welfare agencies, including Cuyahoga County DCFS, Beech Brook, Bellefaire and NYAP. Finally, Holly, along with her husband Joe, is also the Foster/Adoptive parent of three amazing adults/children who are her everyday motivation and her very best teachers.
Carrie Thompson, LPC (BEHIND ME/BEFORE ME)
Carrie Thompson was drawn to the field of adoption as an adolescent. On her journey to becoming an LPC, Carrie discovered that her family history and own birth story included four generations of relinquishment. Though stories had been hidden and minimized and feelings masked, emotional evidence and patterns had remained. The Thompson family has recently concluded the search for her grandmother’s firstborn – locating extended family members in England and New Zealand after over a 70-year separation. Carrie continues her work with children, teens, and families as they find peace with emotional and mental health, learning challenges, and trauma in the field of individual and school counseling.
Richard Uhrlaub (Male Adoptee Group, Friday Evening)
Rich Uhrlaub, M.Ed. has been dedicated to support and effective advocacy for the interests of adults impacted by relinquishment and adoption for over 20 years. He currently serves as Adoption Search Resource Connection president. Relinquished and adopted at three weeks old, Rich located and connected with his family of origin in 1995. Rich has testified before legislative committees and consults with advocacy efforts in various states. He has presented and facilitated at various conferences nationwide. He founded the Male Adoptee/Alumni Impact Summit. He has been interviewed for local and national radio, television and newspaper stories. Rich is a contributing author to Finding Our Place: 100 Memorable Adoptees, Fostered Persons and Orphanage Alumni (2010), Adoption and Mothering (2012). His professional background includes leading the Learning Solutions Team and Management Competencies Program for an international technology firm; telecommunications and digital marketing sales; and medical-legal claims and risk management in the private and public sectors.
