Pictured above, FCAA's Board of Directors (left to right):  Julie Palmer-Blackwell, Anthony Reeves, Chauncey Strong,  Deborah Elvins, Kikora Dorsey, Bill Stanton, Lupe Tovar, Cynthia Scheiderer.  Not pictured, Chereese Phillips and Stephen Rideout.

 

FCAA LEADERSHIP

Meet our Board of Directors:

Chauncey Strong
Kikora Dorsey
Deborah A. Elvins
Julie Palmer-Blackwell                            Chereese Phillips                                                                                                                Stephen Rideout
Anthony Reeves
Cynthia Scheiderer
Lupe Tovar

 

Meet the Officers of the Corporation:

Chauncey Strong, Chair, FCAA Board of Directors
Deborah Elvins, Secretary, FCAA Board of Directors
Paul Beriault, Treasurer, Office of the Corporation

Meet our Staff:

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Chauncey Strong
Chair, FCAA Board of Directors
Social Work Supervisor
Fairfax County Department of Family Services
Foster Care and Adoption

Chauncey Strong, originally from Newark NJ, earned his BA degree in Social Work from Elizabeth City State University in Elizabeth City, North Carolina, in 1991 and his MSW from Norfolk State University in Norfolk, Virginia in 1993.

Chauncey is currently the Social Work Supervisor for Fairfax County Department of Family Services, Foster Care and Adoption.  Previously, Chauncey served as the Director of several non-profit foster care and adoption programs and has more than 15 years of child welfare experience. He has developed treatment foster care, home-based, kinship care and other community-based services. He has experience in direct service, management, program development, and community leadership.

Chauncey has had extensive involvement in private provider community including work with The Foster Family-Based Treatment Association Virginia and national chapters, The Virginia Coalition of Private Provider Associations, and The Virginia Association of Licensed Child Placing Agencies.

As an alumnus of foster care, Chauncey has proven to be a committed advocate for children and families. He has dedicated his career to improving the child welfare system and the outcomes for children and families in need.

Kikora Dorsey
Member, FCAA Board of Directors
Director, Technical Assistance/Systems Improvement
Casey Family Programs

Kikora Dorsey is Director, Technical Assistance/Systems Improvement at Casey Family Programs, where she has responsibility for directing the community and constituency engagement work. While at Casey Family Programs, Ms. Dorsey has also served as Director, Practice Implementation and Support with responsibilities for the implementation of Knowing Who You Are and served as the 2007 its My Life Conference Director. In addition, she has also served as Acting Senior Director, General Systems Improvement and as Director Special Initiatives, where she was responsible for leading and coordinating work of the Washington State Foster Care Improvement Plan and other special initiatives focused on reforming and improving the child welfare system.

Prior to joining Casey in August 2001, Kikora served as Executive Director of the Washington Council for Prevention of Child Abuse and Neglect, having been appointed by Governor Locke in 1997. She has also served as Regional Administrator in the Division of Children and Families Services in the Washington Department of Social and Health Services. In addition, she has worked for a variety of human service agencies in both the public and private sectors.

Ms. Dorsey has been awarded many honors; including being the inaugural recipient of the Thomas C. Wales Passionate Citizenship Award in 2002 and in 2004 Casey Family Programs honored her with the Linda Wilson Diversity and Anti-Racism award. Her volunteer and professional commitments include: Board member, Family Leadership Fund, Past Co-Chair of Children of Color Organizer’s and Advocates (COCOA) and a past president of the Minority Executive Director’s Coalition of King County, Member, Black Child Development Institute, Seattle Affiliate and past board member of the National Black Child Development Institute.

Ms. Dorsey's proudest accomplishment is that she is the adoptive parent of Sherrell, a junior at the Fashion Institute of Technology in New York and the loving owner of a Cocker Spaniard, named G2 (Girlfriend 2nd).

Deborah A. Elvins
Board Secretary, FCAA Board of Directors
Managing Member, Adkins & Plant, PLLC

Deborah is a lawyer and a Managing Member of Adkins & Plant, PLLC, a law firm focused on advising companies in the biotechnology industry. Prior to joining Adkins & Plant, Deborah was Vice President, Legal Affairs for Dendreon Corporation, a publicly-held biotechnology company. The mission of Dendreon is to develop novel immunotherapies for the treatment of cancer.

Before joining Dendreon, Deborah was a partner at Stoel Rives, LLP, a multi-office corporate and securities law firm, where her practice for a number of years focused on representing healthcare and non-profit entities, including Casey Family Programs. Deborah was one of the principal lawyers for Casey Family Programs, and was actively involved in many of its activities, including drafting numerous collaborations between Casey Family Programs and other non-profit and pubic entities, advising the Board of Trustees, and providing training in advocacy. Her work with Casey provided Deborah with insight into the issues facing foster youth, and a strong desire to apply her skills to effect positive change for them.

A defining characteristic of Deborah's law practice has been a focus on enterprises with the potential to positively impact the everyday life of individuals, both at a system and an individual level. As an example, one of her last activities while at Stoel Rives was to represent, pro bono publico, a young woman originally from East Africa who, at age 8 or 9, had been abandoned by her father in the United States. The young woman, then 19 years old and the mother of a toddler, was threatened with deportation by the U.S. Immigration and Naturalization Service and Deborah was successful in obtaining permanent U.S. resident status for her. This case also created a roadmap for other lawyers assisting teenagers and young adults in similar circumstances.

Deborah's work with Casey gave her a deep appreciation for what can be accomplished by dedicated individuals working together. As an FCAA Board member, Deborah hopes to apply her broad-based experience to assist FCAA and its membership to improve the foster care system and the lives of children and youth in care.

Julie Palmer-Blackwell
Member, FCAA Board of Directors
Senior Program Advisor
Ounce of Prevention Fund
Early Childhood Development; Family and Community Partnerships

Julie is a dynamic motivational speaker, jazz singer, and a dedicated educator and advocate for children and families. Prior to joining the Ounce of Prevention Fund’s Bounce Learning Network team, Julie worked in early childhood centers as a teacher and as an administrator, as well as a home provider when her own children were young. She has also served as an associate professor of early childhood, a NAEYC validator, a CDA advisor and representative, and a Head Start Reviewer.

In 2004, Julie was named a National Head Start Fellow and spent a year at the Head Start Bureau in Washington, DC. Following her year at the Bureau, Julie joined the staff of Pal-Tech/NRC, contractor for the Head Start Bureau at the National Head Start Training and Technical Assistance Resource Center (NRC). Julie holds a Masters of Science degree in Early Childhood Education and Administration and is “ABD” for her Doctor of Education in Education and Human Services, both from Nova Southeastern University.

As an alumna of foster care, Julie has a deep understanding and appreciation for the need to have an alumni voice be represented to promote change in the foster care system. She is the proud mother of 4 adult children, 3 adult step-children and grandmother to 14 grandchildren. She currently resides in Chicago, IL, with her new husband, a retiree from the State of Illinois Food Services Division.

Anthony Reeves
Member, FCAA Board of Directors
Project Lead and Regional Coordinator
EmporMent

Anthony L. Reeves is a 23 year old native of Atlanta, Georgia. After graduating from high school, Anthony earned an Associates Degree in Electronic Computer Technology from the DeVry Institute.

Currently, Anthony works at Families First as a Relief Parent where he gives back to the kids just as Grady Jenkins gave to him. Not to mention that he has plenty of fun wrestling and studying martial arts with kids.

Additionally, Anthony is working as a Legal intern/consultant for the Supreme Court of Georgia’s Office of Child Advocates. And, he works with the Metro Atlanta Youth Opportunities Initiative (M.A.Y.O.I.), which is an organization that helps current and former foster care clients’ transition out of the foster care system. As an alumnus of foster care, Anthony travels throughout the country as a foster care advocate and he gives speeches on behalf of youth in foster care.

Anthony has been working along side the First Lady of Georgia, Mrs. Perdue, since January 2006. In this position, he helps institute policies for foster care parents and foster care agencies. In May of 2006, Anthony was accepted as a Foster Club All Star, which also allows him to use his talents to reach youth all across the United States.

In May of 2007, Anthony was recognized by the Georgia State House of Representatives and was awarded House Resolution 789 for the work that he does within foster care system.

Entrepreneurially, Anthony is in the process of starting his own music group and music label that will allow him to collaborate across the genres from Rock-n-Roll to Rap.  He also plans to continue educating himself and obtaining Bachelors of Science in Electronic Engineering from DeVry Institute.

Cynthia Scheiderer
Board Member, FCAA Board of Directors
Consultant, CJS Strategies

Cynthia's first career was in the software industry, managing training and performance for Adobe Systems worldwide customer support and working in a business development unit for major accounts at Sykes Enterprises. Her focus on lifelong learning and professional development led her to pursue and attain a Master's degree in Adult Education and Training at Seattle University.

In 2001, Cynthia embarked on a career change and left the software and professional services industries. She took a two-year sabbatical to complete her Master's degree, take on volunteer projects, and shift her career to a more mission-focused one. During this time she completed the coursework and volunteer requirements to become a King County Master Gardener, and volunteered at the West Seattle Helpline, Seattle Youth Garden Works, Lutheran Community Services Northwest, and the Cascade Peoples Center. She also did curriculum and consulting projects for nonprofit organizations, including NPower and Casey Family Programs.

It was through this project for Casey Family Programs that she began working with alumni of the foster care system. In 2003 she joined the staff of Casey Family Programs and is now the director of constituency engagement, a department focused on involving youth, alumni, kinship caregivers, and families as experts to influence foster care policy and practice. A highlight of her work in this field is being a founding Board member of Foster Care Alumni of America (FCAA).

Cynthia's hobby is food: growing food in her kitchen garden, cooking, dining, and reading about the politics and culture of food. She and her husband, Greg Scheiderer, make their home in West Seattle with two cats and rooms full of books. They make time together to share their mutual passion for baseball and theater.

In May, 2006, Lupe was awarded her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Arizona State University. She has recently (March 2008) been honored for her work in Washington DC with the Pew Charitable Trusts’ Kids Are Waiting Campaign, where she has testified to the House Ways and Means Committee, and other Members of Congress regarding the need for federal child welfare finance reform. Lupe has also spoken at multiple Congressional Briefings about the need for permanence for young people in foster care.  Lupe participated in A Journalist’s Round Table (April 2008) as a spokesperson to prestigious media representatives at a PR event to launch National Foster Care Month.

In her 19 years of experience in state, private, and residential foster care, Lupe dealt with many disruptions such as sibling separation, educational, cultural identity, and emotional barriers. These areas are now the areas about which she is most passionate.

Paul Beriault, CPA
Treasurer, FCAA Officer of the Corporation
Controller International Association of Chief of Police

Paul Beriault served on the FCAA Board of Directors from 2006-2008 and now serves as FCAA's corporate Treasurer. Paul brings great depth to FCAA’s leadership team as a highly respected fifteen year CPA and auditor in the metro DC area. For eleven years he was the Principal and Founder of Berry Group PC, Certified Public Accountants and Consultants, a firm that provided audits to 60 501 c(3) and 501 c(6) nonprofit organizations in compliance with GAAP and other applicable standards. Paul sold his firm in 2005 and joined the International Association of Chiefs of Police where he manages grant and finance operations with an accounting staff of fifteen, coordinates their internal and external audits, and certifies $40M in federal grant billings.

Paul received his B.S. in Business Administration from California State University Long Beach in 1991 and his CPA certification in 1992. He has 17 years of accounting experience, 14 years of supervisory experience and 12 years of management expertise. He has been a member of the American Institute of Certified Public Accountants for 13 years.

Paul and his life partner, Brian, live in Great Falls, VA  with their two sons, Diego and Zach.

Meet the FCAA Staff:

Misty Stenslie
Foster Care Alumni of America, Deputy Director

As the Deputy Director at FCAA, Misty Stenslie brings multiple perspectives and a great deal of experience and commitment. She has worked in the child welfare field since 1988. Her professional experience has included the development of a peer youthworker program, providing clinical social work for young people in treatment foster care and their families, providing child protection services, advocacy and community organizing around foster care issues, and training foster/adoptive/kinship caregivers and professionals.

In 2000, Misty became the founding Director of Alumni Relations at Casey Family Programs' headquarters in Seattle. It is through Casey and the Alumni Relations department that the formal alumni movement began to form. Responding to the needs and passions of the alumni from all over the country who were part of the foundation of the alumni movement, Misty and several other alumni and our allies established Foster Care Alumni of America. Misty was elected as the first chair of the Board of Directors and has since left the board and joined FCAA staff as its first membership director and more recently, as the Deputy Director.

In addition to her years of professional experience with and on behalf of people in and from foster care, Misty also has a very personal connection. She spent many years in care as a child, in nearly 30 placements. As an adult, she went on to become a licensed foster parent and has a lifelong commitment and love for the three teens she was so lucky to have parented. All three of Misty's children are now adults and are her inspiration.

Amanda C. Chandler
Foster Care Alumni of America, Director of Operations

Amanda was introduced to FCAA through her father, Judge Stephen Rideout, who is a federal contractor and a retired and highly respected foster care judge in Alexandria. Previously, she had been the Director of Administration for the Birchmere Music Hall, an internationally recognized entertainment venue which hosts such entertainers as Mary Chapin Carpenter, Lyle Lovett, Nora Jones and Ray Charles. Prior to that, she was the Marketing Representative for three years for FCAA’s insurance agent, Clarke and Sampson. She holds a BA in Liberal Arts from Hollins University. She is active in the Alexandria community. She served on the Board of Directors  as Vice-Chair Membership of the Alexandria Chamber of Commerce and volunteers as a fundraiser at her daughter’s school, The Alexandria Scholarship and other local charities.

Amanda has one daughter Claire. They both have a passion for cooking and traveling.