Our team

Fun Facts About Us

We're virtual meeting experts

Our headquarters is in Chicago, but just as HFA sites are all across the country, we are, too! We’re virtual meeting experts, connecting from our home offices to support the HFA Network and one another.

Many of us are from local HFA sites/states

Some of our team members have been connected to HFA since its inception in the 1990s. Others joined along the way, and many of us came from local HFA sites and state-level roles.

We're a bigger family than you might think

Healthy Families America (HFA) is PCA America’s signature home visiting program. To support the HFA network, our full organization—all of us working together—is required! You’ll see our full team pictured below.

PCA America Leadership

Melissa T. Merrick, PhD, is President and CEO of Prevent Child Abuse America (PCA America), the nation’s oldest and largest nonprofit organization dedicated to the primary prevention of child abuse and neglect. She has more than 20 years of clinical, research, and leadership experience related to the etiology, course, and prevention of child abuse and neglect.

Kathleen Strader, MSW, IMH-E®, is the National Director of Healthy Families America. She oversees all HFA operations and directs model implementation, including HFA’s Best Practice Standards. She and her team are responsible for HFA affiliation and accreditation processes and training and research support to all local implementing sites and state/multi-site systems.

Other members of PCA America’s Senior Leadership Team lend their expertise and support to ensure the HFA model remains one of the leading family support and evidence-based home visiting programs in the United States.

Melissa Merrick, PhD

President & CEO

Kathleen Strader

National Director, Healthy Families America

Kelly Christopher

Chief Development Officer

Jennifer Jones

Chief Strategy Officer

Bart Klika

Chief Research Officer

Mary Lubben

Chief Financial Officer

Anita Odom

National Director of State Chapters

HFA Department Staff

The folks listed here are your main contacts for all things HFA. Read our bios to learn more about us and how we support the HFA Network.

Jade Angulo

HFA Data Innovations Specialist

Christa Austin

HFA Principal Trainer

Jennifer Baxter

HFA Quality Improvement Data Specialist

Andy Berkhout

Senior Manager, Data Innovations

Bailey Brewer

Operations Coordinator

Gretchen Brogdon

Training & TA Specialist

Shayna Cooper

Training & TA Specialist

Shameka Erby

Operations Coordinator

Reagan Eshleman

Training & TA Specialist

Amy Faugas

Deputy Director

Kelly Foster

Training & TA Specialist

Kerrie Green

Learning Management Director

Karen Guskin

Managing Director of HFA Research

Kathryn Harding

Senior Director of Research

Tomeaka Jupiter

Training & TA Manager

Cristina Massey

Training & TA Specialist

Yomaira Molina

Operations Manager

Kit Patterson

Senior Director of Training & TA

Christi Pritchard

Training Project Manager

Sarai Perez

Training & TA Specialist

Lenny Rivota

Bilingual Training and TA Specialist

Danita Roberts

Training & TA Specialist

Diana Sanchez

Site Development Specialist

Laura Shoaf

HFA Senior Principal Trainer

Kathy C. Spencer

HFA Instructional Designer

Our Bigger Family - Strategy, Policy, Research, Development, Chapters, Finance, and more!

HFA is deeply thankful for the contributions of these colleagues and leaders! We are better together.

Danah C. Bialoruski

Development Associate

Alina Birenyte

Controller

Kelly Crane

Policy & Government Relations Manager

Irmes Dagba-Craven

Senior Communications Manager

Jourdan Darensbourg

Executive Assistant to the CEO & Board Liaison

Kristen Lawrence

Chapter Network Coordinator

Lara Melnik

Giving Officer

Catherine Murphy

Research Manager

Sue Pence

Finance Consultant

Kiersten L. Sutton

Special Projects Manager

Eric Thibodeau

Research Scientist