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
Catherine Hope Coleman
Event Manager
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