Because Childhood Lasts a Lifetime.

Who We Are

We are champions for all children, promoting programs and resources informed by science that enable kids, families, and entire communities to thrive—today, tomorrow, and for generations to come.

Our dedicated team works hard every day to prevent child abuse and neglect before it happens. Collectively, we create, interpret, and distribute innovative research on new and existing child abuse prevention solutions and develop a wide range of valuable tools for parents and caregivers. We also advocate for meaningful change at the national, state, and local levels and raise awareness of supportive programs that help children and families in communities across the country. Learn more about us below:

Our North Star

All children and families are living a purposeful and happy life with hope for the future

Vision

We envision a world where all children grow up happy, healthy, and prepared to succeed in supportive families and communities.

History

Go to the Our History page to learn more about our founder, Donna J. Stone, and her legacy, which has continued for nearly 50 years.

Our Team

In addition to learning more about our talented and dedicated team below, you can meet our Healthy Families America team members by visiting this page.

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Dr. Melissa T. Merrick

President and CEO - Prevent Child Abuse America

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Jennifer Jones, MSW

Chief Strategy Officer

A photograph headshot of Kathleen Strader.

Kathleen Strader

National Director, Healthy Families America

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Elizabeth Solhtalab

Chief Public Policy and Government Relations Officer

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Dr. Bart Klika

Chief Research Officer

Kelly Christopher

Chief Development Officer

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Gelasia Croom, MSPR

Senior Director, Communications

Mary Lubben

Chief Financial Officer

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Anita Odom

National Director of State Chapters

Jourdan Darensbourg

Executive Assistant to the CEO & Board Liaison

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Amy Faugas

Healthy Families America Deputy Director

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Karen Guskin

Managing Director of Healthy Families America Research

Kathryn Harding

Senior Director of Research

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Kit Patterson

Healthy Families America Senior Director of Training & TA

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Kerrie Green

Healthy Families America Learning Management Director

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Lynn Tiede

Healthy Families America Public Policy Deputy

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Kelly Crane

State Policy Specialist

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Irmes Dagba-Craven

Senior Communications Manager

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Kiersten L. Sutton

Special Projects Manager

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Lara Melnik

Giving Officer

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Catherine Hope Coleman

Event Manager

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Alina Birenyte

Controller

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Catherine Murphy

Research Manager

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Christi Peeples

HFA Project Manager

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Yomaira Molina

Healthy Families America Operations Coordinator

Jade Angulo

Data Innovations Specialist

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Christa Austin

Healthy Families America Training & TA Specialist

Jennifer Baxter

Healthy Families America Data & Site Development Specialist

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Andy Berkhout

Quality Improvement Data Analyst

Danah C. Bialoruski

Development Associate

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Shameka Erby

Healthy Families America Operations Coordinator

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Bailey Brewer

Operations Coordinator

Gretchen Brogdon

Training and Technical Assistance Specialist

Kelly Foster

Training and Technical Assistance Specialist

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Claire E. Helpingstine

Postdoctoral Research Associate

Tomeaka Jupiter

Training and Technical Assistance Team Lead

Cristina Massey

Training & TA Specialist

Sue Pence

Finance Consultant

Lenny Rivota

Healthy Families America Training & TA Specialist

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Danita Roberts

Healthy Families America Training & TA Specialist

Diana Sanchez

Healthy Families America Site Development Specialist

Laura Shoaf

Healthy Families America Master Trainer

Sarai Perez

Training and Technical Assistance Specialist

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Abigail Rivera

Project Coordinator - Grants

Kathy C. Spencer

HFA Instructional Designer

Eric Thibodeau

Research Scientist

Shayna W. Cooper

Training & TA Specialist

Reagan Eshleman

Training & TA Specialist

Our Board of Directors

Stephen Ban

Retired, Former Managing Director, Investment Solutions, Hightower Advisors

Sandford (Sandy) L. Bohrer

Senior Partner at Holland & Knight, retired

William Boltz, PhD

Board Member, Chair, Resource Development Committee, Retired

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Clinton Boyd, Jr. PhD

Research - Chapin Hall at the University of Chicago

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Andrew Brady

Market President of Verizon Consumer Group’s Great Lakes market

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Thomas Carhart

Founding Principal - South Street Advisors LLC

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Dwayne Crawford

Executive Director - National Organization of Black Law Enforcement

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Kathy Dang

VP Operations and Health Plans at Spring Health

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Victoria A. Dudley

Secretary. CFO & Treasurer - TTX Company

Maura Somers Dughi

Maura Somers Dughi

Lifetime Member. Retired.

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Jeff Duncan-Andrade, Ph.D.

Professor - San Francisco State University

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SuEllen Fried

Retired

Habeebah Grimes

Chief Executive Officer, Positive Education Program

Harold Hong, MD

CEO and Medical Director - MedPsych Integrated PLLC

Carley Kramer

Senior Manager, Deloitte Consulting LLP

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Danielle Laraque-Arena, MD

Senior Research Scientist - New York Academy of Medicine

Dr. Antoinette (Toni) Laskey

Professor of Pediatrics, University of Utah School of Medicine and Division Chief, Center for Safe and Healthy Families, Primary Children’s Hospital

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Bob Mayo

Co-Vice Chair. President & CEO at Mayo Consultants

Lolita McDavid, MD, MPA

Medical Director of Child Advocacy and Protection - University Hospitals

Kimberly Merchant

Managing Director - BMO Financial Group

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Dr. Melissa T. Merrick

President and CEO - Prevent Child Abuse America

Kevin Moore

CEO, UnitedHealthcare Community Plan of Wisconsin

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Bruce Perry, MD, PhD

Co-Vice Chair. Principal, Senior Fellow, and Professor - Feinberg School of Medicine at Northwestern University

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Jodi Scheurenbrand

Treasurer. CFO - New York Private Schools. National Vice President of Finance - Kappa Delta

Susan Stockton

National President of Kappa Delta

Matt Walch

Board Chair. Partner - Latham & Watkins

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Bernardo Wolfson

Founder & CEO - Realize, LLC

Dr. Marilyn Zimmerman

Co-Principal Investigator and Senior Director of Policy & Programs - National Native Children’s Trauma Center

Leadership Council

  • Rev. Darrell Armstrong, Pastor (President/CEO), Shiloh Baptist Church
  • Dr. Deborah Daro, Senior Research Fellow, Chapin Hall at University of Chicago
  • Anne Cohn Donnelly, Adjunct Lecturer in Executive Education at the Kellogg School of Management, Northwestern University; former President and CEO of Prevent Child Abuse America
  • Thomas (TJ) Fox, SVP of Industrial IoT and Automotive for Verizon Business
  • Alexandra Dickson Gray, Documentary Filmmaker
  • Spencer Halpin
  • Diann Newman, Vice Dean, Chaplin School of Hospitality & Tourism Management, FIU
  • Andrè Rice, President Muller & Monroe Asset Management, LLC
  • Michael Ritter, Senior Business Advisor, Accenture
  • Andrea Robertson, Immediate Past Chair, Prevent Child Abuse America Board of Directors; Group Executive, MasterCard Worldwide (retired)
  • Robert D. Rotondi, CTP, Managing Director; Head of Business Management and Transformation, Global Liquidity & Cash Management, HSBC US
  • Michael Wozniak, President/CEO, Wozniak Industries
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