Meet Our Presenters

Session Presenters

These conference sessions have been carefully curated to bring talented professionals together
to share how they are using the science of resilience to change their corner of the world.  

You don't want to miss the opportunity to learn from the knowledge and insight they will be sharing. 

Read all about the sessions that they will be sharing at CONFERENCE SESSIONS. 

Presenters are subject to change prior to event
Theresa Barila

Theresa Barila

Founder and Board President Emeritus
Community Resilience Initiative

Theresa Barila is the founder and Board President Emeritus of the Community Resilience Initiative (CRI) based in Walla Walla, WA. Teri earned a Bachelor of Science in Biology (American University) and a Masters of Science in Fisheries Management (University of Maryland) and spent 20 years as a Research Biologist with the Federal Salmon and Steelhead recovery program in the Pacific Northwest. Her experience in that field helped her bridge science and practice when she changed careers and moved into community engagement work 22 years ago. Teri has been involved extensively in training, consulting, writing, and researching in trauma, Resilience, and community capacity building. Her work has attracted attention in various venues, in part due to the focus Teri places on grassroots organizational development and on the hope of Resilience. Her work brought filmmaker James Redford to Walla Walla. The documentaries Paper Tigers and Resilience: the Science of Hope, grew from this connection.Teri is mom to two children, a son and daughter, and was pleased to add the title grandmother in 2018. Experiencing a special needs child's world has significantly shaped Teri's thinking on systems, education, Resilience, and advocacy for children. Teri enjoys anything to do with the out-of-doors, sunshine, and blue sky in her spare time. 
Session Titles: Harnessing the Power of Resilience: Practice, Play, and Perseverance

The Next Frontier: The Role of Coaching and Consulting
Laura J. Clark

Laura J. Clark

Master Trainer
Community Resilience Initiative

Laura J. Clark is a Master Trainer with the Community Resilience Initiative and the owner of LJC Consulting, LLC. She also currently serves as the Assistant Vice Chancellor for Student Success and Professional Development and the Executive Director of Virginia’s Community Colleges Student Success Center.A lifelong educator and learner, Laura began her career in early childhood education and working with under-resourced families. Her 20 years in higher education have focused on helping students meet their goals and equipping other higher education professionals to do the same.She has worked with international, under-resourced, and historically marginalized student populations. She is a fearless advocate for creating welcoming places where everyone can chase their dreams. As a certified trainer with CRI, she has equipped almost 2,000 higher education professionals to be trauma-informed individuals and taught over 800 educators to create spaces of safety and belonging.Laura is a first-generation college student who earned a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from Virginia Tech and a Master of Science in Counseling and Human Development with a specialization in Student Affairs Administration from Radford University.Session Title: Creating a More Compassionate World One Step at a Time
Keith Cartwright

Keith Cartwright

Adverse Childhood Experiences Coordinator
Virginia Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services 


Keith Cartwright is the Adverse Childhood Experiences Coordinator for the Department of Behavioral Health and Developmental Services. Keith has led a movement that now has over 450 ACE Interface presenters across the state of Virginia. Since 2017, this group has educated over 100,000 Virginians on the impacts of positive and adverse childhood experiences on long term health and wellness.Session Title: Life is a WE Thing 
Suzette Fromm Reed

Suzette Fromm Reed

Associate Professor
National Louis University 


Dr. Suzette Fromm Reed, Associate Professor, founding director/chair of National Louis University’s (NLU) Ph.D. program in Community Psychology. Prior to NLU, she led national and local child welfare organizations. She holds an MA in Clinical Psychology and a Ph.D. in Psychology in the Public Interest. Her research focuses on the buffering role of community resilience against Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).Session Title: The Brain will Bring us Together
Jaye Holly

Jaye Holly

Faculty
The Sanctuary Institute


Jaye Holly has been designing and delivering training for more than 20 years on a wide array of topics, including trauma-informed care, leadership development, and DEI. Her career includes working in an eclectic mix of settings, from human services to academia to government. In 2010, Jaye began working with the Sanctuary Model by leading the implementation process for a child welfare agency serving communities across New York State. Since then, she has worked across the country and around the world to help build trauma-informed communities. She has an M.S. in Human Resources Development from McDaniel College. She currently resides near Albany, NY.Session Title: Healing Happens in Relationships
Judith Kent

Judith Kent 

Associate Professor
National Louis University


Dr. Judith A. Kent is faculty in the community psychology doctoral program at National Louis University, Chicago. Her research interests include language, culture, and identity, specifically their correlation with persistence through higher education among Latinx emerging adults. She also focuses on trauma, social capital, and community resilience and is a research consultant and program evaluator with Northwest Center Chicago.Session Title: The Brain will Bring us Together
Jesse Kohler

Jesse Kohler

Executive Director
Campaign for Trauma-Informed Policy and Practice (CTIPP)

Serving as CTIPP’s Executive Director, Jesse is in charge of organizational administration and HR, fundraising, strategic planning, public engagements, and working alongside staff and volunteers in their roles with the organization.
Jesse currently serves in this role for CTIPP on loan from The Change Campaign, which Jesse founded and is predominantly funded through a contract with the nonprofit think tank ANS Research, where his focus revolves around movement building and sustainable financing initiatives. Above all else, Jesse has always had a strong vision for change that would make our world a better place for all.
Born and raised outside of Philadelphia, after graduating from Oberlin College, Jesse spent the first part of his career working for various nonprofits serving Philadelphia communities and at the state level for the Office of Attorney General and the Governor’s Campaign. He started with CTIPP as its first intern, then served as a board member for several years before becoming the executive director on loan when support for the position became available.
Jesse lives in Washington, D.C., with the love of his life, their hamster (Hamuel) and guinea pigs (Bryce and Jalen), stuffed animals, and many plants. Besides working, Jesse enjoys time with friends and family, playing and watching sports, exercising, reading, and serving as sous chef when he and Tina have time to cook.
Session Title: Building the Movement to Prevent Trauma and Foster Resilience
Laura Lane Baxter

Laura Lane Baxter 

Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center - Shreveport Medical School
Louisiana State University Health Sciences Center - Shreveport Medical School


Laura Lane Baxter serves as the Director of the Institute for Childhood Resilience for the LSU Health Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Medicine. She oversees the implementation of the ICR mission to foster a safe and nurturing community for children and families in NW Louisiana by bringing research to practice through community education, evaluation, strategic solutions, and research opportunities.Laura Lane Baxter has a long history of trauma-informed policy reform efforts in juvenile justice, education, and healthcare sectors in Louisiana.  She developed and implemented the first juvenile mental health court program in the state and was one of only two study sites selected for a U. S. Department of Justice study of juvenile mental health courts.  She was the principal investigator for a John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Models for Change grant in Louisiana to develop an evidence-based method of screening and assessment for justice-involved youth.  She has a successful track record of collective impact work to improve outcomes for children in Northwest Louisiana over the last two decades.Session Title: The Science of Resilience 
Jennifer Jones-Locklear

Jennifer Jones-Locklear

Associate Professor and Director of Pre-Licensure Nursing Programs
UNC Pembroke McKenzie-Elliott School of Nursing


Jennifer Jones-Locklear, PhD, RN is Director of Pre-Licensure Programs and Associate Professor for the UNC Pembroke McKenzie-Elliot School of Nursing, with 25 years nursing experience. She uses her cultural heritage and nursing knowledge to advance understanding of health needs affecting rural and underserved populations. She brings with her experience in Behavioral Health Nursing, Community Health Nursing, Case Management and Finance.Session Title: Moving At The Speed of Trust: Providing Care Through Mobile Health in Rural North Carolina During COVID-19 and Beyond
Susan McCormack

Susan McCormack

Family & Consumer Sciences, 4-H Issue Leader
Cornell Cooperative Extension Orange 

Susan McCormack (she/her) leads a team of passionate educators and change makers in her role as Community, Family, and 4-H Youth Development Issue Leader at Cornell Cooperative Extension Orange County (CCEOC). Providing research-based education, resources, and programming to youth and adults in order to improve their own health and well-being as well as build community allows her to put hereducation, experience, and lifelong mission to good use.Susan earned a Bachelor of Social Work (New York University) and Master of Social Work (Columbia University/Monash University) and has worked for 25+ years in programs serving youth and families.
Her work and volunteerism span across a range of contexts including youth involved with the juvenile detention system, vocational support for folks with differing abilities, support groups for older adults, and many other settings in between. Similarly, to the nature of her work, she has also had the opportunity to work in varying locations across the Northeast and internationally in Sydney, Australia.
She is inspired by community solutions and innovative programs, which provide increased opportunities for individual growth, development, and community engagement. She has dedicated her career to creating positive, meaningful, and effective community and individual change.
Session Title: What's Love Got to Do With It? Building Resilient Communities that Regenerate Well-being Using a Healing-Informed Social Imaginary 
Amanda Noell Stanley

Amanda Noell Stanley

CEO
The Artisan Leader


Amanda helps organizations build and sustain thriving cultures. An artist at heart with twenty years of experience ranging from front-line social work to the CEO chair, she works with companies and their leaders to craft their workplaces with care. She approaches her practice with a designer’s mindset, asking questions and uncovering insights in service to a better tomorrow. Through coaching, consulting, and teaching, she helps her clients identify intrinsic values and strengths, partnering with them in a judgment-free space to discover and execute new possibilities. Amanda has a unique ability to see beyond today’s constraints to lead others beyond what is true and into what is possible.Amanda has an MS in Sociology from Virginia Tech, a BA in Sociology and Studio Art from the University of Richmond, is accredited through the ICF as an executive coach, and is certified in Design Thinking through the University of Virginia Darden School of Business. She lives in Bedford, VA with her family of four.Session Title: The Doodling Collective: Practicing Presence
Suzanne Pease

Suzanne Pease

President/Trauma-informed Specialist
ACEs in Education/An Achievable Dream Academy

Suzanne Pease holds an M.Ed. and is a Certified Trauma Trainer. She is currently a middle school teacher of at-risk students and the Trauma-Informed Specialist for An Achievable Dream Academy in Virginia. Through her experience of raising three boys through their own adverse childhood experiences(ACEs), Suzanne discovered the science of trauma and toxic stress on the brain. Together with her education experience and her success in guiding her own children through their adversity, Suzanne created ACEs in Education to bring awareness and understanding of the science of toxic stress on our children and in our classrooms and to better equip educators in the matter of Trauma-Informed Care. 
Session Title: Equitable Education Through Trauma-informed Practices
Claudia Pitts

Claudia Pitts

Associate Professor
National Louis University


Dr. Claudia Pitts, Associate Professor at National Louis University, directs the Master of Arts in Psychology program. She holds an MA and PhD in Clinical Psychology. She is a licensed psychologist managing a group practice. She has published broadly and has professional interests in emotional and physical health and feminist psychology and Adverse Childhood Experiences (ACEs).Session Title: The Brain will Bring us Together
Wytress Richardson

Wytress Richardson

Associate Professor
National Louis University

Dr. Wytress Richardson chairs the Applied Behavioral Science program at National Louis University (NLU) where she leads a team of faculty in empowering undergraduate students and leads diversity and inclusion at NLU. Her 21 years of excellence in higher education are evidenced by numerous teaching and service awards. Her work is informed by her two decades of experience in the Human Service field where she served as a counselor, advocate, and supervisor. Dr. Richardson’s interdisciplinary education in Organizational Leadership, Human Services Administration, and Applied Behavioral Science equips her to create resilient settings where both individuals and organizations can thrive.Session Title: The Brain will Bring us Together
John Richardson-Lauve

John Richardson-Lauve

Senior Director of Community Outreach and
Trauma-Informed Care Specialist
St. Joseph's Villa


John Richardson-Lauve is a licensed clinical social worker with 30 years of experience working in community mental health. He is committed to the support and strengthening of individuals struggling with adversity. He is an experienced trainer, lecturer, and keynote presenter. He is the Senior Director of Community Outreach and Trauma-Informed Care Specialist at St. Joseph’s Villa in Richmond, Virginia.Session Title: Somatic-Based Resilience
Sara Robinson

Sara Robinson

Director of Child & Family Outpatient and Crisis Services
Region Ten Community Services Board


Sara Robinson (she/her) is a Licensed Professional Counselor with a strong background in mental health and trauma recovery. A graduate of the University of Virginia, she has worked in various therapy settings, including an alternative-to-incarceration program in the Bronx and Region Ten Community Services Board. Currently, she serves as the Director of Child & Family Outpatient and Crisis Services for Region Ten. Sara is an active member of the Greater Charlottesville Trauma-Informed Community Network, the Virginia Community Response Network, and a certified trainer for ACE Interface and the Community Resilience Initiative.Additionally, she practices EMDR and TF-CBT in her private practice and teaches Family Therapy at the University of Virginia School of Education and Human Development.Session Title: Being Therapeutic: Fostering Emotional Wellness in Non-Therapy Roles
Cindy Santana

Cindy Santana

Health Equity Resilience Manager
Northwest Center 


Cindy Santana joined NWC in 2018 as a BSW intern and stayed through her MSW program to continue learning about small businesses, rental counseling, community organizing, and housing policy. NWC hired her to support youth at the local high school and provide administrative work for a Community Collaborative. This led to training with the CRI where she trains CBOs, residents, and stakeholders in Chicago in courses 1 and 2 bilingually.Session Title: Resilience in the Face of COVID-19: The Emergence of a Community-Led Public Health Workforce with a Lens of Trauma-Informed Practices
Rashaun Smith 

Rashaun Smith

Family Services Specialist
Albemarle County Department of Social Services 


Rashaun Smith works as a Family Services Specialist at Albemarle County Department of Social Services. Rashaun has a Trauma Practitioner Certification from the Community Resilience Initiative. He graduated from Virginia State University with a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Virginia State University. Rashaun enjoys researching evidence-based tools that build one’s resilience and has developed an exercise/practice based on his studies.Rashaun has worked for Albemarle County Department of Social Services for almost 15 years. For nearly 4 years, Rashaun has continued to facilitate a Fatherhood Engagement Workgroup of Supervisors and Family Services Specialists as well as cofacilitate a Fatherhood Support Group offered to both community members and dads who have children that are involved with Social Services. Both the workgroup and support group are done through Albemarle County Department of Social Services.Session Title: Be Still: A Stillness Practice and Toolbox for Traversing the Adversities of Everyday Life

Julika von Stackelberg

Julika von Stackelberg

Family and Community Resilience Educator
Cornell Cooperative Extension Orange 


Julika von Stackelberg is a community resilience educator at Cornell Cooperative Extension Orange County. She is currently enrolled in a Ph.D. program at Prescott College, focusing her research on creating frameworks through social imaginaries to build resilient communities that regenerate well-being and a sense of belonging.Session Title: What's Love Got to Do With It? Building Resilient Communities that Regenerate Well-being Using a Healing-Informed Social Imaginary 

DON'T MISS THE CHANCE TO LEARN FROM THESE TALENTED PROFESSIONALS!