Recent Updates

Adoption Learning Partners is now StageWise Parenting

Meet the Experts & Panelists

Executive Director

The Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute

Lactation Consultant, Author, Speaker

LCSW

Panelist, Adopted Person

Race and Ethnicity News Editor

The Associated Press

MSW, LCSW, RPT

Marketing Executive

Presenter

Administrator

Chicago Public Schools

Arletta James, M.S., PCC

Author

Educational Consultant

President and founder of Adoption Advocates of America, attorney, and adoptive parent

Betsy Keefer Smalley, LCSW

Consultant, Co-author, Program Manager

Ohio Child Welfare Training Program

Student

Bruce D. Perry, M.D., Ph.D

Professor, Author

Senior Fellow at The Child Trauma Academy

Teacher, Adoption Professional

Founder and Publisher

EMK Press Author

Catherine Fields

School Principal

NBC5 News General Assignment Reporter and Fill-in Anchor

Quality Assurance Manager

Party Rental

Dafna Lender, LCSW

LCSW and Certified Theraplay Therapist and Trainer

Dan Griffith, Ph.D

Licensed Clinical Psychologist

Dan Hughes, Ph.D

Author

Dana Ernest Johnson, M.D., Ph.D

Professor of Pediatrics & Co-founder

University of Minnesota & International Adoption Clinic

Deputy Director of Operations at HANA Center, and former Board member of Korean Adoptees of Chicago (KAtCH)

Deborah Gray, MSW, MPA

Author

Founder of Nurturing Attachments

LCSW

Dr. Evisha Ford, LCSW

Founding Executive Director

iCan Dream Center

Elaine E. Schulte, MD, MPH, FAAP

Vice Chair, Academic Affairs and Faculty Development at the Children's Hospital at Montefiore and Professor of Pediatrics at Albert Einstein College of Medicine in Bronx, New York

Author

Gina Samuels, Ph.D

Professor, School of Social Service Administration

University of Chicago

Author and Founder of 220 Holdings

Gregory Keck, Ph.D

Founder and Director

The Attachment and Bonding Center of Ohio

Heather Forbes, LCSW

Author

Ian Roberts, Ph.D

School Network Superintendent

Ira Chasnoff, M.D.

President

The Children's Research Triangle

Jamaal Buchanan

Lawyer & Founder

Buchanan Management & Consulting LLC

Jason Jaleal Maymon

Student

Author and Trainer

Jerimiah Boyd-Johnson

Student

Jonathan Thanh Danh Peck

Owner and Advisor of Strategic Advice Services

Adoption Professional

Judy Stigger, LCSW

Board Member of Adoptive Families magazine Clinical Director of Adoption Learning Partners

Julian Davies, M.D.

Author & Clinical Associate Professor

University of Washington, Founder of adoptmed.org

Executive Director

Attachment & Trauma Network

Kanetha C. Lyke

Founder and Owner of Lyke Your Image LLC and Independent Beauty Consultant with Mary Kay

Founder of Mindhearted, Inc.

LCSW

Karyn Purvis, Ph.D

Director

Institute of Child Development at Texas Christian University

Presenter

Executive Producer

Daily News and Midwest Hub for YR Media

MS

Katja Rowell, M.D.

Family Doctor and childhood feeding specialist

Vice President

BET Networks

Author and Speaker

Kimberly N. Jackson, Ph.D

Author and Middle School Principal

Faculty Member

Chicago Center For Family Health

Lynn L. Wetterberg, MS, CPA

Former Executive Director of the Association for Treatment & Training in the Attachment of Children (ATTACh)

LCSW, JD

Marcell Darius Moore

Student

Marilyn Panichi

Executive Director of Adoptions Unlimited Co-founder, Board Memeber and Treasurer of the Adoption Exchange Association

Founder of Rainbowkids.com Adoption Advocacy

Mary Jo Barrett, MSW

Therapist, Author

Development Professional and Adoptive Parent

Adoptee Advocate, Filmmaker, Teacher, and Coordinator of the website The Beat

Michelle Madrid-Branch

Author, Speaker

Speaker, Director of Youth Programs

Midwest Foster Care and Adoption Association

Pastor Tim Howard

Lead Pastor

New Joy Divine Full Gospel

Pat Irwin Johnston, MS

Author

Patricia Dischler

Author & Speaker

Author

Peggy Kubert, A.M., LCSW

Licensed Clinical Social Worker

Percy Thomas III

Grant Administrator with the American Academy of Pediatrics (AAP)

Clinical Director Emeritus

The Theraplay Institute in Chicago

Phyllis Laughlin, MA, LCPC

Clinical Director of Adoptive Parent Services

The Cradle Adoption Agency

Presenter

Company Name (if applicable)

Licensed Clinical Child & Adolescent Psychologist

Supa Dupa Podcast Host and Co-Owner

RobReynolds Collections

Attorney

Mayer Brown LLP

Sally Carman, OTR/L

Occupational Therapist and Trainer

Sarah Van Steenburg

Legal Headhunter and Adopted Person

Student

Speaker, Adopted Person

Sharlene Hobson

Principal

PB Hobson at Law, LLC

Sherrie Eldridge

Author

MSW, Presenter

Susan Livingston Smith, LCSW

Program & Project Director of the Evan B. Donaldson Adoption Institute Co-Director of the Center for Adoption Studies at Illinois State University Emerita Professor of Social Work at Illinois State University

Susan Soonkeum Cox

Vice President Policy & External Affairs

Holt International

Susan Stutzman, LCPC,RPT-S

Child Therapist with Kid Matters Counseling

Tara Linh Leaman

Co-Founder and Vice President of AmerAsians Building Bridges Consulting, Author, Adopted Person

Tenille Richardson

Education Manager

Namaste Laboratories LLC

Tina Feigal, M.S, Ed.

Director of Family Engagement

Vasco Lopes, PsyD

Assistant Professor

Columbia University Medical Center

Venus E. Evans-Winters, Ph.D

Author & Professor

Illinois State University in the College of Education with faculty affiliation in Women & Gender Studies, African American Studies, and Ethnic Studies

Vernese Edghill-Walden

Chief Diversity Officer

Northern Illinois University

Victoria DiMartile

Doctoral Student, Adopted Person

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