Our team

It takes more than vision to bring work to life. At CWEL, it’s our dedicated and talented professionals who show up every day to make things happen.

Their expertise, lived experiences within child welfare systems, and passion are what drive CWEL’s mission of creating excellence in the child welfare workforce.

Executive Leadership

Ligia Cushman, MA
she/her/ella
Chief Executive Officer
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Ligia is a seasoned leader with over 25 years of experience in child welfare, holding dual master’s degrees in Psychology and Human Services. As the CEO of Families Rising, she brings her transformative leadership philosophy—deeply shaped by her journey as an adoptive mother—to the forefront of her work. Ligia is dedicated to driving collaboration and innovation to improve outcomes for children across North America, blending her professional expertise with a profound passion for ensuring every child finds a loving and supportive family.
Nathan Ross, LMSW
he/him
National Project Director / COO
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With over a decade of expertise in creating and overseeing child welfare projects, Nathan brings a wealth of experience and insight to this project. His personal journey through foster care fuels his passion and offers a unique perspective on the system's challenges and opportunities. Now, Nathan is committed to leveraging his visionary leadership to drive transformative change, enhance workforce recruitment, retention, and well-being, and ultimately foster a better child welfare system.

Culture Keepers Fellowship

Rosella Stanley, MSW
Culture Keepers Fellowship Program Manager
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Rosella's professional passions include creating opportunities for community healing and growth, supporting families, and addressing issues in systems. With decades of experience working with tribes and tribal organizations (both rural and urban), Rosella remains dedicated to improving outcomes for Indigenous families. Rosella is an enrolled member of the Ho-Chunk Nation and completed an appointment as the Executive Director for the Ho-Chunk Nation Department of Social Services.
Te’Ata Loper, MS
Executive Director of the Oklahoma Indian Child Welfare Association
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Te’Ata Gentle Springs Loper serves as the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Indian Child Welfare Association. Te’Ata has been a strong advocate for tribal sovereignty and tribal representation in the state child welfare agency and state court systems for over twenty years. Te’Ata is a tribal citizen of the Chickasaw Nation and is of Choctaw Nation descent, she resides on her family’s original allotment in Tishomingo, Chickasaw Nation, Indian Territory.
Taryn Anquoe
Culture Keepers Fellowship Tribal Leadership Coaching Specialist
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Taryn's commitment to supporting the tribal child welfare workforce stems from professional and lived experience as a relative. During the crossroads in her life, Taryn was immensely supported by culturally responsive coaching and attributes the positive interactions to her health and overall wellbeing. As a trained professional coach, Taryn aims to offer coaching spaces that honor culture and support individuals as being the experts of their own lives. Taryn is a citizen of the Kiowa Tribe and a descendant of the Muscogee (Creek) Nation, Arapaho and Choctaw Nation of Oklahoma
Vanessa Dennis, BS
Culture Keepers Fellowship Tribal Leadership Coaching Specialist
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Vanessa has over 10 years of experience providing direct services within Indigenous communities, with a focus on youth programming and Indian Child Welfare advocacy and case management. As an individual with lived experience in child welfare, she is passionate about working to improve outcomes for children and families. Vanessa is an enrolled member of Redwood Valley Rancheria.

CoachUp and Clinical Bridge

Myca Jeter, LMSW, LCSWA
she/her
Director of Pathways to Clinical Licensure & Coaching
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Myca is a trauma-informed public child welfare expert and clinician with over 20 years of experience dedicated to systemic change. A graduate of North Carolina Central University (BA) and UNC-Chapel Hill (Master’s in Social Work), Myca is deeply committed to ethical leadership, workforce development, and lifelong learning. Myca believes that initiatives aimed at enhancing the cultures within child welfare agencies will foster the creation of a more just and inclusive child welfare system.
Jessica Funk
she/her
Coaching Specialist
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Julia Eusebio, MSW
she/her/ella
Coaching Specialist
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Drawing from over eight years of experience in child welfare, and as a dedicated member of the Latinx community, Julia is passionately driven to catalyze systemic transformation and promote racial equity. With a strong background in community communication, program development, and strategic problem-solving, she is enthusiastic about contributing to CWEL's mission by identifying effective coaching models to enhance workforce retention, engagement, and well-being.
Jamole Callahan
Coaching Specialist
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Jaclyn Kodosky, LMSW
she/her
Coaching Specialist
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Communications

Niki Seligman
she/her
Director of Communications
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Jamerika Haynes-Lewis, BA
she/her
Communications Manager
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Jamie Anderson, BA
Communications Manager
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Jazmyn Strode, BA
she/her
Communications Manager
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RiseUp Fellowship

Kendra Lowden, EdD Candidate, MS
she/her
Director of Leadership and Tribal Initiatives
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Deanna Jones
Leadership Development Coach
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Kim Johnson, MSW
she/her
Leadership Development Coach
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Kim has 16 years of experience in tribal and urban Indian child welfare programs. She is a strong advocate in protecting the rights of children and families. She remains passionate sharing with others the importance of tribal sovereignty. As an enrolled member of the Seminole Nation of Oklahoma and a descendant of the Sac and Fox Nation, she utilizes a relational and cultural responsive lens to achieve race equity through her work with CWEL.
Phoenix Santiago, MSW
she/her
Leadership Development Coach
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As a "Social Artist," Phoenix's mission is to empower individuals and communities to drive meaningful change in child welfare systems, drawing on her experiences as a social worker, foster care alum, and member of the Two-Spirit LGBTQIA and Latinx communities. Through public speaking and training, Phoenix provides compassionate guidance that cultivates collaboration and inclusivity, believing those with lived expertise can lead transformative change in their own lives and communities.

Site Implementation

Britt Cloudsdale, MSW
she/her
Director of Site Implementation
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Britt has spent over 17 years working in child welfare. When she started as a new case-caring social worker, she faced the fact that she was intervening with families in ways that did not align with her moral compass. Now, she is thrilled to be at CWEL, where she can partner with others to build a just family welfare system that keeps children within their family, culture, and community, and where child welfare staff are supported in making choices that align with those values.
Indi LaBellarte, MA
he/they
Coalition Coordinator
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For the past decade, indi has had the honor of serving children, families, and professionals with similar lived experiences in child welfare systems throughout southwest Missouri. With an educational background in philosophy, religion, and history, they believe in the power of intentionality, self-awareness, and authenticity, striving to inspire growth and healing in every interaction. indi continues to channel their lived experiences with family violence into the development of safe and brave spaces that weren't always created for them.
Meghan Clock
she/her
Site Implementation Support Specialist
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Educational Pathways

Anita P. Barbee, PhD, MSSW, Kent School of Social Work and Family Science, University of Louisville
Co-Director of Educational Pathways
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Anita has devoted her career to supporting evidence-based practices and creating partnerships with stakeholders to produce positive change. She has worked with individuals and families, as well as leaders and staff from family and youth serving organizations, to ensure that research and best practices inform conversations, relationships and intervention efforts. She leverages her three decades of experience working with university collaborators and child welfare agencies to create pathways for diverse students to work in this field. She has partnered with many groups to change organizational climate and culture, supervisory practices and teaming structures to ensure that both new and veteran employees thrive, and to help them incorporate equity, inclusion and belonging as central pillars of their institutions.
Jay Miller, PhD, MSW, CSW, Dean, College of Social Work, University of Kentucky
Co-Director of Educational Pathways
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Dr. Jay Miller is the Dean, Dorothy A. Miller Research Professor, and Director of the Self-Care Lab in the College of Social Work at the University of Kentucky. As a former system involved youth and public child welfare worker, he is moved by meaning, motivated by impact, and inspired by the possibilities of a (re)imagined child welfare system.

Evaluation

Sharonlyn Harrison, PhD
President/Chief Executive Officer
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Anika E. Sandy-Hanson, PhD
Evaluator
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Dr. Anika E. Sandy-Hanson earned her PhD in Educational Psychology from Howard University. Her career has focused on evaluation, statistics, research design, K-12 education, and educational technology. Dr. Sandy-Hanson has worked with a range of populations including child welfare agencies, Pre-K-12 schools, Fortune 500 firms, universities, non-profit organizations, community-based initiatives, and faith-based entities. She is a Consulting Senior Research Associate with Public Research and Evaluation Services (PRES) and currently resides in Detroit, Michigan with her husband Herb and their five children.
Eden Harrison, PhD candidate
she/her
Evaluator
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Eden Harrison is a doctoral candidate in the Psychology and Women’s & Gender Studies program at the University of Michigan. Eden’s current research broadly includes intersectional methodologies and is concerned with deconstructing racist practices embedded in academia, illuminating systems or spaces that marginalized people have in place to counter marginalization.
JeNean Lendor, MA
Communication/Research Associate
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Kristine Andrews, PhD
she/her
Evaluator
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Lindsey Bryant, MSW
Project Coordinator
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Paul Elam, PhD
he/him
Evaluator
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As a consultant and subject matter expert, Paul Elam, PhD, supports resource development and provides direct assistance in the area of racial equity, diversity, and inclusion. In these roles, Dr. Elam helps jurisdictions build capacity for collaboration between child welfare agencies and the communities they serve. Dr. Elam serves as a national authority with the child welfare capacity building collaborative and has led several projects and task forces to advance racial equity. Dr. Elam has more than 23 years of experience in child welfare. He has written numerous publications and has been a speaker at many conferences and other events across the country, primarily on the topic of child welfare reform.
Stella Cowan, MEd
she/her
Evaluator
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Aiden Resch, BS
Statistician
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Is your agency ready for change?

Let’s partner to advance best practices in child welfare and improve overall recruitment, retention, and well-being in the workforce.

Find out how to become a participating site with CWEL.

Tailored Support

Executive Leadership

Ligia Cushman, MA

Chief Executive Officer

Nathan Ross, LMSW

National Project Director / COO

Culture Keepers Fellowship

Rosella Stanley, MSW

Culture Keepers Fellowship Program Manager

Te’Ata Loper, MS

Executive Director of the Oklahoma Indian Child Welfare Association

Taryn Anquoe

Culture Keepers Fellowship Tribal Leadership Coaching Specialist

Vanessa Dennis, BS

Culture Keepers Fellowship Tribal Leadership Coaching Specialist

CoachUp and Clinical Bridge

Myca Jeter, LMSW, LCSWA

Director of Pathways to Clinical Licensure & Coaching

Jessica Funk

Coaching Specialist

Julia Eusebio, MSW

Coaching Specialist

Jamole Callahan

Coaching Specialist

Jaclyn Kodosky, LMSW

Coaching Specialist

Communications

Niki Seligman

Director of Communications

Jamerika Haynes-Lewis, BA

Communications Manager

Jamie Anderson, BA

Communications Manager

Jazmyn Strode, BA

Communications Manager

RiseUp Fellowship

Kendra Lowden, EdD Candidate, MS

Director of Leadership and Tribal Initiatives

Deanna Jones

Leadership Development Coach

Kim Johnson, MSW

Leadership Development Coach

Phoenix Santiago, MSW

Leadership Development Coach

Site Implementation

Britt Cloudsdale, MSW

Director of Site Implementation

Indi LaBellarte, MA

Coalition Coordinator

Meghan Clock

Site Implementation Support Specialist

Educational Pathways

Anita P. Barbee, PhD, MSSW, Kent School of Social Work and Family Science, University of Louisville

Co-Director of Educational Pathways

Jay Miller, PhD, MSW, CSW, Dean, College of Social Work, University of Kentucky

Co-Director of Educational Pathways

Evaluation

Sharonlyn Harrison, PhD

President/Chief Executive Officer

Anika E. Sandy-Hanson, PhD

Evaluator

Eden Harrison, PhD candidate

Evaluator

JeNean Lendor, MA

Communication/Research Associate

Kristine Andrews, PhD

Evaluator

Lindsey Bryant, MSW

Project Coordinator

Paul Elam, PhD

Evaluator

Stella Cowan, MEd

Evaluator

Aiden Resch, BS

Statistician

Is your agency ready for change?