Board of Directors NACAC

Our Leadership

Recognized for its leadership and expertise in child welfare—especially adoption from foster care—NACAC’s board of directors includes adoptive, foster, and kinship care parents, child welfare professionals, adoptees and people who were in foster care, researchers, and other advocates who have a wealth of experience.

“NACAC is an introduction to innovation, progressive thinking, and forward-moving by people who are always looking for ways to do what we do better, faster, and smarter.”
–Claudia, adoptive parent and professional

Denise Goodman, PhD, ACSW, Ohio, President

Denise is an independent trainer and consultant from Ohio. Her areas of expertise are the topics of foster care and adoption. She has been a foster parent and has worked in child welfare as a childcare worker, ongoing protective worker, and coordinator of residential treatment.

Kim Brown, California, Vice President

Kim is the co-founder and president of Capital Adoptive Families Alliance that serves families who have adopted children with special needs in California. She has worked as a social worker in foster care and as a family therapist. Kim is an adoptive parent, parent group leader, and strong member of the Community Champions Network in Sacramento.

Kim Grzybowski, British Columbia, Vice President

Kim is the former adoption manager for Lalum’utul’ Snum’eem Child & Family Services where she strived to ensure that Cowichan children who were in care and couldn’t return home could move into forever homes through adoption. She has conducted research and training on the importance of cultural planning for indigenous children who are adopted.

Pat O’Brien, MSW, New York, Treasurer

Pat is executive director of Adoptive and Foster Family Coalition of New York. He an expert in finding permanent families for teens and young adults and a proponent of post-adoption services. He is the founder of You Gotta Believe! The Older Child Adoption and Permanency Movement, and served as the organization’s executive director for its first 18 years.

Ronya Faulkner, Tennessee, Secretary

Ronya is director of training and professional development for the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services and has worked in child welfare for 25 years.

JaeRan Kim, PhD, Washington, Director

JaeRan is an assistant professor in the Social Work and Criminal Justice Program at the University of Washington, Tacoma. Her research focuses on post-permanency placement stability experiences of families and the ways in which disabilities was interconnected with adoption. JaeRan, who was adopted from Korea, is actively engaged in issues related to adoptee leadership and rights.

Stacey Mason, New York, Director

Stacey Mason is an attorney and a foster and adoptive parent. Stacey believes that children deserve to be in loving, permanent homes, and that the communities around them should be provided with every opportunity and support to succeed.

Jarel Melendez, MBA, New York, Director

Jarel works as youth advocate coordinator at Lawyers for Children in New York City. He was adopted by his grandmother when he was 18 and is a strong advocate for children and youth who have experienced foster care.

Cathy Murphy, Ontario, Director

Cathy is the executive director of the Child and Youth Permanency Council of Canada (formerly the Adoption Council of Canada). She has more than 30 years of experience working in child welfare and social services. She is also the adoptive parent of two now young adults.

Mercedes Zahler, Washington, Director

Mercedes is a transracial adoptee, adopted from birth. She is also the former youth engagement coordinator for NACAC and a current NACAC trainer. Mercedes has a passion for supporting young people and foster/adoptive parents in creating safe, culturally-competent homes for young people who have been adopted or are considering permanency options. She is also passionate about ensuring the best policies are in place to protect foster and adoptive youth.

David Simmons, MSW, Oregon, Director

David Simmons has over 30 years of professional experience in child welfare services as a direct service provider and in program and policy development. His primary focus has been on improving child welfare and children’s mental health services to American Indian and Alaskan Native children. He currently is the Director of Government Affairs and Advocacy at the National Indian Child Welfare Association in Portland, Oregon, and works extensively with tribal, federal, and state governments, and private organizations.

Maximillian Lisembee, Indiana, Director

Maximillian Lisembee serves as a Lean Improvement Facilitator at the Indiana Department of Child Services, where he facilitates and manages projects to support the agency’s continuous improvement efforts. Previously, Maximilian served as a Family Case Manager helping to achieve permanency for families he served. Maximillian earned his degree in Psychology from Western Kentucky University in 2015 and completed his Lean Six Sigma Green Belt certification in 2021. In 2020, he was selected as a fellow in the Minority Professional Leadership Development program.

Kim Stevens, Louisiana, Director

Kim was previously a program manager at North American Council on Adoptable Children, where she worked on a number of projects including legislative and family advocacy, policy analysis and recommendations, curriculum development, training and capacity building, technical assistance for support and advocacy organizations, and youth empowerment activities. Kim also serves on the board of directors for Family Builders Network and is a member of Voice for Adoption. Kim in an adoptive parent of four children.

Trey Rabun, MSW, Washington, Director

Trey is currently the Associate Director of Programs-Kinship Services at Amara where he manages two programs that support relatives and other close family friends caring for foster youth. He holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Hampton University, a master’s degree in human development and Family Studies from the University of Illinois, and a master’s in social work from the University of Washington. Trey centers equity in all aspects of his work and was a founding member of Amara’s DEI council and previously managed Amara’s various LGBTQ+ initiatives. Trey was also a foster parent for five years.