Board of Trustees
Heather Heinz-Buttery
Trustee
Heather grew up in Centerville, Ohio and attended Miami University of Ohio. She graduated with a Bachelors degree in Business and Organizational Behavior. Heather brings over 30 years of Human Resources experience including 10 years with Lbrands where she is … Continued
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Kate Clark
Trustee
Kate grew up in Erie, PA and attended Allegheny College in Meadville, PA, where she graduated with a BA in Psychology. She went on to attend Widener University outside of Philadelphia, PA, where she received her Doctorate of Psychology (PsyD.) … Continued
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Quatez Scott
Trustee
Quatez Scott is a PhD student attending The University of Toledo where he is anticipated to graduate in 2021. He holds a graduate certificate in Foundations of Peace Education from UT, a Master’s degree in Higher Education and Student Affairs … Continued
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Chris Brill
Treasurer
Chris grew up in Kettering, Ohio attending Alter High School and then the University of Dayton. There he graduated with a BS in Accounting and a BS in Operations Management. Chris is a licensed Certified Public Accountant in the State … Continued
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Tina Lastowski
Trustee
My name is Tina Lastowski and I have worked in the Human Resources field for over 15 years providing strategic and hands on human resources support. Previous experience includes serving as the Vice President of Human Resources for a nationwide … Continued
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Joe Varabkanich
Chairperson
Joe grew up in Brunswick, OH then attended Miami University, where he graduated with a BA in Public Administration. He has been a licensed independent insurance broker in Dayton since 1990. Joe is married, with 2 children – both … Continued
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Samuel A. Gradwohl
Secretary
My name is Samuel A. Gradwohl and I am an attorney in Cincinnati at Markesbery & Richardson. I have been a board member for CHOICES, Inc. since 2002. I was born in Philadelphia, but grew up in Columbus, Ohio. I … Continued
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Lori Simms Parks
Vice Chairperson
Lori grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio. Lori has lived in the Dayton Area since 1985. She has 6 children and 2 granddaughters. She graduated from the University of Dayton with a BA in Psychology. Lori was elected in 2015 to … Continued
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Administration
Kristen Spencer
Accounts Receivable Coordinator
My name is Kristen Spencer and I joined the CHOICES family in June 2019 as an Accounting Assistant. I have experience with Accounts Receivable and Medicaid billing and am excited to support the team here at CHOICES. In my free … Continued
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Meredith Lewis
Accounts Payable Coordinator
Hi, my name is Meredith Lewis and I am the Accounting Assistant here at Choices, Inc. I joined the Choices staff in April 2019. I’m excited to be a part of this team and support the amazing work the agency … Continued
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Jane Anderson
Executive Director
LPC My name is Jane Anderson and I am the Executive Director at CHOICES, Inc. I have been working in the field of child welfare for over 15 years in Indiana, Kentucky and Ohio. I have been a … Continued
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Ashley Pester
Development Director
Hello I’m Ashley Pester and I joined the CHOICES family in February 2010. I worked in an admin position for two years which gave me a greater understanding of our organization from the inside out. In January of 2012 I … Continued
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Melissa Bowers
Administrative Assistant
Hello, my name is Melissa Bowers! I recently transitioned from approximately fifteen years as a medical assistant to join CHOICES in March 2016 as an administrative assistant. My position allows me to assist managers and social workers in all three … Continued
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Foster Care
Faith Teaford
Foster Care Social Worker
Hello (: My name is Faith Teaford and I started working as a foster care case manager for CHOICES Inc. in May 2021. I graduated from Wilmington College with a Bachelors degree in Social Work. I decided to become a … Continued
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Geri Ellington
Foster Parent Assessor & Trainer
LSW Hi my name is Geri Ellington, pronounced (Gerr-Ree). I was born/raised in Dayton, Ohio and graduated from Meadowdale High School. I then graduated from Northern Kentucky University with a BS in Mental Health/Human Services. I earned my Masters in … Continued
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Abbie Mescher
Foster Care Social Worker
LSW Hey guys! My name is Abbie Mescher and I started working as a Foster Care Case Manager for CHOICES, Inc. in January 2020. I graduated from the University of Alabama at Birmingham with a double major in Social work … Continued
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Samantha McFadden
Foster Parent Recruiter
Hey! My name is Samantha McFadden and I joined CHOICES Inc. in October 2019, as the Foster Parent Recruiter. I graduated with my MA in Educational Psychology in July 2019, and knew I wanted to work in a setting that … Continued
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Sarah Robinson
Referral & Placement Coordinator
Hello! My name is Sarah and I started working as a Foster Care caseworker for CHOICES in May 2019. I graduated from Liberty University in December 2017 with a Bachelor’s of Science in Social Work and minors in criminal justice … Continued
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Maria Fryman
Foster Care Social Worker
MSW, LSW Hello my name is Maria Fryman. My journey at CHOICES, Inc as a foster care case worker began June 2018. I received my Bachelor’s degree in Social Work with a double minor in Sociology and Psychology at Mount … Continued
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Christine Dempsey
Foster Parent Assessor & Trainer
Hi! My name is Chrissy Dempsey. I have been with CHOICES, Inc. since 2018. I started my journey with CHOICES, Inc. as a Parent Aide Specialist. After completing my internship as a Foster Care Assessor and Trainor, I accepted a … Continued
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Michelle Gamberdella
Foster Care Social Worker
LSW Hello, my name is Michelle Gamberdella and started working as a Foster Care Case Worker for CHOICES, Inc in November 2017. I graduated with my Bachelors degree in Social Work from Cedarville University in May 2017. I have an … Continued
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Donna Knasel
Foster Care Manager
LSW Hello! My name is Donna Knasel. I joined CHOICES, Inc. in May, 2013 as a Licensing, Training, and Recruiting Social Worker. I am super excited to be a part of the CHOICES team! I graduated from The … Continued
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Brittany Cowart
Foster Care Lead
LSW Hi! My name is Brittany Cowart and I work as a Foster Care Lead at CHOICES, Inc. Prior to working for CHOICES I was completing my Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work at Cedarville University. I started as … Continued
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Independent Living
Latosha Scott
Bridges Liaison
My name is Latosha Scott, prefer Tosha. I am a Bridges Liaison with Choices. I have an Associate’s degree in Business Administration with the goal of getting my Bachelors in Social Work. I have two beautiful children and expecting my … Continued
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Robert Bruce
Independent Living Manager
LSW My name is Robert Bruce. I have recently been promoted the Independent Living Manager and look forward to the many challenges that are ahead. I love the Independent Living Program and know just what kind of a difference … Continued
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Todd Kreill
Independent Living Specialist
BA Hello! My name is Todd Kreill and I am a part- time Independent Living Specialist. I have been with CHOICES, Inc. for one year. I graduated from Wright State University in 1988 with a Degree in Liberal … Continued
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Home Based
Ciara Watson
Mental Health Therapist
Hello! My name is Ciara Watson and I am a Home-Based Therapist for CHOICES, Inc. I received my Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Ohio University and decided to further my education by obtaining my Master’s degree in Social … Continued
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Yalonda Slaughter
Mental Health Support Worker
Hi! My name is Yalonda Slaughter. I am a Mental Health Support Worker for CHOICES. I hold an Associate’s Degree in Criminal Justice and a Bachelors in Human Services: Child and Family Welfare. I am in the process of finishing … Continued
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Brianna Farr
Mental Health Therapist
Hello! My name is Brianna Farr, and I have been studying social work for two years. Before beginning my graduate degree in social work, I received a bachelor’s degree in Psychology at Bowling Green State University. I have recently graduated … Continued
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Moriah Hill
Mental Health Support Worker
“Don’t worry that children never listen to you; worry that they are always watching you.” — Robert Fulghum, author I graduated from the University of Cumberlands in May 2015 with a bachelor’s degree in Human Services. Immediately … Continued
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Earl Nichols
Mental Health Therapist
LPC “Everything happens for a reason.” This is one of my favorite quotes as I truly believe that in life there is a reason for the things that we go through even though it can be difficult to see … Continued
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Jennifer Decker
Mental Health Therapist II & Referral Coordinator
My expertise is in empathy and compassion, but followed by the love of helping children and their families learn to cope with developmentally appropriate methods. I am Jennifer Decker. A licensed mental health therapist that is currently working towards … Continued
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Samantha Lakes
Clinical Lead
“Strength doesn’t come from what you can do, it comes from overcoming the things you once thought you couldn’t. “ I am a Masters Level, Licensed Social Worker that provides therapeutic services to youth ages 4 to 18. I … Continued
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Jessica Michels
Clinical Director
“Vision without action is merely a dream, Action without vision just passes the time, and vision with action changes the world” My philosophy is within each person is the capacity to make a positive impact on the world around … Continued
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Wayne Edmondson
Mental Health Support Worker
My name is Wayne Edmondson I am a highly skilled interventionist who holds a Master of Science degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Phoenix and a Bachelor of Science degree in Health & Human Services from Ohio … Continued
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Amanda Sheidler
Mental Health Support Worker
My favorite quote is ‘By the time a man realizes that maybe his father was right, he usually has a son who thinks he’s wrong’. These are words I live by in my personal and professional life. My name … Continued
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