Staff & Board

OUr STAFF

HILLARY BURKHOLDER

Hillary serves as the Chief Executive Officer at The CARE Center. Hillary's passion for providing hope & healing to children is vital in our vision of ending child abuse in Oklahoma County.

#collaborativeCARE

Traci Marshall, SHRM-CP

Traci is the Chief Operations Officer at The CARE Center! Traci keeps our staff & campus organized while managing employee benefits, HR, and general operations.

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Shaniee Green

Shaniee is our Director of Finance, bringing a wealth of expertise and strategic financial insight to steer our fiscal responsibilities with precision and innovation.

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Tamra Washington

Tamra is our Director of Client Services! With a long background in social work, Tamra knows exactly how a successful team should run to provide hope & healing to the children we serve. Tamra is a ray of hope and a helping hand to the families we serve.

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Shelby Lynch

Shelby is the Senior Director of Community Engagement at The CARE Center! With a background in teaching and a passion for helping Oklahoma children, she brings years of experience in prevention and education, along with compassion and dedication every day.

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Chloe Byrd

Chloe is our Director of Mental Health! She specializes in various forms of therapy specifically for abuse victims and their caregivers. She ensures she is giving individualized care to each and every client and leads a team with such grace.

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Elsie Chocho

Meet Elsie, our Advocacy & Guest Experiences Manager. Elsie brings heart and determination to our mission as she oversees critical programs at The CARE Center such as advocacy and volunteer coordination.

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SANDRA DELOERA

Forensic Services Manager

Sandra Deloera

Sandra is our Forensic Services Manager! Sandra has a skill for helping children feel comfortable when telling their story. Prior to stepping into her management role, Sandra was a Bilingual Forensic Interviewer for over six years at The CARE Center!

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Leah Dean Thomas

Leah is The CARE Center's dedicated Prevention & Outreach Manager, bringing a dynamic blend of passion and expertise in prevention & education. Her passion helps protect Oklahoma children!

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Maricela Sandoval

Meet Whitney, our Mental Health Coordinator at The CARE Center. In this role, Whitney helps connect children and families with compassionate, trauma-informed support and resources. We look forward to the care and dedication she will bring to our team and mission!

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Maricela Sandoval

Maricela is a Family Advocate at The CARE Center! She brings dedication to the families we serve, alway providing hope & healing. No one should have to navigate this process alone and Maricela ensures families have the needed resources for success.

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Ashlynn Godsey

Ashlynn is a dedicated Forensic Interviewer at The CARE Center who works with children using a compassionate, trauma-informed approach to create a safe and supportive environment for children to share their stories.

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Emma Davis

Meet Emma, one of our Prevention & Outreach Coordinators! Prior to stepping into this role, Emma served as a Family Advocate at The CARE Center. Her fierce passion for advocacy and education shine through in all she does.

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Kal Bender

Kal is one of The CARE Center's therapists! She brings deep knowledge and compassion to the children who visit The CARE Center every day, specializing in various forms of therapy tailored to abuse victims and their caregivers.

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Tiffany Lindstrom

Tiffany is a Family Advocate at The CARE Center! Tiffany's calm and dedicated approach helps families begin their journey to hope & healing eavery day.

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Maria Escobar

Maria is a Bilingual Forensic Interviewer! Maria's dedication to children & The CARE Center's mission make her a safe space for children to tell their stories.

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VANESSA BAQUERA

Bilingual Prevention & Outreach Coordinator

Vanessa Baquera

Meet Vanessa, one of our Bilingual Prevention & Outreach Coordinators. With her passion for child advocacy and expertise in both English and Spanish, she connects with families across our community, ensuring every child receives the education they deserve.

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Nayma Mendieta

Nayma is one of The CARE Center's therapists! She brings such knowledge and care to the children who visit The CARE Center every day. She specializes in various forms of therapy specifically for abuse victims and their caregivers.

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Cam Alao

Cam is one of our compassionate family advocates at The CARE Center. She brings lasting hope and healing to every client who walks through our doors, with dedication and expertise.

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Liz Villegas

Meet Liz, one of our Bilingual Forensic Interviewers. Liz has a passion for creating safe spaces for children to tell their story. Fun fact: Liz started as an intern at The CARE Center!

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Norah Teeters

The CARE Center is pleased to welcome Norah to the team as our Data & Operations Coordinator. After previously serving as an intern with our organization, Norah returns with valuable experience and a strong understanding of our mission!

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ABI ROWDEN

Media & Development Coordinator

ABI ROWDEN

Abi is our Media & Development Coordinator, bringing The CARE Center’s mission to life through social media and communications. She shares the stories of the children we serve and highlights the dedication of our staff, keeping partners and donors inspired and connected.

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Khaliq Edwards

Welcome Khaliq to the team as our AmeriCorps Volunteer Coordinator! After previously serving as an intern with our organization, Khaliq returns with valuable experience and a strong connection to our mission. We look forward to the dedication and enthusiasm he will bring to engaging volunteers and supporting our work.

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Bre Coleman-Stocks

Meet Bre, our Guest Experience Specialist. After previously serving as an intern with our organization, Bre returns with valuable experience and a strong connection to our mission! We look forward to the care and dedication she will bring to this role and to every child and family who walks through our doors.

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Jaeden Rice

Meet Jaeden, a Forensic Interviewer at The CARE Center! In this role, Jaeden will provide children with a safe, supportive environment to share their experiences while helping families take the next steps toward healing and hope. We look forward to the compassion and dedication Jaeden will bring to our mission.

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Advisory Board

Ryan Brown, M.D.

Board Certified Child Abuse Pediatrician, OU Children’s Hospital

Vicki Behenna

District Attorney, Oklahoma County

Jazzmon Kennerson

Child Welfare, Oklahoma Department of Human Services

Ron C. Bacy

Chief, Oklahoma City Police Department

Sarah Rahhal

Chief Executive Officer, Sunbeam Family Services

Board of Directors

Lezel Cunningham-Safi, President

Cunningham Safi Legal Group

Merideth VanSant, Vice President

Guidehouse

Laurie Coniglione, Treasurer

American Fidelity Corporation

Allison Terrill, Fundraising Chair

OG&E

Devin Trachman, Governance Chair

Physical Therapy Central

Tim Fahler, ESAT Chair

Tango Foxtrot, LLC

Alison Grogan

Phase 2

Ashlea Briggs

Watermark Bank

David E. Bard, PhD

OU College of Medicine

David Lloyd

HGL Construction, Inc.

Denise Cramer, JD

MidFirst Bank

Fareshteh Hamidi

Steptoe & Johnson, PLLC

Georgeann Duty, LPC, LADC

Aetna Better Health of Oklahoma

Jerika Coffman

Quail Creek Bank

Irene Gianos

Honestly Margo

Kale Streeter

Wiggin Properties, LLC

Kency Duarte, CPA

Arledge & Associates, P.C.

Michael Stewart

Merrill Lynch Wealth Management

Sarah Taylor

MOD Realty, LLC

Dr. Vikram Ramjee

Oklahoma Children’s Hospital

Young Professionals Board

Alex Perez, president

Access Medical

Parker Cassell, Vice president

Heritage Hall

Taylor trousdale, Secretary

Girl Scouts of Western Oklahoma

Aliza Antonisse

The University of Oklahoma

Clara Thomson

Just Kids Pediatrics

Colby Karcher

Phillips Murrah

Emma McKinney

Oklahoma Center for Nonprofits

Frank Jones

Paycom

Hannah Morris

Make-A-Wish Foundation of Oklahoma

Katy Fabrie

Gooden Group

Kylie Smelser

OG&E

Lauren Timbrook

Rockwood Elementary School

Michelle Brugenhemke

Physical Therapy Central

Paige Owens

The University of Oklahoma Foundation, Inc.

Discrimination Procedures

The CARE Center treats all clients & employees equally regardless of race, color, national origin, sex, religion, and disability. If you’d like to submit a discrimination complaint, please click the link below. Individuals can email Title VI complaints or concerns to OKCounty_ARPA@accenture.com.

Because some of our programs are supported in whole or in part by financial assistance from the Federal Government, we are required to inform you of the following:
• The CARE Center does not discriminate based on religion, a religious belief, a refusal to hold a religious belief, or a refusal to attend or participate in a religious practice
• We may not require you to attend or participate in any explicitly religious activities that we offer, and your participation in these activities must be purely voluntary

•  We must separate in time or location any privately funded explicitly religious activities from activities supported with direct Federal financial assistance
•  If you object to the religious character of our organization, we must make reasonable efforts to identify and refer you to an alternative provider to which you have no objection
•  You may report violations of these protections to the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Justice Programs, Office for Civil Rights or to The Oklahoma County District Attorney’s Council.