Bill Benson serves as the Independent Living Coordinator for the Alabama Department of Human Resources with more than 20 years of experience working in the foster care system. The primary focus of his role is to develop and provide resources to DHR county staff, current youth in foster care and live- experience youth who have left or aged out of the Alabama foster care system. The goal of the work done through Alabama ILP is to help youth successfully prepare and enter adulthood. Some of the resource programs that Bill coordinates include the Fostering Hope Scholarship, Educational Training Voucher program and Foster Youth to Independence. These resources provide ongoing assistance to current and prior Alabama foster youth through obtainment of post-secondary education services, certifications for employment and housing vouchers.

Brock Sellers, LICSW, PIP, is a nationally recognized speaker, trainer, and clinician with over 23 years of experience supporting children, families, and professionals in adoption, foster care, and permanency work. He currently serves as the Training for Adoption Competency (TAC) Coordinator and Trainer with the Center for Adoption Support and Education (C.A.S.E.), providing consultation, training, and systems-level support nationwide. Brock has worked within Alabama’s child welfare and permanency systems since 2002 and has maintained close ties to the Alabama Permanency Conference for many years, offering a unique blend of historical perspective and deep relational understanding of the field. Known for his grounded and engaging style, Brock integrates research, decades of practice-based experience, and insight into resilience, belonging, and professional sustainability. His work supports clinicians, organizations, and caregivers as they navigate complex systems while remaining connected to purpose, well-being, and the long arc of permanency-focused work.

Dr. Abby Blair is a licensed clinical social worker and certified eating disorder specialist and owner of Blair Counseling & Consulting in Birmingham, AL. She has worked in varied settings in the mental health field, primarily working with adolescents and adults since 2006. Her current primary focus is working with individuals diagnosed with an eating disorder, either seeking treatment for the first time or for follow-up after completing a program. Dr. Blair is also trained in CBT-AR for individuals ages 10 and up who have been diagnosed with ARFID. In addition to managing her clinical practice, she is an ad hoc reviewer for The Child and Adolescent Social Work Journal and a trained mitigation specialist working with defendants facing the death penalty.

Dr. Jason Newell is professor, program director, and the Dr. Jeannine Cannon Bozeman Endowed Chair of Social Work Education at The University of Montevallo. He received his B.A. in Psychology from Auburn University, M.S.W., with concentration in services to children youth and families, and Ph.D. in Social Work from the University of Alabama. Dr. Newell is a licensed independent clinical social work-supervisor (LICSW-S) and a private individual practitioner (PIP) with an endorsement in clinical and social casework. His research and specialty areas include clinical social work practice, self-care and professional resilience, practice with veterans and military families, men’s health and wellness, and child welfare.

Michael has worked as a licensed social worker for more than 30 in the child welfare, adoption, and foster care areas of practice. He currently runs a private practice working with adoptive families and birth parents in the adoption process. He is a former Chair of the Alabama Stated Board of Social Work Examiners and former writer for the social work licensure exams administered through the Association of Social Work Boards.

Jamole Callahan is a transformational leader, national trainer, and strategic advisor with over two decades of experience at the intersection of child welfare, housing, and systems reform. A graduate of the AdoptUSKids Professional Leadership Development Program, Jamole brings lived experience in foster care and a track record of catalyzing change through equity-focused coaching, policy influence, and cross-sector collaboration. Known for delivering results through relational leadership, culturally responsive training, and empowering public systems to serve families more effectively.

Joanne Terrell is a retired social work professor who taught at the University of Alabama's School of Social Work for 20 years. She has maintained both a part time and now full time private practice in Social Work for 39 years. Her area's of expertise include individual and family therapy, forensic social work and community advocacy. She has taught over 80 workshops in her career on a variety of topics including Ethics and Supervision. She currently conducts the ABSWE's Supervision and Ethics 2 day Workshop for those social workers who want to be supervisors.

Leslie Hales, LCSW, PIP, is a trauma-certified social worker, speaker, and trainer dedicated to helping professionals and families navigate the complexities of adoption and foster care. With more than 25 years of experience, she combines professional expertise with lived experience as an adult survivor of childhood trauma, an adoptive parent, and co-parent of a sibling group of five from foster care. Her relatable style makes challenging topics accessible and meaningful for diverse audiences. Leslie earned her Bachelor’s in Social Work from University of Southern Mississippi and her Master’s from The University of Alabama at Tuscaloosa. Her career spans child welfare and medical social work, and she serves as a Credentialed Course Instructor and Field Liaison at the University of Alabama at Birmingham School of Social Work. Through research-based insights and personal stories, Leslie empowers audiences to address trauma, balance expectations, and bridge theory with practice.

Mr. Schlenker received his B.S. in Criminal Justice and Criminology from Metropolitan State College of Denver in Colorado, and his Juris Doctor from Cumberland School of Law at Samford University, in Birmingham, Alabama. Mr. Schlenker has been employed with the Alabama Department of Human Resources since 2001, where he is currently the Deputy Attorney General for the agency. Mr. Schlenker has previously served as the supervising Assistant Attorney General for the Birmingham Regional Legal Office’s Child Welfare Division and Child Support Division, as an Assistant Attorney General in various roles in the Birmingham Regional office and in the Calhoun County Regional Legal Office. During his career, Mr. Schlenker has an active practice, having tried hundreds of cases involving Termination of Parental Rights, Dependency, End-of-Life Cases, Adult Protective Services, administrative hearings, Child Support, Welfare Fraud and litigating wrongful death and injury cases on behalf of the Alabama Department of Human Resources.

Lou Lacey is a Licensed Professional Counselor and the Director of Emotional Wellness at Children’s of Alabama. She works to prevent Compassion Fatigue among the professional caregivers at the pediatric hospital by providing individual and group counseling on site. She has a 40-year professional history of providing therapy for victims of trauma. Lou is the former Director of Rape Response and of CHIPS Center at Children’s (child abuse assessment and treatment clinic.) She has been a speaker and instructor for over 25 years in the areas of Post Traumatic Stress Disorder, Compassion Fatigue Prevention and Treatment and finding joy in living a life of service to others.

Samantha Whitley is a native of Tuscaloosa, Alabama, and a former foster youth who was in the foster care system from age 13 until aging out at 21. During her time in care, she lived in multiple group homes before moving in with a foster family at age 18, where she remained until age 23. Samantha graduated from The University of Alabama in May 2021 with a degree in Criminal Justice and double minors in Cybercriminology and Social Welfare. She currently serves as the Independent Living Youth Consultant Team Lead at Children’s Aid Society, where she supports foster youth in developing the skills and resources needed for successful transitions to adulthood. Driven by her lived experience, Samantha’s mission is to improve the foster care system by transforming personal challenges into opportunities for education and advocacy. Her guiding motto is “turn messes into messages,” reflecting her commitment to sharing her story to uplift and empower foster youth.

Shuereaka Holston is a Human Resource Program Specialist in the Office of Recruitment & Home Care Support with Alabama Department of Human Resources. She is a recruitment consultant, certified MAPP Foundation Trainer and former Kinship Navigator Liaison. She earned a degree in social work from the University of Alabama and has been a licensed social worker since 2006. She has 21 years of experience with children and families and has worked as foster care worker, supervisor, data analysis and consultant.

Tonya Sauder is an adoptive mother of twin boys, and birth mother of twins as well. She has a background in special education, and has led pre-adoption training with APAC for over 10 years. Tonya and her husband have worked very intentionally to provide therapeutic support to their adoptive sons during their search for birth parent connections as young adults. Tonya's family story makes us rethink all we know about maintaining birth parent connections.

Valencia Woods-Curry, a native of Birmingham Alabama has been with the Department of Human Resources for over 30 years. She holds a bachelor’s degree in social work and master’s degrees in counseling and social work. Valencia began her social work career with Jefferson County DHR then promoted to Program Specialist with the State Office. After serving and consulting with counties all over the state as a Child Welfare Consultant, Valencia was promoted to Program Supervisor then Program  Manager for State DHR’s Foster Care Division. In 2021, Valencia became the first African American female promoted to the position of Deputy Director for the Family Services Division at State DHR. Valencia currently manages the Office of Recruitment and Home Care Support. Valencia has extensive public speaking experience and is known for her engaging and energetic style. Valencia is committed to doing her part to advocate on behalf of foster youth in Alabama to become all that they were created to be.