Our Team

Alexis Shumaker, BSW, has 17 years of experience in the child welfare field. Alexis serves as FOCUS Regional Case Coordinator for Shelby and Southwest Region. Alexis is a proud alum of both Mississippi State University and Rust College. Alexis’ professional motto is: “One child at a time and everyone has a part.”

Alyssa has an MSSW from the University of Tennessee Knoxville. Before moving to Harmony in February of 2020, she provided counseling to children involved in the foster care system as well as worked with families to reunite with children. Alyssa has a strong passion for helping children reach permanency.

Amanda started at Harmony in October 2023. Prior to this position, she was a Forensic Child Interviewer with Child Help in Knoxville. The majority of her child welfare experience is with The Department of Children’s Services, where she worked for 14+ years as a Family Service Worker in various units within The Department including foster care, adoptions, and child protective services. Other professional experience includes writing homestudies, preplacement summaries, and other permanency specialist duties. She received a Bachelor’s Degree from East TN State University with a major in Human Services and minor in Early Childhood Education. She is married and has a super smart and active kindergartner. She enjoys going to UT football games, the Zoo, and water parks.

Amanda Felts lives in Dickson, Tennessee with her husband and son. She has 10 years of experience working with children and families. She received her Bachelor of Social Work degree from Austin Peay State University and has been training foster parents since 2016. Her previous experience includes case management with foster children and birth families, foster parent recruitment, and home study writing for the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services and other agencies. Amanda joined the Harmony family in January 2020.

Amanda is the East Region Program Manager with our ASAP/GSAP program and a licensed therapist. Amanda earned her master’s degree in interpersonal social work with a focus on trauma treatment. Amanda has worked with individuals and families for almost a decade in various capacities. She is passionate about fostering healing and connection utilizing the latest brain science and evidence-based practices.

Amanda Chagnon is a Regional Case Coordinator for Harmony’s FOCUS program. She provides services to the Knox, Smoky and East Regions. She has been with Harmony since 2014. Amanda received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee, majoring in Sociology and Psychology. Prior to joining Harmony, Amanda worked for the TN Department of Children’s Services (2003-2014). Her expertise is working with full guardianship youth and foster/adoptive parents. While at DCS, she finalized over 500 adoptions. Amanda’s other professional experience includes: working as placement specialist, teaching PATH and writing home studies. She sits on a variety of professional panels, projects and workgroups re: adoption and permanency. Amanda is a proud mother, who is heavily involved in her community.

Amy Kyriakidis lives in Chattanooga with her husband and three children. Throughout high school, she volunteered in an Early Head Start classroom and knew she wanted to work to make a difference in children’s lives. She received a Bachelor of Arts degree in human development from SUNY Empire State College in 2008. She volunteered with children in her community in various ways until joining the Harmony foster parent training team in 2018. She is currently the foster parent trainer for the Tennessee Valley DCS region.

April earned a Bachelor’s in Social Work from Troy University in 2001 and began her career working for the Department of Children’s Services. After 12 years of writing home studies and managing foster homes for DCS in Oklahoma and then in Tennessee, April joined the Harmony family in 2014. She has served as Harmony’s Lead Home Study Editor and provided Administrative Support for the Home Study Program for the last nine years. April enjoys working behind the scenes and mentoring new home study writers as they learn to author the high-quality home studies Harmony is known for.

Bailey completed her Master of Science in Social Work with a graduate certificate in the treatment of trauma in 2020 from the University of Tennessee. She graduated with a B.S. in Psychology and a BSW from East Tennessee State University in 2013. She has experience in inpatient mental health and over 7 years experience working in child welfare for the TN Department of Children’s Services. She started as a child protective service investigator before moving into writing home studies and providing foster parent training and support. She lives with her husband of 6 years, their infant daughter, and their two small dogs in Spring Hill, Tennessee. She enjoys traveling, going on family adventures, and curling up with a good book. Bailey joined the Harmony family in March of 2021 as a FOCUS Permanency Specialist.

Brynn graduated from UTK with a Master of Social Work in 2021 and has served as a Family Therapist with ASAP since. Prior to her employment at Harmony, Brynn was an intern with the therapeutic services office. Before becoming a family therapist, she spent time as a dance instructor, meditation teacher, and photographer. Brynn’s favorite part of her role as ASAP Therapist is joining families at Camp Montvale.

Charlotte Coffer is a Knoxville native and UT graduate with a B.S. in Communications Broadcasting. Before joining Harmony Family Center, she was the Event Marketing Manager at Scripps Networks Interactive for close to 20 years. In her free time Charlotte enjoys spending time with family and friends, traveling, shopping, listening to music and working on various home projects.

David Bracey, BA, is a Regional Case Coordinator for FOCUS in the South Central Region of Tennessee. He received his Bachelor’s degree from Martin Methodist College. David has 20 plus years experience in the social work field. His experience consists of residential programs, therapeutic foster care, and specializing in adoptions.

Deborah is the Home Study Program Manager for the Eastern side of Tennessee. She received her Bachelor’s degree in Education/Human Services from the University of Tennessee. Prior to joining the Harmony team, Deborah worked for the Department of Children’s services (2003 -2021) as a foster care case manager, foster parent support case manager, and foster parent support team leader. Deborah is certified in the POPS (Profile of Parenting Study) home study method and is a certified Child and Family Service Review reviewer. Deborah is an active member in her community and served 5 years as the chairperson for the Family Advisory Council at East Tennessee Children’s Hospital.

Elizabeth joined the Harmony Team in August of 2017 in a part time role as a Permanency Coordinator. She now serves Harmony as a Permanency Specialist with the FOCUS program for Davidson County. She holds a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Business Administration with a minor in Marketing and Psychology as well as a Bachelor of Science Degree in Interdisciplinary Studies with an Emphasis in K-8th Education. Elizabeth has been a classroom teacher, tutor, mentor, and Juvenile Detention educator. Her and her husband of 31 years, live on a two-generation farm in middle Tennessee. She is the proud mother of twin daughters (25), one son in love (25) and a sweet Shih-Poo fur baby (4). Outside of work, she enjoys being with her family, college football games, traveling, cooking, and boating/being on/in or near about any body of water.

Emma serves as the Training Projects Coordinator at Harmony Family Center. She holds an M.A. in Organizational Training and Performance Management from Tusculum University and a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Tennessee. Emma also has experience in mental health and addiction counseling. Emma is passionate about community and enjoys spending her free time serving up spuds on her food truck, The Spiffy Spud!

Ena joined Harmony’s team in 2022 as an Administrative Assistant/Lead Home Study Editor. Ena received her Master of Science degree in Guidance and Counseling from Jackson State University and Bachelor of Science degree from Mississippi Valley State University. Her professional experience involves 16 years of working with children and families in therapy, early intervention, and case management. Ena is a proud Mom of one son. She enjoys gardening, crafting, painting, enjoying nature, and traveling.

Faith graduated from the University of Tennessee in 2019 with a bachelor’s degree in Child and Family Studies and a minor in Psychology. She has previously interned and worked at the TN Department of Children’s Services. At DCS, she worked in child protective services for over a year before moving to foster care and working as an FSW for 2 years. She is now back in school at the University of Tennessee to get her MSSW. Faith joined Harmony in 2022 to serve as a Permanency Specialist for the Mid-Cumberland Region. Outside of work, Faith enjoys being outdoors, spending time with friends and family, and attending live music events.

Heather is the FOCUS Program Manager, serving clients throughout Tennessee. She received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Tennessee. Heather has over 20 years of experience in the field of adoption and foster care. Her previous work experience includes the Department of Children’s Services where she was employed as a Child Protective Services Assessment worker as well as front line staff in a boy’s juvenile delinquent group home. Prior to coming to Harmony, Heather served as a Resource/Adoption Coordinator for Omni Visions, specializing in therapeutic foster care and special needs adoptions. Heather is certified in the POPS (Profile of Parenting Study) home study method and is also one of Harmony’s certified trainers on the ropes course & climbing wall. Heather is an active member of the Southeast Tennessee Alliance for Children and Families (SETACF) in the Tennessee Valley DCS region.

Holly graduated with her undergraduate degree from Tennessee Tech University with a Human Ecology degree and a concentration of Child Development and Family Relations. She has worked in the foster care system since graduating from TTU in 2015. Holly returned to school to obtain her Masters in Social Work and graduated from University of Tennessee in 2019. Throughout her career, she has worked in preventative services, therapeutic foster care, and as an Adoption Specialist. Holly joined the Harmony Team in January of 2020 as a FOCUS Permanency Specialist. Outside of work, she enjoys being able to spend her time in the outdoors, traveling, and visiting her family in East TN.

Lenna received her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Clinical Social Work from the University of Central Florida. Her professional experience includes over 25 years of clinical experience working with a diverse range of children, adolescents, and adults experiencing issues related to adoption, attachment, crisis, and trauma. Lenna has been a Family Therapist within the Adoption Support and Preservation Program for 15 years, providing a continuum of in-home services that include psycho-education, support, and individual and family therapy. Lenna was trained in Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) in 2014 through Texas Christian University, and she was certified as a TBRI Educator in 2015. She has been trained in a variety of therapeutic interventions including Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TFCBT); Attachment, Regulation, and Competency Framework (ARC); Sensory Motor Arousal Regulation Treatment (SMART); Circle of Security; and she completed Phase II Certification of the Neurosequential Model of Therapeutics (NMT). Lenna lives in East Tennessee with her husband and two teenage sons.

Jacquelyn completed her MSSW from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville in May 2023 with a focus on trauma treatment. She has worked with children and their families for the past fifteen years in a variety of capacities, including as a Montessori educator, provider of early intervention services, and as a co-facilitator of an intensive outpatient therapeutic group for adolescents. Jacquelyn approaches her work by incorporating evidence-based interventions along with curiosity to better understand family dynamics as well as individual and family strengths to meet clients where they are and to shape their work together.

Jimmy Lane is the Property Coordinator at Harmony Family Center’s Camp Montvale. Jimmy grew up in Louisville, TN and currently resides in Maryville. He has a diverse array of experience in Farming, Horticulture and Residential Construction and Maintenance. While not working, he enjoys his time spent with family, friends, mission work as well as several outdoor activities such as camping, hiking and jeeping.

Jamie Parker joined the Harmony team in July 2021 as a Permanency Specialist for Davidson County. She has a bachelor’s degree in Social Work from the Oakwood University of Huntsville, AL. She has worked in the Social work field for 7 years both overseas and in the United States. Throughout her career, she has worked as a Drug Court Social Worker, Adoption Specialist, Assistant Social Worker and Permanency Specialist. Jamie is a proud foster parent for adults and children with special needs.

Jennifer West, MA, is a Regional Case Coordinator in the East Region for the FOCUS program. She earned a bachelor’s degree in English Literature at Maryville College and a master’s degree in Counseling at the University of Montana. Her professional experience ranges from coordinating campus volunteer programs to serving as a bereavement counselor with hospice programs.

Jessica Fraley graduated with her BS from Tennessee Tech University with a Human Ecology degree, concentration in Child Development and Family Relations. She worked with children and families through CCFT services, before returning to obtain her Masters in Human Services, Child and Family Therapy. Throughout her career, Jessa has worked with children, youth, and families in many capacities, such as in-home counseling, crisis intervention, and other settings. She enjoys working with youth and families in all avenues, helping them reach their best selves and walking alongside them through difficult moments. You will likely always find her with a good cup of coffee. Jessa enjoys spending time with her family, going to the lake, and traveling.

After graduating from The University of Tennessee in 2015 (Go Vols!) with a B.S. in Special Education/Deaf Education, Jes started working as a special education preschool teacher for private preschools. While she was in college, she worked with many families who had children with disabilities. Her background in Special Education and her years of experience as a foster mom inspired her interest in continuing to help foster families and children. She joined Harmony in 2022 as a Foster Parent Trainer. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, reading, and hanging out with her four sons and her husband.

John graduated from Richmont Graduate University in 2016 and has been working in the counseling field since 2015. Prior to starting at Harmony in early 2019, he spent much of his clinical experience in mandated treatment working with juveniles, substance abusers, and sex offenders. He sat with a number of hurting people who experienced significant loss in their own lives and had caused similar loss in the lives of the people around them. Through the Adoption Support and Preservation program, John is able to step into the generational cycle of hurt and work to interrupt similar patterns of pain from happening.

Kaelynn graduated from the University of Tennessee College Scholars Program with a degree in Creative Activism. Prior to joining the Harmony team as Operations Coordinator, Kaelynn worked as an administrative assistant and funding coordinator in the field of reproductive health care. In her free time, Kaelynn enjoys cooking, writing, and spending time with her animals.

Kailey serves Harmony as a Permanency Specialist. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Development and Family Studies from Samford University. She has worked with children since graduating in 2018. Kailey joined the Harmony team in 2022. She has a passion for helping children reach permanency. Outside of work she enjoys traveling the world with her husband, Nick. She also has three fur babies, two cats, Maverick and Julie and a one spoiled corgi, Piper.

Originally from Chicago, Kaitlyn moved to Knoxville after completing her MSW at the University of Illinois in 2021. Kaitlyn has experience working with adoption, complex trauma, and mental health with both children and adults. She is passionate about working with families and helping children live their most authentic selves.

Kara joined Harmony’s ASAP Team as a Family Therapist in July of 2022 and now provides in-home services in the Northeast Region of Tennessee. She graduated from East Tennessee State University with a Bachelor’s in Social Work in 2019 and went on to receive her MSW in the Spring of 2022. Kara has 3 years of experience working in adoption; she has had the privilege of writing home studies and celebrating with families who have said yes to providing a loving home for children who need it. She is excited and honored to now support families facing challenges following adoption.

Karen Burns joined Harmony Family Center as a part-time Grant Writer in January 2023.  Her background includes having served as the chief grant writer for two Court Appointed Special Advocate Programs, while she served as their Executive Director, sequentially, the Essex County CASA in Newark NJ and the CASA of Westmoreland County in Greensburg, PA.  Karen resides in Pittsburgh, PA and serves as a volunteer grant writer for the Pennsylvania Interfaith Impact Network of Pittsburgh.  Karen is married to Anthony Rutigliano, has two children, Meghan, and Eugene (and a wonderful daughter-in-law, Kirsten), and a new granddaughter, Cecelia!

Kathie Armstrong graduated from Purdue University in 2017 with a degree in English Education. She served as a foster parent on and off from 2003 to 2019. Kathie has adopted four children from foster care with special challenges. For over five years, she served as a Home Study Writer working with foster and adoptive families. Currently, Kathie is serving as a Post-Adopt Review Coordinator.

Kelly Braden has been a part of the Harmony Team since 2007, where she serves as Coordinator in the Compliance and Accountability Program (CAP). Before joining the social work field in 1994, Kelly worked briefly as a court reporter and also spent several years in the banking industry. Her first role in social work was providing scribe services to therapists at a local mental health agency. This work initiated the passion of wanting to help children and families live their best lives. Away from work, Kelly enjoys spoiling her two bulldogs, spending time with family, and traveling.

Kelly Green joined the Harmony team in July 2022, she serves as the DCS Background Check Coordinator for traditional/kinship families statewide. She has 20 plus years’ experience working with child welfare. She came to us as a former Case Manager 2 with the TN Dept of Children’s Services, serving families and children through social services and criminal justice programs. She has volunteered in the past with at risk children and youth in summer programs, daycare programs and community activities. She has a passion for working with children and making sure they are safe and have loving, safe forever homes and people in their lives who love and provide positive support for them. She enjoys traveling, gardening, and spending times with family, friends, and her fur-babies.

Kendra Cotton completed her MSW at the University of Alabama.  She works as a Family Therapist in the ASAP program and has been working with foster families for the past 6 years.  She has experience counseling children as well as coaching parents She has a long history of working to improve her community.  In a previous life, she spent many years working with nonprofits on their fundraising efforts. Kendra lives in Nolensville with her husband, son, daughter, and two dogs.

Kim Bracken received her Bachelor of Social Work degree from Harding University and has 20 years of experience with children and families.  Her previous experience includes foster parent trainer, home study writer, curricula developer, Child Protective Services worker, working with at-risk youth through the court system, and providing developmental screenings on kids birth to age six. Kim is honored to work with foster parents in Tennessee and hopes to make a difference in the lives of children who come from hard places.

Kim Phillips joined Harmony in April 2019 as a part time Case Coordinator for the HART program and moved to full time in October 2019. Prior Kim worked for the State of Connecticut Department of Children and Families for over 15 years providing CPS direct care and later foster care and adoption support and recruitment. Prior to that position, Kim was employed as Director of the Family Resource Center Bloomfield, CT providing services for children birth to three, parent education and positive youth development for school age children. Early in her career Kim worked at Nashville’s Meharry Medical College Mental Health Center, Metropolitan Department of Social Services and Metropolitan Development and Housing Authority as a social worker. She earned her MSW in Social Work in 2001 from the University of Connecticut while working a full-time job. She graduated with a BSW from Tennessee State University in 1985. Kim and her husband, Kevin, are adoptive parents to their beloved daughter Gabrielle.

Laura lives in Lexington with her husband and two boys. She graduated from the University of South Florida with a bachelor’s in Psychology. She has always been a trainer in some capacity. She was a zookeeper for 10 years while training husbandry with carnivores. She worked as a Registered Behavior Technician with children who have autism and behavioral issues in the school system, then became a Resource Parent Support for another foster agency before joining Harmony as a Foster Parent Trainer. She enjoys swimming, horseback riding, and spending time with family — especially making memories with them on vacation visiting zoos, theme parks and the beach.

As an adoptive mom, Lea is passionate about making sure the community knows who Harmony is and all the amazing things Harmony does. A natural networker, connector, and event planner, Lea is proud to put her 12+ years of experience to good use as the Development Manager for this organization that helps so many families & children including her own.

Leigh Ann joined Harmony in 2022 as a Post Adoption Annual Review Coordinator. She has a Master’s Degree in Education from the University of Memphis as well as a Master’s Degree in Communication Disorders from Western Kentucky University. Additionally, she has received a variety of additional training including the Victim Advocate Certificate from the National Organization for Victim Assistance Academy (NOVA), the Trafficking in Persons Certificate from the Human Rights Centre in Costa Rica, Trust-Based Relational Intervention (TBRI) training, and training from the National Adoption Competency Mental Health Initiative. With the heart of a social worker and a passion for helping children and families, she brings with her over 15 years of experience serving children and families in the United States and abroad within a multitude of capacities throughout the education, medical, and social work fields.

Leslie Hale, BSW, is a Regional Case Coordinator for the FOCUS program in the Northeast Tennessee Region. Leslie earned her BSW at Lincoln Memorial University. Her work experience consists of over 22 years of experience in the child welfare field. She has worked in preventative services, therapeutic foster care, case management, trainer/recruiter for prospective foster/adoptive parents, and in adoption services.

Lindsay graduated with her undergraduate degree from Middle Tennessee State University with a Bachelor’s of Science in Psychology and a double minor in Spanish and Lifespan Development. She has worked in the social work field for the last several years as an adoption specialist, in home care coordinator, and case manager. Lindsay joined the Harmony team in March of 2023 as a Permanency specialist. Outside of work, she enjoys spending time with her family, being outdoors, traveling, and being creative with art such as painting and drawing.

Miranda Keesee earned a BSW and MSW from ETSU with a focus in family therapy. She has worked with children and families in one capacity or another of 10 years. Miranda has been with Harmony since July 2017 and serves as a Family Therapist and Adoption Preparation and Guardianship trainer in the Northeast Region.

Nicole Pillar obtained a Master’s degree in Clinical Child and Adolescent Psychology from Lewis University Romeoville, Illinois. Her previous professional experience includes working as a therapist for adolescents in residential, group homes, and high risk children and families. She is a trained Therapist in Theraplay, EMDR and ARC. Nicole currently serves as a Family Therapist with the Adoption Support and Preservation program.

Nikki Penwell earned her BS in Management from DeVry University. After several years of working, she volunteered for a rape crisis center and returned back to school for her Masters of Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Colorado Christian University. 

Nikki has worked with families who are parenting kids with behavioral concerns since her entry into the field. She has a passion for community based work, and came to Harmony after working for a residential treatment center. Nikki is passionate about evidenced based care, best practices, and helping her clients build resilience. 

In her free time you can find her walking her dog and at the playground with her kiddos. She loves hiking, yoga, and reading.

Paula serves as the Home Study Program Manager for the West and Middle grand region of Tennessee. She has 16 years of experience in the child welfare field, working for the state of Georgia as Case Manager before transitioning to a private agency as a Resource Coordinator. Continuing to advance in management, she went on to supervise the Training and Recruitment Department. She began her career with Harmony in May 2019 as a part-time trainer. In February 2020, she transitioned to a role as Foster Parent Training Program Manager. In July 2021, she took on the position of Middle/West Home Study Program Manager. She thoroughly enjoys the work she does, impacting the lives of children and being a part of the process providing loving and supportive homes for children.

Rachael is an East Tennessee native that graduated in 2013 from The University of Tennessee Knoxville. Rachael was inspired to work in foster care after working with children and teens as a volunteer from 2008 to 2013. Rachael’s ideal self-care day involves snuggling on a couch with her kitties (Tabitha, Fergus, and Rufus) while enjoying a good movie or book. She also enjoys galavanting around conventions concerning all things nerd and geekery, camping, painting, and caring for her fish.

Robert Morgan, BFA, MDIV, is responsible for Video Productions for the FOCUS Program and agency at large. He received a Baccalaureate from Texas Christian University in Radio/TV/Film and a Master’s of Divinity from Vanderbilt University as well as a diversity of experience in human services ranging from hospital chaplaincy to community mental health.

Robyn obtained her Master’s in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Freed-Hardeman University in Henderson, TN. She has worked in a private practice setting since January 2021 and has joined the Harmony team as an ASAP Family Therapist. Robyn has a temporary license as a Licensed Professional Counselor with Mental Health Service Provider designation (LPC/MHSP -t) and is currently working toward full licensure. In her free time, Robyn loves snuggling and playing with her daughter and her miniature Schnauzer, Punky.

Sara has been married to her husband, Robert, for 31 years. They have 3 sons, a daughter, and 5 grandchildren. They have many furry kids, including fosters. Sara enjoys gardening, reading, and spending time with friends and family. She worked for DCS in Foster Care for 7 years and was a stipend student prior. She also volunteered with DCS and CASA in Williamson county. Sara graduated from MTSU with a Bachelors in Social Work and is currently pursuing her Master’s in Public Service Administration and Management at Cumberland University.

Shannon serves Harmony as a Permanency Specialist with the FOCUS program. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Services from the University of Tennessee, Knoxville, and an M.Ed. Degree in Special Education from Vanderbilt University. Shannon is the proud mom of a son and daughter, both adopted.

Shekina Swington joined Harmony in 2022 as a Post Adopt Annual Review Coordinator. She has 15 years of experience assisting families to meet their needs. Shekina attended the University of Southern Mississippi where her studies focused on Child & Family Relations. When Shekina is not working, she enjoys spending time with her family and traveling.

Stephanie joined Harmony in 2021 as a Regional Case Coordinator with the FOCUS program, primarily serving the Knox Region. She spent 14 years as a Family Service Worker / Supervisor with the Department of Children’s Services working with children in foster care and is passionate about finding permanency for children and youth. Stephanie has a BA in Psychology from the University of Tennessee. In her free time, she enjoys traveling, reading, furniture remodeling, and musical theater.