Kate Blair joined Brightside Child & Family Advocacy (previously Savannah CASA) as the Executive Director in 2018. During her time with Brightside, the organization has added 17 staff members, 200 CASA volunteers, and the Bright House, a supervised visitation and family support center. By remaining laser-focused on fundraising, community engagement, and growth, Brightside's team has achieved its ambitious goal of serving 100% of children in foster care and program expansion. Before joining, Kate served as the Director of Development & Communications with Step Up Savannah.

Her past professional and volunteer experience includes communications, corporate foundations, nonprofit leadership, board development, and fundraising. Kate has her BA in Professional Communications. She is a graduate of Leadership Savannah and a board member of Migrant Equity Southeast and Tharros Place. She and her husband Andy are the proud parents of two incredible teen boys, Tek & Firdawek. When Kate is not out shaking the money trees, she is typically found with a wine glass in hand while planning the next party or vacation

Chrystal has an extensive background in business management, human resources and team leadership. Since 2022 she has participated in numerous trainings in the field of Supervised Visitation Services Management. A dynamic leader and advocate for families going through tough times. She has found her true calling as the Founder and Executive Director of Parenting with Grace. She is passionate about providing safety for all children - physically and emotionally - while nurturing their bond with parents and guardians. She believes in access to relationship-based parenting education will help families build their skills and abilities to strengthen healthy familial relationships. 

Samantha Alvarez Benowitz, LCSW is a licensed therapist and consultant. She was formerly  the Director of Clinical Services at The New York Society for the Prevention of Cruelty to Children (NYSPCC), where she led their therapeutic visitation services.  Ms. Alvarez Benowitz has close to 20 years of experience working with underserved children and families in New York City and Philadelphia.  Prior to working at the NYSPCC, Ms. Alvarez Benowitz was the Senior Director of Mental Health and Anti-Human Trafficking at Covenant House New York, the largest youth shelter in New York City.  She has held clinical and managerial roles at Good Shepherd Services, a foster care agency based in New York City.  Ms. Alvarez Benowitz holds a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Sociology from Boston College and a Master of Social Work from the University of Pennsylvania.

 Kelly Agee has been a member of SVN since 2010, through Families First Center, where she currently serves as the Executive Director. Kelly graduated from the University of Indiana with a degree in Mathematics and has experience advocating for children and families as a former teacher, CASA, child welfare caseworker, and visitation specialist. Kelly served as a visitation specialist for Families First Center, St. Joseph County’s local supervised visitation center, from 2010-2012 before transitioning to the role of Director of Administration and Business Manager and then Executive Director in 2019.

Kelly obtained her Society of Human Resource Management (SHRM) and Professional in Human Resources (PHR) certification in 2014. Kelly served on her local SHRM Board of Directors from 2019 to 2020. Kelly has a passion for the community she serves and is dedicated to the mission of helping children reach their full potential.

Emilyn Wahl serves as the Director of Parenting Time Centers at Someplace Safe in Minnesota, overseeing multiple supervised parenting time and safe exchange programs across rural communities. She is committed to strengthening professional standards, supporting visitation professionals, and ensuring families have access to safe, high-quality services.

Emilyn brings extensive experience in program leadership, staff development, community collaboration, and the delivery of supervised parenting time and exchange services. She is passionate about advancing the field and supporting the professionals who do this important work every day. Outside of her work in supervised visitation, Emilyn is also passionate about affordable housing and its role in strengthening families and communities.

Yvonne Draxler began her work in supervised visitation in 2010 while working at the Family Resource Center in Sterling, Colorado. Her commitment to supporting families in crisis and promoting child well-being quickly became the foundation of her professional journey after teaching elementary school for 14 years. In 2016, she was appointed Executive Director of the Family Resource Center, where she has continued to lead with compassion and vision. With over 15 years of experience in the field, Yvonne brings a deep understanding of the complexities families face and a strong belief in the power of safe, structured family time. Her passion lies in creating meaningful opportunities for children to maintain relationships with their parents in a secure, supportive environment. She is dedicated to advancing best practices and ensuring that every child has the chance to feel safe, seen, and supported during family time. Yvonne values the Supervised Visitation Network’s critical role in advancing the field through training, standards, and advocacy. She appreciates the Network’s ongoing support of visitation centers and has relied on its resources throughout her career to strengthen services and improve outcomes for families. She would be honored to contribute to the continued growth and impact of SVN's work as a member of the Board of Directors.  

Emmy Lita, CAPSW, serves as the program director for the Parent to Child (P2C) Supervised Visitation Program at Canopy Center, a non-profit organization in Madison, Wisconsin with a focus on child abuse treatment and prevention. A graduate with a Master’s in Social Work, Emmy has been a vital part of the Canopy Center team since 2010. In 2015, Emmy developed the P2C Program in response to a need for "after hours" (evenings and weekends) visitation. This flexible visitation model has allowed P2C to partner with the Dane County Department of Human Services for almost ten years - recently securing the contract for the next five years. In addition to child welfare system-involved families, P2C offers private pay services for families in need of visitation through the family court system. Prior to the development of P2C, Emmy led parent and children’s support groups under the Families United Network (FUN) framework; and a call line for parents under stress. Emmy is a compassionate leader with a clear interest in parent and child relationships. She has also taken the Nurturing Parenting Program Facilitator Training, as well as the Stewards of Children Training from Darkness to Light. Emmy enjoys mentoring the interns and volunteers who provide critical support for P2C and all of the programs she has led while at Canopy Center; helping them develop and hone their skills for the future. 

Judge Victor Reyes served as a District Judge 1999-2014 in the 10th Judicial District in Pueblo, Colorado. He has presided over, Criminal, Civil, County Court Appeals, Probate, Domestic, Restraining Orders, Juvenile and Dependency, and Neglect matters. Judge Reyes was also appointed to serve as the judicial liaison on the Colorado Domestic Violence Offender Management Board and the Colorado Supreme Court Criminal Rules Committee. 

From 2021 through 2023, he served as the Judge in Residence for the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ). At NCJFCJ, he was involved with the Judicial Wellness Initiative, participated in nationwide training, developed a curriculum, and wrote on all aspects of the law that impact children, their families, and victims of domestic violence. Additionally, Judge Reyes conducts peer review of grants for the U.S. Department of Justice, Office of Violence Against Women, and has reviewed domestic violence legislation for countries complying with the United Nations Charter. He currently leads classes in yoga, meditation, and ethics for several correctional facilities in Colorado and is certified in Life Coaching and Master Life Coaching.

Michael Saini is a Professor and holds the endowed Chair of Law and Social Work at the Factor-Inwentash Faculty of Social Work, University of Toronto. He is the Co-Director of the Combined JD and MSW Program with the Faculty of Law at the University of Toronto and the Corse Director of the 48-hour Foundations of Custody Evaluations Program. 

He conducts custody evaluations, assists children's counsel for the Office of the Children’s Lawyer, Ministry of the Attorney General in Ontario and he is a parent coach. He is also actively involved in family law related program evaluations. 

His publications have focused on high conflict, strained parent-child relationships, supervised visitation, virtual parenting time and parent competencies post separation and divorce. 

Hera McLeod is a Washington, DC-based writer, speaker, and civil rights activist. She is known for speaking out against the silence, particularly on the topics of civil rights for women and children, domestic violence, and Family Court reform. She was a 2017 Jack Straw Writing Fellow and has published OpEd pieces in The Washington Post, The Seattle Times, and The New York Times. Hera has made several television appearances including The Today Show, The Tony Danza Show, Crime Watch Daily, and DC news affiliates for CBS, ABC, and Fox. Her story was also highlighted in an episode of the Discovery + Citizen PI series.

In addition to television appearances, Hera has also testified before the United States Congress on the topics of civil rights and the protection of children. She testified in front of the Maryland Family Court Reform working group as well as Maryland Legislators. Her participation helped lead to the passage of legislation in Maryland for Judicial education on the topic of Child Abuse and Domestic Violence. Hera is also a co-host on The Mocha Single Mothers by Choice (SMC) Podcast.

Marcie Smith joined The Children’s Haven as Executive Director in 2018. Under her leadership, The Children’s Haven has received local, state, and national recognition for its programs serving children who’ve been impacted by abuse and neglect. 

Marcie has over 15 years of experience with nonprofit organizations focused on education, fundraising, homelessness prevention, child abuse prevention, and childhood cancer research. Marcie holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations from Birmingham-Southern College and a Master’s degree in diplomacy and conflict resolution from Norwich University. She is a 2016 graduate of LEAD Atlanta and a 2022 graduate of Leadership Cherokee. She has previously served with the Atlanta Regional Commission’s Millennial Advisory Committee. 

She currently serves on the state Board of Directors for Georgia CASA and previously served on the state Board of Directors for Prevent Child Abuse Georgia. Marcie was recognized as a 2022 Georgia Trend Magazine 40 Under 40 honoree for the state of Georgia. She was also recognized as a recipient of the 2022 “Top Ten in Ten Young Professionals to Watch” by the Cherokee Chamber of Commerce and Enjoy Cherokee Magazine. She served as the Volunteer Coordinator for the HHC 201st Soldier Family Readiness Group of the Georgia National Guard during her husband’s 2023 deployment to Poland. 

Marcie stays connected to her hometown of Covington, Georgia by serving on the Salem Camp Ground Board of Trustees, a lifetime appointment and one held by only ten women in the church camp meeting’s 200 year history. In 2024, she graduated from the Chick-fil-A Impact Accelerator leadership program. Marcie has been a member of the Rotary Club of Canton since 2019. She was named the 2022 Rotarian of the Year and served as the 2024-2025 Club President. 

Marcie is a “community builder” who is passionate about volunteer work, social innovation, family services, and collaborative efforts to work together to protect children and their childhoods. She lives in Towne Lake with her husband, Nate, and children, Elijah and Hadley.

Melody Robinson began her career in social work in 1997 at Total Action for Progress (TAP), working at the Transitional Living Center. In this role, she dedicated herself to supporting and advocating for individuals experiencing homelessness, including those facing mental and physical illness, domestic violence, and substance abuse. She served as Senior Case Manager until the program’s closure in 2014 due to loss of government funding.

In 2007, Melody began working at Sabrina’s Place as a Visitation Monitor. Her dedication and leadership led to her promotion to Program Manager in 2014, a position she continues to hold today.

Since 2014, Melody has also been an active member of the Roanoke Valley Violence Prevention Council (RVVPC), an interagency coalition of professionals representing human services, legal aid, law enforcement, attorneys, and healthcare providers. Through this role, she collaborates with community partners to strengthen resources addressing family violence, intimate partner violence, sexual violence, and human trafficking.

Outside of her professional commitments, Melody enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, reading, and hunting for great deals while shopping. She has a deep passion for supporting children, the elderly, and individuals facing hardship. She also enjoys collecting elephant-themed items, reflecting her love of unique and meaningful treasures.