Conference Presenters
Day 1 Presenters
Amber Miskovich
Amber Miskovich is the founder of The Wonder Within and a former firefighter paramedic, military medic, massage therapist of over 20 years, and certified health and wellness coach. Her work is shaped less by theory and more by lived experience inside the systems where pressure, trauma, and human suffering are daily reality.
She has walked through eating disorder recovery, addiction, and profound personal loss—and continued showing up in the spaces where others are often expected to stay silent. That perspective is what anchors her work: not just endurance, but honesty about what unresolved pain does over time.
She speaks primarily to first responders, veterans, and protective service professionals because she understands the culture from the inside out—the identity, the humor, the pressure, and the cost of carrying it all without release.
Beth Race
Beth Race is the Executive Director of the Butler County Family and Children First Council, where she leads systems-level change efforts to strengthen outcomes for youth and families. She convenes a 59+ member council of educators, family representatives, mental health providers, nonprofit partners, and youth-serving government agencies focused on identifying system gaps, building collaboration, and creating community-driven solutions.
Under Beth’s leadership, the Council provides high-fidelity Wraparound, an evidence-based planning process supporting youth with complex needs and multi system involvement. Council also holds a variety of state and federal grants; including, Family Support Services, OneOhio, Strong Families Safe Communities, and a Resilience in Communities After Stress and Trauma grant from SAMHSA.
Beth is a professional translator of “government grant language” into words real humans can understand. She spends her days convincing systems to work together, turning community challenges into strategic priorities, and proving that prevention is worth investing in before a crisis happens. She believes every grant tells a story and every data point represents a person.
Beth lives in Monroe with her husband, two sons, and three rescue dogs.
Chelsea Freeman-Yates
Chelsea Freeman-Yates, LISW, is a high-impact systems leader and Executive Director of the Children and Families First Council of Lorain County. She’s known for transforming challenges into opportunities, rallying partners around bold ideas, and driving countywide initiatives that improve how children and families access support. With a background spanning school social work, medical social work, and strategic program development, Chelsea brings a powerful blend of innovation, collaboration, and action. She is a dynamic presenter and passionate advocate who equips teams and communities to elevate outcomes and create lasting change.
Stacey Smith
Stacey Smith, BS, LSW, OCPC, is the Director of the Sandusky County Family and Children First Council. With more than 35 years of experience, she works alongside community partners to strengthen systems of care and improve supports for children, youth, and families. Stacey also brings more than 25 years of experience with federal grant initiatives focused on prevention, mental health, and cross-system collaboration. Her work is grounded in building strong partnerships, developing practical solutions, and ensuring families have a meaningful voice.
Joel Potts
Joel Potts is the Chief Government and External Affairs Officer for the Ohio Department of Children and Youth (DCY). In this role, he supports the Research, Evaluation, and Impact team, which examines programmatic data and national research to tell the story of a project and assist in determining the type of impact the project made.
Joel brings more than 40 years of experience with state government. Prior to joining DCY, Joel served as the Executive Director of the Ohio Job and Family Service Directors’ Association. The organization represents the 88-county department of job and family service agencies who administer one of the largest health, human service, and workforce systems in the nation. He also has an extensive background in state government, where he spent 15 years with the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services.
Joel’s hometown is Shadyside, Ohio, but he currently lives in Pickerington. He is a proud alumnus of Ohio University.
Annie Weare
Annie V. Weare, MSW, LCSW, is a Licensed Social Worker and Family and Children First Council Administrator with nearly a decade of experience in child welfare, trauma-informed care, and family systems work. Trained in Trust-Based Relational Intervention and Motivational Interviewing, and co-host of the mental health podcast Two Friends One Chat, Annie brings grounded, practical wisdom to conversations about coping skills and sustainable self-care.
Jana Howell
Jana Howell is the Program Manager for Ohio Family and Children First. She joined the OFCF team in 2024 as a Regional Coordinator before moving into her current role. Jana previously worked in the adoption policy area of the Department of Children and Youth and served as a Foster Care Licensing Specialist for the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Before her state roles, she spent more than twenty years with a public children services agency, working primarily with youth in congregate care settings and later in adoption. Her final years with the agency included supervising programs such as adoption, placement, foster care licensing, and kinship services.
Jennie Horner
Jennie Horner is a Regional Coordinator of Ohio Family and Children First in the Northwest Region since 2016. She obtained a Master’s Degree in Community Counseling and has spent 33 years of her career in social services including previous roles in county leadership as an Administrator of an FCFC, a Regional Coordinator for the Brain Injury Association of Ohio, a Social Service Specialist of Lima City Schools district, and a Director of Big Brothers Big Sisters.
Aimee Matusik
Aimee Matusik has served as a Regional Coordinator for Ohio Family and Children First since 2016, supporting local Family and Children First Councils across eastern Ohio. With more than 20 years of experience in juvenile justice and family services, she has held leadership roles as a Juvenile Court Diversion Director/Officer and as a Service Coordinator and Administrator for a local Family and Children First Council. Aimee has also served on the boards of Family PACT and Coshocton Opportunity School, reflecting her longstanding commitment to strengthening community partnerships and improving outcomes for children, youth, and families. She holds a bachelor's degree in Criminal Justice and Business, with a minor in Sociology.
Colleen Tucker
Colleen Tucker has been in social services for more than 25 years. She started her career working with women in an inpatient alcohol and drug treatment setting. This role provided Colleen’s first experience regarding trauma and its impact on development. This experience was the catalyst for her career working with and for children and families, especially those who have experienced trauma.
Since that time, Colleen has worked as a children services caseworker and community support worker, as a Business Analyst helping stand up Ohio’s Statewide Automated Child Welfare Information System (OhioSACWIS), as Bureau Chief of Foster Care Licensing and Enforcement and as a Project Manager leading the development and implementation of multiple local and state child and family programs, including Ohio’s extended foster care program, Bridges. Since 2021, Colleen has been with Ohio Family and Children First (OFCF). In all of these roles, she has had the opportunity to collaborate with internal and external partners to improve outcomes for families and children throughout Ohio.
Alex Johnson
Alex Johnson has over 10 years of experience serving multi-system youth with complex needs. He began his career in an inpatient psychiatric hospital for children and adolescents, building a strong foundation in trauma-informed care and crisis support. He later transitioned into the developmental disabilities field, where he advanced to Director of Youth Services and partnered with county agencies across Ohio to expand access to community-based residential and respite services.
Building on this work, Alex collaborated with the Ohio Department of Developmental Disabilities and the Ohio Department of Medicaid to establish the first short-term, community-based Intensive Behavioral Support Intermediate Care Facilities (ICFs) in Columbus, Ohio, leading to the development of four programs across central Ohio. He currently serves as a Regional Coordinator with Ohio Family and Children First, overseeing the South Region and continuing to strengthen cross-system collaboration for youth with complex needs.
Katie Howard
Katie Howard serves as the Business Analyst for Ohio Family and Children First at the Department of Children and Youth. She joined the OFCF team in May 2024 after spending nearly 8 years with Athens County Family and Children First Council. Katie is passionate about trauma-informed care and is a member of the Statewide and Southeastern Ohio Trauma Informed Care Collaboratives. A graduate of the University of Rio Grande, Katie earned two bachelor’s degrees in business management and marketing. She is committed to supporting children, families, and communities throughout the state, but holds a special place for Southeastern Ohio. She strives to make sure they are not forgotten and have access to the resources and support they need. Katie’s dedication to servicing others extends beyond her professional role. She volunteers as a firefighter, showing her deep commitment to giving back to her community. Outside of work, she enjoys camping with her husband and two children.
