Conference Speakers
Karen Vadino
Karen Vadino is a Motivational Speaker, Humorist, Trainer and Consultant. In her many years as a human service professional, most of Karen’s experience has been in the field of chemical dependency, both as a licensed clinician and as a certified prevention specialist. She has considerable experience working with children and families, having served as a clinician and supervisor in Children’s Services group homes and a Children’s Psychiatric Hospital. Karen also has been a part-time instructor in Social Work, Sociology, Juvenile Justice and Human Development at Youngstown State University, Penn State University and Westminster College. Karen draws from her extensive and varied experience to form the foundation of her unique and distinctively humorous approach to life and work. For the past thirty-plus years, she has been a nationally recognized speaker and trainer sharing her inimitable insights with thousands of people – adults and youth –each year. Karen has been described as “one of those rare people who can make you laugh and cry in the same moment”.
Trevor Dunlap
Trevor Dunlap is the Executive Director / CEO of Camp Nuhop. As the son of the founders, Jerry and Terrie Dunlap, Trevor was raised with the values and principles of Nuhop’s mission. Trevor is passionate about Experiential Learning and loves fostering creative environments where people can succeed through self-discovery and teamwork. His high energy and zeal creates a contagious atmosphere of transforming fun where people can develop a new appreciation of themselves and their peers. Trevor is the co-author of: Teambuilding from the Toyaisle and Crowdwords: Doing a Lot with a Little, as well as the designer of CrowdCubes, Pathfinder, and Performance Cubed, experiential tools used industry-wide. Trevor and his wife Sarah enjoy taking their three children on adventures, and can often be found trail running/hiking, skiing, and working the soil in their family garden.
Kara Wente
Kara Wente is the director of the Department of Children and Youth. She has spent her career advocating for children. In August, 2023, Governor Mike DeWine nominated her to be the director of the Department of Children and Youth. She has served as the Director of the Governor’s Children’s Initiative since January 2023, and was previously the Chief Operating Officer for Future Ready Columbus. With more than 20 years in dedicated state service, Wente has extensive experience in serving the most vulnerable children and families in Ohio. She used data as an accountability tool for systemic change during her time as the Assistant Director of Health and Human Services at the Ohio Department of Job & Family Services and led several large-scale system and policy changes as Deputy Director at the Office of Family Assistance. Wente holds a Master’s in Education and Allied Professions from the University of Dayton and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from The Ohio State University.
Dr. Mary Kay Irwin
Dr. Mary Kay Irwin is the Director of School Health Services at Nationwide Children’s Hospital and an Adjunct Faculty member in the Department of Pediatrics at The Ohio State University. Dr. Irwin is responsible for leading and assuring the development, implementation, and evaluation of school health services delivered by the hospital. Dr. Irwin’s research and expertise focuses on the intersection between health and education inclusive of strategies and interventions to eliminate health status as a barrier to learning for children and adolescents experiencing chronicity and for those experiencing health inequities due to social determinants such as limited access and opportunity.