Big issues, bigger heart
For us, public service is a calling and way of life.
Public servants by experience and at heart, the C!A® team is comprised of former government employees who have dedicated much of their professional careers to public service. Each team member brings unique and diverse practical experience representing all different levels of government operations, and has a deep understanding of government processes working with state and county agencies, their local offices, and the associated federal agencies.
Our award-winning team of consultants and change agents have big ideas that we use to fundamentally change your culture by changing minds and fixing systems. Our people are accomplished consultants and gifted speakers with an intense focus on relationships and results.
Our team’s words from the heart: What does it mean to do more good?
Leadership
Immensely passionate about helping government be a force for good, Blake has dedicated his professional life to helping human services leaders and their teams challenge assumptions and the status quo and embrace new, innovative approaches and technology solutions to tackle some of the most pressing problems facing society and transform service delivery.
As a nationally recognized leader in human services, Sean has dedicated his career to helping agencies improve performance through process and innovative technology solutions to help families thrive
Practice Leadership
Brian Donohoe, Unemployment Insurance Practice Lead
Brian Donohoe: As C!A’s Unemployment Insurance Practice Lead, Brian provides guidance to his UI team in developing and serving State’s Unemployment adjudication operations, appellate , workforce and tax/contributions units. He has dedicated much of his life’s work to helping improve delivery of vital safety net programs to those in need. While at C!A, Brian has facilitated business process redesign (BPR) initiatives to streamline service delivery in twelve states and the District of Columbia. Prior to joining the C!A team, Brian served as Division Administrator for Hawaii’s Benefit, Employment and Support Services Division, the division administering critical safety net programs for the state, including SNAP, TANF, Child Care, Homeless Programs, and LIHEAP. Brian got his start in government in Alaska, where he was raised. While there, he served as Program Manager for the Public Assistance Quality Assessment Group and was the State’s Change Management Lead for its first integrated Enterprise Resource Planning (ERP) System IRIS. Brian is truly passionate about organizational excellence; he excels in handling field management challenges with communication, data-driven decision-making, soft-skills training, and leadership development.
Peter Brady, MBA, Consultant/UI Industry Manager
Peter Brady is a public service leader with a wealth of experience managing operations and leading teams. Most recently with the Kansas Department of Labor, he was selected to serve as Deputy Secretary of Labor, responsible for leading agency efforts to implement new federal unemployment insurance programs for the COVID-19 pandemic while also working to stabilize a legacy information technology system and prepare for a systemwide modernization effort. The divisions that he was responsible for encompassed more than 400 full-time staff and included an overwhelmed Unemployment Insurance program at the height of the COVID-19 pandemic. Peter advised the Kansas Secretary of Labor and the Office of the Governor of Kansas on key policy issues related to labor, the unemployment insurance program, and new federal programs created during the pandemic, and he led the quick and timely delivery of those program benefits. He also coordinated information technology resources and professional unemployment staff to build program requirements and develop applications for those services.
Prior to his selection as Deputy Secretary of Labor, Peter served as the Director of Industrial Safety and Health and as the agency’s Legislative Liaison. Peter has represented the Department of Labor on committees and councils such as the Unemployment Compensation Modernization and Improvement Council, and he has provided testimony to the Kansas legislature on more than 80 occasions. As a Division Director, Peter completed an overhaul of all reporting processes and systems for the public sector safety unit, making systems more efficient and eliminating a 12-month backlog of reports.
Peter’s passion for public service extends to his community, and he was appointed by the mayor to serve as a citizen member of both the public works and administration committees for the City of Fairway, Kansas.
Prior to his work with the Kansas Department of Labor, Peter served on active duty in the United States Army and was a Team Leader and Operations Supervisor in the 1st Infantry Division at Fort Riley, Kansas, and Camp Hovey, Republic of Korea.
Peter has earned a Master of Business Administration degree from the University of Kansas, a Graduate Certificate in Project Management from the University of Arkansas, and a Bachelor of Business Administration in Finance with a Political Science Minor from Texas Tech University.
Nicole Norvell, MBA, LCSW - Child Care Practice Lead
Nicole Norvell, a licensed clinical social worker, brings a wealth of expertise within state government, nonprofit agencies, and educational institutions to Change & Innovation Agency (C!A®) in her role as Child Care Practice Lead. Prior to joining C!A, Nicole was the director of the Office of Early Childhood and Out of School Learning for the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration. In this role, she was responsible for administering the federal Childcare Development Block Grant to serve low income, working families by supporting their needs in early childcare and education. She also was responsible for administration of all licensed and certified childcare in Indiana (including setting regulatory policy), the administration and vision for the Quality Rating and Improvement System (QRIS) and oversaw the state funded On My Way Pre-K program. During her time with the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration, Nicole also developed and implemented a statewide Learning Management System for early childhood education and procured and implemented a new suite of technology for early childhood education.
Prior to serving as director of the Office of Early Childhood and Out of School Learning, Nicole worked as director of the Division of Disability and Rehabilitative Services for the Indiana Family and Social Services Administration. She also has served as the state director of special education for the Indiana Department of Education. Nicole has additional experience on the front lines of childcare as a special education social worker, a therapist for family and youth services, and a juvenile probation officer/systems of care coordinator.
In addition to her licensure as a clinical social worker, Nicole holds a Master of Business Administration from Indiana Wesleyan University and a Master of Social Work from Indiana University. Nicole is also an adjunct faculty member at Grand Canyon University, where she teaches master’s level social work courses with the hope of molding the next generation of social workers.
Nicole Shields, Medicaid, SNAP and Safety Net Practice Lead
Nicole Shields serves as C!A’s Medicaid, SNAP, and Safety Net Practice Lead. In this role, Nicole leads C!A’s team to provide service delivery redesign projects across the country for various state and county human services and safety net agencies.
Prior to joining C!A, Nicole dedicated her career to supporting and strengthening the well-being of children, adults, and families through social services administration at Fairfax County Virginia Department of Family Services. Throughout her career she has held positions including Human Service Worker, Supervisor, Quality Assurance Specialist, Staff Development and Training Coordinator, and Operations Manager. In her role as Operations Manager, she led teams to support business process redesign and implementation of a new service delivery model.
Since joining C!A, Nicole has worked with 16 state and county agencies for business process redesign, training, and implementation of Current™, C!A’s SaaS service delivery platform. She has also assisted in comprehensive training assessment, redesign, and curriculum development.
Michael Jones, Medicaid, SNAP & Safety Net Practice Lead
Michael Jones serves as a Practice Lead in Change & Innovation Agency’s (C!A®) Medicaid, SNAP and Safety Net Programs. In this role, he oversees various service delivery redesigns and ongoing monitoring and oversight efforts underway across the country for various state and county human services and safety net agencies.
Michael joined C!A after a 20-year career at the South Carolina Department of Health and Human Services. During his time with DHHS, Michael held various positions, each with advancing responsibility, serving most recently as Chief Operating Officer where he was responsible for overseeing all Medicaid managed care and fee for service operations, which processed over $7 billion in claims annually. During his tenure, he oversaw statewide operations for 46 counties and over 1,000 employees. While in this role, Michael led a complete overhaul of all eligibility processes for the agency, which involved implementing electronic case records, moving toward a statewide caseload, and adopting consistency and verification tools.
He graduated from Clemson University with a degree in Computer Information Systems and Business Administration. He is a Certified Public Manager, Lean Six Sigma graduate, and has completed both state and national human services professional certifications.
Published Works:
Bill McCracken, Medicaid, SNAP and Safety Net Practice Lead
Bill McCracken is a Medicaid, SNAP, and Safety Net Practice Lead at the Change & Innovation Agency (C!A), where he plays a pivotal role in leading teams and overseeing service delivery redesign projects across the United States.
Bill joined the Change & Innovation Agency in 2011, bringing with him a wealth of experience accumulated over 18 years in the field of human services. His journey began at the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS), where he held diverse roles such as eligibility worker, social worker, tribal manager, supervisor, project manager, and office administrator.
During his tenure as a Community Service Office Administrator, Bill successfully managed multiple offices responsible for administering essential programs including SNAP, Medicaid, TANF, WorkFirst, Childcare, and General Assistance.
One of Bill’s notable achievements at the Washington State DSHS was leading his offices through a transformative business process redesign (BPR) effort. This initiative took place during a challenging period marked by an all-time high demand for services and low staffing levels. Bill’s leadership played a key role in navigating through these challenges and implementing effective solutions.
In his current role as the Medicaid, SNAP, and Safety Net Practice Lead at C!A, Bill is responsible for guiding teams in service delivery redesign projects and providing ongoing monitoring and oversight across the country. His expertise and experience are instrumental in addressing the complex needs of social service organizations.
Since joining C!A, Bill has worked extensively with various states, including Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Connecticut, Hawaii, Illinois, Kansas, Missouri, Nevada, North Carolina, Oregon, South Carolina, Texas, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, and Washington DC. His efforts have been directed towards implementing process improvements within social service organizations, contributing to positive change and innovation.
Bill McCracken’s commitment to improving social service delivery and his track record of successful leadership in the face of challenges make him an asset to the Change & Innovation Agency and the broader landscape of human services.
Bill Bott, Child Welfare Practice Lead & Director of Performance Improvement
Bill Bott has a heart for the noble work of government. A survivor of TQM, Zero Defects, Six Sigma, and Lean, Bill has dedicated his professional life to helping government agencies apply these concepts to radically improve performance and improve their capacity to do more good.
His innovative approach to running public sector improvement teams has made him one of the nation’s most sought-after change agents and earned him the title of 2022 Government Thought Leader of the Year by the American Business Awards.
A GOVERNING Public Official of the Year, and one of Government Technology’s Doers, Dreamers, and Drivers, Bill has a proven track record of being able to tackle the biggest issues facing government and maximize our technology investments.
Since joining the Change & Innovation Agency, Bill has worked with public servants across the country to do amazing things such as to reduce child welfare caseloads by 80% and reduce backlogged cases by 90%. A regular speaker and writer on how change really happens in government, his message of true process improvement before automation is a frequent theme in his writings and in his workshops.
Published Works:
- All We Need is Love…and Time
- Modernization Is Desperately Needed … But It’s Not Enough
- Child Welfare’s Pipe Problem: How Relieving the Pressure Can Ignite the Workforce’s Ability to Do Its Job
- The Scariest Four Words in Government
- Fixing Government’s People Problem: A Modest Proposal
- ‘Bad Idea Jeans’: Why Do Governments Keep Making the Same Management Mistakes?
- Improving Government Management: Time to Get Radical
- Management Fads in Government Come and Go
- Don’t Put All Your Eggs in the Technology Basket
- Just How Important is Customer Service?
- Lean Improvement Initiative Without Technology
- Public CIOs Need a Lesson From Bruce Lee
- Family First… Second: Finding a solution to managing the workflow
Senior Consultants
Karl Allison, Senior Consultant
Karl Allison’s 22-year tenure at the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) encompassed beginning as clerical staff at a call center, to eligibility worker, to supervisor, to Community Service Office (CSO) Deputy Administrator and CSO Administrator. As a CSO Administrator, Karl managed three offices and 60 staff members in two counties. During his tenure as a CSO Administrator, Karl served as Interim Regional Administrator in Western Washington and later in Eastern Washington, each having over 500 staff members in 8 -10 counties. He was also responsible for facilitating implementation of the Business Process Redesign (BPR) project throughout both rural and urban offices in the regions.
Karl is experienced in providing eligibility determinations and direct client services for programs including TANF, General Assistance, SNAP, Medicaid, childcare, and WorkFirst (Washington State’s welfare-to-work program).
During his time with the Change & Innovation Agency, Karl has worked with Washington, Rhode Island, Connecticut, Colorado, South Carolina, Texas, and Mecklenburg, North Carolina to help implement process improvements within their social service organizations.
Karl Allison
Veronica Bossack, Senior Consultant
“As a human services assistant director, I saw first hand how C!A worked with teams of our staff, creating real change from the ground up. The improvements are sustainable and meaningful, and what really strikes a chord with me, is seeing relief and happiness from hard working people when the ideas they came up with are really happening. We’re all in this business to help people, and we actually get to do it through this work-that fuels my passion every day.”
Veronica Bossack has had the unique experience and perspective of holding every position in the human services field – from clerk typist to director. She spent more than 34 years with the Arizona Department of Economic Security, where she oversaw the state’s public benefits and medical eligibility systems. Before retiring from state service, Veronica was selected to direct the state’s child welfare program during a challenging time that led to notable process improvements. Veronica was recognized in 2010 by Arizona Children’s Action Alliance as a “Champion for Children in Arizona.”
In 2013, she was recognized by the United States Department of Agriculture for her leadership, expertise, and innovative ideas that helped improve the Food and Nutrition Service outside of Arizona.
Since joining the Change & Innovation Agency, Veronica has led process improvement projects from Alaska to Texas to Washington, D.C., and everywhere in between.
Veronica Bossack
Sonja Dearmore, Senior Consultant
Sonja came to C!A in 2021 after a 31-year career in human services at the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS). She started her career in 1990 providing customer service in the lobby at a busy Public Assistance office, holding many positions over the years including eligibility worker, supervisor, Office Administrator, Training and Development Manager, Operations Administrator and eventually serving as the Chief of Field Operations, providing operational leadership for 52 public assistance offices and the statewide call center. During her tenure at DSHS she oversaw the implementation of a statewide training system, assisted in the implementation of a statewide call center, and lead the redesign of service delivery in Washington. Her experience in Washington engendered a passion for process improvement and staff driven, customer-focused business process redesign.
Since joining C!A in 2021 Sonja has had the opportunity to lead Business Process Redesign (BPR) in multiple counties in California and Colorado, and the state of Oregon. She is currently working as the consulting lead for the state of Hawaii Department of Human Services supporting their operations by assisting with fine-tuning their processes, providing data analysis, and helping them get full benefits from their technology solution. She has also been assisting Washington State with the implementation of the Insights Engine™, a SaaS system that will integrate electronic verification sources to improve timeliness and accuracy in eligibility decisions.
Sonja Dearmore
Carissa Gainey, MSW, Senior Consultant
Carissa Gainey, MSW, began her career working in a psychiatric residential treatment facility for children and transitioned to the child welfare system of South Carolina. Carissa began her government career as an investigator and quickly moved into a leadership role, training, and coaching staff on the best practices of investigations and later, intake. Carissa began leaning into practices to preserve families by preventing removals. The vision to preserve more families in South Carolina led Carissa to take on a Program Management role leading the front end of the child welfare system. Carissa wholeheartedly believes that all families who interact with child welfare system deserve quality case management and by increasing capacity for social workers, quality case management becomes a reality.
Carissa Gainey, MSW
Rachel Katuin, Senior Consultant
Rachel Katuin is an accomplished professional with a Bachelor of Arts in Sociology, complemented by minors in Human Relations and Social Work, from the University of Iowa. Initiating her distinguished tenure with the Kansas Department for Children and Families shortly after her graduation, Rachel has devoted over three decades to public service within the State of Kansas.
Throughout her career with the Department for Children and Families (DCF), Rachel has ascended through a series of progressively responsible roles, culminating in her position as the Management Support Director for Economic and Employment Services. In this capacity, Rachel has been instrumental in advising on programmatic reforms, policy adjustments, and procedural enhancements. She has overseen vital operations such as the division’s eligibility systems, the Electronic Benefit Transfer, and rigorous quality control measures. Her leadership extends to fiscal planning, data interpretation, program training, policy assessment, and the formulation of strategic objectives. Economic and Employment Services (EES) under her leadership have addressed initiatives tied to the Child Care and Development Fund (CCDF), Temporary Assistance for Needy Families (TANF), the Supplemental Nutrition Assistance Program (SNAP), State-Head Start Collaboration, work programs, the Low Income Home Energy Assistance Program (LIHEAP), and Food Distribution.
As the Project Director for the Kansas Eligibility & Enforcement System endeavor, Rachel played a pivotal role in a comprehensive, multi-agency initiative, which sought to modernize and centralize Medicaid and Human Services Benefits Programs into an integrated eligibility system. This critical project resulted in the replacement of eight antiquated legacy systems supporting 15 different programs, encompassed the implementation of Business Process Redesign for human services, the adoption of document imaging techniques, and the introduction of Self-Service Portal features for medical and human services programs.
Rachel’s expertise extends to her leadership as the business lead in the planning, design, and rollout of forward-thinking child care subsidy benefits through electronic benefit transfer technology. Additionally, she is recognized as a CCDF subject matter expert, having played a key role in negotiating the Child Care Union (AFSCME) Agreement within Kansas. As an influential voice in her field, Rachel has shared her insights as a speaker at various conferences focused on Child Care and Development Fund initiatives, Child Care technology, and the administration of integrated eligibility systems modernization projects.
A Certified Public Manager and a Project Management Professional, Rachel’s credentials and her unwavering commitment to excellence reinforce her standing as a leader in her field.
Rachel Katuin
Lawrence Mirabal, Senior Consultant
Lawrence Mirabal serves as a Senior Consultant at Change & Innovation Agency (C!A), where he specializes in fostering organizational transformation through strategic leadership and the redesign of business processes. With over 25 years of experience in leading high-achieving teams across diverse sectors, Lawrence has honed a profound capability in driving performance and innovation.
In the recent decade, Lawrence has committed his professional endeavors to assisting leaders in human services to rediscover the core values inherent in public service. His efforts aim to invigorate organizations and help them achieve remarkable outcomes.
Renowned for his expertise in leadership development, Lawrence is also a sought-after public speaker and educator. He has shared his insights on leadership and operational strategies at various academic institutions, human services conferences, and symposiums.
From 2019 to 2023, Lawrence contributed his expertise to the Executive Advisory Committee for the National Staff Development & Training Association, playing a pivotal role in guiding the organization’s strategic initiatives.
Lawrence Mirabal
Suzi Stott, Senior Consultant
Suzi Stott began her career in human services in remote Western Alaska as an eligibility worker more than 32 years ago. During her career, she worked her way up through the Department of Health and Social Services serving as an agent for change in a variety of positions through every level of management. Suzi has a passion for helping families in need of services, and for the hard-working staff who serve them. As a Regional Manager and later as the Chief of Field Services for Alaska’s Division of Public Assistance, Suzi was part of the Division’s leadership team that led the charge to improve Alaska’s service delivery model that resulted in both timeliness and accuracy performance bonuses for the state.
As a full-time Senior Consultant with the Change & Innovation Agency, she has expanded her impact through business process redesign (BPR) assessment, planning, training development, and implementation activities in twelve additional states, and has conducted management academies across the country to share her passion with hundreds of government leaders.
Suzi Stott
Lorrie Walker, Senior Consultant
Lorrie Walker began her career as a clerk in Washington state in 1987. She continued her journey as a clerical lead/supervisor, financial services specialist, financial services lead, financial services supervisor, project management and consultant positions. Lorrie was the team lead for the Service Delivery Redesign (SDR) project throughout the 52 offices in Washington state. This project drastically changed how business was conducted and 1 ½ years into following the new processes, Washington had no work waiting to be worked across the state. Lorrie joined the Change & Innovation Agency with 30 years of experience in Health and Human Services. Since joining C!A, Lorrie has worked with 17 state social service agencies to help implement process improvements strategies. Her focus is on managing the workload through data, providing agencies guidance on gaining capacity using the five basic principles of first contact resolution. Working collaboratively with our customers on service delivery and relieving unnecessary stress from staff across all levels of the agency.
Lorrie Walker
Brian Wann, Senior Consultant
Brian Wann has dedicated his entire career to Human Services, starting as an eligibility worker in Lawrence, Kansas, in 1998. He worked as a front-line worker for ten years processing TANF, SNAP, Medicaid, and Child Care Assistance for low-income Kansas families. In 2007, Brian became a supervisor in Overland Park, Kansas, and worked to rollout and implement processes to reduce inbound call wait times in the state. Brian then worked as a Program Administrator and managed eligibility processing for the Kansas City Metro Region for five years, ensuring Kansans received timely and accurate benefits for SNAP, TANF and Child Care Assistance. Brian also helped lead the Process Management workgroup for the state since its inception to continue to improve outcomes and ensure all federal and state guidelines were correctly followed.
Since joining Change and Innovation Agency in 2015, he has worked in ten different states across the country to redesign service delivery and implement process management changes. Brian has helped assess, map, redesign, and rollout new processes for different states across the country. Brian is currently working as the consulting lead for the Missouri Family Support Division (FSD) and has worked to reduce customer wait times on inbound calls, as well as extend access to participants who want to visit FSD resource centers for in person case processing.
Brian has also helped implement Insights Engine in Missouri, which allows workers to receive all electronic verification sources together, which helps streamline application and recertification processing while using all available electronic resources to help timely processing in the state.
Brian Wann
Theresa Werth, Senior Consultant
Theresa “Terri” Werth is a dedicated executive with a 30-year progressive career in state government and a visionary leader with a proven track record of driving organizational turnaround and change management.
Prior to joining C!A, Terri served as a Workforce Management Director with the Texas Health and Human Services Commission. Before retiring from state service in 2021, Terri assisted with the design, development, and implementation of the first inbound call center in the nation that enabled customers to call and complete interviews for assistance. Further streamlining the call center process, Terri also implemented the use of an automated dialer to replace the need for worker cold calls – once a customer agreed to an interview, they would be transferred to the next available live worker to complete the interview process. During the Public Health Emergency, Terri utilized THHSC call center staff to process more than 400,000 benefit applications in a three month period. She also managed an automated call system to process an average of 15,000 benefit application tasks in a three hour period daily.
Terri’s dedication to business improvement practices continues at C!A. Since joining, Terri has worked with 13 state and county agencies for business process redesign, training, and implementation of Current™.
Terri Werth
Andi West, Child Welfare Industry Manager
Andi West is a dedicated child welfare professional, serving as a leader in the Idaho Child Welfare System for more than 10 years. In various roles, from social worker to Child Welfare Chief, she facilitated large scale practice implementation and process improvement in safety assessment, ongoing case management, foster care licensing and permanency. Most recently, Andi extended her passion for serving children impacted by trauma to the Coeur d’ Alene School District as the Mental Health Coordinator and to her community as the Co-Founder of the North Idaho Trauma Care Collaborative.
As the Child Welfare Industry Manager with Change and Innovation (C!A), Andi brings her child welfare expertise to state and county clients, both in process improvement and national best practice. Along with the entire C!A Child Welfare Team, Andi leads radical process redesign work with child welfare agencies across the country to transform systems and find internal capacity so child welfare staff can “do more good”.
Andi West
Sarah Winter, Senior Consultant
Sarah Winter began her career as an eligibility worker in the State of New Mexico in 2011. She quickly moved into a leadership position to train and mentor staff during the implementation of a new eligibility system in New Mexico, as well as policy, and process. Two years later she found her passion for training and curriculum development. She was responsible for overseeing the training units within the New Mexico Human Services Department, Income Support Division as well as the New Mexico Department of Health Developmental Disabilities Division. This included development and implementation of change management concepts, including manager system training, time coaching and developing training techniques, as well as create materials, review material for accuracy, and edit materials developed by training staff for in-person and online trainings. Sarah also sent out training updates and ensured training compliance for both state employees and external clients.
A firm believer that a well-trained staff will help increase an agency’s capacity to serve more families, Sarah now helps Change & Innovation Agency clients by developing and conducting eligibility training academies utilizing adult learning theory. She developed and conducts supervisor academies for Current™, C!A’s SaaS service delivery platform. She helps with implementation and postimplementation efforts including fine-tuning business processes, data analysis, and communicating IT changes between the business and development team.
Additionally, she also assists the C!A team with Business Process Redesign (BPR) and monitoring and oversight for multiple states.
Sarah Winter
Reginald Wright, Senior Consultant
Reginald Wright began working for the Washington State Department of Social and Health Services (DSHS) in 2001. For 14 years, he served in a variety of positions including financial service specialist, program manager, lead worker, and administrator.
As the EBT/EFT and Contracts Administrator for the DSHS Community Service Division (CSD), his responsibilities were to apply the principles of state budgeting and accounting practices to managing, monitoring, and providing oversight for the annual $75 million contract for the EBT program and the more than $204 million CSD personal and client service contracts. He also had direct oversight of cash benefits totaling more than $5.5 million per month for direct deposit clients.
In 2013, Reginald joined the Change & Innovation Agency to apply his expertise across the country.
Reggie Wright
Eric Younger, Senior Consultant
Eric Younger is a seasoned leader possessing extensive expertise in child welfare and operational management. His professional journey encompasses a variety of roles within the child welfare landscape, where he has honed his skills in fiscal oversight, leadership cultivation, operational supervision, human resource management, and the delivery of services, as well as active stakeholder collaboration.
His track record of direct managerial and supervisory responsibilities spans critical areas such as service delivery, casework, child abuse and neglect inquiries, licensing, subsidy management, operational coordination, budgeting, and field support. These competencies have been instrumental in spearheading enhancements in numerous child welfare initiatives, notably in the refinement of foster care licensing procedures and the optimization of investigative responses to child abuse and neglect cases.
Eric Younger
Current™
Alisa Henson, Director of Application Development
Alisa Henson is a dynamic IT professional with over 25 years of experience, distinguished by her passion for leveraging technology to enhance people’s lives. Currently serving as the Director of Systems Development at C!A, Alisa has been at the forefront of leading the Current™ engineering team, playing a pivotal role in the conceptualization and development of the groundbreaking Current™ software product. Her journey in IT has spanned roles as a developer, manager, and director, providing her with a comprehensive understanding of the intricacies of the industry.
In her multifaceted career, Alisa has navigated various domains within IT, from application development and system administration to business intelligence, integration, ETL, and data warehousing. Her expertise extends beyond technical realms, encompassing change management, vendor selection, and contract negotiations. Alisa excels in crafting and executing IT strategies, demonstrating a keen ability to build and nurture high-functioning Agile teams that thrive on innovation and adaptability.
A true advocate for IT strategy, Alisa’s leadership at Sonic Drive In as the Director of Systems Development showcased transformative achievements. She spearheaded the conversion of their traditional waterfall development process to Agile methodologies, emphasizing her commitment to innovation and adaptability. Her visionary leadership extended to the implementation of business intelligence analytics, empowering operational partners and franchise managers with actionable insights to elevate drive-in operations and lower food costs. Alisa’s hands-on approach and strategic mindset not only improved processes but also catalyzed the conversion of underperforming teams into highly productive units. Her legacy in IT is marked by a commitment to excellence, organizational change, and a relentless pursuit of innovative solutions.
Rochelle Brazier, Sr. Product Manager
“I’ve had a lifelong desire to make a difference for people in need as I grew up in similar circumstances. I was able to accomplish this through working in government for 20 years for each community in which I worked. When C!A helped improve our business process I felt so much joy in the customer service improvements that were made. Now working for C!A, the impact I have to help those in need has increased exponentially.”
Rochelle Brazier possesses extensive expertise in human services, particularly in the areas of public assistance, child welfare, and juvenile justice. During her time in state government, Rochelle was considered one of the most effective managers and change agents at the New Mexico Department of Human Services. During the early design and implementation phase of New Mexico’s business process redesign (BPR) effort, Rochelle piloted groundbreaking strategies that have served as the model for many other states in their efforts to radically improve the delivery of public assistance services. Despite a long-term hiring freeze, a 20% vacancy rate, lack of technology, and crushing caseload increases, Rochelle’s team implemented same-day service, increased the percentage of families receiving benefits at initial interaction with the department (from 50 to 70%), improved timeliness, and improved the SNAP payment accuracy rate.
In her work with C!A, Rochelle has helped the Development team redesign user interactions with Current, C!A’s service delivery platform. She has worked with leadership to collect information to prioritize enhancements to Current and thereby make the platform more marketable. Rochelle also has collaborated with consulting leads to prioritize enhancements for existing customers, supports new client onboarding and all existing client interactions with Current, and has worked with the Training team to develop training and user guides. In addition, Rochelle assists with requirements for 80% of user stories for the company’s MVP product.
The benefit of Rochelle’s experience is far reaching; she serves as a resource to managers in many states in the area of process improvement and change management. She is a member or leader of the teams that helped Arizona, Hawaii, Kansas, Vermont, Rhode Island, Fairfax County, Connecticut, Nevada, Alaska, Colorado, New Mexico, South Carolina, Texas, and the District of Columbia redesign their public assistance systems.
Client Success
Kim Bazan, Director of Client Success
Kim Bazan serves as C!A’s Director of Client Success, ensuring the voice of our customers drives our pursuit of high quality and impactful services and solutions across all C!A teams. Mission-driven and passionate about human services, Kim has dedicated her career to improving programs designed to help children and families during their times of need. Kim’s 29 years of nonprofit and state government experience span human services, health care, and child welfare programs and provides a lens through which she can better understand the needs of our clients. Prior to joining C!A, Kim worked for the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC) for 14 years, serving as a collaborative leader and trusted peer in strategic roles within the agency’s Government Relations, Access & Eligibility Services, and Medicaid & CHIP Services departments. Kim led teams responsible for strategic initiatives and governance, project delivery, IT coordination, communication and change management, policy development, administrative budget management, and audit coordination.
Kim holds a Bachelor of Science in Social Work from Texas Christian University.
Training
Bill Callahan, Director of Training
Bill Callahan is the Director of Training at Vimo/GetInsured. He oversees the coordination of training efforts for all staff. He develops, delivers, and maintains training plans and materials while serving as the liaison for all training needs, concerns, and issues. He helps state and county governments to do more good in their communities by streamlining processes and cutting out unnecessary delays in their training systems.
Previously, he was the Staff Development and Training Administrator at State of Washington, Department of Social and Health Services, Economic Services Administration, Community Services Division.
He graduated from Whitman College in 1997 with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Spanish Language and Literature. He has 25 years of experience in public assistance program administration with human service agencies and state government, including 20+ years in training delivery, design, development, and management. He oversaw all the training needs for roughly 2,700 staff who administer cash assistance, Supplemental Nutritional Assistance Program (SNAP) and Medicaid in his home state of Washington.
He was on the American Public Human Services Association (APHSA) National Staff Development and Training Association (NSDTA) Executive Advisory Council through 2022 and left in good standing as Member at Large.
Are you interested in joining the C!A team? Check out our Career page for more information and current openings.