Speakers

Chris Ballard was hired as the general manager of the Indianapolis Colts on January 29, 2017. He is entering his 22nd NFL season and his sixth in his current role where he oversees all football operations. In his first five years at the helm, Ballard has constructed teams that have won 41 games collectively, which includes three winning seasons and two playoff appearances. Since his arrival in Indianapolis, Ballard has stressed the importance of winning the battle in the trenches. His theory held true in 2019 as the Colts finished with a top-10 rushing offense for the first time since 2001. Under Ballard, the Colts have witnessed eight players earn 15 first or second-team All-Pro honors and 11 players garner 19 Pro Bowl selections. Following the 2019 season, Ballard won the Pro Football Writers of America Jack Horrigan Award, which is given to the league or club official for his or her qualities and professional style in helping the pro football writers do their job.

Ballard came to the Colts after a four-year stint with Kansas City, most recently as the director of football operations. Prior to Kansas City, Ballard began his NFL career with the Chicago Bears. Before entering player personnel, Ballard spent seven seasons on the coaching staff at Texas A&M-Kingsville.

While Chris and his wife Kristin, were raising their three children, they also began caring for two cousins of their family who they eventually adopted through foster care. The Ballards host foster children and families at each home Colts game through their Huddle for Hope program with Hands of Hope.

Jamie C. Finn is the author of bestselling book, Foster the Family, the founder and executive director of Foster the Family, the host of the Real Mom podcast, the founder and owner of Goods and Better, and a sought-after speaker for retreats, conferences, and events for foster and adoptive parents. Her popular social media accounts offer a glimpse into the real life of a foster parent and provide encouragement to thousands of foster parents. At any given moment, Jamie is a mother to five to six children, including her two biological children and three children adopted through foster care. She lives in Sicklerville, New Jersey, with her husband, Alan.

As a public speaker, community leader and strategic solutionist, Clarkston Morgan formulates, implements, and evaluates cross-functional resources to empower families, businesses and communities.

At the age of 17, Clarkston started the journey of investing back into children as a Youth Pastor in the inner city of Detroit. This journey launched his passion for working with youth throughout Michigan: Trio Upward Bound Program, Big Brothers Big Sisters of West Michigan, & The Dunamoo Movement. He currently serves in his local church as an Executive & Worship Pastor.

Clarkston also serves as Founder & Chief Ambassador of Ambassador Consultants and City Commissioner for the City of Kentwood. In both of these roles, he provides families with the necessary tools to keep their children in a productive family environment. This includes counseling, housing & food assistance, education and workforce development training. He understands that if you can keep the family together, they will never end up in the system.

Clarkston is married to LaKendra Morgan. Their passion for children led them to foster nine children and eventually adopt their daughter and son. Although they are no longer actively fostering, they are public speakers, mentors and coaches to parents of foster and adoptive children. In efforts to empower families, Clarkston and LaKendra also partner with and support local and national organizations. This includes organizations such as CAFO, DA Blodgett St. Johns, Samaritas, Bethany Christian Services, Alpha Grand Rapids, and GR Pregnancy Resource Center and several others.

Jacki Rodgers works as a CSR at The Dean Ballenger Agency. As a former youth in foster care, she is a strong advocate for children, sharing her experiences while inspiring others to join in caring for children. She enjoys running, exploring new places, and spending time with family and friends. Jacki is married to Grant and lives in Fishers, Indiana.

Brandy leads a thriving Family Advocacy Ministry at her church in Ft. Wayne. She is passionate about loving others well and working with others to serve vulnerable children and families. She is a mom through birth and adoption and is the Hands of Hope Church Engagement Specialist for Northeast Indiana.

Justin and Alexis are graduates of Western Michigan University from Detroit and Flint, Michigan. As authors and business owners, they joined the Forbes Next 1000 class in 2021. Together, they’ve published an award-winning, bestselling book titled Redefining Normal: How Two Foster Kids Beat The Odds and Discovered Healing, Happiness and Love that has impacted over 25,000 individuals and families. On April 2nd, 2023, they will be publishing their second book “I Love You More Than Cereal” as a part of their children’s book series. With Redefining Normal, they hope to continue the conversation on healthy relationships, mental health, and healing through speaking engagements, trainings and book clubs.

Mike and Kristin Berry are parent coaches, award-winning authors, podcasters and the founders of The Honestly Adoption Company which specializes in helping caregivers thrive through support and education. Their podcast, The Honestly Adoption Podcast, receives more than 30,000 downloads a month in 65 countries around the world, and is ranked in the top 1% of shows on Apple Podcasts. In 2020 they published the book Securely Attached: How Understanding Childhood Trauma Will Transform Your Parenting as a guidebook and companion for foster and adoptive parents. They are the parents of 9 children all of whom have been adopted. In their spare time they enjoy life on their farm, just north of Indianapolis, with miniature donkeys, horses, cows, chickens, a pig, cats and dogs.

Calvalyn Day, MsED, TICC, Director of Operations at The Well Counseling and Consulting Group, is a nationally published author, certified trauma-informed coach and speaker. She is highly sought out by mission driven organizational leaders for her approach to trauma-informed and culturally competent personal and professional development. She is the author of two books, Drag ‘Em Kicking and Screaming and Authentically Engaged Families. Calvalyn completed her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at Indiana University Purdue University Indianapolis.

Amy Jo is the Care Community Director and Communication Director at Hands of Hope. She and her husband have four children through birth, foster care and adoption. Amy Jo is passionate about empowering and equipping leaders in advocacy and wraparound support.

Casey is a social work graduate from Ball state and recently completed her Master’s in Ministry at Taylor University. Prior to working with Hands of Hope, Casey led the Family Advocacy Ministry at her church. With over 8 year’s experience working with vulnerable families and children, Casey has found her passion in helping churches engage in supporting the needs of the community.

Darren and Stacey spent 12 years as licensed foster parents, working with medically fragile infants and children. They have 7 children of their own, including 5 adopted children. Three of their children were adopted from the state foster system, and two of their children were adopted from an orphanage in Eastern Europe. In the United States, the Gagnons work with foster families and educators to provide training in understanding challenging behaviors in children with trauma.

After their experiences adopting from Eastern Europe, they knew they needed to do more to help orphaned children across the globe. They started Lost Sparrows in 2017 to help support foster systems, and train and educate those that work with children on the effects of childhood trauma.

Growing up as the son of an adoption attorney, Grant Kirsh has been surrounded by adoption his entire life. As a second generation adoption attorney, he enjoys continuing his family’s legacy in Indiana. Grant focuses his work on private newborn adoptions and foster care adoptions.

Grant grew up in Carmel, Indiana, graduating from Carmel High School, Indiana University for his Bachelor’s Degree, and Indiana University School of Law for law school. He is married to Emley, whom he has known since high school, and they have a daughter, Anna, and a son, Brogan. Grant loves his family very much and enjoys spending the weekends with them and their two dogs.

Finding meaningful ways to help those in need has been a calling for Haley since childhood. Guided by strong faith, she served meals in soup kitchens, offered support to underprivileged children and adults, taught and mentored youth, and performed outreach in the communities she called home.

After receiving a degree in Psychology and Sociology from Huntington University in 2014, Haley worked with individuals with autism and developmental delays, and performed school- and home-based interventions for those facing anxiety and depression. She earned a Masters of Social Work degree with honors from IUPUI in 2022 and is a Licensed Social Worker.

At Care to Change, Haley guides people who are experiencing grief and loss, anxiety, and depression, especially women who have experienced the heartbreak of miscarriage. Families sharing love through adoption and foster care are a particular interest, and she enjoys helping all parents develop stronger connections with their children. Haley and her husband have three children, are licensed foster parents, and in quieter moments, you’ll find her baking and cross-stitching.

Larry is an adoptive dad, former businessman and CASA volunteer who believes his role as a father is the most important job he has ever had. He loves seeing kids prosper in safe, supportive families, whether through temporary placement in loving foster homes or through finding their forever family via adoption. He especially enjoys helping businesses and faith communities understand how they can be part of the solution for kids in Indiana’s foster care system.

Lindie is the Care Community Manager at Hands of Hope. She is a former foster parent who definitely could have used the support of a Care Community. Now, she focuses her energy on making sure other foster/adoptive/kinship/safe families in Indiana have the support they need.

Laura began her work in foster and adoption ministry in 2011 as a church volunteer where she educated, equipped and supported the church to defend the cause of the fatherless. She and her husband have three kids, one who was adopted from China, and have hosted kids through Safe Families. She believes every child belongs in a family, and everyone can be involved in foster care. Laura is excited to help individuals and businesses discern the role they can play here in Indiana.

Clarkston and LaKendra Morgan’s passion for children led them to foster nine children and eventually adopt their daughter and son. Although they are no longer actively fostering, they are public speakers, mentors and coaches to parents of foster and adoptive children. In efforts to empower families, Clarkston and LaKendra also partner with and support local and national organizations such as CAFO, DA Blodgett St. Johns, Samaritas, Bethany Christian Services, Alpha Grand Rapids, and GR Pregnancy Resource Center and several others.

Originally from North Philadelphia and an alum of the Foster Care system Takkeem Morgan attended Pennsylvania State University for both his bachelors and masters degrees. He earned his MBA in 2015 after which he relocated to the great state of Indiana to begin his professional marketing career. After serving for 4 years in strategic marketing roles in the private sector Takkeem was recruited by Foster America for a professional fellowship with Indiana DCS. In 2019 Takkeem began an 18 month fellowship with the Indiana Department of Child Services to help Director Stigdon and her team better understand the opportunities to recruit and retain the best foster parents across the state.

Even after his fellowship ended Takkeem has remained committed to serving the needs of Indiana’s foster families and children. Over the last 4 years Takkeem has been working across the state to build partnerships and develop innovations that improve outcomes for children and families impacted by the foster care system or at risk of entering it. Currently Takkeem serves as a senior project manager for Foster America and last year Takkeem launched Mosaic ParentHub, a social impact company which is developing a continuous education system for both foster and birth parents. Mosaic Parent Hub uses learning management technology and continuous education content to make the needs and experiences of vulnerable parents visible to the systems set up to serve them.

Sarah Pfleeger is a 16 year old who first wrote this ever-adapting course at the age of 13. Since then she has had national opportunities to share with others and has been shaped by the experiences. She is a published author, always looking for new inspiration, and loves to read, write, and spend time with her cat!

David Reed has been the Deputy Director of Child Welfare Services for DCS since Sept 2017. He is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and has worked in the social work field since 1995. He has presented at numerous conferences on the topics of trauma, attachment, childhood mental health, and parenting.

At SeedGrowth, Wilbert Fobbs works with organizations and the community to engineer social change. Through marketing, strategy, and partnerships with municipalities, the private sector, and foundations, he specializes in positively impacting education systems, the social service sector, and urban communities. Khadija Walker-Fobbs is a strategic and steadfast leader focused on creating positive, measurable systemic change within vulnerable communities. As the Chief Strategy Officer of the Judson Center, she leads the Child and Family Services/Child Welfare division, that serves thousands of children and families annually through Autism Connections, behavioral health, foster care and adoption, employment services for persons with disabilities, and primary care for all ages.