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Lori Blake is a Central KS leader choosing to be a change-maker, a wife and mother of three trying to find balance between home and work while sharing God’s light with all. She has served professionally as an advocate for human rights and universal access to quality education from cradle to grave. She has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications with an emphasis in Business from Bethany College.  After starting her career at CAPS in 1998, she returned as the Executive Director in 2015.

As a parent, community leader and business owner, she is honored to serve USD 306 on the Board of Education and on the Board of Directors for Kansas Association of School Boards where she is currently on the executive council as President-Elect. She enjoys problem solving with creativity, transparency and diversity that results in achieving the group mind and thinks it is fun to see what can be accomplished when people work together.

Claudia Quezada-Commerford is a Bilingual Victim Advocate at CAPS. She has had a calling to work with youth and children for as long as she can recall. This led to receiving her Bachelor’s in Family Studies and Human Services from Kansas State University. Claudia enjoys being involved in her community and is a 2019 graduate of Leadership Salina. She has a strong passion in pursuing Jesus and taking care of her family . Hobbies are baking, cooking and interior design.

I am married to Colleen and have a daughter, Emily, and son, Patrick. Lewis and Rebecca are my son and daughter-in-law. Sam, Conner, and Max are my three grandchildren. My career has been as a Public Educator, employed as a middle school teacher and counselor. Football and Basketball were sports I coached.

Kristi Green is a Family Mentor, Youth and Family Services Specialist who works with juvenile offenders and their families. Kristi has been in this position since March 2018. She provides support, education, problem-solving skills, and guidance to help juveniles make the necessary changes to prevent future delinquency. Kristi holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice from Lincoln University of Missouri and a Master of Science degree in Forensic Psychology from Argosy University. Kristi has a true passion for helping youth and supporting them in reaching their full potential. Kristi is the mother of 3 wonderfully spirited children who are the light of her life. She and her husband keep busy by keeping the 3 of them happy!

Jakyma Roughton has been working in childcare for nine years. She has two beautiful daughters and enjoys painting and drawing her free time.

Michele Hays works as a childcare provider as she has since 1992. She is a Kansas Wesleyan graduate with an Associate of Arts degree in Early Childhood Education. She enjoys cross-stitch, word searches and playing games on her IPAD when she’s not working.

Carmen L. San Martin J.D. is a CASA Volunteer Supervisor and trainer for the Saline County CASA Program. She has worked in this role since September 2013. Carmen is an attorney whose former practice focused on family law, child custody, child abuse and domestic violence cases. Prior to being employed by CAPS, Carmen volunteered as a member of the CAPS Board of Directors. In her free time, she volunteers on the board of non-profit organizations including the Salina Regional Health Foundation Board, United Methodist Health Ministries Board and the Board of Angel Academy Preschool. She is the mother of 2 active children who keep she and her husband busy attending their concerts and sporting events. Carmen and her husband are avid Jayhawk Basketball fans and enjoy traveling with their family.

Katy Vinson is a graduate of Kansas State University with a degree in Family and Consumer Sciences Education. She has taught in Salina and Solomon for more than 21 years. Her focus is on early childhood education and teacher education with classes in parenting and child development. Katy has taught parent ed courses for CAPS for many years. She has taught all ages of students from grade school age to adult. Her favorite students are parents who are anxious to learn about being the very best parent they can be.

Angela Owens has been on the staff here at CAPS for 18 years. Currently, Angela is a CASA Volunteer Supervisor/Victim Advocate and has been in this role since December of 2017. She has a Bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education and a Master’s Degree in Early Childhood Administration from Kansas State University. Angela’s previous experience includes Early Childhood Teacher in the public schools and non-profit child care centers, Executive Director of several non-profit child care centers, Child Care Consultant with the Child and Adult Care Food Program and her past position here at CAPS, Program Director/Assessor with the Saline County School Readiness Project (formerly Smart Start of Saline County). Angela is married and has a high school age son. In her spare time, she keeps busy as an active CASA Volunteer, bird watching and engaging in retail therapy.

Egla Eikleberry is a Family Mentor and Parent Educator at CAPS. Born in Mexico, the descendant of Spanish and Cuban parents, she graduated from the Interamerican University with a Bachelor in Science degree in International relations and from the University of Monterrey with a minor in Political Sciences. She is married with 2 kids. Egla developed the program “Save our children” to create consciousness in the Hispanic population about child abuse. While working with parents and families, individually or in a group, she has a passion for supporting parents in the walk of parenthood.

Egla es Mentora familiar y Educadora para padres en CAPS, Nacida en México de descendencia Española y cubana, ella se gradúa de la Universidad Interamericana en la licenciatura de Relaciones internacionales y con una sub especialización en ciencias políticas. Casada con dos hijos. Egla desarrollo el programa “salvemos a nuestros niños” para crear conciencia con la populación Hispana sobre el abuso infantil. Ya sea trabajando con familias individualmente o en grupo, ella tiene una pasión de apoyar a los padres y madres, en el camino de paternidad y maternidad.

Joan Ray has been employed by CAPS since 1996. She has a Bachelor of Science in Management and Ethics and a certificate in Field Service Engineering Technology. She has been trained as a Sexual Assault Victim Advocate. Joan is married and has 2 children and 2 grandchildren. She is currently serving as a Family Mentor and as Happy Bear. Joan is the lead facilitator for the monthly Grandparent Discussion Group.

Necol Sample is the Childcare Service Director and Early Education Assessor. She has worked in the childcare field for 29 years and is the proud mom of 2 girls, 5 dogs, 3 cats, a ferret and several fish. When she’s not caring for children, she enjoys drawing, reading, cooking and playing board games.

Vicki Price, B.A. University of Northern Colorado, M.S. Kansas State University, has been the Director of Education at CAPS since 1992. Prior to that, she was an elementary school teacher and USD #305 school board member.  She and her husband, Scott, have 3 children and 3 grandchildren.

Chelsea Sutton is a Social Worker and Director of the CAPS Family Mentoring Program and joined the CAPS team in 2010. Chelsea received her Bachelor’s Degree at Bethany College in 2005. Prior to joining the CAPS staff, Chelsea was employed with the Department of Social and Rehabilitation Services (DCF) as a social work specialist in the children protection services unit. Chelsea has one son who is 18 years old, and she lists parenting as her lifetime passion. Other hobbies include politics, yard work and spending time with friends and family.

Melinda Hansen has served as CAPS Bookkeeper since 2005. She is married to Steve Hansen, a Commodity Manager at REV Corp, and mother of Kirsten Nusser, a Middle School Match teacher at Auburn/Washburn Rural; Christian Hansen, graduating in 2019 from K-State as a Mechanical Engineer with the ROTC Air Force; and Kaylee Hansen a 2019 Smoky Valley High School graduate from Lindsborg, KS. Melinda is actively involved as church choir director and worship planner and the Administrative Director of Lindsborg Swedish Folk Dancers. She enjoys scrapbooking while living on her rural farm in Falun, KS with their cats, dogs, and goats.

Carolyn Lathan is the Office Manager at CAPS. She has been with the organization since June of 2015. Carolyn loves providing assistance and support to our staff and clients in all aspects of the organization. She keeps busy in her spare time as a mother of 2 wonderful children, and loves camping trips with her friends and family.

Emily Walker has been with CAPS since April 2019. She has a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education as well as Early Childhood Special Education. She previously spent 12 years in early intervention working with children birth-3 years old, with developmental delays and disabilities. She enjoys spending time with her husband and 2 children, spending time at the lake and cooking.