I'm Pregnant
Amy has received her Bachelor’s degree in social work and is currently obtaining her Master’s degree in social work from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She worked for two years with families and children with autism and also has previous work experience with international adoptions. Amy is responsible for the development, service coordination, and training, federal and state regulation compliance and policy implementations for all international adoption programs. Amy is passionate about her work with adoption and believes that every child deserves a loving home.
|
|
 |
|||||||
|
Cheryl Murray Executive Director Cheryl has worked in the field of adoption since 1991 and has been with Adoption Links Worldwide since it’s inception in 1993. Over the years, she has worked with hundreds of families including adoptive and birth parents. Having assisted with every phase of adoption, Cheryl is compassionate and understands what families need as they enter the process. Cheryl regularly presents on adoption law, practice and ethics for the National Business Institute, the Nebraska Bar Association, and is a faculty member at Metropolitan Community College. In the spring of 2001, Cheryl became part of her own adoption triad when she adopted her son, Reid. He was born in Florida and placed through ALW’s Infant Program. At 3 days old, Cheryl was able to bring him home from the hospital. Cheryl and Reid share an open adoption with his birth family who love and cherish him dearly. |
||||||
|
|||||||
|
Bonnie Sarton Mierau, LICSW Clinical Director Bonnie Sarton Mierau is a licensed clinical social worker who has been working in child welfare with at-risk adolescents, early childhood intervention and in-home services to families since 1993. She joined Adoption Links Worldwide in 1999 as the coordinator of our Foster Child Adoption program. Her passion for facilitating permanence for children gives her a unique understanding and ability to provide therapeutic services to children and families who are seeking support with foster care and adoptive issues in our therapy program. |
||||||
|
|||||||
|
Michelle Wiegand, MSW, PLMHP Director of Social Services Michelle has a Master's Degree in Social Work and has been working in child welfare since 2002. She has experience in providing direct support and care to children with emotional, behavioral and psychological disorders. Michelle also has extensive travel experience and has spent time in over 10 countries in 5 continents. She strongly believes that every child deserves a forever family and that establishing permanency for children around the globe is as important as establishing permanency for children in our own country. |
||||||
|
|||||||
|
Nicki Thamm, MSW, PLMHP Nicki Thamm has a Master's degree in Social Work and has been working with children in varying capacities since 1993. Nicki has been with Adoption Links Worldwide since 2002 providing case management, recruitment, and permanency planning. During this time she has facilitated the adoption of at least 20 children from the Foster Child Adoption program and has homestudies and trained at least a hundred other families. Nicki has a passion for educating, supporting, and building families through adoption. She believes that every child despite age, race, or disability deserves a loving family to call there own. |
||||||
|
|||||||
|
Brenna Poindexter, BA Brenna has received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Psychology with a minor in Sociology. Brenna is motivated to help family and children in many different areas, and she has worked with autistic children doing in home applied behavior analysis therapy. She is currently providing recruitment for older, waiting children in the foster care program. The focus of her position is child-specific recruitment to find forever families for these waiting children. Child-specific recruitment includes: researching a child's case record to identify individuals important to the child, meeting with the child to identify his or her wants and needs in a forever family, forming a team of adults important in the child's life to brainstorm possible permanency options for the child, and utilizing the media to profile each unique child and their need for a family. Working with children of all ages is of great importance to Brenna. She believes that all children have the right to a good home and a forever family. Brenna is extremely dedicated to find a forever family for all of her older, waiting children. |
||||||
|
|||||||
|
Lisa Kelly, BA Lisa earned her Bachelors degree in Education and Family Science from the University of Nebraska at Omaha. She graduated with an emphasis on Family Science and Psychology. Lisa has worked since 1999 serving children in different settings. She has experience providing direct support and care to at risk youth, experiencing emotional and behavioral disorders. Lisa provides case management and permanency planning for children that are wards of the state and who are legally free for adoption. She finds great joy in helping these children find some kind of permanency in their lives. Matching these children with forever families who will love and cherish them is the greatest reward for her. |
||||||
|
|||||||
|
Mandy Pflaster, MSW Domestic Adoption Coordinator & Pregnancy Counselor Mandy earned her Bachelor's Degree in Psychology from Doane College and her Master of Social Work degree from University of Nebraska at Omaha. Mandy provided services to at-risk families and youth prior to joining ALW in March of 2008. Since joining ALW, Mandy has fulfilled many roles within the agency including supportive services for children that are wards of the State, pre-adoptive and post-adoptive services to families, and providing counseling to women and families facing unplanned pregnancies and considering their options. Her passion for serving women and families seeking safety and permanence for their unborn children, has led Mandy to her current role as Domestic Adoption Coordinator and Pregnancy Counselor. She believes in empowering every woman to make the best decision for her family and child, whether that is parenting or placing her child for adoption. Finding families for children in need of permanence is an exciting and fun adventure that Mandy is honored to play a role in. |
||||||
|
|||||||
|
Amy Panning, BS |
||||||
|
|||||||
|
Maria DeWolf, BA Maria was adopted and grew up in Zimbabwe. She has a Bachelor’s Degree in International Business/German. While in college she was the Chairperson for Fairfield Orphanage Sponsorship Committee in her Sorority. During her employment at State Farm she was Captain of her team to drive funding to sponsor a child from Fairfield Orphanage located in Old Mutare, Zimbabwe. Maria has also had the opportunity to visit and volunteer at Fair Field Orphanage. Maria enjoys traveling and has travelled in Southern Africa, Europe and the United States. |
||||||
|
|||||||
|
Sue Lapp Sue joined Adoption Links Worldwide in 2006. She has a degree in journalism from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln. She has worked in the advertising/communications field and has volunteered for a number of local charities. |
||||||
 
5017 Leavenworth, Omaha, NE 68106 Contribution Policy: |