Get to know our team
Staff Spotlights
Karen Anderson
Chief Program Officer, Kinnect
Karen joined Kinnect in July 2025 and partners with program staff across Kinnect to develop strategies that improve outcomes for children, youth, and families. Her work focuses on strengthening services, supporting collaboration across programs, and using data and direct feedback from youth and caregivers to identify opportunities for improvement.
Karen is especially energized by Kinnect’s mission and the opportunity to support kinship families through meaningful programs and community partnerships. She enjoys working alongside senior leaders, supporting leadership development, and helping teams grow in ways that positively impact staff, families, and communities.
Before joining Kinnect, Karen built a career in nonprofit child welfare, behavioral health leadership, and public child welfare. She first worked with Kinnect through a federal grant project and was impressed by the organization’s flexibility, reliability, expertise, and commitment to children and families. When the opportunity arose to join the team, it felt like a natural fit.
Karen earned her Bachelor of Arts in Social Work from Eastern Nazarene College and her Master of Social Work from Boston University. She is also a Licensed Independent Social Worker with Supervisor designation in Ohio.
Outside of work, Karen enjoys traveling with her husband and spending time with their two adult children whenever possible. She is also a lifelong musician and plays trombone in a community concert band, a hobby that has brought her years of joy and lasting friendships.
Shawna Turner
Regional Coordinator, OhioKAN
Meet Shawna Turner, our dedicated Regional Coordinator for Regions 1 and 2. In her role, Shawna works behind the scenes to ensure data accuracy and completeness—an essential part of helping our team make informed decisions about how we best serve families. From guiding outreach strategies to improving navigator documentation, her work plays a critical role in strengthening our impact.
Shawna takes great pride in being a supportive role within the organization. She enjoys being the go-to person for assistance and finds fulfillment in knowing her efforts help families in meaningful way, even if they never see it firsthand. Her commitment to excellence and support helps keep everything running smoothly.
Her journey to Kinnect began through a personal connection with an OhioKAN Coach, who introduced her to the Regional Coordinator role. Shawna immediately recognized how well the position aligned with her educational background and career experience, making it a natural fit.
Since joining, Shawna’s role has grown. Originally hired as the Region 1 Regional Coordinator, she expanded her responsibilities to include both Regions 1 and 2 following the organizational merge in the summer of 2024.
Outside of Kinnect, Shawna brings over a decade of experience working at a Social Security Disability attorney’s office, a role she began during her senior year of high school and continues part-time today.
Shawna’s educational background includes holding an associate's degree in office administration from Commonwealth Baptist College in Lexington, KY, as well as an associate's in health information technology and a bachelor's in healthcare administration from the University of Northwestern Ohio in Lima, OH. She is also a Registered Health Information Administrator (RHIA) through the American Health Information Management Association (AHIMA).
On a personal note, Shawna is celebrating three years of marriage to her husband this month. Together, they have a blended family with three stepchildren (ages 11, 9, and 7) and a two-year-old daughter.
We’re grateful for Shawna’s dedication, expertise, and the quiet but powerful impact she makes every day!
Elizabeth Radcliffe
Coach, Kinnect to Family
Elizabeth Radcliff serves as a Coach with Kinnect to Family, where she provides coaching, mentoring, and technical support to Kinnect to Family Specialists and Supervisors across Southeast Ohio. In her role, Elizabeth helps teams maintain fidelity to the Kinnect to Family model by offering ongoing skill development, performance feedback, and case-based coaching. She also works closely with teams to overcome barriers—especially when they encounter challenges identifying safe and appropriate placements for the young people they serve.
What Elizabeth enjoys most about her work is the unique partnership she builds with each site she supports. “Their varied ways of operating challenge me to stay flexible, responsive, and supportive in the ways that matter most to them,” she shares. “The creativity each site brings to the work is one of the most inspiring parts of this role.”
Elizabeth joined Kinnect after nine years at a county agency, where she worked as an ongoing caseworker, placement supervisor, and screening supervisor. Those experiences continue to shape her approach today. “I don’t just understand the practice—I understand the stress, the complexity, and the emotional weight of the work,” she says. “That helps me show up with empathy and meaningful support.”
She was initially drawn to Kinnect because of its commitment to building meaningful connections and inclusive support networks for young people and families. “When I think back to my early days as a caseworker, I wish I had the kind of tools, guidance, and support Kinnect provides. The KinFirst approach is incredibly impactful and aligns deeply with my values.”
Elizabeth holds a bachelor’s degree in Human Services with a concentration in Child and Family Services.
Outside of work, Elizabeth and her family love to travel whenever they get the chance. When they’re not exploring out of state, they enjoy camping together. Many weekends are spent on the road supporting her oldest daughter at volleyball tournaments. In 2024, Elizabeth and her family gained legal custody of their niece—an experience that has given her personal, lived perspective on the work Kinnect supports every day.
Kimberly Bell
Chief Operating Officer, Kinnect
Kimberly Bell joined Kinnect as Chief Operating Officer (COO) in March 2025, bringing more than 25 years of experience in operations, compliance, and strategic program management across the government and nonprofit sectors. A Cleveland native, Kimberly previously served as Board President for Kinnect’s Board of Directors.
In her role as COO, Kimberly focuses on strengthening Kinnect’s organizational infrastructure, including organizational design, structure, operating protocols, and workforce resources. She is passionate about building systems that enhance overall performance and ensure teams have the tools, support, and resources needed to effectively serve the community.
Kimberly is deeply motivated by Kinnect’s mission and values the collaborative work that advances the organization’s vision of young people and families having a strong sense of belonging, along with the essential resources and relationships needed to thrive.
Kimberly was drawn to Kinnect by her belief that supporting children, youth, and young people truly “takes a village.” Through her own experiences with informal kinship caregiving relationships, she felt compelled to contribute her skills to an organization that genuinely supports the networks surrounding families. Kinnect’s commitment to ensuring young people and caregivers have access to safe, stable families and meaningful connections strongly resonated with her and solidified her decision to join the organization. As Kimberly shares, “Ultimately, the organization’s values were a significant factor in my decision to join this team”.
Jaelin Wilkerson
Family Specialist, Congregate Care Reduction
Kinnect is putting the spotlight on Jaelin Wilkerson, a dedicated Family Specialist on Kinnect’s Congregate Care Reduction (CCR) team. In her role, Jaelin works closely with youth and families to support transitions from congregate care settings to kinship placements. Her work includes family search and engagement, as well as helping to build both legal and relational permanency for the young people she serves.
In her role, Jaelin is excited by the opportunity to connect with families to hear and share their story. She values creating space for families to share their stories authentically, especially when their voices may have been overlooked or lost within systems and case plans.
Initially drawn to Kinnect by the chance to provide resources to kinship caregivers, Jaelin discovered an even deeper purpose in the role. What she didn't expect was for her purpose to be bigger than the opportunity itself. She takes pride in contributing to the growth and success of the CCR program over the past two years.
Jaelin graduated from the University of Cincinnati with a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and a minor in Deaf Studies. Her passion for community corrections and improving communities led her to social work, beginning with an internship at Talbert House. That experience opened the door to ongoing opportunities in social services and laid the foundation for her extensive background in the field.
Family is at the center of Jaelin’s world. She shares that without her “Village,” she is nothing. She loves spending time with her loved ones—cooking, being silly, planning family outings, and crafting "do it yourself" projects.
