September 2026: Quarterly Impact Update

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• Category: FCI News, Newsletter, Press Clips, QUI

DIRECTOR OF DEVELOPMENT With over 15 years of experience in North Carolina’s nonprofit and marketing sectors, Cassie is passionate about building partnerships that make a real difference. From securing grant funding and managing multi-million-dollar portfolios to partnering with local businesses and Fortune 100 companies, she specializes in turning big-picture missions into clear cases for investment that connect community impact with brand growth. On the weekend, Cassie can be found walking to the farmers market or exploring local restaurants and events with her husband and toddler—and she is perpetually trying to find an actual hobby (suggestions welcome!).

SENIOR BUSINESS ANALYST

Stephanie Pond brings over 20 years of experience as a Business Analyst to Family Connects, specializing in the healthcare, insurance, and finance Industries. She has supported various software and departments, offering a wide range of knowledge and experiences to contribute to the ongoing growth of Family Connects. Stephanie was born and raised in Raleigh, NC. She loves camping and enjoys a variety of crafts in her spare time.

OPERATIONS SPECIALIST

Outside of work, Zohrab enjoys photography, travel, playing and watching basketball, and cheering on the Chicago Bulls. He also values spending time with family and friends, exploring new neighborhoods and restaurants around Chicago, and finding creative ways to capture everyday moments through photography.

Seth Bumgarner

Instructional Design Manager

Born and raised in North Carolina, Seth is a person-first educator and adventurer. With nearly a decade experience in higher education, he is joining FCI as an Instructional Designer to build, enhance, and share educational strategies for community partners and colleagues. He plans on using his experiences in assessment and evaluation, program management, and adult learning theory to make engaging and interactive content that you don’t want to miss. He enjoys games (board, role-playing, tabletop, puzzle, video, etc.) and strives to include gameplay and fun in his work.

Nathan Fink

CHIEF ADVANCEMENT OFFICER

Nathan John Fink brings more than 20 years of experience in education, fundraising, marketing, and social norms change. Nathan received a Master of Fine Arts in storytelling from the University of New Hampshire. A fierce advocate of primary prevention and family support strategies, his work in academia, community mental health, and family strengthening initiatives focuses on elevating the stories of everyday people striving to build connection, shared aspirations, and resilient communities.

Nathan can be found forever (re)hammering the floor nail of his old house in Durham, NH, where he lives with his wife and two feral sons.

Molly McNulty, JD

Molly McNulty is an associate professor of public health law and policy with dual appointments at the School of Arts and Sciences and the School of Medicine and Dentistry at the University of Rochester. Her research focuses on health equity for underserved populations, particularly maternal, child, and adolescent health, and access to medical care for low-income adolescents. As an attorney specializing in health law and public policy, Dr. McNulty is deeply interested in the policymaking process, including the role of advocates and stakeholders outside of government. She has served on the boards of directors for three organizations, contributing her expertise in public health and policy. Her teaching emphasizes social justice, the right to health care, and innovative methods such as community-engaged pedagogy. Dr. McNulty earned her BA in American Studies from Smith College (magna cum laude, 1984), her JD from New York University School of Law (1988), and completed a post-doctoral fellowship in Women’s Law and Public Policy at Georgetown School of Law (1988-89).

Susan Cox

FINANCIAL SPECIALIST

Susan Cox has served in the Controller role of manufacturing accounting and liaison with software startups through most of her career. Susan spent three years, working with a small non-profit in the Triangle area as Finance Manager. This experience brought new insights in discovering how valuable these organizations are to the local area and made a commitment to continue my career in the non-profit community.

Susan attended Elon University, and has an AAS in accounting from ACC.

Susan resides in Elon with her two English Springers, Charlie and Tucker, and enjoys reading, volunteering, stained glass projects, and overwatering her plants.

IMPLEMENTATION SPECIALIST

Elizabeth is the Finance and HR Specialist at FCI, bringing nearly 15 years of experience in the nonprofit sector and a Master of Public Administration degree. She has a strong track record of streamlining operations, optimizing financial systems, and strengthening HR processes to support organizational growth and impact. Her expertise spans nonprofit management and association operations, with a focus on aligning people, policies, and resources to drive long-term success. Elizabeth has led cross-functional teams and managed complex projects that improved both operational efficiency and fiscal accountability.

A proud North Carolinian, Elizabeth lives in a pink house in Clayton with her husband, daughter, son, a pug named Pal, and a cat named Graysock. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, exploring the outdoors, and cheering on UNC and the Braves!

Jade Woodard joined Family Connects International in April 2025. She is a seasoned nonprofit executive with extensive experience in organizational leadership, program scaling, and family support services. In her previous role as Executive Director of Illuminate Colorado, she led the strategic merger of multiple organizations, creating a unified entity focused on child maltreatment prevention and strengthening families. She also led the design and implementation of innovative and evidence-based programs such as Family Connects and Circle of Parents, focusing on maternal and child health, early intervention, and prevention strategies.

With expertise in public health, community partnerships, and evidence-informed approaches, Jade has a passion for strengthening families and improving outcomes for children. Jade holds a Bachelors in Social Work from Colorado State University, and a Masters in Public Administration and Certificate in Nonprofit Management from the University of Colorado Denver.

MARKETING AND COMMUNICATIONS SPECIALIST

Jodi Wahba is a marketing specialist with over 10 years of experience in communication, branding, and event planning.

Outside of her work at Family Connects, Jodi teaches interpersonal communication courses at North Carolina State University, Her diverse experience also includes strategic social media management and website revitalization at Shield North Carolina, an anti-human trafficking nonprofit, where she played a key role in increasing engagement and supporting critical educational efforts.

Jodi’s commitment to community service extends beyond her professional roles. She’s a member of the DEI Committee for the Carolina Amateur Hockey Association, working to expand access to the sport for underrepresented populations. Outside of her professional life, Jodi loves staying active through lifting, dancing, and exploring new cultures and adventures.

SENIOR DIRECTOR OF POLICY

Jordan Wildermuth brings over ten years of local, state, and federal government affairs experience to FCI having navigated a range of health care related issues including appropriations, maternal and child health, workforce, and the pharmaceutical supply chain. His background in social work guides his commitment to social justice and addressing systemic inequalities.

Outside of work Jordan enjoys running, playing drums, and cheering on his kids at their various activities.

ADVANCED IMPLEMENTATION SPECIALIST

Amina Sesay is a Public Health professional with a passion for maternal and child health and an avid believer in policy advocacy to improve the lives and health outcomes of historically marginalized communities. Her educational background in Health Communications and Public Health have fueled her work including Project Coordinator at the Duke Center for Girls & Women with ADHD, Health Care Navigator and Medical-Legal Partnership (MLP) Paralegal at Legal Aid of North Carolina, and her global health experience interning for organizations in Sierra Leone and Kenya, as these organizations worked to provide homes and quality education for orphans and to create databases for the community health workers in Kibera. FCI is excited that she has joined our team!

DIRECTOR OF DATA SYSTEMS

Andrew leads the Data Systems Team which supports FCI’s centralized database.. He brings a decade of experience in Salesforce administration, leading global cross-functional teams, and developing customer relationship management systems and initiatives. Andrew holds a degree in Psychology and a degree in Music from UNC-Chapel Hill.

Wendy O’Shea is a seasoned nursing leader with experience in maternal-child health, public health nursing, and pediatric trauma. Her career reflects a strong commitment to improving health outcomes through evidence-based practice, quality improvement, and nursing education. Wendy holds a Master’s in Health Education and a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from Penn State. She brings a thoughtful, data-driven, and compassionate approach to advancing nursing practice.

For the last year, she worked at Penn State Health Children’s Hospital in Injury Prevention and Pediatric Trauma. This experience reaffirmed her passion for public health and the importance of support and maternal-child health education for all families.

She lives in Hershey, PA, the sweetest place on earth! Yes, she does eat chocolate almost every day. When not working, she loves spending time with her husband, three young adult children, and their yellow lab.

CHIEF OPERATIONS OFFICER

Colette Parrish is a seasoned leader with over 20 years of experience in finance, human resources, and operations management. She earned an MBA from UNC Kenan-Flagler Business School, where she honed her skills in finance, strategy, and operations management. As the Chief Internal Operations Officer, Colette oversees the Finance, Human Resources, Informational Technology, Data Systems, Marketing, Reporting, Communications, Business Development, and Legal teams. She collaborates on the development and execution of strategic plans, manages cross-functional initiatives, and works to optimize processes, reduce costs, and drive results, all while maintaining a focus on the needs of employees and stakeholders.

Eva is a RN with over 14 years of experience. She has a BS in Nursing from Eastern Carolina University. When not working Eva enjoys making memories with her loved ones and believes life is about celebrating the little things, which become valuable. Eva enjoys traveling, spending time with her family and her dog. She gives back to her community through volunteering. She enjoys working with kids and volunteers at the local YMCA and boys and girls club.

Cara has worked serving diverse population groups, emphasizing improving outcomes for children and families. She recently worked with the Durham Co Department of Public Health supporting the implementation and evaluation of Bull City Strong, an Office of Minority Health grant-funded program to improve health literacy. Previously, she served as a program manager preparing youth to transition out of foster care with system-wide program development, and equity-centered public health programming. Cara is Doula-certified and has a master’s in public health from UNC-CH. Cara loves hiking, farmers markets, and live music.

TEAM LEAD, ADVANCED IMPLEMENTATION SPECIALIST

Sydney joined FCI in May 2022 to support communities implementing the Family Connects Model. Sydney holds a Master in Public Health degree from the UNC Gillings School of Global Public Health, with a concentration in Maternal, Child and Family Health. She is passionate about and dedicated to improving the lives of children and families. Prior to joining FCI, Sydney worked at a healthcare talent and performance solutions company where she provided customer service, technical assistance, and training regarding a learning management system for healthcare workers and hospital administrators.

Brittani is a RN who has focused her nursing career on maternal-child health. She has experience working in the hospital as a nurse in Mother-Baby. She has spent the past 5 years working in the community providing case management to high-risk pregnant women. She has extensive experience supporting mothers and families to achieve optimum health and care during pregnancy and postpartum period.

COMMUNITY ALIGNMENT SUPPORT SPECIALIST

Emily Rose joined FCI in June 2023, after completing her Masters in Political Science at UNC Chapel Hill. Prior to moving to North Carolina, Emily Rose has a background in community engagement and strategic partnerships through her work with several nonprofit organizations in Memphis, Tennessee. In her current role as an Implementation Specialist, she supports communities in implementing the Family Connects model, fostering connections and promoting maternal and child health. She facilitates FCI’s Community Alignment Advisory Board (CAAB), which provide a space for community partners to share challenges and workshop solutions around community alignment.

CO-DIRECTOR OF NETWORK IMPLEMENTATION

Rain Helms comes to Family Connects International from a public and mental health background and brings experience working with communities to implement evidence-based treatments. Rain spent the beginning of his career working in residential care settings getting firsthand experience with health advocacy, Medicaid and Medicare policy, and disability supports. After going back for his MSW, he worked for the Center for Child and Family Health in Durham as a program manager and improvement advisor for the Problematic Sexual Behavior – Cognitive Behavioral TherapyTM program. He is a double Tar Heel, having completed both his undergraduate degree and MSW at UNC-Chapel Hill.