Alice Jeffrey is a single mother and student. She has recent experience with the Oklahoma Family Courts and graduated from the Family Treatment Court Program in November of 2023. She has a wealth of lived experience with addiction and homelessness and is a passionate voice for families in our communities that are struggling. She is studying to become an addiction counselor and is driven to assist others. During her three years of sobriety, she has made many changes and considers her past to be a source of strength. She hopes to lead others by example and to be a communicator for those who may not currently have the confidence to speak for themselves. Above all, she is thrilled about the opportunity to serve the state of Oklahoma on this board.

Juan Marcos Rizzo is a devoted father, community advocate, and passionate leader who places family at the heart of everything he does. He is a loving father to his son, Judah, and is eagerly preparing to welcome a new baby boy. Juan Marcos prioritizes his family life, cherishing quality time with his wife, Ximena, and their son through shared moments like family games and movie nights—experiences that ground and inspire his work.

Originally from Argentina, Juan Marcos immigrated to the United States in 2012. This journey deeply shaped his cultural awareness and strengthened his empathy for families navigating change, transition, and adversity. His lived experience fuels his strong commitment to supporting families and strengthening communities across Oklahoma City.

Juan Marcos holds a Bachelor's Degree in Theology and has a background in Social Work. He currently serves as a Parent Advocate at Lilyfield, where he facilitates weekly classes focused on mental health and healthy parent-child connections. He also leads a monthly men's support group, creating a safe space for fathers and men to engage in meaningful conversations. His work in addiction recovery, public speaking, and family strengthening reflects his lifelong dedication to improving the well-being of families across Oklahoma and inspired him to join the OCCY Parent Partnership Board.

Cierra is a passionate advocate for children across the state, dedicated to supporting foster families and biological families navigating the challenges of the child welfare system. With a heart for fostering collaboration, she believes in the power of foster families working alongside biological families to create better outcomes for children.

As a parent to many—including biological children, foster children, and those who have aged out of the system—Cierra’s home is a testament to her unwavering commitment to love and community. She serves on the Post Adjudication Review board, volunteers as a CASA, and participates in numerous statewide initiatives providing resources and support to needy families.

Professionally, Cierra is the program coordinator for the SHARE program at OU Center for Public Management, where she empowers foster parents to share their stories and lived experiences. Her mission is to foster a deeper understanding of the realities of fostering, ultimately attracting and equipping high-quality foster parents.

She enjoys hiking, traveling, DIY projects, and relaxing at the lake in her free time, finding joy in life's simple and meaningful moments.

Colleen Howe lives in Southeast Oklahoma City with her husband and three daughters, whose ages range from preteen to toddler. Having struggled with her mental health during the early years of parenting, Colleen is passionate about reducing the stigma around utilizing family-serving systems and engaging the community in building a strong and accessible social safety net for diverse family systems. With a family history of mental health and substance abuse disorders, she is invested in raising awareness about how these can impact early relational health and child development. 

In her current role, Colleen helped establish funding for a program that increases access to mental health services for people who struggle to afford their out-of-pocket costs. In her previous role, she developed and implemented a classroom volunteer program to support early childhood teachers and the babies and toddlers in their care. This program engages the broader community in supporting the development of the next generation of Oklahomans. She finds meaning in her work to connect funders and community organizers with programs that build brighter futures with children and families. 

As the Grants Manager at Sunbeam Family Services, she is dedicated to ensuring the sustainability and accessibility of programs serving families and children in Central Oklahoma.  

She holds a bachelor's degree in marketing from the University of Central Oklahoma and is a Certified Fund Raising Executive, demonstrating her dedication to ethical fundraising and financial stewardship. Additionally, she is a trained Hope Navigator through the Alliance for HOPE International and has served on Sunbeam's DEIB committee. 

Delena is married and the proud mother to three children and grandmother to five grandchildren in Pauls Valley, Oklahoma.  She graduated with her Master of Science Human Resources degree in Clinical Rehabilitation Counseling and Clinical Mental Health Counseling from East Central University, where she was a Rehabilitation Service Administration Scholar and Selma Cody Strunk Graduate Scholar. She joined Oklahoma Rehabilitation Services through a Carl Albert Executive Fellowship in 2019. She works for Oklahoma Rehabilitation Services as a Certified Rehabilitation Counselor-Vocational Rehabilitation Specialist II in Chickasha, Oklahoma.  In addition, she is a Licensed Professional Counselor Candidate working at The Jetty Counseling Center in Wynnewood, Oklahoma.  She enjoys supporting the Pride of the Valley band program. She was active in the Johnson O'Malley Native Program.  She is passionate about addressing rural Oklahoma families' barriers, such as childcare, transportation, mental health services, and employment.  Delena hopes that she can help address the needs of rural Oklahomans to obtain resources, employment, and education while identifying community services needed to ensure success for all Oklahoma children, youth, and families. Her goal for the Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth Parent Partnership Board is to help identify challenges that children and youth encounter daily in rural Oklahoma and to work to find resources and solutions that ensure success for this underserved population.  

Dena is a proud single mom to two young children, both adopted from Oklahoma's foster care system. One is a medically complex and neurodiverse child born with a congenital heart defect requiring three open-heart surgeries before starting kindergarten. The other is a high-needs toddler working through trauma from the foster care system. Both children inspire Dena’s advocacy for families navigating similar challenges.

Deeply committed to supporting children and families, Dena serves on the Mended Little Hearts of Oklahoma Board of Directors, the Cleveland County Disability Coalition, and ZERO TO THREE’s Network of Parent Advocates. She and her children were selected to represent Oklahoma at the 2024 Strolling Thunder event in Washington, D.C., advocating for issues such as paid leave, affordable childcare, and early childhood mental health.

Dena Drabek is Vice President of External Relations for The Arc of Oklahoma, a nonprofit organization dedicated to serving individuals with developmental disabilities and their families. In her role, she oversees advocacy, public policy, and communications initiatives.

Before joining The Arc in 2019, Dena was the Chief Operating Officer for Oklahoma Watch, a statewide investigative news organization. She began her career as a television news reporter and has held several prominent roles, including press secretary for former Lieutenant Governor and Congresswoman Mary Fallin, media relations for the Chickasaw Nation, and Vice President of Communications for the YMCA of Greater Oklahoma City.

Dena holds degrees in journalism and administrative leadership from the University of Oklahoma, where she graduated Phi Beta Kappa with distinction and participated in the President’s Leadership Class. She is a graduate of Leadership Oklahoma, Leadership Oklahoma City, and the Salt and Light Leadership Training program.

Demetrius Mayhue Sr. resides in Central Oklahoma with his wife and two biological children. Demetrius completed his Bachelor of Science in Corrections at the great Langston University. Demetrius has always had a heart for serving today's youth. Demetrius was the Program Director of a Level E group home for several years. He shaped the future of 100+ children in DHS custody, all receiving extensive trauma. This work inspired Demetrius and opened his foster home to children with extensive abuse/trauma. Through this, he has served as the role of "pops" to 13 children over the past three years. Demetrius moved to become the Operations Manager at Positive Tomorrows- a private school that serves families experiencing homelessness. In addition to being a therapeutic foster parent, Demetrius is the Youth Pastor of his local church, leader of an outreach ministry, and a mentor to many. His desire for the OCCY Parent Partnership Board is to help others become aware of foster parents' needs and abilities and identify resources many foster parents may not be aware of. Demetrius is excited to learn through this journey and influence positive outcomes for all Oklahoma youth and families.

Darryl Savell is a father of three, a grandfather of one, and a single parent to his six-year-old child, living in Oklahoma. Drawing from lived experience that includes recovery from long-term substance use and overcoming homelessness, he currently serves as a Parent Advisor with the Homeless Children and Youth Steering Committee.

Over the past year, he has worked to elevate parent voice in system and policy conversations, ensuring decisions impacting children and families are informed by real-world experience. Through participation on the Parent Partnership Board, he hopes to strengthen his understanding of how systems can better collaborate with families and translate lived experience into effective policy and practice. In return, he aims to contribute honest insight, accountability, and a consistent parent voice that helps shape more responsive and humane systems for children and families.

Nancy Charbonneau is a proud single parent to four children, and her role as a parent guides everything she does. She is a member of the OCCY Parent Leadership Board and a passionate advocate for families, children, and community wellness. She brings lived experience to this work, having been a foster care youth and having experienced homelessness. Those experiences deeply shaped who she is and fuel her commitment to improving systems that support children and parents.

She is especially passionate about mental health awareness, community health, and social services, and she believes lived experience is a powerful tool for creating meaningful change. She currently serves as the lead volunteer at Harley’s House Crisis Nursery, supporting families during times of crisis and transition.

She is dedicated to advocating for safer, healthier communities where families feel supported, heard, and empowered.

Krashelle Cuffy lives in Broken Arrow with her husband and four daughters. With lived experience as a former single parent and a caregiver navigating a child's mental health challenges, Krashelle has personally benefited from systems and supports within Oklahoma that helped her family heal and thrive. These experiences inform her passion for trauma-informed care, parent advocacy, and reducing stigma around mental health for children and families.

She holds a Master of Ministry in Life Coaching from Southwestern Christian University and a Master of Arts in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Liberty University. Krashelle is a Board Certified Counselor, Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor, Certified Expressive Arts Therapist, and Certified Professional Life Coach specializing in developmental trauma among teens, young adults, and parents.

Through her practice, Krashelle partners with schools across Oklahoma, using expressive arts and trauma-responsive approaches to help students and parents heal, build resilience, and find their voice. Her work with the Oklahoma Commission on Children and Youth Parent Partnership Board aligns with her commitment to amplifying parent voices, informing systems of influence, and helping create meaningful, lasting change that supports the well-being of all Oklahoma children and families.

James Ray is a proud father of two children. He is a Peer Recovery Support Specialist (PRSS) Parent Partner for Northcare. His role at work focuses on assisting parents who have open Oklahoma Department of Human Services cases.  As a PRSS Parent Partner, he provides support, mentorship, and advocacy for each parent while their case is processed.

His lived experience includes his own addiction battle, but he has been sober for more than four years.  Throughout this battle, he worked hard to be reunified with his daughter. As a member of the Parent Partnership Board, he hopes to help make changes and expand upon the resources provided by mental health and substance abuse services. He would also like to help families before and after involvement with child welfare services to achieve long-lasting positive change.

Heather Monroe is the proud mother of a 23-year-old daughter and a 21-year-old son. She serves as a Peer Recovery Support Specialist (PRSS) Parent Partner for NorthCare, where she supports parents with open DHS (Department of Human Services) cases as they navigate the system. Her goal is to help parents achieve stability for themselves and their children, ensuring they are prepared for life once DHS is no longer involved. Heather has also been involved in the ENGP program with the Annie E. Casey Foundation for the past two years and is a member of the Birth Family Advisory Board. Her life’s mission is to create meaningful change, one step at a time.

Heather’s dedication to her work is deeply rooted in her own lived experiences. Having fought her own battle with addiction, she has now been sober for eight years. She successfully completed Family Treatment Court and was reunified with her children after a 19-month DHS case. As a member of the Parent Partnership Board, Heather aspires to be a voice for the parents she works with, contributing her lived experience to drive meaningful change. She is passionate about advocating for families to receive the support they need before DHS makes the decision to remove children from their homes.

Gina is a Mvskoke Creek citizen. She lives in Wetumka, located in Hughes County, with her husband, two daughters, and her strength, a grandson and a granddaughter.

In 2012, Gina began participating in Okmulgee County Family Drug Court. In 2013, she was sentenced to the Oklahoma Department of Corrections for six years. Because of this, her children also went into the custody of Indian Child Welfare and DHS. Gina uses her lived experience to help those who are navigating these systems themselves and has had amazing opportunities to share her story.

Gina and her husband work together to help people in recovery. In her hometown, they facilitate a Wellbriety Talking Circle and work with many other tribal members all over Oklahoma to help strengthen Native communities. Her road to recovery has been the foundation of breaking stigma for recidivism and addictions within her family and her community.

Gina completed her Bachelor of Science in criminal justice at Northeastern State University and her master’s in social work at the University of Oklahoma. Gina has always been passionate about the criminal justice system and understands the importance of gaining greater insight and understanding for those involved in it.

Gina is a Johnson O’Malley Education Board member. She is also active in her church and the Wetumka Indian Community. In her spare time, she loves to volunteer, spend time with her family, sing Mvskoke hymns, attend powwows, watch OU softball, and enjoy football of all sorts. Her hope with OCCY is to advocate for the resources needed for the incarcerated population and their children and families, to be a voice for those not able to speak up, and to be the person she needed when she was growing up.