Presenters

April Wall-Parker, M.S., is a Research Coordinator in the Organizational Performance Department at Pressley Ridge. As a Research Coordinator with Pressley Ridge, she supports the research, program evaluation, and quality improvement efforts within the organization which includes analyzing data, creating annual outcomes reports, selecting evidence-based models, presenting at conferences, and publishing research articles. She has over 15 years of social science research experience and earned her Master’s degree in Criminal Justice from Fairmont State University. Her current research interests are rooted in developing equitable research practices and ensuring that the voices of vulnerable populations are heard and prioritized. She has experience presenting at a number of regional and national conferences including the Association of Children's Residential and Community Services, the Continuous Quality Improvement Community, Family Focused Treatment Association, the Eastern Evaluation Research Society, the Coalition for Juvenile Justice, the American Society of Criminology, and the Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences.

Leah Vaughn (She/Her/Hers) currently serves as the Quality Improvement Manager for Youth and Young Adult Services and Individual Placement and Support (IPS) Employment Services at Thresholds. Leah holds a Master of Science in Psychology. Leah carries over a decade of experience providing direct service to individuals with serious mental illnesses in both inpatient and outpatient settings. Leah also brings years of developing and implementing quality improvement standards within managed care organizations designated for Medicaid and Medicare advantage recipients.

Laurice Sutter is passionate about bringing innovation and collaboration into the CQI process. Laurice is an LMSW with 11+ years' experience in child welfare and social work. Serving as Arrow Child & Family Ministries Organizational Improvement Manager, Laurice is responsible for developing evaluations, tracking performance, and establishing processes in alignment with Arrow's culture values, goals, and outcomes. Before her role as the Organizational Improvement Manager, Laurice held positions as a Sr. CQI Specialist, Intake Coordinator, and Case Manager. Keeping values such as kind and respectful, purposeful connection, and integrity in a service-oriented manner, Laurice helps to encourage a culture that sustains productivity, employee involvement, and agency change management within her company.

Mollie Hente, MSW (She/Her) is a Quality Improvement Coordinator with a Master of Social Work and over ten years of experience in the social service field. She specializes in using data to evaluate program outcomes, guide system improvements, and support strengths-based practices. Mollie has led multiple program initiatives using Plan-Do-Study-Act cycles and creates dashboards that help teams turn data into action. Her background includes work in juvenile justice, long-term care, and case management, with a strong focus on collaboration, accountability, and client-centered solutions.