Our goal is to develop the Missouri workforce in child support so that customer service skills and intimate knowledge of the process are priorities. The MCSEA scholarship is available to provide this service to dedicated workers. Click the button below to apply.
Missouri Child Support Education Association
P.O. Box 104902, Jefferson City, MO 65110
mcsea77@gmail.com
Cheri Cobb
Cheri K. Cobb currently serves as Senior Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in the Greene County Prosecutor’s Office, also known as the Springfield Regional Child Support Prosecutors’ Office covering Greene, Christian, and Taney Counties. She covers Christian and Taney Counties for the office. Cheri joined the Greene County Prosecutor’s Office in December of 2016. She has 19 years of prosecutorial experience, 13 of those years focused in child support enforcement. She previously served as Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in Christian County, as a part-time Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in Webster County, where she was the primary child support prosecutor, and as a contract Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for the City of Springfield, Missouri. She previously owned and operated her solo law practice in Strafford, Missouri and represented children as GAL in Greene and Webster County Juvenile Court. She received her B.A. in Criminology with a minor in Sociology from Drury College (now University) and received her J.D. from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law.
Dr. Candice Cox
Dr. Candice E. Cox, LCSW, stands as a guiding force in the field of mental health and wellness, serving as the Owner and Clinical Director of A&A Inspirations, a distinguished psychotherapy practice. She is also the visionary Founder and Executive Director of KHAOS™ Inc., a revered non-profit organization dedicated to mental health advocacy. With an educational background that includes a BSW from Southeast Missouri State University and a Masters from St. Louis University, Candice is a licensed clinician and possesses numerous certifications specializing in Trauma. Her multifaceted expertise extends beyond clinical practice, encompassing roles as an author, international speaker, trainer, and mental health program developer.
Driven by a profound passion to empower individuals, Candice embarked on a transformative journey in 2004. She founded the KHAOS™ (Keep Healing and Overcoming Struggles) mindset, drawing from Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (CBT), Relationship Trauma Repair (RTR), and mindfulness. This groundbreaking approach aids individuals in navigating and mitigating the impact of toxic and traumatic stressors in their lives.
Candice's personal experiences shaped her dedication to healing. As a self-proclaimed KHAOS™ kid who faced challenges with attention deficit disorder, anxiety, and familial complexities, she embodies the ethos of living a life of KHAOS™.
Recognizing the pivotal role of social and emotional coping skills in personal development, Candice introduced the Organized KHAOS™ program in schools and community centers. Her commitment expanded in 2015 to encompass diverse systems, reaching out to first responders and corporate mental health.
She advocates for breaking free from limiting labels, emphasizing living "beyond labels" through innovative therapeutic modalities. Her impactful contributions include therapeutic children's books like "Please Oh Please Be PATIENT With Me," which imparts coping strategies for ADHD, emphasizing the P.A.T.I.E.N.T. skill (Pause And Think Inhale Exhale Now Talk/Tap out).
An accomplished author and recipient of multiple humanitarian awards, Candice embodies her belief in propelling individuals forward. Her dedication manifests through the creation of programs focusing on social skills, communication, and conflict resolution.
Candice firmly believes she's fulfilling her purpose ordained by a higher calling. She embraces each day as an opportunity to inspire others to overcome adversity, affirming that life's challenges need not halt progress. With unwavering dedication, she champions the mantra of "Keep Healing And Overcoming Struggles," striving to create a new normal for all.
Vickie Endicott
This session is presented by Vickie Endicott, a Child Support trainer who specializes in the financial aspects of CS. She has been with CS for 13 years; 6 of them as a financials specialist and these last 7 as a Staff Development Training Specialist. She absolutely loves her job as it combines her love of teaching with her creativity!
Julie Graves
Upon joining the Clay County, Missouri Prosecutor’s Office in December 2022, Juliann became an assistant prosecutor in the Child Support Division. In this role, she manages a wide range of responsibilities, including cases involving establishment, civil contempt, modifications, bankruptcies, and criminal matters.
Admitted to the Missouri Bar in 1988 after earning her law degree from the University of Missouri-Kansas City (UMKC) School of Law, Juliann brings extensive legal experience to her current position. She has served as President of the Clay County Bar Association and is licensed to practice before the U.S. District Court for the Western District of Missouri, the U.S. Bankruptcy Court for the Western District of Missouri, the State of Missouri, the State of Kansas, the U.S. District Court of Kansas, and the U.S. Bankruptcy Court of Kansas.
Before joining the prosecutor's office, Juliann's practice focused on creditors' rights, specializing in secured transactions, commercial litigation, and bankruptcy. She also dedicated over 11 years to serving as Guardian ad Litem in Clay County, advocating for the best interests of children.
A committed member of the Missouri and Kansas Bar Associations and the Clay County Bar Association, Juliann also serves as Vice President of Friends of Clay County CASA. She and her family have proudly called Clay County home for many years, where she remains deeply involved in her community and the legal profession.
Dee House
My name is Deanna “Dee” House and I have been with FSD-Child Support for the last 16 years. I am currently the Program Coordinator of Hillsboro and the Legal Team which includes two teams that started December 19, 2022. One side is the Hearing Team that processed all the Child Support hearings on all functions for all of child support. And the other side is the PA Follow-up Team that communicates with the FSD Partners i.e., Prosecuting Attorney offices, Attorney General Offices and Circuit Clerks across the state.
My goals for the Legal Team, on the PA Follow-Up side is to continue to improve communication with our FSD Partners i.e., Prosecuting Attorney offices, Attorney General Offices and Circuit Clerks across the state. Given my background in all Child Support functions PATE, ESTA, MODI, ENFO, FINA, and even Foster Care I feel cross training is important, so I have made sure the Legal Team are constantly growing knowledge by making sure the PA Follow Up Team has function training needed and implemented monthly refresher trainings so they all have the skills needed to answer the FSD Partners questions via email into the CS.Partners@dss.mo.gov the first time around.
Nikki Hartley
Nikki Hartley is the PA Liaison Contract Manager for the DSS Family Support Division. She started her state career over 18 years ago as a court clerk in the Cole County Circuit Clerk’s Office where she worked in both criminal, civil, and juvenile divisions as well as clerking for Judge Byron Kinder. In April of 2011, she began working for the Jefferson City Regional Prosecutor’s Office, as a Legal Assistant in the Child Support Unit. Nikki returned to the State of Missouri as legal assistant for Family Support’s Legal Counsel in May 2021. She accepted her current position in October of 2022.
Nikki has been married for 24 years. She and her husband Daniel have 2 sons together. In her off time, she serves on the board for the Callaway County Humane Society and is the Secretary and website administrator for the Missouri Child Support Education Association (MCSEA).
Alan Jackson
Alan currently serves as the Assistant Deputy Director for the Family Support Division within the Department of Social Services. He has played a myriad of roles within the Family Support Division. He is began with the State of Missouri in 2015, and was able to grow within this Department and he truly believes in the Department mission to Empower Missourian’s to live safe healthy and productive lives!
Grant Kelley
My name is Grant Kelley, and I am honored to served as the Region VII Director for the Missouri Child Support Education Association. I began my career in child support when I joined the Clay County Prosecuting Attorney's Office in March of 2016 as an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney (APA) after having a private practice. As an APA, I was primarily responsible for Clay County's Civil Dockets, including Paternity/Establishment, Modifications, and Civil Contempt, but I also handled Misdemeanor and Felony Criminal matters as well as Federal matters for Domestic Support Obligations owed in Bankruptcies.
In July of 2021 my role with our office changed, transitioning from Assistant Prosecuting Attorney to Office Manager, and now Director/APA, where I am thrilled to encourage the growth and development of our Department.
When I am not at work, and I am doing what I really want to do, I am spending time with my wonderful family.
Steven Kissinger
Steven Kissinger is the Assistant Deputy Director with the Missouri Department of Social Services (DSS), Family Support Division (FSD), and has been with the Child Support Program since 1994. In this role, Steve works with all aspects of the child support program and manages the FSD Intake Center for centralized document management and child support case initiation.
After serving 11 years in the US Army and earning his Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from Park University in 1992, Steve joined the Missouri Child Support program in 1994. As an agent of change for improvements, Steve was directly involved in the process to re-engineer the Missouri Child Support Enforcement Structure and Workflow and is a recipient of the 2007 Governor’s Award for Quality and Productivity Process Improvement. Steve was the lead member of the workgroup that led to the establishment of the Enforcement Call Center in Missouri. Steve has been married for 37 years. He and his wife Regina have four sons and three grandchildren. Steve serves as a volunteer leader in the Boy Scouts of America since 1996, currently serving as Scoutmaster.
Dawn Kuhlmann
Dawn E. Kuhlman, MA became the Executive Director of M.A.R.C.H. (Mediation Achieving Results for Children) Mediation in the fall of 2019. M.A.R.C.H. is a state-wide nonprofit that provides free supervised visitation, mediation and legal services to eligible families in Missouri. www.marchmediation.org
Dawn is a respected pioneer in the mediation field and loves to create, challenge, and share ideas. She is the creator of a Trauma Informed Mediation Model and has been engaged in dialogue with mediators internationally regarding the concept of Trauma Informed Mediation. Dawn’s TEDx Talk on Trauma Informed Mediation has been recognized and placed on the TED website at https://www.ted.com/talks/dawn_kuhlman_trauma_informed_mediation
She holds a Masters (MA) in Clinical Psychology from the University of Dayton and a Bachelor of Science Degree (BS) in Psychology from Ball State University in Muncie, Indiana. Dawn is both a Missouri and a Kansas Supreme Court Approved Mediator. She is also a certified administrator of the Myers-Briggs Type Indicator (MBTI).
She has served as an Advanced Mediation Training Instructor at Johnson County Community College since 2012. She has also served as an adjunct professor at Baker University, MidAmerica Nazarene University, and Park University. Dawn served in a leadership role for the Missouri Chapter of Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (MO-AFCC) from 2007-2015 and has been a member of the Association of Missouri Mediators (AMM) since 2005.
Dawn has trained thousands for nearly 20 years on various topics such as forgiveness, mediation, personality type, domestic violence, non-defensive communication, trauma, conflict coaching, emotional intelligence, mindfulness, high conflict personalities and so much more.
She has been described as driven, compassionate, intelligent and hilarious. Dawn loves to inspire and encourage the best in others and is dedicated to promoting healing and growth in the community. When Dawn is not wearing her entrepreneur hat, she loves to drink coffee with her husband and spend time with their two beautiful daughters.
Rebecca Lambert
Rebecca received her BA in Sociology from the University of Nevada, Las Vegas and her JD from the University of Missouri, Kansas City. She has been an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney for Jackson County since 2002. Rebecca started in the Paternity Establishment Unit, where she was named the Family Support Prosecutor of the Year in 2003. She then transitioned to Child Support Enforcement, where she has prosecuted criminal nonsupport, civil contempt, and the diversion program. Rebecca served as the Trial Team Leader for the enforcement unit for seventeen years prior to her appointment as the Director in 2023.
Barbara Lacina
Barbara Lacina is the Regional Administrator (RA) for the Department of Health and Human Services, Administration for Children and Families (ACF) in Region 7 (Kansas City, Missouri) which includes the states of Iowa, Nebraska, Kansas, and Missouri, as well as nine federally recognized Tribal Nations.
Barbara has a public service career as a child support professional that spans two states and the federal Office of Child Support Services over thirty years. With particular experience in family-centered services; program innovations; customer engagement; Tribal child support programs; grants, waivers, and national demonstrations; and as a former Child Support Director, Barbara has led strategic approaches and staff empowerment toward service delivery challenges and opportunities.
Melyssa McEachern
Melyssa McEachern moved to Rolla, Missouri, in 2007 from a small town in East Texas. She earned a Bachelor’s degree in English from Drury University and completed her Master’s in Social Work at Missouri State University in May 2024. Melyssa has been a committed advocate for survivors of domestic and sexual violence for nearly nine years. She began her career in January 2016 as an evening advocate at Russell House: Response to Domestic and Sexual Violence, later she was promoted to Resident Case Manager and in 2022 advanced to the position of Shelter Director. Melyssa leads a team of shelter advocates and manages residential client services at the emergency shelter, continuing the mission to provide compassionate services to empower survivors of domestic and sexual violence.
Outside of her professional work, Melyssa enjoys spending time with her two dogs, Izzy and Birdie, and her two cats, Mee-Lo and Moomin. Her hobbies include reading, listening to audiobooks, visiting dog parks, playing frisbee with Birdie, and spending quality time with family and friends.
Keri McKee
Keri McKee joined the Department of Social Services Office of Workforce & Community Initiatives in 2021 following 20 years in nonprofit resource development. She has earned her Workforce Development Professional certification and recently became certified as a Lifetime Bridges Out of Poverty facilitator. Keri serves the Southwest region of the State and is housed in Springfield at The Excel Center.
Kimberly Newsom Bridges
Kim is currently the Vice-President of the Child Support Solutions Group for Conduent. She has served in that role for the past 3 years. Prior to that, Kim has been with Conduent for the past 5 years where she previously was a Director of Client Partnerships. Kim has been a child support professional for over 35 years. Prior to joining Conduent, she served as a Director of a County Child Support Enforcement Agency and also as the Director for the Ohio CSEA Directors’ Association. In her 35+ years, she has focused on advocacy, policy development, problem solving, training and many other responsibilities. Kim served as the President of NCSEA in 2010 and continues to participate in various committees for NCSEA and WICSEC. She received her Juris Doctor and Bachelor of Science Degrees from The Ohio State University.
Dan Pingelton
Dan Pingelton is an attorney in private practice in Columbia, concentrating on civil litigation and family law. He graduated from Arizona State University in 1981 with a degree in journalism and received his law degree from the University of Colorado in 1984. Some of Mr. Pingelton’s reported cases include Dye v. Missouri Division of Child Support Enforcement, 811 S.W.2d 355 (Mo.banc 1981) [constitutionality of administrative child support enforcement statutes]; Baird v. Baird, 843 S.W.2d 388 (Mo.App.E.D. 1992) [first Missouri case confirming use of a Qualified Domestic Relations Order to seize ERISA retirement funds for child support and maintenance arrears]; McCreary v. McCreary, 954 S.W.2d 433 (Mo.App.W.D. 1997) [multiple issues including proper standard for modification of custody; proper use of remedy of equitable accounting in a fiduciary relationship for child support; mandatory award of attorney fees; and liability for medical expense reimbursement]; and Deuschle v. Jobe, 30 S.W.3d 215 (Mo.App.W.D. 2000) [established Missouri precedent that an unmarried person can recover damages for negligent transmission of the herpes virus]. Publications include two chapters for Missouri Family Law, 6th and 7th editions (The Family Support Division and Marital Separation Agreements), and three chapters for the 8th edition (The FSD, Separation Agreements, and the Uniform Interstate Family Support Act - UIFSA), published by the Missouri Bar. Dan recently completed the third edition of Missouri IV-D Law (2022). Dan has presented CLE programs for national, regional and state associations.
Andrew Pingle
Andrew Pringle joined the Greene County Prosecutor’s Office in August of 2022, and has been working as a Child Support assistant prosecutor since November of 2022. A native of southeast Kansas, Andrew moved to Missouri with his wife to live in her home city of Springfield. He graduated from Kansas State University in 2018 with a B.A. in English Literature, and later received his Juris Doctor from Washburn University School of Law in May 2022, graduating with a concentration in family law.
Gail Ragan
Hello! My name is Gail Ragan. I have 20 years of experience in training and business development. My most recent experience prior to joining FSD being with John Deere as their Training and Development Coordinator. As life changes, so too, did my career. Life brought me back to my hometown of Rolla in 2019 when I started with FSD. I was fortunate to have the opportunity to join the training unit, and have since moved to Springfield, where I am currently located.
I am passionate about training, it is my goal to empower staff and drive organizational growth.
Jason Sax
In 2005 I join the Department of Social Services with the Division of Youth Services. I became a trainer for Child Support with the Family Support Division in 2017.
I endeavor to provide a learning environment that is engaging and affords the greatest opportunity for learning and the exchanging of ideas. I look forward to meeting and working with you.
Brenda Sites
Brenda Sites is the Program Manager for the Missouri Safe at Home program administered by Secretary of State Jay Ashcroft’s office. She has led the program since it began in 2007. She provides daily oversight for all Safe at Home operations, supervision for program staff, and training for victim advocates, government staff, law enforcement, and community agencies. Prior to joining the Secretary of State’s office, she worked for the 13th Judicial Circuit as a juvenile officer and for the National Association of Social Workers – Missouri Chapter as a training and conference coordinator. She holds a Bachelor of Social Work from Columbia College and a Master of Social Work from the University of Missouri – Columbia.
Francine Spinks
I always knew that I wanted to work with people and help others in some capacity. I started my career working as a Pre-School teacher and then moved to the other end of the spectrum working with the elderly as a Social Worker in a Residential Care Facility before “landing” with The Department of Social Services in Missouri. I initially worked with the Family Support Division, first as an Eligibility Specialist and then Supervising 3 counties. I eventually moved to the Department’s HR Unit as a Professional Development Trainer where I discovered my true passion.
After 29 years with the State, I retired in 2023. Since that time, I have kept busy with grandkids, (ages infant to 19 years old… all bases covered!) volunteering at my local Elementary School, spending time with family and friends and indulging my love of travel with trips to South Padre Island, Texas, Hawaii, Rome, the Almalfi Coast and the Tuscany Region in Italy, Kusadasi and Ephesus in Turkey and the Greek Islands of Santorini and Mykonos. In my “spare” time, I continue to do some motivational speaking and classes whenever opportunities arise.
Michael St. Julien
.png)
“I have worked in the field of Blindness Rehabilitation for 30 years having started in residential services in Louisiana. I obtained a Master’s in Educational Psychology and Orientation and Mobility. As an Orientation and Mobility Instructor in both New Mexico and Texas I worked with blind individuals of all age groups including transition aged students. I later moved to back to Louisiana where I managed the Business Enterprise Program. Then I moved to the Show Me state.
For the last 14 years I have worked in a couple of different roles at Missouri’s Rehabilitation Services for the Blind. My work often involves working with other agencies to negotiate cooperative agreements. I also serve on the National Expansion of Employment Opportunities (NEON) Committee. My primary responsibility now is to provide blindness education and outreach throughout the state as well as coordinate the Prevention of Blindness Program.”
Jeffrey Stocks
.png)
Jeffrey Stocks is a Program Specialist with the Federal Office of Child Support Services, based in Kansas City, MO. He has been with OCSS for 17 years and currently works with the states of IA, NE, MO and the tribal program Meskwaki in Tama, IA.
Angela Terry
Angela Terry is an Assistant Deputy Director with the Family Support Division, Child Support. Angela oversees MACSS, Child Support Systems Helpdesk, Child Support Security, and IRS compliance. She graduated from Lincoln University earning a B.S. in Business Administration. Angela began her career in the Child Support Program in 2000 as a Child Support Technician in Financial Resolutions Section. In 2005 she went to work for the Department of Social Services as the legislative liaison. Angela then went to the Family Support Payment Center where she supervised the Customer Service Department. In 2007, she joined the Policy and Systems Unit as a Program Development Specialist and was also the Divisional Security Officer for Child Support. In May 2019, she accepted her current position.
Angela has been married for 23 years to her husband Chris. Together they have a son and a daughter. Outside of work, Angela spends most of her time chasing her kids around and watching their sporting events.
Lara Webb Fors
Lara Webb Fors is an assistant prosecutor and Trial Team Leader in the Jackson County Prosecutor’s office in Kansas City. She supervises the legal unit of assistant prosecutors and staff for paternity, establishment, enforcement, and UIFSA.
Lara has spent over thirty years working in the IV-D program. She started in the Jackson County, Missouri Prosecutor’s office as a 2L in 1994 and then as an assistant prosecutor. She also has worked for MAXIMUS as a staff attorney in Wyandotte, Kansas, an assistant prosecutor in Greene County in Springfield, MO, as the deputy director of the Family Support Division-Child Support, the director of the Springfield Regional Prosecutor’s Office for Greene, Christian, and Taney Counties, and as a management consultant for Public Knowledge®.
Lara is a past president of Missouri Child Support Enforcement Association (MCSEA) (2007) and the Eastern Regional Interstate Child Support Association (ERICSA) (2014). She currently serves on several ERICSA committees and is a member of the ERICSA Honorary Board. Lara has presented to numerous conferences and events including ERICSA, National Child Support Enforcement Association (NCSEA), National Tribal Child Support Association (NTCSA), Western Intergovernmental Child Support Engagement Council (WICSEC), and MCSEA.
Lara was awarded the Springfield Business Journal’s 40 under 40 Award (2009), the MCSEA Honorary Life Member (2014), the Missouri Lawyer’s Weekly Women’s Justice Award for Public Service Practitioner of the Year (2016), the ERICSA Honorary Life Member (2019), and the inaugural ERICSA Patrick W. Quinn Intergovernmental Scholarship Award in 2022. Lara received her undergraduate degree at Central Methodist University and received her J.D. from the University of Missouri-Kansas City. She is a member of both the Missouri and Kansas Bars.
Barbara Williams
Barbie Williams has over 17 years of experience with the State of Missouri’s Department of Social Services, specifically within the Office of Workforce & Community Initiatives. In this role, she has embraced the opportunity to engage with the community, fostering relationships between the state and the individuals she serves. Outside of her professional commitments, she enjoys spending time with her lovely dog and expressing her creativity as a watercolorist.
Chris Wray
Chris Wray is a partner at Shook, Hardy & Bacon in Kansas City, MO. His practice focuses on defending class actions and complex civil litigation at the trial and appellate level. He earned his law degree from Notre Dame Law School and his undergraduate degree in accounting and finance from Washington University in St. Louis. After law school, he clerked for the Hon. Duane Benton on the United States Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit.
Prior to his time in private practice, Chris served as the chief of staff and deputy solicitor general in the Missouri Attorney General’s Office. During his time in public service, Chris won several high-profile appeals before the U.S. Court of Appeals for the Eighth Circuit, the Supreme Court of Missouri, and the Missouri Court of Appeals. Chris oversaw all operations of the Attorney General’s Office, supervising more than 300 attorneys and staff. He also served as Missouri’s deputy state treasurer, where he managed the state’s $4 billion portfolio and its banking and unclaimed property operations.
Chris serves as an adjunct professor at the UMKC School of Law. He is a CPA and has also served on the accounting faculty of the University of Notre Dame and Avila University. He is a published designer of board and card games.
