It Takes a Village Part 1: Meet the Speakers

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Julika von Stackelberg, Ph.D. is chair of both The Orange County Parenting Coalition and the Orange County Resilience Project (OCRP). The goal of the OCRP is to raise awareness about the impact of trauma and adversities on the health and well-being of individuals, families, and communities. Their mission is to promote and foster resilience by creating a supportive and inclusive community that provides opportunities for safety, connection, healing, and growth.

Mary Fox currently serves as the Director of Guidance and School Counseling at Warwick Valley High School. With nearly 35 years of experience as a School Counselor, Mrs. Fox has continued to expand her knowledge of best practices to support the families of the Warwick Community. She is a member of the Orange County Counselors Association, the New York State School Counselors Association, and serves on numerous teams and committees that support all students, from Career and Technical Education, to English Language Learners, to the National Honor Society. Her most cherished role is a Mom to three children whom she credits as her best teachers.

Kristine Lynne Wilson, M.A., Ed.M., LMHC is a licensed mental health counselor and the Prevention Director at the Warwick Valley Community Center, where she leads substance use prevention initiatives and fosters community-wide strategies that support youth and families. Kristine also maintains a private psychotherapy practice since 2013, specializing in trauma-informed care, attachment theory, and resilience-based approaches and has collaborated with schools, courts, nonprofits, and coalitions across New York. She is also an advocate with Warwick Cares, advancing suicide prevention and community dialogue.

Caitlin O’Brien is the Program Manager for Relatives as Parents Program (RAPP) has 20 years of experience working as an advocate for women, children, and families. There are an estimated 3,000 kinship families in Orange County stepping up to care for children in need.  Caitlin has spent most of her career as a victim advocate for sexual assault survivors, and in public health and a health educator. She has been with RAPP for the last 5 years working with Kinship Families. She has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology from the University of Connecticut.

Frank McDermott, APN is a retired NYPD Sergeant with two years assigned to middle school and high schools in Brooklyn. After retirement he attended SUNY Orange community college for registered nursing and earned bachelor's in nursing and psych nurse practitioner at SUNY Binghamton.  Frank’s nursing experience includes Westchester medical center adolescent behavioral health and psychiatric nurse practitioner at Four Winds hospital. He is currently working with community clients and substance use disorder and teaching at Mount Saint Mary's college PMHNP program.

Katherine Brieger, MA, RD, CCE is the Executive Director of the Warwick Area Farmworker Organization. She was awarded the 2020 Lifetime Achievement in Migrant Health Award by The National Association of Community Health Centers. Kathy has worked for over 35 years with Hudson River HealthCare (HRHCare) serving farmworkers in the local health center, the Alamo, as well as the other centers of HRHCare in Suffolk and Ulster counties.

Jennifer L. Rowe, LCSW is a licensed clinical social worker, life strategist, and author. Through Journey Life Balance, Inc., she helps teens, college students, and adults navigate change, strengthen resilience, and live with greater clarity and purpose. Jennifer has 30 years of experience as a social worker in both healthcare and mental health settings.

Melissa Reali is the founder of Playing Together, Being Together, which she launched in 2021 out of a heartfelt desire to support parents of young children. Her approach draws on a wide range of inspirations—conscious discipline practices, child-led play, the natural world, the use of open-ended materials and above all, the joy of play itself. Her own parenting journey with her son, James, continues to shape and deepen her understanding of how children grow and how parents can best be supported.

Wanda Frankel, MS Ed, LCSW is a licensed clinical social worker and early childhood specialist who has over 30 years experience working with children, families, teachers and administrators in schools and clinical settings. In addition to being a former preschool special educator and teacher trainer, Wanda has worked in schools and childcare programs as a developmental consultant. She supports families of young children as a parenting coach and runs workshops and support groups for caregivers, addressing a range of expectable parenting quandaries and developmental issues.

Ryan Caldwell is a married father of three children. Ryan was formerly at the Prevention Coalition and a Transitional Planner for the Osborne Association. Helping incarcerated folks connect to services prior to release to help success and reduce recidivism.

Devon Berkshire is a producer who loves bringing people together to spark creative change and strengthen community. At home in Greenwood Lake, she shares life with her husband and two energetic kids. Guided by her belief in human-centered processes, Devon pays close attention to the cultural shifts shaping parenting and family life today, imagining a future with less isolation, more shared resources, and stronger connections. A seasoned cultural leader, project manager, and advocate, Devon brings a wealth of experience to her work, weaving together creativity, strategy, and care to strengthen communities and the families within them.  Learn more at www.devonberkshire.com.