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
Speaker Bios
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Amanda Mueller
Amanda Mueller earned a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and Bachelor of Science in Business Management from Columbia College. She joined the Family Support Division in 2007, stepping into the SOSA role within the Cole County FSD office. In subsequent years Amanda has held various roles, including Child Support Specialist in Financials for the Interstate Collections Unit, CS Supervisor over Interstate, Foster Care, and Cole County Paternity, Program Specialist in the Systems unit, Research & Data Analyst for the Child Support Program, and Senior Business Analyst at ITSD. She now holds the role of Program Coordinator over the Policy Development Unit.
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Ann Harter
Ann Harter started her career with Clay County Prosecuting Attorney’s office in January of 2013. Ann has touched many aspects of child support and was instrumental in establishing Clay Co P.A. office as a genetic testing site. Ann was promoted to Supervisor in 2013, with a focus on judicial enforcement of child support.
Ann enjoys spending time with her family, gardening and fishing.
Bethany Ford
Bethany Ford has dedicated 25 years to the Family Support Division, with 14 of those years being in Child Support. Throughout her career, she has worked in and trained staff across multiple functions, building a foundation of program knowledge and leadership. In April 2026, Bethany was promoted to Manager of the Child Support Training Unit. Over the past six months, she and her team have been instrumental in preparing staff for the successful implementation of webMACSS earlier this month.
Brian Neal
Brian Neal, a Springfield, Missouri native, joined the Greene County Prosecutor's Office in January of 2007. He received a B.A. in history from Missouri State University in 2001, graduating Summa Cum Laude. He graduated from the University of Missouri-Columbia School of Law in 2006. Brian has been a member of the Child Support Unit for seventeen years. Having served as an assistant prosecutor in the unit, he was promoted to First Assistant Prosecutor of the Child Support Unit in January of 2020. In that capacity, he supervises three other assistant prosecutors, along with support staff, in both enforcing and establishing child support orders, in Greene, Christian and Taney Counties pursuant to a cooperative agreement with the Family Support Division. Brian also assists the Missouri Association of Prosecuting Attorneys in coordinating child support training for child support prosecutors across the state.
Cassie Bugalski
Cassie Bugalski is the Managing Member of the law firm of Gump, Faiella, & Bugalski, LLC. Ms. Bugalski focuses her law practice on cases involving civil litigation. She focuses her practice on family law, estate litigation, estate planning, probate, injuries, insurance coverage, wrongful death, premises liability, and product liability. The majority of Ms. Bugalski’s cases are high-stakes, high-value divorce cases involving business interests, real estate and other high-value assets.
Cecilia Williams
Cecilia Williams is an advocate of Bentleys and Masons law. On April 13,2021 a drunk driver killed her son Cordell and Daughter in law Lacey and 4month old grandson Cordell the second. In May of 2021 I created Legislation called Bentleys and Mason's law, shorten to Bentleys law in most states. This bill holds drunk and impaired drivers financially responsible for the children left behind when a parent or parent’s life is taken by the actions of drunk impaired driving.
Charles Hollingsworth
Charles Hollingsworth is Senior Vice President of Technical Operations at Systems & Methods, Inc. (SMI), where he provides executive leadership for complex technology and operational initiatives supporting state child support programs. A certified Project Management Professional (PMP), Charles brings more than 30 years of child support and project management experience, including 25 years with SMI.
Prior to joining SMI, Charles served with the Missouri Division of Child Support Enforcement, where his responsibilities included oversight of the State’s centralized child support collections contract. He later managed SMI’s Missouri Family Support Payment Center and has led numerous large-scale implementations, transitions, system enhancements, and technology initiatives throughout his career.
Charles combines the perspectives of both a state child support professional and a private-sector partner, giving him a unique understanding of program operations, technology, project management, and successful state-contractor partnerships.
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, serving on the University of Colorado Law Review. 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 chapter in Missouri Family Law, 6th, 7th, and 8th editions (The Family Support Division, Marital 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. His daughter Hannah is an administrator for the MBA program at UCLA. In his spare time Dan teaches Taekwon-Do for Columbia Parks & Recreation.
Dawn Kuhlman
Dawn Kuhlman, M.A. is the Executive Director of M.A.R.C.H. Inc., a Missouri-based nonprofit that provides free mediation, supervised visitation, and legal services to families involved in child support cases. With a background in clinical psychology and over two decades of experience in court-connected services, Dawn is nationally recognized for developing the Trauma-Informed Mediation model and delivering a widely viewed TEDx Talk on the topic. Under her leadership, M.A.R.C.H. Inc. has quadrupled its budget, staff, and reach, serving thousands of families each year. Passionate about transforming conflict through compassion, Dawn continues to advance innovative, trauma-informed approaches to family mediation and systems change.
Ellen Rutledge
Ellen Rutledge is a career child support professional. She has 20+ years of experience including legal, program operations, consulting, and technology. Ellen recently rejoined YoungWilliams as a Vice President. She currently serves on the NCSEA Board of Directors and is a WICESC past President. In 2024, Ellen was recognized as a WICSEC Honorary Lifetime Member. When she's not talking child support, Ellen can be found with a good book in one hand and a new recipe in the other.
Franchesca Archacki
Franchesca Archacki is a Staff Development Training Specialist in the Human Resource Center based in Jefferson City, Missouri. She joined the HRC team in December 2024 and focuses on developing and delivering training that supports team member growth, confidence, and practical skill-building. Franchesca is passionate about creating learning environments that are supportive, interactive, and grounded in real-world application.
Grant Kelley
Grant M. Kelley originally joined the Clay County Prosecutor’s Office in March of 2016 as an Assistant Prosecutor in the Child Support Division. As a prosecutor he handled civil, criminal, and bankruptcy matters before he transitioned to a position as Office Manager in July of 2021. In late 2022, Grant briefly left public service to join a private practice, before returning to the Prosecutor’s Office as Director of the Clay County’s Family Support Division in March of 2023. Grant was admitted to the Missouri Bar in 2014 after graduation from the UMKC School of Law, is admitted to practice before the U.S. District Court in the Western District of Missouri and U.S. Bankruptcy Court Western District. He has also been a Director for Region VII (Jackson, Clay, and Platte Counties) of the Missouri Child Support Education Association (MCSEA) since 2021. Grant and his family are longtime residents of Clay County, Missouri, where they enjoy their pets, 3d printing, Lego building, and planning their next Disney vacation.
Jacob Smith
Jacob Smith began his employment with Department of Social Service in February 2023. Over the last 2.5 years he has worked as obligation Benefit Program Technician, Training Supervisor, and in his current position, Program Specialist for the Policy Development Unit.
Jeff Stocks
Jeff Stocks is an OCSE Program Specialist based out of Kansas City, MO. He has 21 years of combined federal and state child support experience. He presents often on prisoner re-entry, domestic violence, and federal financial reporting. He currently supports the programs in Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Minnesota, Missouri, and Ohio, as well as the tribal IV-D programs Leech Lake, Mille Lacs Band, Red Lake Band of Chippewa Indians, Meskwaki, and White Earth Nation.
Jennifer Soper
Jennifer Soper joined the Buchanan County Prosecutor’s Office in October 2022 as an Assistant Prosecutor in the Child Support Division. Prior to joining the Prosecutor’s Office, she practiced family law for over twenty years both in private practice and as the Managing Attorney of the St. Joseph office of Legal Aid of Western Missouri for eight years. Jennifer graduated from the University of Missouri- Kansas City in 1997 with a degree in biology and she received her law degree from the University of Missouri- Columbia in 2000. She was an Adjunct Professor at Missouri Western State University for twenty years where she taught in the Criminal Justice and Legal Studies Department.
Kallie Guthrie
Kallie Guthrie began her journey in Child Support in 2019 at YoungWilliams, a contracted office, where she quickly discovered her passion for this field and set her sights on becoming a trainer. In 2022, she joined the Department of Social Services, advancing to a Financials BPT and later being promoted to Training Supervisor shortly after welcoming her daughter. In 2024, she became the Program Development Specialist with the training unit, a role that further developed her skills and deepened her commitment to professional growth.
Throughout her career, Kallie has been fortunate to learn from inspiring mentors, and she embraced every opportunity to enhance her presentation skills. These experiences paved the way for her to achieve her dream role as a Child Support Enforcement Trainer, which she became in February 2026.
Outside of work, she cherishes time with her daughter, who is her best friend. She also enjoy reading, making people laugh, and spending quality time with her coworkers beyond the office.
Karen Haley
Karen Haley began her career in the Franklin County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office in 1996, working in the traffic division before quickly transitioning to the role of restitution director. Driven by a passion for ensuring parents uphold their responsibilities to their children, she joined the child support division two years later. Karen has dedicated the past 28 years to this work and has served as the unit’s supervisor since 2018.
At the request of the Missouri Family Support Division, Karen’s office expanded into a multi‑county project in 2019. It now serves Franklin, Warren, Lincoln, and Montgomery counties in east central Missouri. Her team includes two CS Tech members and two assistant prosecuting attorneys who support child support operations across all four counties.
Karen is married, has two children and four grandchildren, and enjoys spending quality time with her family and friends.
Kendra Porter
Kendra Porter began her career with Family Support Division in May 2001 as an OSA in the Interstate Collections Unit. In 2004 she promoted to a SOSA in the Cole County FSD office. Next, she promoted to Child Support Specialist in the Cole County FSD office in 2006, transferring to the Interstate Collections unit in 2011 and then into the Financial Resolution Section in 2013. In 2015 she promoted to Benefit Program Specialist with the Compliance Review Section and recently promoted to her current position as a Program Specialist in the Child Support Policy Unit in June 2025.
Kristi Burns
Kristi Burns brings 15 years of experience in Missouri Child Support, where she has developed deep program expertise and built meaningful partnerships across the agency. Her diverse background and genuine passion for supporting staff make her a relatable, trusted leader in training, growth, and workplace development.
In May 2025, Kristi joined the CS Training team—a group known for its commitment to coaching, motivating, and strengthening communities. She has since cultivated growth, innovation, and engagement and looks forward to bringing that same energy and dedication to future training efforts. Kristi is passionate about supporting staff and creating a positive, fun, and encouraging learning environment.
Outside of work, Kristi enjoys spending time outdoors, gardening, fishing, baking, crafting, and playing softball. When not engaged in activities, she, her husband, and their daughter enjoy time at home with their many pets.
Kristi is excited to continue building connections and looks forward to working with you.
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.
Lisa Skenandore
Lisa Skenandore joined Systems & Methods, Inc. (SMI) as Vice President of Business Development in January 2016. In January 2026, she was promoted to Senior Vice President of Partner Success and Development, where she leads strategic partner relationships, business development, and growth initiatives focused on delivering innovative payment and child support solutions. In this role, she is responsible for strengthening state and tribal partnerships, supporting successful procurements, and advancing strategic initiatives that drive long-term client success and organizational growth.
Prior to joining SMI, Lisa dedicated twenty-five years to serving the Oneida Nation, most notably as the Child Support IV-D Director. She began her child support career when the Oneida Nation received its Tribal IV-D start-up grant in 2005 and has been a passionate advocate for tribal child support ever since. Throughout her career with the Oneida Nation, she also provided leadership in child welfare, domestic violence, prevention, and foster care programs, working to strengthen services for children and families.
Lisa is a nationally recognized leader in the child support community. She is a Past President and Honorary Life Member of the National Child Support Engagement Association (NCSEA), a Past President of the National Tribal Child Support Association (NTCSA), a Past President of the National Association of Tribal Child Support Directors (NATCSD), and a Past President of the Eastern Regional Interstate Child Support Association (ERICSA). She is also an Honorary Life Member of the Western Intergovernmental Child Support Engagement Association (WICSEC). She is a frequent national speaker, presenter, and facilitator on topics including child support policy, tribal-state collaboration, payment innovation, leadership, and partner engagement.
Lynda Dillard
Lynda Dillard is a Federal Parent Locator Service (FPLS) liaison on the FPLS Support team for the Federal Office of Child Support Enforcement (OCSE) Division of Federal Systems (DFS), supporting child support programs in regions 7, 8, 9, and 10 by helping them maximize usage of FPLS data with automated processes and the Child Support Portal. Prior to joining OCSE in 2020, Lynda worked for Washington State Division of Child Support for 19 years, where she gained state perspective and experience with casework, training, supervising, and IT business analysis.
Melinda J. Bentley
Melinda J. Bentley serves as Legal Ethics Counsel in Missouri where she provides oral and written informal advisory opinions to attorneys on issues related to the Missouri Rules of Professional Conduct. In that position, she also serves as administrator and counsel to the Advisory Committee of the Supreme Court of Missouri. She began serving in that position in 2012. Prior to that she worked for the Illinois State Bar Association as Assistant Counsel from 2001-03, First Assistant Counsel from 2003-11, and Assistant Director of Legislative Affairs from 2009-11. She is a frequent speaker and author on professional responsibility matters. Ms. Bentley currently serves as a member of the ABA Professionalism Committee, the Planning Committee for The Missouri Bar Solo and Small Firm Conference, and the National Organization of Bar Counsel’s Committees on Amicus, Website, and Program. She was a board member and officer of the National Organization of Bar Counsel from 2015-2020, including a term as President from 2018-2019, and formerly served on the ABA Standing Committee on Ethics and Professional Responsibility (2020-2023), Editorial Board of the ABA/BNA Lawyers’ Manual on Professional Conduct as a member (2015-2016) and Chair (2016-2018), Co-Chair of the Planning Committee for the American Bar Association (ABA) Center for Professional Responsibility’s National Conference on Professional Responsibility (2024-2025), and is as well as a member of the ABA Center for Professional Responsibility Coordinating Council (2016-2018; 2024-2025). She is licensed in both Missouri and Illinois, and is a member of The Missouri Bar, Illinois State Bar Association, American Bar Association, National Organization of Bar Counsel, Bar Association of Metropolitan St. Louis, Cole County Bar Association, and Mid-Missouri Women Lawyers’ Association.
Michelle Foster Parks
Michelle Foster Parks has worked as the Non-Support Assistant Prosecuting Attorney and Supervisor with the Buchanan County Prosecutor’s Office since July 2024. Prior to her current role, she spent several years as a civil Family Law attorney. Michelle received her JD from the Washburn University School of Law and was admitted to the Missouri Bar in 2017. Michelle is also a graduate of Kansas State University and a proud Wildcat.
Michelle Rivera
Michelle Rivera joined the Boone County Circuit Clerks office February 14th, 2022 as a copy request clerk, fulfilling FSD child support requests and going to court. By May she fell in LOVE with Child Support, and with a bit of training, became the main child support clerk in Boone County. 3 years later she's presenting on all the things she wished she had known from the beginning. In her off time, she has the honor of representing Region 10 for the Missouri Child Support Education Association (MCSEA). Outside of work she enjoys playing boardgames with friends, going to Renaissance fairs, and hanging with her cat JuJu.
Senator Mike Henderson
Senator Mike Henderson sponsored Bentley and Mason’s Law in the Missouri Senate under SB1135. Representative Williams co-sponsored the bill and ultimately helped it get Truly Agreed and Finally Passed in the Missouri House at the end of the legislative session.
Nikki Hartley
Nikki Hartley serves as the PA Liaison Contract Manager for the Missouri Department of Social Services, Family Support Division. She began her public service career more than two decades ago as a court clerk in the Cole County Circuit Clerk’s Office, gaining experience across the criminal, civil, and juvenile divisions and clerking for Senior Judge Byron Kinder.
In April 2011, Nikki joined the Jefferson City Regional Prosecutor’s Office as a Legal Assistant in the Child Support Unit. She returned to state service in May 2021 as a Legal Assistant for Family Support’s Legal Counsel before accepting her current position in October 2022.
Nikki is also actively involved in professional development within her field. She currently serves as the President and website administrator for the Missouri Child Support Education Association (MCSEA).
Nikki and her husband, Daniel, have been married for 25 years and enjoy life with their two sons and 3 dogs.
Ruth Eaker
After 36 years of service in faith based organizations, Ruth joined the Family Support Division in 2021 as a Child Support trainer. She brings a deep commitment to personal and professional development, a strong talent for coaching others, and a passion for organizational excellence and continual improvement. Ruth’s professional foundation includes an MBA from Lindenwood University, a teaching degree from the University of Evansville, and ministerial studies completed at RHEMA Bible Training Center. Inspired by her family, she carries a love of humor and laughter into her work. She also enjoys public speaking and uses storytelling as a powerful tool to communicate, connect, and inspire.
Ryann Gander
Ryann Gander – earned an Associate of Applied Science in Business Management and an Associate of Applied Science in Business Administration with a Technical Specialty from State Technical College of Missouri. She joined the Family Support Division in May 2023 as a Benefit Program Technician, later promoting to a Benefit Program Supervisor in September 2024. Ryann joined the Policy Development Unit as a Program Specialist in June 2026.
Sharron Switzer
Sharron Switzer graduated from Columbia College in 2014 with a BSBA – Management/Accounting. After 20+ years in the manufacturing industry, she joined the Family Support Division as a SOSA-K case opener with Child Support’s Alternative Care Collections Unit in January 2010. Sharron worked as a Child Support Specialist in financials for the Interstate Collections Unit, establishment for Alternative Care Collections, and financials for Jefferson City FSD before becoming a financials Child Support Supervisor for the Interstate Collections Unit, ultimately joining the Policy Development Unit in January of 2016.
Staci Hartupee
Staci Hartupee earned an Associates of Art degree from State Fair Community College. She began her career with the Family Support Division in December 2019 as clerical in Warrensburg and then promoted to child support specialist in August 2021 as a child support specialist in paternity, specializing particularly in Prosecuting Attorney Referrals. Staci promoted to her current position as a Program Specialist in the Child Support Policy Unit in July 2025.
Vickie Endicott
Vickie Endicott started her career with FSD in the Child Support office in Jefferson County in 2011. I worked enforcement and, the last 5 years in Jefferson County, I was a Financials Specialist, and I loved it!
My previous career path was in education where I taught Mathematics to middle and high school students. Joining the Training Team in the Spring of 2017 has been an enlightening experience for me. It has made me realize that my passion for teaching is still very much alive and I look forward to helping each of you gain the knowledge and skills needed for your position within the Family Support Division.
When I am not working, I enjoy spending time with my family, which includes 3 grown children, and 4 grandchildren! I am also an avid reader!
Whitney Distler
Bio Coming Soon!
Whitney Rogers
Whitney Rogers is a Program Coordinator with the Missouri Family Support Division’s Child Support Program, where she has served for more than five years. In her role, Whitney primarily leads enforcement and financial staff in the Joplin Child Support office, with a focus on collaboration, skill development, training, and creating a workplace where people feel connected and valued. She is a graduate of the Family Support Division Leadership Academy and has been instrumental in numerous special projects and training initiatives.
Whitney also serves as the Region VI Director for MCSEA, helping plan and organize the annual conference and leading local town hall events. Her passion for team building comes from seeing firsthand how meaningful workplace connection can be—even in the smallest gestures. She has developed creative office-wide and statewide activities designed to bring employees together, strengthen relationships, and create moments of connection throughout the year. Whitney believes that when people feel seen, valued, and connected, they are less likely to feel alone and more likely to thrive.
Outside of work, Whitney is a proud mother of five and grandmother of two. Her favorite title and job is simply Mom, and she can most often be found cheering from the sidelines for her little athletes.