Meet our Board Members

President: Susan Myers

Susan Myers is the adoptive mother of two young adults, and has over 20 years of experience in the field of adoption.  She has a Master’s degree in Counseling as well as an MSW, and is a graduate of the Training for Adoption Competency (TAC)  Certificate program of the Center for Adoption Support and Education (C.A.S.E).   Susan currently works for Family & Children’s Agency.    Previously, she worked as a District Supervisor at Adoptions From The Heart in Connecticut, and as a social worker and program manager for Lutheran Social Services in both New England and New York. Susan served as the Director of the Lutheran Adoption Network for five years.

Vice President: Anne Steers

Anne Steers is an LCSW and the Adoptive Mom of two transracially/internationally placed young women. She has over 30 years experience as a Social Worker, specifically in the areas of Permanency Planning, Foster Care, Adoption, both domestic and international, and Post Adoption Services. She graduated from Columbia University with her MSW. She has various Post Masters certifications in the areas of Foster Care, Adoptions, Infant and Toddler Mental Health and Adolescents and Family Services. She has experience in both the Public and Private sectors as a Social Worker, Supervisor, Program Manager, Clinician and Adjunct Professor. She has been a member of CCA for many years and is the current Vice President.

Treasurer: Cathy Gentile Doyle

Cathy retired from the State of CT in July 2018 after a 40-year career as a Social Worker in the areas of child maltreatment, behavioral health, foster care and adoption. With a B.A. in Secondary Education and Spanish, she applied her bilingual skills as a Parent/Child Advocate in an urban early childhood program and then as a CPS worker in Massachusetts.  She received her MSW from UConn School of Social Work through a Fellowship from NIMH targeting permanency planning with Hispanic families and children’s services. She has been a Licensed Clinical Social worker since 1986 and her direct practice experience includes clinical practice in both inpatient and outpatient child and adolescent psychiatric services, therapeutic foster care and a special education school program. Cathy also has experience in program planning and development. She was the Program Coordinator of the Foster Care Clinic at CCMC and the Post-Graduate Certificate Program “Clinical Issues in Adoption” at UConn SSW as well as a Certified Trainer in Adoption Competence with the Center for Adoption Support and Education. Cathy completed coursework and doctoral exams towards a Ph. D in Social Work from UConn in 2005. Over the last 13 years, Cathy taught in the undergrad Social Work Department at CCSU and was also the Field Education Coordinator for the program.

Communications & Publicity: Juliette Cole

Juliette Cole is a mother of 5 children with multiple adoptions in that mix. Juliette is an adoption competent clinician at Starfish Family Connections, LLC. Her primary focus has been on helping youth navigate the often-difficult tasks of growing up, how to improve overall communication, build more adaptive structures, and develop appropriate expectations especially within the foster and adoption network. Juliette feels it is important to fortify strong working relationships between the biological and foster/adoptive families for the betterment of the foster/adoptive child. Juliette received her bachelor’s degree from SCSU in psychology with minor in Mental Health Specialization and her master’s degree from Saint Joseph College (now known as University of Saint Joseph) in Community Counseling with a Specialization in Child Welfare. She is also a graduate of the Training of Adoption Competency (TAC) Certificate program through the Center for Adoption Support and Education (C.A.S.E.).

Secretary: Debra Candelora

Deb has been a child advocate for over 35 years. She is a Foster and Adoptive Family Support Liaison for CAFAF (The Connecticut Alliance of Foster and Adoptive Families) and a mom to 11, 7 adopted through the Foster Care System. She has a heart for keeping sibling groups together and keeping family connections post adoption whenever possible.

Membership Chair: Noreen Bachteler

Noreen retired from CT DCF in October 2011 after 34 years of service as a social worker and supervisor, spending her last 21 years with the agency’s Interstate Compacts Office. It was there that Noreen interfaced with child welfare and adoption agencies from across the country and conducted ongoing trainings and consultations for the CT DCF regional offices, CT Courts, and CT CPA staff. She also joined CCA during this period and has been active with the CCA Program Committee having served as its Chair for 20+ years in bringing both national and CT experts for numerous adoption-related trainings of benefit to adoptive families and the social workers, therapists, teachers and other professionals involved with them. She continues as a strong adoption advocate and feels that CCA is a valued partner for its commitment to educating and supporting its members and others in CT on changing and critical adoption issues and policies. In 2023, Noreen assumed the duties of CCA Membership Chair and is looking forward to sharing her positive CCA experiences in her new position.

Program Committee Chair: Rachael Kriedel

Rachael Kriedel is a mother of two and the Family Coordinator at A Better World. A Better World is located in Farmington, CT. Rachael has been working in the field of adoption for more than 15 years in various capacities including overseeing her agency’s international programs. She also lends her time to various charitable organizations supporting women in crisis.

Practice Committee Chairs: Devon Miles & Robin Knight

Devon Miles has been employed since 2016 in the Adoption Department at Family & Children’s Agency (FCA), headquartered in Norwalk, CT with offices in Branford, CT and Harrison, NY. Devon is the Manager of Adoption at FCA and is a Licensed Clinical Social worker. She graduated in 2018 from the Training for Adoption Competency (TAC) Certificate program of the Center for Adoption Support and Education (C.A.S.E).

Robin is the mother of 3 children, 2 of whom were adopted; all of whom have made it successfully to adulthood!  Her family was a licensed therapeutic foster and adoptive home for many years, working with teenagers and children being discharged from residential placement.  Additionally, Robin has a wealth of child welfare experience, having worked at the Department of Children and Families for 30+ years, most of her time working in Permanency.  She has her MS in Professional Counseling, is an LPC, and a NCC.  Robin is a clinical supervisor at Southern Connecticut Behavioral Health in Milford, CT.  She is an NTI, National Training Institute, Adoption Competent Clinician through C.A.S.E the Center for Adoption Support and Education. She enjoys working with families touched by adoption, using an adoption focused lens as the families and their adopted children/youth/adults move through the lifespan and developmental stages.  

Department of Children and Families Representative: Maggie Szmigiel

Maggie has joined CCA this year to continue the well-established collaboration with the Department of Children and Families. Maggie has been employed with the DCF for last 18 years including 13 years as a Family Specialist in the Foster and Adoption Services Division in the New Britain DCF Office. Maggie's experience includes providing support to pre-adoptive families in their journey to adopt children from the Department. Aside from her long public service, Maggie holds a Master degree in Social Work from the UCONN School of Social Work.  She is committed to her role as a Family Specialist and always excited about new learning opportunities.

Past President:  Carolyn Goodridge  

Carolyn began involvement with the CT Council when she was a social worker and then director of Downey Side Adoptions. Carolyn has worked in the field of adoption for over 35 years. She has been Program Chair, Secretary and now President of CCA. She is presently social worker/legislative liaison at the CAFAF. Carolyn is actively involved in the Access CT Now grassroots effort to re-open access to birth certificates to adult adoptees, and she is also a member of the Keep the Promise Coalition for Children’s Mental Health.

Past President: Polly Champ

Polly is a past president of the Ct Council on Adoption. Polly retired as Program Supervisor of the Department of Children and Families and was Deputy Administrator for Interstate Compacts at DCF Central Office.