PRESIDENT: DEBRA CANDELORA

Deb has previously served CCA as Secretary and is now serving as our President. She comes with over 40 years of Child Development experience and 16 years of Child Welfare work. Her lived experience of being an Adoptive parent to 8, alongside of her 3 Biological children is what drives her passion. She has 11 children ages 9 to 41 and is a grandparent to 10. Her family is her biggest support to the work that she does. It helps her to "walk her talk" as she would say.

Deb is employed by Ct Alliance of Foster and Adoptive Families. She is a Support Liaison out of the Meriden DCF Office. She wears a few hats. Deb is a co-chair to The Caregiver Advisory Council that reports out to the Foster Care Division, who then brings concerns of practice and policy to the Commissioners attention. She is also a QPI (Quality Parenting Initiative) Champion and supports building strong relationships for a child's team as this is best practice for a child and as a co-Chair for Region 6 Steering Committee.

Post Adoption Supports is a big piece of Deb's heart. Her first goal is to help build CCA Awareness and membership. Feel free to reach out to her anytime at 860-882-8226.

VICE PRESIDENT: 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.

TREASURER & PROGRAM COMMITTEE CO-CHAIR: 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.

PROGRAM COMMITTEE CO-CHAIR: SONIA FIGUEROA

Bio and photo pending!

PRACTICE COMMITTEE CHAIR: 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.

SECRETARY: DIANE ORLANDO

Bio pending!

MEMBERSHIP CO-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.

MEMBERSHIP CO-CHAIR: MARIA GENCA

Bio and photo pending!

COMMUNICATIONS: DEVON MILES

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. AT FCA Devon is the Manager of Adoption and a birthparent counselor, overseeing pre- and post-adoption support for families in CT and NY. 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). In 2022, she became a Licensed Clinical Social worker. Devon has been on the Board for CCA since 2019, serving as the Program Committee Co-Chair and in Communications.

CCA DCF REPRESENTIVE: BRIAN DONAHUE/ROSALIND KIMBROUGH

Bio pending!