CDF-Ohio > About CDF-Ohio > Staff

Children's Defense Fund - Ohio Staff

Ronald Browder
Director

Shauna Burkes Benefits Outreach Coordinator - Cleveland	Vacant Senior Manager, Cleveland
Megan Davis Director of Health Policy	Vacant Administrative Assistant
Barbara Turpin KIDS COUNT Director Senior Policy Advocate	Linda Bess Grants Manager Juvenile Justice Advocate
Vacant Administrative Assistant	Sonja Shute Benefits Outreach Coordinator

Ronald Browder, M.S. Ed., Director Ronald Browder joined Children's Defense Fund-Ohio in July 2004. Ron came to CDF-Ohio with more than twenty-four years of administrative and program experience with Family and Children Service organizations. Before joining CDF-Ohio, Ron served as Bureau Chief for Child and Adult Protection, Adoption and Kinship, within the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services. Prior to his tenure with the State, Ron was a caseworker with the Franklin County (Ohio) Department of Human Services. In 2003, Ron received the United States Department of Health and Human Services’ National Adoption Excellence Award. Ron serves as a member of the Board of Directors of the Anthem Foundation; and he is also a member of the Columbus Rotary.

Megan Davis, Director of Health Policy Megan Davis joined CDF-Ohio in June of 2008. Megan brings a diverse background of health education and public health experience to her home state of Ohio. She previously served as a Health Educator with the University of Southern California. Prior to her work in Los Angeles, Megan worked as a Health Educator in both Ypsilanti and Mt. Clemens, Michigan. Megan believes policy enactment and change is essential in creating sustainable healthy communities. Megan holds a Bachelor of Science in Community Health from Ohio University, and a Master of Public Health from Saint Louis University. In addition, she is a Certified Health Education Specialist (CHES). As the Director of Health Policy, Megan is responsible for monitoring state and federal legislation; identifying health trends and emerging issues; enhancing relationships with community partners and opinion leaders and making recommendations for CDF-Ohio’s response to critical child health issues.

Barbara Turpin, KIDS COUNT Director & Senior Policy Advocate Barbara joined CDF-Ohio in March 2005. She is the KIDS COUNT Director and also serves as the Senior Policy Advocate. Barbara holds a BS in Social Work and has completed the core coursework for MS in Criminal Justice. Barbara spent the last sixteen years as the primary program developer at the Ohio Department of Job and Family Services for the Title IV-E Adoption Assistance/ Foster Care program. She also coordinated Ohio’s Kinship program, including the Statewide Kinship Advisory Council. Prior to her work at ODJFS, Barbara spent fifteen years at the Ohio Department of Youth Services as a group leader and social worker.

Sonja Shute, Benefits Outreach Coordinator Originally from Canada, Sonja Shute joined CDF in September 2007. Sonja holds a Master of Social Work degree with a focus in Community Development and Social Policy, from Wilfrid Laurier University and is a Licensed Social Worker in the State of Ohio. Sonja has worked with issues facing marginalized members of the community, in a variety of capacities. Prior to joining CDF, Sonja counseled and coordinated community supports for pregnant and parenting women that were experiencing substance-use issues. This position built on previous experience working to address issues facing women and children. As Project Coordinator with the Woman Abuse Council of Toronto, Sonja assisted in the mobilization of various the Violence Against Women coordinating committees that exist throughout Ontario, Canada and helped to establish the Rights of Non-Status Women Network. In addition, Sonja also had the opportunity to design, implement and evaluate an educational program on Fetal Alcohol Syndrome for the incarcerated population while working in the criminal justice system in Alberta.

Shauna Burkes, Benefits Outreach Coordinator - Cleveland Shauna Burkes joined Children's Defense Fund - Ohio in June 2008. She brings to CDF-Ohio a strong background in private sector and governmental social service work in the areas of foster care, adoption, kinship care, juvenile justice and youth leadership programming. She served as Director of the Cuyahoga County One Church One Child program where she developed its Family Advocacy and Mentorship programs. Shauna's extensive community organizing skills are enriched by her strong background in business administration and corporate marketing. She is a former Advertising Manager for Dirt Devil/Royal Appliance Co. and Marketing-Communications Specialist for Sherwin-Williams Paints. Shauna holds an M.B.A. and B.A. from Cleveland State University.

Linda Bess, Grants Manager & Juvenile Justice Advocate Linda joined the CDF-Ohio in March 2005. Linda retired from the public service with the State of Ohio after approximately 30 years of administrative and program experience. Linda was the Deputy Director, Child Welfare, at the Ohio Job and Family Services and Deputy Director, Parole, Courts and Community Services with the Department of Youth Services.  While with Youth Services, she also held positions as a Training Administrator, an Institution Superintendent (at minimum and maximum security institutions), a Business Administrator and a Personnel Officer. Linda also took on special assignments at the Training Institute of Central Ohio (TICO), the Circleville Youth Center and the Cuyahoga Hills Youth Center.  Linda serves as a Juvenile Justice Advocate and Office / Grants Manager for CDF-Ohio.

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© 2006 Children's Defense Fund

"The Children's Defense Fund’s Leave No Child Behind® mission is to ensure every child a Healthy Start, a Head Start, a Fair Start, a Safe Start, and a Moral Start in life and successful passage to adulthood with the help of caring families and communities."