HONORABLE DEAN RUCKER CJA TASK FORCE CHAIR

Judge Dean Rucker serves as Presiding Judge for the Seventh Administrative Judicial Region of Texas and as judge of the 318th Family District Court of Midland County. Judge Rucker is a member of the Supreme Court of Texas Permanent Judicial Commission for Children, Youth, and Families. Judge Rucker is board certified in family law by the Texas Board of Legal Specialization and a member of the Family Law Section, the Texas Academy of Family Law Specialists, and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges. He earned a BS in business administration from Trinity University and a JD from St. Mary's University School of Law.

CATHY CRABTREE CJA TASK FORCE VICE CHAIR

Cathy Crabtree is the Director of State Chapter Development at National Children's Alliance (NCA), the national membership and accrediting body for the more than 750 children's advocacy centers (CACs) and 47 State Chapters of CACs throughout the country. Ms. Crabtree has been actively involved as a professional in the child abuse and neglect field since 1992 when she served as the founding director of a local CAC in Young County, Texas. From 1999 until May, 2010 she worked with Children's Advocacy Center's of Texas - the statewide membership association representing the 64 local children's advocacy centers (CACs) throughout Texas - serving first as the Director of Program Services and then as Executive Director. Ms. Crabtree has trained throughout the state and the nation on issues related to the establishment and development of community-based CACs and CAC State Chapters. She is a graduate of West Virginia University and is based in Austin, Texas.

ROY BLOCK

Roy Block is currently the Executive Director of Texas Foster Family Association (TFFA). He and his wife of 43 years, Judi, have fostered 48 children over 17 years. In addition to their two biological children, they have adopted three children and have three grandchildren. Mr. Block has previously served as president of the Bexar County Foster Parents Association, on the board of the National Foster Parents Association, as well as several board positions on Texas Foster Parents Association. In addition to his duties with TFFA, he is also employed with a private child-placing agency. Roy and Judi are both advocates for children and can frequently be seen in Austin and other places, at workshops or meeting with those who can make a difference to improve the lives of the children of Texas.

WILLIAM BRILEY

William Briley is a father, raising two daughters. He has had personal experience navigating the child-protection system and now is an active participant on the CPS Parent Collaboration Group (PCG). The PCG provides a mechanism to include biological parents in the design, implementation, and evaluation of the CPS program. This initiative encourages collaboration with clients who are affected by the CPS service delivery system and provides a unique perspective on how to improve services to families and children. Mr. Briley hopes his presence on the Children's Justice Act Task Force will help ensure all children receive the love they deserve from their parents.

KRISTE BURNETT

Kriste Burnett recently joined the Palo Pinto County District Attorney’s Office in August 2009 prosecuting primarily crimes against children, as well as other felony offenses.  Prior to her move to Palo Pinto, Ms. Burnett served as Assistant District Attorney in Johnson and Somervell Counties, where she was assigned as court chief in the 18th District Court. Ms. Burnett has over 15 years of experience prosecuting both felony and misdemeanor cases, as well as all levels of juvenile offenses. She participated on Johnson County Child Fatality Review Team and is a member of the Texas District and County Attorneys Association. Ms. Burnett graduated from Texas Tech University and Texas Tech University School of Law.

LT. COZETTE BUSTAMANTE

Cozette Bustamante has been with the San Antonio Police Department for more than 25 years. Before taking her current position as the Director of the Crime Scene Unit in March 2008, Lt. Bustamante served as the Director of the Sex Crimes Unit from August 1996 through March 2008. Prior to that, she investigated Sex Crimes cases for almost five years as a detective. She has also investigated Internal Affairs cases, including sexual harassment and discrimination cases from December 1990 through July 2006. Lt. Bustamante served on the Board of Directors for the San Antonio Rape Crisis Center and served in the capacity of Vice President for the Board for over 5 years. She has been a past recipient of the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault Justice Award and the YWCA of San Antonio Mentors and Allies Award.

AUDREY DECKINGA

Audrey Deckinga is DFPS Assistant Commissioner for Child Protective Services. Prior to this, she was senior policy analyst at the Health and Human Services Commission in the office of health services. She has worked in the human services field for over 30 years in three states. Deckinga was a therapeutic foster parent for children in Minnesota and has worked for Child Protective Services in Texas for over 18 years as a caseworker, supervisor, program director. At state office, she was as the division administrator for placement and services and director of policy and program. Ms. Deckinga has Bachelor's in Psychology from Calvin College in Michigan and a Master's Degree in Social Work (MSSW) from the University of Texas at Austin.

DE SHAUN EALOMS

De Shaun Ealoms is currently the Parent Program Specialist for Child Protective Services (CPS), Texas Department of Family and Protective Services. Ms. Ealoms participates in program planning, development in implementation of parent support activities across the state. She facilitates the statewide Parent Collaboration Group and provides technical assistance to the CPS regions across Texas with their local parent information and support groups for parents involved with the CPS system. Prior to coming to CPS, Ms. Ealoms served as a Parent Liaison with The Children's Partnership in Austin, Texas. Ms. Ealoms is also a parent who has utilized CPS services to access needed support and services for her son who has autism. Ms. Ealoms is a member of Autism Society of America, and has served on the Austin Independent School District Special Education Advisory Committee and Mental Health Mental Retardation Center Advisory Committee. Ms. Ealoms received her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Huston-Tillotson College and a Master's Degree in Special Education from Texas State University.

JON EVANS

Jon Evans is a criminal defense attorney practicing in Travis County, as well as the surrounding Central Texas counties. He has been representing both juveniles and adults facing misdemeanor and felony criminal charges in State and Federal Courts since 1993. Mr. Evans has extensive criminal trial experience in Austin, and in jurisdictions throughout Texas. Mr. Evans is board certified in criminal law. He is a graduate of the University of Texas and received his doctor of jurisprudence from Texas Tech University School of Law, where he served on the Board of Barristers.

KRISTEN FOSTER

Kristen Foster is an Associate Attorney with Henslee Schwartz, L.L.P., specializing in school law, employment law, complex commercial litigation, the Fair Debt Collection Practices Act, general insurance defense, professional liability and malpractice, and civil liberties law. She currently provides in-service training for teachers, school administrators and trustees on issues such as risk management and personnel. She is licensed to practice in all state courts in Texas as well as the Federal District Courts for the Southern and Eastern Districts of Texas and the Fifth Circuit Court of Appeals. She is a member of the School and Employment Law sections of the State Bar.

Ms. Foster attended the University of Texas at Austin where she received her undergraduate degree in psychology in three years. She then went on to attend the University of Texas School of Law where she served as the Volume 38 Notes and Comments Editor of the Texas International Law Journal.

TOM GAYLOR

Mr. Gaylor has been a Texas peace officer for almost 20 years during which he's served Colorado County Sheriff’s Office, the Plano Police Department as a detective and the University of Texas at Arlington Police Department.  He obtained his B.A. in Criminal Justice from UTA and holds a M.A. in Organizational Sociology from the University of North Texas.  He served on the Texas Municipal Police Association Board of Directors and as a Deputy Executive Director where he directed the organization's legislative effort and public affairs.

DR. ROLF HABERSANG

Rolf Habersang is a pediatrician in Amarillo with an extensive background handling child abuse and neglect cases. He serves on the local child fatality review team. His expertise in this area is nationally recognized.

DENISE HYDE

Denise Hyde is a family law attorney at the Law Office of Denise Hyde. She is a member of the Family Law Sections of both the Austin Bar Association and the State Bar of Texas, and a founding member of the Austin Bar Foundation and the Court Appointed Family Attorneys of Travis County. She has presented numerous adoption trainings throughout the state and has received many awards for outstanding service to children and families, including the Travis County Women Lawyer's Association's Pro Bono Award and the Award of Appreciation in Recognition of Distinguished and Dedicated Service to Children and Families by the State Bar of Texas. She was recognized as a CASA Champion for Children in 2004. Ms. Hyde is a graduate of the University of Texas at Austin and the University of Texas School of Law.

JOYCE JAMES

Joyce James began her professional career as a Child Protective Services (CPS) caseworker in 1980 and has established an impressive 31-year history in the field of Child Welfare.  She has been a strong advocate for children, youth, and families, and an influential voice in Texas and across the Country in raising and increasing public awareness about Disproportionality and Disparities in child welfare and other child and family serving systems.
Ms. James served as the CPS Assistant Commissioner from 2004-2009 and as the Deputy Commissioner for Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) from January 2009- September 2010.  Ms. James is credited with nationally recognized improvements in the Texas Child Welfare System and with playing a major role in Texas being the first State to enact legislation to address disproportionality in Child Welfare.
Ms. James is currently the Associate Deputy Executive Commissioner for the Center for Elimination of Disproportionality and Disparities at the Texas Health and Human Services Commission.  She was appointed to this role in September 2010, by HHS Executive Commissioner Tom Suehs, placing this work at the highest level of Health and Human Services in Texas.

RANDI KING

Randi King currently serves as the Chief Prosecutor of the Jefferson County District Attorney’s Office Family Law Division. She has prosecuted Child Protective Services cases, juvenile crime, and domestic violence protective orders for over fourteen years. She assists in felony criminal prosecutions in cases in which Child Protective Services is involved. She serves on the Garth House Child Advocacy Center Board of Directors and Professional Standards Committee, Jefferson County Child Fatality Review Team, Foster Care Task Force, Adoption Day Committee, Sexual Assault Response Team, and Juvenile Board Citizens’ Advisory Council, and has been vice president of Beaumont Community Partners for Children. She organized the county’s Baby Moses law publicity program and regularly makes presentations to community groups and child abuse professionals. Ms. King received the 2001 Southeast Texas CASA Child Advocate of the Year Award and 2006 Texas CASA Lone Star Proud for Kids Award. Ms. King is a graduate of South Texas College of Law and Sam Houston State University.

MARGARET LALK

Margaret Lalk began her work at the Brazos County District Attorney’s Office in 1982 and took over the CPS caseload in 2000. During this time, she was an active participant on the local CAC’s multidisciplinary team and also served as a steering committee member for the center. She received numerous awards for her dedication to children and families, including the Bob Wiatt Lifetime Achievement Award and CASA’s Champion for Children award. Ms. Lalk is a graduate of the University of Wisconsin and received her doctor of jurisprudence from the University of Texas School of Law. She currently resides in Austin.

KRIS LINENBERGER

Kris Linenberger is the Training Manager for the Texas Homeless Network, a non-profit membership-based organization helping Texas communities end homelessness by providing training and technical assistance to service providers and communities on how to better serve the homeless population. Mr. Linenberger began working with homeless youth in 1997 at the Austin Children’s Shelter (ACS), a 30 day temporary shelter for children ages 1 month to 13 years who have been removed from their families. In 1999 Mr. Linenberger moved to the Dallas area and worked for Collin Intervention To Youth (CITY), a temporary shelter serving youth between the ages of 11 and 18 years old. After working for CITY in many different aspects, from direct care to administrative positions, Mr. Linenberger moved back to the Austin area in 2004 and spent the next 7 years working for Casey Family Programs (CFP), serving youth aging out of the foster care system by helping them connect with family members, enroll in college, find housing, conduct job searches, and locate other resources.
Mr. Linenberger began working for the Texas Homeless Network in 2011 where he is responsible for training service providers and communities across Texas. He is a graduate of North Texas University and received his Masters degree in Social Work from Texas State University.    

DR. JAMES L. LUKEFAHR

James Lukefahr joined the University of Texas Health Science Center at San Antonio’s Child Abuse Division in June 2007. He is Medical Director of the Christus Santa Rosa Children’s Hospital Center for Miracles, which is a multidisciplinary facility for evaluating physically abused and neglected children. From 1996 until 2007, he was a professor at the University of Texas Medical Branch (UTMB) Department of Pediatrics in Galveston and served as Medical Director of UTMB’s ABC Center for the Evaluation of Victims of Child Abuse and Neglect. Dr. Lukefahr has written numerous scholarly articles on child abuse and neglect and serves as the co-chair of the Texas Pediatric Society Committee on Child Abuse and Neglect. He was appointed by Governor George W. Bush to serve on the Children’s Trust Fund of Texas Council from 1999 until 2001. Dr. Lukefahr was a founding board member of CAC of Galveston County, where he spent ten years working the medical aspect of child abuse cases with the multidisciplinary team.

Dr. Lukefahr formerly had a private pediatric practice in the Pasadena area before joining the faculty of the Driscoll Children’s Hospital pediatric residency program in Corpus Christi, Texas in 1993. While in Corpus Christi, he served as Medical Director to both the Children’s Hospital’s general outpatient clinic and of its Women, Infants, and Children program. Dr. Lukefahr was instrumental in establishing a Child Protection Program, Health Families Program and a large behavioral problems clinic. Dr. Lukefahr completed his residency in Pediatrics at UTMB in Galveston, Texas and became Board Certified in Pediatrics in 1984. He received his B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin and his M.D. from UT Southwestern Medical School in Dallas.

HONORABLE CHRIS OLDNER

Chris Oldner has served as the presiding judge of the 416th Judicial District Court in Collin County since his appointment by Governor Rick Perry in October 2003. He also serves as the Local Administrative Judge for the eight District Courts in Collin County. Before his current position, he served three years as the presiding judge of County Court at Law 5 and 5 years as the Chief Felony Prosecutor of the Crimes Against Children Division in the Collin County Criminal District Attorney’s Office. Judge Oldner is currently a member of the CASA Advisory Board and the Judicial Advisory Board for the Texas Association for Court Administration. He is a graduate of Baylor University and received his doctor of jurisprudence from Texas Tech University School of Law.

DANIELA ONTIVEROZ

Daniela Ontiveroz has been a Youth Specialist advocating for youth in foster care since April of 2007. Ms. Ontiveroz leads the Youth Leadership Council in the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) Region 9, which includes Midland, Odessa, San Angelo, as well as 60 surrounding counties. The council addresses issues and formulates recommendations for improving services to children and youth in foster care and reviews relevant policy as it is being developed. Ms. Ontiveroz was in the foster care system for four years before aging out at 18. She is newly married and has a three-year old daughter, Dayami. She attends Midland College pursuing degrees in Psychology and Social Work

DAN POWERS

Dan Powers currently serves as Senior Director of Clinical and Administrative Services for Collin County Children's Advocacy Center in Plano, Texas. He supervises a staff of 15 therapists and clinical interns providing no cost services to victims of abuse and family violence as well as their non-offending family members. As Senior Director he is responsible for clinical operations and program development as well as directing the Advocacy Center's clinical internship and training program. Mr. Powers has over 20 years of experience working within the field of child maltreatment and family violence. In addition, he provides expert court testimony and consultation related to child maltreatment, sex offenders and family violence. In 2008 he was appointed by Governor Rick Perry to serve on the Texas Council on Sex Offender Treatment. Mr. Powers has presented workshops locally as well as on a state and national level in the area of child abuse.

JOY RAULS

Joy Rauls is the Executive Director of the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Texas, Inc, the largest statewide association of children’s advocacy centers in the nation. Joy began her work with CACTX in 2007 as the Director of Community Relations. In this capacity she was responsible for the public policy and marketing initiatives for the association. Most recently, she has served as organization’s Associate Director. Prior to joining CACTX, Joy worked as the General Counsel and Chief of Staff to State Senator Florence Shapiro where she managed the day to day activities of the Senator’s offices and developed and directed the legislative agenda for the 80th Regular Session.  While working in the Senate, Joy specialized in a variety of policy issues including child protective services, healthcare, criminal justice, and the state budget. Joy holds a BA in Government from the University of Texas at Austin and a Juris Doctorate from Southern Methodist University School of Law.

FAIRY RUTLAND

Fairy Davenport Rutland is the Vice Chair of the State Bar Committee on Child Abuse and Neglect and a member of the Permanent Judicial Commission on Children, Youth, and Families. She has spent her entire 30-plus-years legal career working for the cause of child protection and advocacy. The State Bar Committee on Child Abuse and Neglect in 2007 renamed its annual Outstanding Service to Children and Families Award in her honor. Ms. Rutland was also a longtime member of the Supreme Court Task Force on Foster care, formed in 1994.

GERRY WILLIAMS

Gerry Williams has been an attorney for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) since June of 1988. Before being appointed to General Counsel in 2004, he had been an attorney in all three program areas (Child Protective Services, Adult Protective Services, and Child Care Licensing), in both the San Antonio and Dallas regions. Mr. Williams also supervised DFPS attorneys responsible for developing rules and policy for the three different program areas, and DFPS attorneys trying due process hearings when abuse and neglect was found. Prior to his time with the agency, Mr. Williams worked as Assistant Ellis County District Attorney in Waxahachie, Texas handling misdemeanor cases, juvenile cases, and child protective services cases. He is a graduate of Baylor University and received his doctor of jurisprudence from Baylor School of Law.

LARU WOODY

LaRu Woody is employed as an Assistant District Attorney in Travis County, Texas.  She is currently the Director of the Family Justice Division of the District Attorney’s Office.  During her tenure with the District Attorney’s Office she has also served as Trial Court Chief, Director of the Trial Court Division and Director of the Grand Jury/Intake Division.
LaRu Woody graduated from the University of Missouri with a Bachelor of Science in Education and a Bachelor of Arts in Romance Languages.  She received her J.D. from the University of Texas.