Conference brochure 2009 for pdf - Family and Youth Counseling ...

Conference Highlights
Keynote Speaker:
Frank Kros, MSW, JD
President of The Upside Down Organization
Executive Vice President of The Children’s Guild
Kros is a career child
advocate who has served
as a childcare worker,
child abuse investigator,
children’s home administrator,
consultant, college
professor, attorney, writer
and speaker. Certified by
Jenson Learning Center
in applied educational
neuroscience, Kros is president of The Upside Down
Organization and executive vice president of The
Children’s Guild, the largest private provider of special
education services in Maryland.
Kros presents training workshops worldwide to students,
parents, educators, child-serving professionals and their
leaders on various topics involving brain-based learning,
aggressive and violent children, attention-deficit hyperactivity
disorder, neuroscience of the teenage brain, and
Leadership with the Brain in Mind. He has presented his
ideas at national education, social work and neuroresearch
conferences, and was awarded a Maryland
Governor’s Citation for his speaking efforts. In addition to
lecturing nationwide, Kros co-authored Creating the Upside
Down Organization: Transforming Staff to Save Troubled
Children. He holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from
Creighton University, a master’s degree in social work from
the University of Nebraska-Omaha, and a law degree from
Notre Dame Law School.
Featured Speaker:
Linda Cordisco Steele, MEd, LPC
Senior Trainer, National Children’s Advocacy
Center
Linda is Curriculum Chair and Senior Trainer for the
National Children's Advocacy Center's Child Forensic
Interviewing Programs. Linda has previously served as
Clinical Director and as a forensic interviewer for three
Children's Advocacy Centers: the Prescott House CAC in
Birmingham, Alabama; the National Children's Advocacy
Center in Huntsville, Alabama; and The Safehouse in
Albuquerque, New Mexico. Linda currently conducts interviews
at NCAC and at several CACs in Kentucky.
Linda has twenty-five years of experience in therapy and
advocacy work with victims and extensive training experience
regionally and nationally. Linda received her masters
in Education from the University of Pittsburgh and is a
Licensed Professional Counselor.
3
Keynote Speaker:
Paul Rainwater
Louisiana Recovery Authority
As the Louisiana Recovery Authority’s
(LRA) Executive Director, Paul
Rainwater serves as the governor’s
chief hurricane recovery advisor, providing
daily oversight and direction for
the state’s recovery initiatives to carry
out the LRA’s mission of rebuilding a
safer, stronger, smarter Louisiana. He
most recently served as the
Legislative Director and Chief of Operations for U.S.
Senator Mary Landrieu.
Rainwater is also currently serving as a lieutenant colonel
in the Congressional Liaison Office of the Louisiana
National Guard. From August 2005 to May 2007, he
served as a lieutenant colonel in the United States Army
Reserves’ 336th Finance Command. Previously, November
2001 to May 2002, he was deployed to Kuwait and
Afghanistan as the lead finance officer for military operations.
He was also deployed to Kuwait and Iraq as part of
the Southwest Asia Personnel Command in support of
Operation Iraqi Freedom from January 2004 to December
2004. Rainwater has been awarded the Bronze Star
Medal, the Army Commendation Medal, and the Combat
Action Badge.
From July 2000 to June 2006, Rainwater served as the
Chief Administrative Officer for the City of Lake Charles,
managing 10 department heads, serving as the lead on the
development of a $90 million budget, and coordinating
state and federal capital outlay requests.
Rainwater has a Bachelors of Arts in Government from
McNeese State University, a master’s degree in
International Relations from Salve Regina University in
Rhode Island, and is a LSU-Certified Local Government
Manager.