Staff – Heart of Adoptions

Jeanne Tate

Founder & Board President

(Tampa)

Jeanne has an extensive and exclusive practice in the area of adoptions and is a member of the prestigious Academy of Adoption and Reproductive Attorneys and the Florida Adoption Council. For many years in a row, Jeanne has been named in The Best Lawyers in America, Florida’s Legal Elite, and Florida Super Lawyer, including as one of the top 100 lawyers in the State of Florida. Over her career, Jeanne has won several prestigious awards including the U.S. Congressional Angel in Adoption Award, the Tampa Chamber of Commerce’s Small Business Leader of the Year, the Florida Adoption Council’s Lifetime Achievement Award, the Hillsborough Association for Women Lawyers Achievement Award, the Tobias Simon Pro Bono Service Award and inclusion in the Martindale-Hubbell Bar Register of Preeminent Women Lawyers. Jeanne has been appointed to serve on the Adoption Law Certification Committee, the Judicial Nominating Procedures Committee, the Thirteenth Judicial Circuit Court Nominating Committee and the Florida Supreme Court Judicial Nominating Commission. Additionally, Jeanne has been an Adjunct Professor at the University of Florida College of Law where she taught Adoption Law and Procedure for six years. Jeanne is rated AV Preeminent by Martindale-Hubbell, signifying that the legal community ranks her “at the highest level of professional excellence.”

Fun Facts

Ice cream: Bern’s Macademia nut ice cream
Hobby: riding a unicycle
Dream car: 1959 Corvette

Junk food: pepperidge farm chessmen
Food: Italian

Vidisha Patel

Accountant

(Tampa)

Vidisha Patel joined the agency in July of 2016. Vidisha is responsible for all asset, liability and capital account transactions, maintaining accounting controls by preparing and recommending policies and procedures, guiding accounting clerical staff by coordinating and answering questions, reconciling financial discrepancies by collecting and analyzing account information, maintaining financial security by following internal controls, preparing reports, and ad-hoc tasks. Vidisha holds a BS and MBA with an Accounting concentration and possesses eight plus years of precise skill sets and qualifications from her previous experiences at a Big-4 firm and Fortune 500 companies.

Fun Facts

Band/Musician: David Gray
Junk Food: Pirate Booty
Ice Cream: Chocolate

Quote: Change is the only constant in life
Sports team: Colts

Ashley Pascua

Adoption Caseworker

(Tampa)

Ashley graduated from the University of South Florida in 2006 with a Bachelors Degree in Psychology. After teaching at a Title I school in Hillsborough County, Ashley found her passion lay in working directing with children and families. In 2010, she began working in Child Welfare as a dependency case manager and was soon promoted to lead case manager where she assisted with the training and guidance of case manager trainees. In 2014, Ashley transitioned in to a supervisor position where she oversaw a team of 6 case managers and over 150 children. In June of 2019, a desire to work in adoptions lead Ashley to Heart of Adoptions. As an adoptions case worker, Ashley provides assistance and support to birth mothers through their pregnancy and the adoption process.

Fun Facts

Holiday: Thanksgiving
Ice Cream: Jamaican Me Crazy from Brusters (coconut ice cream w/ fudge and almonds)
Quote: “Inner peace beings the moment you choose not to allow another person or event to control your emotions” – Pema Chodron

Why you picked to work in adoptions?: Being an adoption case worker, I get to act as a support for the birth mother and adoptive parents. Its rewarding to be a a part of creating a “forever family”.
TV Show: Game of Thrones

Janice Kane

Casework Services

(Coconut Creek)

Janice joined Heart of Adoptions in Feburary 2015, when our Broward County satellite office opened. Prior to that she did freelance work for our agency on an as-needed basis. She acts as an agency representative and handles consents, releases, discharges, notaries, general office and administrative tasks. She graduated from Broward College in 2003 with an AA degree. Janice was born in Broward County and has never lived elsewhere. She has four children and uses those experiences to relate to both birth and adoptive families. She has been on the school PTA board for 4 years, a Girl Scout Leader for 7 and a school volunteer for 30 years.

Julia Diamond

Marketing and Community Resources Coordinator

(Tampa)

Julia joined Heart of Adoptions Inc, in July 2019 as the Marketing and Community Outreach Coordinator. She graduated with honors from Towson University with a bachelor’s degree in Family and Human Services. Julia oversees community relations, social media marketing, and agency events.

Fun Facts

Personal hero: My parents
Guilty Pleasure: Taking a nap
Ice Cream: Coffee with toffee

Band/Musician: Thomas Rhett
TV Show: Anything reality tv

James Taylor

IT Support Technician

(Tampa)

James Taylor joined Heart of Adoptions, Inc. in June 2017 as the in house IT support technician. James primarily acts as the IT support technician between our adoption agency and our legal team. He is responsible for hardware and software related issues.James is also responsible for various IT related task.

Fun Facts

Magazine: MIT Technology Review
Personal hero: Elon Musk
Movie quote: I’m sorry, Dave. I’m afraid I can’t do that.

Hobby: fishing
Band: Five Finger Death Punch

Shannon Howard-Lascari

Senior Caseworker

(Tampa)

Shannon graduated from University of South Florida in 2007 with a Bachelors Degree in Psychology. She started working in Child Welfare immediately after graduating college as a Case Manager, where she worked with children and families involved in the Dependency System. Shannon worked as a Case Manager for four years before transitioning into a Family Adoption Specialist, where she worked with adoptive families looking to adopt from foster care. Shannon eventually worked for the lead agency providing technical assistance, support, and oversight to the case management agencies in Pinellas and Pasco Counties. Wanting to gain management experience, Shannon then went to work for a Hillsborough community based care organization as an Assistant Program Director where she was responsible for three case management supervisors, 25 case managers, and provided direct oversight on cases involving approximately 600 children in the Dependency System.

Shannon’s passion for adoption and creating families through adoption led her to Heart of Adoptions where she joined the adoptions team in February 2018 as a Senior Case Worker and Intake Coordinator. In her role, she works directly with birth mothers conducting intake interviews, screening birth parents, and matched adoption applicants. Shannon sets initial appointments with clients to meet with staff for the initial assessment. Once the assessment is complete, Shannon assigns the case to a birth parent caseworker for continued attention and care. As a Senior Case Worker, Shannon also provides training, mentoring, and support to the front line staff.

Fun Facts

Band/Musician: Bon Jovi
Bucket List Travel Destination: If I could make it through the plane ride, I would go to South Africa.
Sports Team: Auburn (War Eagle)
Quote: Early is on time, and on time is late.

Memory with spouse or child: One of my favorite memories, was our gender reveal party. It was so great to celebrate with friends and family and learning we were having a daughter and watching my husband’s reaction was just priceless. We obviously knew we were pregnant, but I feel like in that moment, it became real.

Amy Nickerson

Adoption Caseworker

(Merritt Island)

Amy Nickerson joined Heart of Adoptions in June 2018 as an Adoption Caseworker. She works closely with the birth mothers handling their day-to-day needs, monitoring medical care and overall well-being. She also conducts home studies and post placement supervision. Her prior experience is 10 years in the child welfare system as a child protective investigator, senior child protective investigator and dependency case manager in both Florida and Massachusetts. She has two children adopted internationally from Guatemala and is herself and adoptee.

Amy graduated from University of Massachusetts Boston in 1999 with a B.S. in Psychology and in 2000 with a M.A. Certification in Forensic Services. She is currently enrolled at University of Massachusetts Boston obtaining a master’s level Addiction Counselor Education Program (ACEP) certificate.

Fun Facts

Place: Boston
Hobby: acting and modeling
Why you picked to work in adoptions?: My dad is adopted. I am adopted. I have two children adopted from Guatemala.

Sports Team: New England Patriots
Childhood memory: camping on the beach on Cape Cod every summer

Gabriela Bonn

Senior Caseworker

(Naples)

Gabriela Bonn joined Heart of Adoptions, Inc. in June 2006 as an Adoption Caseworker Assistant. Gabriela is now the Senior Caseworker for the Naples satellite office. She works closely with birth mothers handling their day-to-day needs, monitoring their medical care and overall well-being. Additionally, she coordinates the interaction between adoptive parents and birth parents. She has previous experience working with youth in a parenting program, as well as experience in both domestic and international adoptions, specifically working internationally with Guatemala.

Gabriela obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Florida Gulf Coast University in 2013.

Fun Facts

What brought me to adoption: It runs in the family! My mother was an adoption coordinator for international adoptions and my grandmother ran a domestic adoption agency. I grew up surrounded by adoption, especially since I am adopted, along with my six sisters. My aunt and uncle are also adopted.ad

TV show: Greys Anatomy
Restaurant: Cheesecake Factory
Candy: skittles and starbursts
Place: Disney World

Mary Wheatley

Executive Director

(Tampa)

Mary Wheatley joined Heart of Adoptions, Inc. in June 2012 as the Executive Director. As Executive Director, she is responsible for supervising all staff members and for overseeing each adoption case. Mary is held accountable for compliance with agency licenses, training and evaluating staff, and monitoring the entire adoption process.

Mary graduated from Georgia College and State University with a Master’s Degree in Psychology, and devoted many years to adolescents in residential facilities. As program manager with the crisis stabilization unit, she was able to improve levels of therapeutic care for all ages. As a proud adoptive parent of two beautiful girls, Mary was eager to join the field of private adoptions in 2005 and loves creating families through adoption.

Fun Facts

Animal: Zebra
Candy: Gummy Coke Bottles
Movie: Dirty Dancing…no movie has ever superceded my love for that movie as a kid

Day of the Week: Saturday
Author: Beverly Cleary as a child and Jodi Piccoult now too

Lizzy Polhill

Adoption Caseworker

(Tampa)

Lizzy has always had a passion for adoption and knew early on this would be her career path. She began her career with Heart of Adoptions as a summer 2017 intern in the Orlando office. After graduating in May 2018, she immediately returned to the sunshine state and began working as a master’s level intern with Heart of Adoptions in the Tampa office, where she has since stepped into the role of adoption caseworker.

As a member of Phi Alpha Honor Society, Lizzy graduated with honors from the University of Mississippi with a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work. She is on schedule to graduate from the University of South Florida’s advanced-standing Master of Social Work program in May 2019.

Fun Facts

Sports Team: Ole Miss Rebels
Holiday: Thanksgiving
Dream Car: 1965 Toyota Land Cruiser

Color: Magenta
Food: Sushi

Stacie Pratt

Caseworker Assistant

(Orlando)

Stacie Pratt joined Heart of Adoptions, Inc. in August of 2018 as an Adoption Casework Assistant in our Orlando office. She works closely with birth mothers handling their day-to-day needs, monitoring their medical care and overall well-being. She is from Jacksonville, Florida and moved to Orlando to attend the University of Central Florida, where she graduated with her Bachelors in December 2018. She is passionate about her job helping children find loving homes, and helping parents find that missing piece to their family. In her spare time she likes to frequent the Disney parks, travel, and spend time with her family, friends, and her dog, Flynn.

Fun Facts

I used to work at Disney
I can quote every episode of the TV show How I Met Your Mother
Childhood memory: Daddy/daughter trips, meals, early mornings where we’re the only two awake, really just any time spent with my dad

Holiday Tradition: Decorating the house with my mom
Sports Team: UCF! GO KNIGHTS! CHARGE ON

Alyse Warren

Intern

(Tampa)

Alyse Warren joined Heart of Adoptions in January 2019 as a master’s level intern, where she has since stepped into the role as an Adoptive Parent Casework Assistant. She has always had a passion for working with families and children and has enjoyed educating adoptive families about the adoption process while at Heart of Adoptions.

Alyse graduated in 2013 from the University of South Florida with honors. She received a bachelor’s degree in Behavioral Healthcare with a concentration in children’s mental health. Alyse is currently on track to graduate from the University of South Florida’s Master of Social Work Program in May 2020.

Fun Facts

Guilty Pleasure: Sitting around in pajamas all day on the weekend!
Holiday Tradition: Before I became a mother I would have said opening one gift with my family on Christmas Eve was my favorite holiday tradition. However, now my favorite tradition is wrapping gifts for our son and seeing the excitement in his eyes on Christmas morning when the tree is lit and there are gifts waiting for him.. nothing beats that!

TV Show: Grey’s Anatomy
Memory with spouse or child: My favorite memory with my husband and my son was my wedding day. I shared a first dance with my husband and then shared a first dance with my 10 month old son as well. There were tears all over the room and its a memory I will cherish for the rest of my life.
Bucket List Travel Destination: Germany, Spain, or Greece.

Amy Dean

Caseworker Assistant

(Merritt Island)

Amy joined Heart of Adoptions Inc. in January 2016 in our Merritt Island office. Prior to this she was an Adoption Assistant for another Florida adoption agency for 8 years. She works closely with birth mothers handling their day-to-day needs, monitoring their medical care and overall well-being. She graduated from Rockledge High School and has an AA degree from Brevard Community College. Amy has 3 children and uses her experiences as both an adoptee and an adoptive parents to serve and support our clients. She brings with her a wealth of knowledge. Amy’s prior employment includes: Aggressive Constructors, General Nutrition Center, Fern Creek Elementary, and Interlachen Pediatrics.

Fun Facts

Dream Car: Jaguar
Childhood memory: Turning our house into a movie theater for my birthday
Candy: Whoppers

Actress: Sandra Bullock
Movie: Pretty Woman

Carolyn Fucillo

Adoption Caseworker

(Tampa)

Carolyn graduated with a Bachelor’s degree from The University of South Florida in Tampa in 1992. In 2004, she realized her passion lay in the area of helping children and families and began her career in child welfare case management where she has been involved for the past fourteen years, working with birth, foster and adoptive parents. Carolyn started off as a Case Manager in Pinellas County before moving to Hillsborough County in 2006 as a Case Manager Supervisor, managing a team of seven case workers. After four years as a supervisor, she continued in child welfare as a Permanency Specialist, helping guide cases toward in obtaining permanency. As opportunity arose, Carolyn used her prior ten years of experience to move into an Assistant Director position, where she managed three teams of seven case managers and a total of 500-600 children at all stages of the case management process providing supervision and training.

While Carolyn enjoyed being in a leadership role, her desire to once again work directly with the birth mothers and adoptive families led her to Heart of Adoptions, Inc. in March 2018. Her role will be as a Case Manager for the birth parents and assisting them through their pregnancy and the adoption process.

Fun Facts

Quote: “Happiness is a warm puppy.” Charles M. Schultz
Movie: Somewhere in Time
Band/Musician: Ed Sheeran

Guilty Pleasure: Watching Hallmark Movie Channel and eating Magnum Ice Cream
TV Show Character: Phoebe from Friends

Crystal McWilliams

Subsidy Coordinator

(Tampa)

Crystal McWilliams joined Heart of Adoptions, Inc. in October 2017 as the new Subsidy Coordinator. She is responsible for the completion and submission of subsidy packets for children who are in the adoption process and meet special needs as defined by the Social Security Act, Title IVE, Section E.

Crystal studied Fine Art at the University of South Florida, with a concentration on drawing and printmaking. After 22 years in the picture framing industry, she accepted a temporary position of Administrative Assistant with the Department of Children and Families. Her assignment was to function as a backup to the Revenue Maximization Specialists. Community Based Care in Hillsborough County took over the duties of DCF’s Revenue Maximization team on 7/1/2004, with Crystal as the Supervisor of the new unit. Until joining the team at Heart of Adoptions, Inc, she supervised the team that processed the Title IV-E eligibility determinations for both foster and adoption in Hillsborough County.

Fun Facts

Why you picked to work in adoptions?:

I relinquished a child to adoption at a very tender age. Having experienced this, I understand what it takes for a parent to give up her child. I also understand that it can be the best thing for the child and the parent.

Movie: Blade Runner
Dream Car: 6 speed sports car

Candy: dark chocolate

Meredith Shepard

Adoptive Parent Coordinator

(Tampa)

Meredith Shepard joined Heart of Adoptions in August 2013 as the Adoptive Parent Coordinator. She works closely with waiting adoptive families handling day-to-day needs and assisting with matching adoptive families to birth families. Meredith has worked in the area of social work for over 20 years and has experience working within the fields of child development, adoption, foster care, and developmental disabilities.

Meredith graduated with honors from Eckerd College with a Bachelor of Arts in Human Development and Walden University with a Master of Science in Non-Profit Management & leadership. She was also a Licensed Massage Therapist prior to obtaining her degree. While born in Ohio, which will always be home, she is also a die-hard hot weather fan and loves nothing more than cruising in her Jeep with the top down and the music loud! She has a teenage son who just graduated from high school and a bulldog that is the sweetest, most cuddly animal you could ever meet. Meredith can typically be found at Disney on the weekends with her husband, son, and/or Mom.

Fun Facts

Movie: Mary Poppins (the Original)
Candy: Reese’s or Sour Patch Kids depending on my mood
Quote: Everything happens for a reason

TV Show Character: Penny from The Big Bang Theory
Personal hero: My mom- she raised me- she deserves every award possible as I know I was no easy child!!

Natalie Londono

Adoption Caseworker

(Orlando)

Natalie Graddy joined Heart of Adoptions, Inc. in December 2012 as an Adoption Casework Assistant. Natalie was later promoted to Adoption Caseworker and began working closely with birth mothers handling their day-to-day needs, monitoring their medical care and overall well-being. Additionally, Natalie conducts home studies and post-placement supervision in the Orlando area.

Natalie obtained her Bachelor’s degree in Social Work at Florida Gulf Coast University in 2013.

Fun Facts

Why you picked to work in adoptions?

I don’t think I chose to work in adoption, I believe adoption chose me. From early on in life, adoption was something so common and natural. I have experienced so many great adoption stories; my maternal grandfather was adopted at a young age, my paternal grandparents provided foster care through the State of Florida, my family adopted my brother when I was 6, my husband was adopted, and we adopted our beautiful daughter. Without adoption, my life as I know it, would not exist. I feel honored to walk this path with the wonderful birth parents and adoptive families that come my way.

Childhood memory: Summers with my family on Anna Maria Island

Quote: “in a world where you can be anything, be kind”

Judi Martin

Office Manager

(Tampa)

Judi has been the office manager for Heart of Adoptions for 15 years. Prior to joining the HOA team, Judi was office manager for a well respected historic preservation architect in the Tampa Bay area. Judi has one daughter, Ryan, who lives locally. In order to be a stay at home mom during Ryan’s infancy and until she began grade school, Judi became licensed by Hillsborough County to operate and establish a family home daycare, a rewarding and treasured experience.

Fun Facts

Certified in Scuba Diving
Movie: The Big Lebowski or Fargo

Holiday Tradition: Champagne and breakfast casserole on Christmas morning
Sports Team: Tampa Bay Lightning

Erin Fawver

Home Study Coordinator

(Tampa)

Erin Fawver has worked in private adoptions for close to a decade and joined Heart of Adoptions, Inc. as the Home Study Coordinator in July 2014. Erin oversees the completion of homestudies and post-placement supervision as well as all homestudy and background screening updates and adoptive parent education. She enjoys educating adoptive families about homestudies and the adoption process as a whole.

As a member of Pi Gamma Mu, the Social Science Honor Society, Erin graduated with honors. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Social Work and Anthropology. Erin is passionate about her hometown of Cleveland, but currently lives with her husband, two dogs, and young son in Tampa.

Fun Facts

Animal: Quokka
Holiday: Halloween
Childhood memory: Eating Ice Cream while sitting on the barrier rocks at Lake Erie’s Huntington Beach

Memory with spouse or child: surprise trip to Austin for my husband’s 30th birthday
TV Show Character: Ron Swanson

Tom Tate

Casework Services

(Tampa)

Tom joined Heart of Adoptions in February 2017 as an Executive and Accounting Assistant. Previously, Tom managed his family’s Italian restaurant business for over 20 years. Originally from Ohio, he came to Florida to attend College at the University of Florida, and graduated with a degree in finance. His day to day duties include aiding caseworkers in obtaining support needs for our birth mothers, helping with accounting matters, and also any other tasks our executive director or caseworkers ask of him. He is our Jack of all trades, eager to help out anyway he can to enrich the adoption process for all members of the adoption triad. Tom is the proud dad of three children, one of whom is adopted.

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