There are so many of you that had a huge impact on completing our family. I am amazed at how smoothly you all orchestrated together. Thank you for helping us through the difficult moments in such a wonderful and professional way!
Phone: (800) GO-ADOPT
Text: 877-202-9624
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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.
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.
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.”
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.
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.
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.
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.
