Board of Directors
Keri Rogers, Ph.D., Founding Member
Keri Rogers, most recently served as the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs for the Lone Star College System. She served as the Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs at Sam Houston State University from 2008-2012. In this position, she focused on success initiatives for various populations of students including former foster youth. She also served as an Associate Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, Director of the First-Year Experience, and Director of the Lowman Student Center and Student Activities at Sam Houston State University. Prior to working at SHSU, she served as the Director of the Jack B. Kelley Student Center and Director of Student Activities at West Texas A&M University and Coordinator of Leadership Development at the University of North Texas. She also has taught the first-year experience courses and graduate courses in higher education.
Dr. Rogers served as the vice president and treasurer of Education Reach for Texans and has twice served on the Higher Education Sub-Committee of the Permanent Judicial Commission for Children, Youth and Families of the Supreme Court of Texas. She is a past-president of the Texas Association of College and University Student Personnel Administrators, has served as a board member of the West Texas A&M University Alumni Association, is a 1997-98 graduate of Leadership Amarillo and Canyon and a 2003 graduate of Leadership Texas.
Dr. Rogers earned a B.S. in Secondary Education and a M.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies from West Texas A&M University and a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from the University of North Texas.
Kathleen Christensen, Ph.D., Founding Member
Dr. Kathleen Christensen led Austin Community College Student Services from 2003-2014, and is now retired. In 2005 she initiated the support program for students who aged out of foster care. The program remains strong in support from the Board of Trustees and in the dedication of the administration and staff and the needed resources. She is happy to stay active on the ER4T Board of Directors in encouraging and advocating for such support programs in higher education throughout Texas and nationally.
Dr. Christensen holds a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Educational Administration, a Master’s degree from the University of New Orleans, in Guidance and Counseling, and a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Northern Colorado in Education.
Sheila Bustillos, President/Founding Member
Sheila Bustillos is a Ph.D. candidate in Multicultural Women’s and Gender Studies at Texas Woman’s University. She earned a M.Ed. in Counseling and Guidance with an Emphasis in Higher Education Administration from Texas State University-San Marcos and a BESS in Pre-Physical Therapy with a minor in Health and Wellness from Texas State University. Her dissertation, titled “Foster Care Parenthood: Exploring Multigenerational Involvement,” is a qualitative investigation of cyclical removals in the Texas foster care system focused on former foster care parenthood experiences.
In the past, Sheila has worked for The University of Texas at Austin as a Program Coordinator for a multi-million dollar National Science Foundation Grant and as a Program Coordinator for the Vice President for Student Affairs Office at Texas State University in Retention Management and Planning. Sheila was a co-collaborator of the first foster care support group at Texas State University while employed there and continues to research and support foster alumni in higher education as a supporter of the Texas Woman's University Frontiers Program.
Christine Lynn Norton, Ph.D.
Christine Lynn Norton, Ph.D., LCSW, is an Associate Professor of Social Work at Texas State University. Dr. Norton helped found the FACES (Foster Care Alumni Creating Educational Success) initiative at Texas State University. She is the Foster Care Advisory Council Chair, the Faculty Advisor for the FACES Student Organization and was recently named the Foster Care Liaison Officer to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Along with developing and co-leading the FACES initiative, Dr. Norton has conducted peer reviewed research on foster care alumni in higher education and is also a lead researcher in adolescent and young adult mental health, with a focus on outdoor behavioral healthcare. She has presented nationally and internationally on her research in this area, and is a proponent of making therapeutic outdoor adventure experiences accessible to youth in foster care and foster care alumni in higher education. Dr. Norton utilizes a strengths-based, trauma-informed approach in both direct practice and program development with former foster youth. Dr. Norton has been on the Education Reach for Texans Advisory Board since its inception, and has presented on her work with FACES at numerous Reach Convenings. Dr. Norton earned a B.A. in Communication Studies from the University of Kansas, an M.S. in Experiential Education from Minnesota State-Mankato, an M.A. in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago, and a PhD in Clinical Social Work from Loyola University Chicago.
Shannon Ramsey
Shannon Ramsey is the lead Program Specialist for Transitional Living Services at the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS). Shannon oversees the CPS Transitional Living Services Programs for current and former foster youth, ages 14-23. The primary services and programs overseen by the Transitional Living Services program include:
Shannon serves as the co-chair for the Foster Care and Education Committee Postsecondary Education Workgroup which is facilitated by the Supreme Court of Texas Permanent Judicial Commission for Children, Youth, and Families and has been involved in the conference planning of Education Reach for Texans since 2009. Shannon also serves as the CPS primary contact person for Texas Transition Centers, the Texas Workforce Commission and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
Before joining DFPS in October, 2009, Shannon was employed for 7 years at the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) as a policy analyst for workforce programs that served low income individuals, individuals with disabilities, foster youth, and other special populations. In addition, Shannon was the Program Manager for the TWC funded foster youth Transition Centers and worked closely with Casey Family Programs and the U.S. Department of Labor to develop a comprehensive array of "one-stop" services designed to improve employment, education, and independent living outcomes for youth aging out of foster care.
Prior to the above positions, Shannon worked as a Program Manager with Goodwill Industries of South Texas, Nueces County Mental Health and Mental Retardation, and the Devereux Foundation in Victoria Texas through direct service delivery and case management for children, youth and adults with disabilities. Shannon attended Columbia College, Columbia MO., Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, and Texas A&M, Corpus Christi, Texas
Jamie Bernstein, J.D.
Jamie Bernstein is a staff attorney at the Supreme Court of Texas Permanent Judicial Commission for Children, Youth and Families (Children’s Commission). Ms. Bernstein has worked at the Children’s Commission since May 2014 and her primary focus is on the improvement of educational outcomes for children and youth in foster care. In this capacity, Ms. Bernstein provides support for the Children’s Commission Foster Care and Education Committee and its workgroups, including a Postsecondary Education Workgroup. Prior to joining the Children’s Commission, Ms. Bernstein represented children and youth involved in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems in New York, New York. Ms. Bernstein has a B.A. from Vanderbilt University and a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School.
Monica Faulkner, Ph.D.
Monica Faulkner is a research associate professor and the director of the Texas Institute for Child & Family Wellbeing at the School of Social Work. She oversees multiple projects relating to foster care, child care and teen pregnancy prevention funded by state agencies, private foundations and the federal government. Her primary research interest is teen pregnancy prevention for foster youth and the welfare of teen parents in foster care. She teaches policy, human behavior in the social environment and child welfare related electives. In terms of professional experience, she has worked in both direct practice and clinical settings. She has worked as an advocate for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault at the Houston Area Women’s Center and as a case manager for children in foster care at the Austin Children’s Shelter. Faulkner also worked as a legislative aide for State Representative Garnet Coleman and served as chief of staff for State Representative Jessica Farrar. Faulkner has served on several boards including Latinas on the Rise in Houston and Adoption Knowledge Affiliates in Austin. She received a doctorate in social work from The University of Texas at Austin in 2010. She received a master’s degree in social work from The University of Houston, and a bachelor of liberal arts in government with a minor in Spanish and a bachelor of social work from The University of Texas at Austin.
Clint Rodenfels, Founding Member
Clint has extensive experience building and leading successful, service-oriented higher education and technology teams. A former Assistant Vice President with Capital Group Companies, Clint left the corporate world to focus on helping youth and young adults improve their lives. He has served as the Director of the Graduation Initiative at the University of Texas at San Antonio and, more recently, as a Dean of Student Services at Austin Community College. Clint holds a Master of Social Work from Texas State University along with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from California State University. In addition to his community benefit work with Education Reach for Texans, Clint is a member of the Rodenfels Family Foundation board of directors.
Keri Rogers, most recently served as the Vice Chancellor for Academic Affairs for the Lone Star College System. She served as the Assistant Vice President for Academic Affairs at Sam Houston State University from 2008-2012. In this position, she focused on success initiatives for various populations of students including former foster youth. She also served as an Associate Dean of the College of Arts & Sciences, Director of the First-Year Experience, and Director of the Lowman Student Center and Student Activities at Sam Houston State University. Prior to working at SHSU, she served as the Director of the Jack B. Kelley Student Center and Director of Student Activities at West Texas A&M University and Coordinator of Leadership Development at the University of North Texas. She also has taught the first-year experience courses and graduate courses in higher education.
Dr. Rogers served as the vice president and treasurer of Education Reach for Texans and has twice served on the Higher Education Sub-Committee of the Permanent Judicial Commission for Children, Youth and Families of the Supreme Court of Texas. She is a past-president of the Texas Association of College and University Student Personnel Administrators, has served as a board member of the West Texas A&M University Alumni Association, is a 1997-98 graduate of Leadership Amarillo and Canyon and a 2003 graduate of Leadership Texas.
Dr. Rogers earned a B.S. in Secondary Education and a M.S. in Interdisciplinary Studies from West Texas A&M University and a Ph.D. in Higher Education Administration from the University of North Texas.
Kathleen Christensen, Ph.D., Founding Member
Dr. Kathleen Christensen led Austin Community College Student Services from 2003-2014, and is now retired. In 2005 she initiated the support program for students who aged out of foster care. The program remains strong in support from the Board of Trustees and in the dedication of the administration and staff and the needed resources. She is happy to stay active on the ER4T Board of Directors in encouraging and advocating for such support programs in higher education throughout Texas and nationally.
Dr. Christensen holds a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Educational Administration, a Master’s degree from the University of New Orleans, in Guidance and Counseling, and a Bachelor’s Degree from the University of Northern Colorado in Education.
Sheila Bustillos, President/Founding Member
Sheila Bustillos is a Ph.D. candidate in Multicultural Women’s and Gender Studies at Texas Woman’s University. She earned a M.Ed. in Counseling and Guidance with an Emphasis in Higher Education Administration from Texas State University-San Marcos and a BESS in Pre-Physical Therapy with a minor in Health and Wellness from Texas State University. Her dissertation, titled “Foster Care Parenthood: Exploring Multigenerational Involvement,” is a qualitative investigation of cyclical removals in the Texas foster care system focused on former foster care parenthood experiences.
In the past, Sheila has worked for The University of Texas at Austin as a Program Coordinator for a multi-million dollar National Science Foundation Grant and as a Program Coordinator for the Vice President for Student Affairs Office at Texas State University in Retention Management and Planning. Sheila was a co-collaborator of the first foster care support group at Texas State University while employed there and continues to research and support foster alumni in higher education as a supporter of the Texas Woman's University Frontiers Program.
Christine Lynn Norton, Ph.D.
Christine Lynn Norton, Ph.D., LCSW, is an Associate Professor of Social Work at Texas State University. Dr. Norton helped found the FACES (Foster Care Alumni Creating Educational Success) initiative at Texas State University. She is the Foster Care Advisory Council Chair, the Faculty Advisor for the FACES Student Organization and was recently named the Foster Care Liaison Officer to the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board. Along with developing and co-leading the FACES initiative, Dr. Norton has conducted peer reviewed research on foster care alumni in higher education and is also a lead researcher in adolescent and young adult mental health, with a focus on outdoor behavioral healthcare. She has presented nationally and internationally on her research in this area, and is a proponent of making therapeutic outdoor adventure experiences accessible to youth in foster care and foster care alumni in higher education. Dr. Norton utilizes a strengths-based, trauma-informed approach in both direct practice and program development with former foster youth. Dr. Norton has been on the Education Reach for Texans Advisory Board since its inception, and has presented on her work with FACES at numerous Reach Convenings. Dr. Norton earned a B.A. in Communication Studies from the University of Kansas, an M.S. in Experiential Education from Minnesota State-Mankato, an M.A. in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago, and a PhD in Clinical Social Work from Loyola University Chicago.
Shannon Ramsey
Shannon Ramsey is the lead Program Specialist for Transitional Living Services at the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS). Shannon oversees the CPS Transitional Living Services Programs for current and former foster youth, ages 14-23. The primary services and programs overseen by the Transitional Living Services program include:
- The Preparation for Adult Living Program and related statewide Teen and College Conferences and Aging Out Seminars
- State College Tuition and Fee Waiver
- The Education and Training Voucher (ETV) Program
- Credit reports and personal documents for youth in foster care
- Former Foster Care Children Healthcare Program overseen by HHSC
- Extended Foster Care-Return to Care Program and Supervised Independent Living program (back-up)
Shannon serves as the co-chair for the Foster Care and Education Committee Postsecondary Education Workgroup which is facilitated by the Supreme Court of Texas Permanent Judicial Commission for Children, Youth, and Families and has been involved in the conference planning of Education Reach for Texans since 2009. Shannon also serves as the CPS primary contact person for Texas Transition Centers, the Texas Workforce Commission and the Texas Higher Education Coordinating Board.
Before joining DFPS in October, 2009, Shannon was employed for 7 years at the Texas Workforce Commission (TWC) as a policy analyst for workforce programs that served low income individuals, individuals with disabilities, foster youth, and other special populations. In addition, Shannon was the Program Manager for the TWC funded foster youth Transition Centers and worked closely with Casey Family Programs and the U.S. Department of Labor to develop a comprehensive array of "one-stop" services designed to improve employment, education, and independent living outcomes for youth aging out of foster care.
Prior to the above positions, Shannon worked as a Program Manager with Goodwill Industries of South Texas, Nueces County Mental Health and Mental Retardation, and the Devereux Foundation in Victoria Texas through direct service delivery and case management for children, youth and adults with disabilities. Shannon attended Columbia College, Columbia MO., Texas Tech University, Lubbock, Texas, and Texas A&M, Corpus Christi, Texas
Jamie Bernstein, J.D.
Jamie Bernstein is a staff attorney at the Supreme Court of Texas Permanent Judicial Commission for Children, Youth and Families (Children’s Commission). Ms. Bernstein has worked at the Children’s Commission since May 2014 and her primary focus is on the improvement of educational outcomes for children and youth in foster care. In this capacity, Ms. Bernstein provides support for the Children’s Commission Foster Care and Education Committee and its workgroups, including a Postsecondary Education Workgroup. Prior to joining the Children’s Commission, Ms. Bernstein represented children and youth involved in the child welfare and juvenile justice systems in New York, New York. Ms. Bernstein has a B.A. from Vanderbilt University and a J.D. from Brooklyn Law School.
Monica Faulkner, Ph.D.
Monica Faulkner is a research associate professor and the director of the Texas Institute for Child & Family Wellbeing at the School of Social Work. She oversees multiple projects relating to foster care, child care and teen pregnancy prevention funded by state agencies, private foundations and the federal government. Her primary research interest is teen pregnancy prevention for foster youth and the welfare of teen parents in foster care. She teaches policy, human behavior in the social environment and child welfare related electives. In terms of professional experience, she has worked in both direct practice and clinical settings. She has worked as an advocate for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault at the Houston Area Women’s Center and as a case manager for children in foster care at the Austin Children’s Shelter. Faulkner also worked as a legislative aide for State Representative Garnet Coleman and served as chief of staff for State Representative Jessica Farrar. Faulkner has served on several boards including Latinas on the Rise in Houston and Adoption Knowledge Affiliates in Austin. She received a doctorate in social work from The University of Texas at Austin in 2010. She received a master’s degree in social work from The University of Houston, and a bachelor of liberal arts in government with a minor in Spanish and a bachelor of social work from The University of Texas at Austin.
Clint Rodenfels, Founding Member
Clint has extensive experience building and leading successful, service-oriented higher education and technology teams. A former Assistant Vice President with Capital Group Companies, Clint left the corporate world to focus on helping youth and young adults improve their lives. He has served as the Director of the Graduation Initiative at the University of Texas at San Antonio and, more recently, as a Dean of Student Services at Austin Community College. Clint holds a Master of Social Work from Texas State University along with a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from California State University. In addition to his community benefit work with Education Reach for Texans, Clint is a member of the Rodenfels Family Foundation board of directors.
