Staff Listing

When someone joins the People Places family, they tend to stay with us. Nearly half of our staff members have been with us for a decade or more. In the list below, you’ll see staff members from every office alongside the number of years they’ve been part of our team—testaments to the strength of our community and our commitment to families.

Key Leadership

Laura Flint, Executive Director

Laura Flint moved into the role of Executive Director as of November 2023. Laura is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst/Licensed Behavior Analyst specializing in Organizational Behavior Management. Her passion is ensuring that children and families in our community have access to innovative and high-quality services. She is a strong proponent of trauma-informed care practices and using evidence-based methods. She has worked in the human services field for over 20 years in a variety of clinical and supervisory roles, including Associate Director of a sexual assault crisis center, supervisor of a Therapeutic Day Treatment Program, and a clinician providing in-school behavioral support, parenting education, and mental health services for adults with severe mental illness. At People Places, she initially fulfilled the role of Quality Assurance Coordinator in 2020 and then moved into the Prevention Services Manager position in 2022. Laura has been married to her husband, Billy, for 20 years and has two adult sons. In her spare time, she enjoys weightlifting and spending time outdoors in the beautiful Shenandoah Valley.

Melissa E. Blinn, Director of Foster Parent Services and Engagement

Melissa has worked in child and family welfare for more than 25 years. She joined People Places in 2004 as a Family Consultant and has served in a variety of positions within the Agency since then. Currently, Melissa develops, evaluates, and provides oversight to the Agency’s foster parent services and engagement, including community outreach and education, recruitment, certification, training, support, and retention. She also represents the Agency at state and national conferences. Supporting agency staff to provide quality services and empowering families with the tools that they need to be successful are at the heart of her work. Melissa earned a BS in Sociology and Communication from James Madison University and a Masters in Counseling from Eastern Mennonite University. She strives to be a lifelong learner, recently beginning a new journey as she pursues licensure as an LPC. In her free time, Melissa enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, cooking, long walks with her dog, and reading historical fiction.

Tina Bosserman, Regional Director Valley Offices

Tina joined the People Places team in 2006 as a Family Consultant, providing direct case management to children and families.  In 2010, she became a Program Supervisor, supervising Family Consultants and Admissions in both the Staunton and Harrisonburg offices.  Tina has been a lead PST trainer for foster parents for approximately 10 years, and has been on the Harrisonburg-Rockingham FAPT team for over 20 years.   Prior to her time at People Places, Tina worked at a local Department of Social Services, where she served in several positions, including supervisor of the Foster Care and Adoption Unit.  Tina has a passion for serving children and families, with over 28 years of experience in the field.

Sheree Cubbage, Director of Prevention Services

Sheree joined the team in 2023 as Prevention Services Manager. She is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst who is passionate about applying Organizational Behavior Management strategies to develop and drive program success by building strong teams and leaders. She holds a B.S. from James Madison University in Health Science and a M.S. from Mary Baldwin University in Applied Behavior Analysis. Sheree has a passion for supporting families by developing the skills necessary to thrive. She has worked in the field of human services supporting families for over 10 years in a variety of settings and roles including providing in-home ABA services, Therapeutic Day Treatment services in public schools, specialized behavior support for preschool-aged students, and parent training. Sheree spends her free time outdoors with her husband, two children, and pets!

Holly Edwards, Director of Human Resources

Human Resources Manager
Holly joined the People Places Business Office in 2012.  As the agency continued to grow, the need for a Human Resources Manager became evident and, with her passion for payroll, benefits, compliance, and supporting employees, Holly was a natural fit for the position. A member of the Society for Human Resource Management, she became a Certified HR Professional in 2015 and joined the Executive Management Team in 2018. A lifelong resident of Staunton/Augusta County, Holly is proud to be a part of an organization that serves children and families in our area.  She enjoys traveling, reading, and training her Labradoodle, Charleigh.

Douglas D. Johnson, Regional Director Charlottesville Office

Douglas has been involved with fostering for most of his life.  His parents fostered over 20 children and he has seen firsthand the importance fostering can play in the lives of both foster children and foster families.  That early experience inspired him to devote the last 25 years of his career to working with People Places.  After graduating from James Madison University, Douglas joined People Places in 1996 as a youth mentor and became a family consultant in 1999.  He has been in leadership positions at People Places since becoming a supervisor in 2015. In his current role, he is responsible for providing oversight of agency case management activities for youth placed in the Therapeutic Foster Care Program.

Barbara Station, Director of Finance

Barbara joined the  People Places team in 2011 as Business Office Manager. She is an undergraduate from Mary Baldwin University with a Major in Business, concentration in Accounting, and a minor in Management. Barbara has over 30 years of experience in the nonprofit sector and related financial management.   She is excited to be a part of an agency that provides such care and professionalism in helping the youth and families within our community. Barbara enjoys spending time with her husband of 35+ years, their children, and grandsons.
  • (0-3 years)
  • (4-8 years)
  • (9-14 years)
  • (15-25 years)
  • (26+ years)

26+ Years

  • Missy Berry

15 – 25 Years

  • Melissa Blinn
  • Tina Bosserman
  • Kim Higgins
  • Douglas Johnson
  • Ray Leavitt
  • Michelle Truslow
  • Amy Wilt

9 – 14 Years

  • Avan Batten
  • Kristi Brooks
  • Mirela Cangelosi
  • Holly Edwards
  • Irving Kempf
  • Barbara Station

4 – 8 Years

  • Kristen Burns
  • Jason Critzer
  • Spencer Eavers
  • Laura Flint
  • Sarah Gibson
  • Kristie Shuey
  • Matt Walters
  • Ellen Webb
  • Mary Whitesell
  • Jennifer Williams

0 – 3 Years

  • Kenzie Cason
  • Sheree Cubbage
  • Kristin Holbrook
  • Aidelle Kasemmongkol
  • Rachel McDonald
  • Sara McDonel
  • Brittany Mentor
  • Seleana Moore
  • Nattachya Olivares
  • Brandi Pulley
  • Caitlin Quick
  • Otter Redmond
  • Marylinn Segars
  • Sydney Swartz
  • Jamie Yates

People Places Board Members

Ruthie Bosch

Ruthie is an Associate Professor at JMU in the Educational Foundations and Exceptionalities Department. She teaches Foundations of Education and Multicultural Education. She earned her Ph.D. in Bicultural-Bilingual Education at Wayne State University in Detroit, Michigan and was a high school Spanish teacher for 18 years in the Detroit metropolitan area. She has lived in Harrisonburg since 2009 with her husband Hector and her two sons, José and Matthew. Ruthie proudly represents PUERTO RICO and MICHIGAN!

Laura Desportes

Laura is a professor at JMU with a Masters in School Psychology and a Doctorate in Educational Psychology. Her professional interests include Intervention Outcome Assessment, Teacher Resilience and Efficacy, and Inclusive Models of Education Globally. She has worked as a clinician and a researcher with individuals with disabilities and at-risk from birth to geriatrics. Her human services career began as a practicum student at our Pygmalion School and then on to teaching at Woodrow Wilson Rehab Center, where she continued to serve our clients. From there she has served as a research and evaluation specialist focusing on treatment outcome assessment for a state human services agency, been a regional human services director, an inpatient pediatric clinician, and a special educator across a wide variety of settings. She has traveled extensively studying models of inclusive education as a means for enhancing social justice. She is looking forward to serving on the board as it feels full circle since her human services career as a practicum student at the Pygmalion school. She and her sociologist husband Carl are happy “empty nesters” living along the South River with their many critters and love working together on shared research interests.

Hanna Foster, MA, EdS, LPC

Bio coming soon

Liz Heddleston

Liz is a Principal at Wood Rogers Law Firm. She has a broad-based health law practice with a significant focus on health information privacy and security, providing practical guidance on a spectrum of regulatory, corporate, and operational matters impacting healthcare clients including hospitals, medical and dental practices, long-term care facilities, federally qualified health centers, behavioral health providers, health plans, and healthcare technology companies. A significant part of Liz’s practice focuses on HIPAA compliance, health information privacy and security, and cybersecurity incidents impacting healthcare entities. Liz is Certified in Healthcare Privacy Compliance (CHPC®) and provides strategic guidance on complying with laws governing health data, including HIPAA, 42 C.F.R. Part 2, the Information Blocking Rule, and state data privacy laws.

Outside of work, Liz is a founding board member of Huddle Up Moms, a Roanoke-based non-profit dedicated to improving maternal health outcomes and empowering mothers through education, connection, and support. She also enjoys running, rock climbing, and spending time outdoors with her daughters.

Jeff Lown

Jeff is a Licensed Professional Counselor with nearly 15 years of experience working in various settings, including schools, the community, clinics, and hospitals. His experience working in community-based mental health programs and crisis services has emphasized the need for quick and convenient access to counseling for all who may need it. Jeff shares his time now in private practice between Harrisonburg and Luray in part to help increase accessibility for individuals in that rural community. His hope to expand availability for mental health services to everyone has also led him to serve a variety of roles on the board of the Virginia Counselors Association, including as treasurer and as chair of the Advocacy Relations Committee.

Growing up in the Valley has given Jeff a love for the people and mountains we all call home. On any given weekend, you may run into him and his two dogs (and maybe some other people) hiking along a trail in the Shenandoah Mountain range.

Janneke Wolken

Born and raised in the Netherlands, Janneke moved to the Charlottesville area in 2020. She currently works as a fractional CFO and financial advisor. She has an MSc in International Business and previously worked in investment banking in London. Janneke lived and worked all over the world, including as a volunteer for the American Red Cross in Japan. She is excited to be of service by assisting People Places in its mission to help children in need. In her spare time, Janneke foremost enjoys spending time with her family, but in addition, loves to read a good book, ski, practice watersports and spend time in the garden.

See People Places in the News and Apply to become a part of the team today!