MEET THE TEAM

SHELLY RADIC
President

​How long have you been involved with foster care or adoption? My parents adopted one of my brothers from foster care, my husband and I were foster parents and led foster support groups. We adopted two of our four kids from foster care. I’ve been at Project 1.27 since January 2013.

What is your professional background? I served for seven years at MOPS (Mothers of Preschoolers) International as Director of Ministry Life, Chief of Staff, and Interim CEO. Before that, I was a middle school teacher, speaker and writer.

What is your guilty pleasure? Reading murder mysteries.
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Who is your favorite character in This Is Us? Beth. She’s spunky, strong, loving AND she gives the people she loves space to try new things. Plus, she insisted on fostering a teenager. I want to clone her!

MARILYN ROBINSON
Family Care Team Manager

How long have you been involved with foster care or adoption? I started working  in Child Protection in 1984 in Kansas and then moved to Colorado and worked for Arapahoe county. I have been with Project 1.27 since October 2017.   I adopted my oldest son from foster care, my sister and her husband were his foster parents.

What is your professional background? I have been an intake worker in several metro counties, conducting abuse and neglect investigations and then became an Intake supervisor. After leaving Child Protection I worked with disabled adults and children with Developmental Pathways. I have a degree in social work. 

What is your guilty pleasure? Carne Asada fries with cheese and green chile/Chubby’s and only Chubby’s
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Who is your favorite character in This Is Us? Randall. He has had to deal with the loss of his birth parents, being raised in a totally different ethnic culture. He has experienced a lot of loss and ongoing anxiety issues, yet he continues to love, care for and provide for his children and wife. I enjoyed watching the relationship between he and his birth father, how he took him into his home, provided and cared for him through death.   

KAREN WILLIAMS
Office Manager

How long have you been involved with foster care or adoption? It is part of my family history: my mother was adopted, and I am an adoptive parent. I had the privilege of working with Project 1.27 a few years ago and am very happy to be back. The act of foster care and adoption is such a beautiful picture of God’s love for us, accepting us at our place of need and welcoming us into His family.

What is your professional background? I have worked in admin support for churches and other non-profits for many years, some of that time with Project 1.27.

What is your guilty pleasure? Taking a day to stay in bed and read a good mystery.
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Who is your favorite character in This is Us? It is so hard to say! Jack: such an awesome dad –the Triplets: each kind-hearted and loving, dealing with their loss and brokenness in different ways–Beth:  a strong, independent woman who would do anything for her family...I just love this show!

REGAN HALL
Family Care Manager

How long have you been involved with foster care or adoption? 
Our family began the foster care journey in 2004 when we moved to Aurora and attended one of Project 1:27’s first info nights.  We went through FACT and PCORE training in 2006 at Colorado Community Church.  We met and began fostering our daughter in 2007 and later went on  to finalize  the adoption of our daughter in 2008.  This process instilled in me a passion for foster care and for my desire to inspire, recruit and train families to foster and adopt children in their own backyards.

What is your professional background?
My early career was in home health and after I married, I worked as a substitute teacher.  I was fortunate to be able to spend the last 20 years as a stay at home mom with my children.  During this time I also had opportunity to volunteer as a lay councilor and participate as a volunteer with Children’s Hospital working to create policy changes for special needs children and their families.  I returned to school for my degree in social work in 2015 and interned as a case manager with Chinese Children Adoption International.

What is your guilty pleasure? 
I’ve learned to be free of guilt through Jesus, but what I enjoy is spending a quiet afternoon reading a good book or eating a Freddie’s burger and fries.  
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Who is your favorite character in This Is Us?
My favorite character in This is Us is Randall.  I love his story of integrating into a world that is both his own and not his own. I relate to the way he does his best to hold his family together and do what he feels is right even when it isn’t popular.   

LIZ BRODZINSKI
NoCo Relationships and Support Manager​

 How long have you been involved with foster care or adoption?
My husband, biological two-year-old son and I became a foster family in the fall of 2016. We welcomed two amazing children into the family shortly after. After almost three years, we became a forever family of five.

What is your professional background?
I graduated from Colorado State University with a degree in Human Development and Family Studies. After college, I worked for United Way of Larimer County. When my biological son was born, my husband and I were to blessed to be able to run a small business from home. When we were called to be a foster family, I found a deep passion for helping others walking through the healing process from a place of trauma. I have worked to advocate for foster families through public speaking, co-hosting a satellite conference for a trauma based relational intervention conference, facilitating a foster care support group and as a volunteer in many areas in the foster/adoptive community. I am engaged with a variety of local foster/adoptive resources and love connecting families with resources that fit their needs.

What is your guilty pleasure?
My guilty pleasure is an hour of kid-free time to drink a caramel cold foam, cold brew and sit by the river in the sunshine.
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Who is your favorite character in This Is Us?
My favorite character from This Is Us is Beth. I love her confidence and direction all while loving others with a full and passionate heart.​

ALEX KUYKENDALL
National Network Director

How long have you been involved with foster care or adoption?
In 1996 I was on staff at the Dale House Project, a group home for 16 and 17-year
olds emancipating from El Paso County's foster care system. I lived on the
property with the kids and other staff and my eyes and heart were opened from
the stories of trauma and the intense pain these teenagers carried. I have since
worked in a broader sense to strengthen families and equip the church to be a
place of welcome and support for families in crisis and vulnerable neighbors.

What is your professional background?
Early on in my career I worked in community engagement for ministries and
government agencies. This work allowed me to translate policy decisions to the
people impacted. After taking a few years off from paid work to have my first two
children, I was on staff with MOPS International creating resources for leaders
and churches to support moms and their children. Most recently I've spent my
time writing books, speaking to faith-based groups, and starting a network of
Christian women leaders called The Open Door Sisterhood. I see my work as the
intersection of communications, leadership development, and loving our
neighbors within the context of Christian faith.

What is your guilty pleasure?
My girls and I like to thrift. We rarely need anything we find, but the hunt for the
treasure and the bargain is too tempting to pass up. Good chance I'm always
wearing at least one item I found at a thrift store. Also Twitter.
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Who is your favorite character in This Is Us?
I've only seen the first season and a half. I had to quit to save my emotional
energy for my actual life, ha! I was impressed by Beth's ability to see what her
family needed even if it meant hard things for her. She seemed to love with
strength in action and word.

JANNA WRIGHT
Events and Communication Coordinator

How long have you been involved with foster care or adoption? 
My heart for at-risk youth began over a decade ago when I was a middle school teacher and saw how tough home situations impacted my students. A few years later, I became a mentor to at-risk youth and was trained as a foster parent. 

What is your professional background? 
After a number of years teaching in high school and university classrooms, I segued to the field of writing as a curriculum developer and published author. A love for communication and events also led to working with various ministries and organizations as an event planner, host, and speaker, where I’ve been blessed to see many lives transformed and help people experience growth and joy in their personal stories.
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What is your guilty pleasure? 
Driving up into the foothills of the Rockies until the traffic disappears, the air smells like evergreens, and the views make you sigh with happiness. (Bonus if I’m sipping an iced mocha too!)
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Who is your favorite character in This Is Us? 
I don’t know that I have a favorite character. But when I watch this show I’m struck by the tight family bond and the gut-wrenching power of resilience through even the hardest moments of our life stories.

LISA McGINNETT
Western Slope Director

How long have you been involved with foster care or adoption? My husband and I began our foster care journey in 2001.  We have had the privilege of adopting our two oldest children as infants in Wisconsin.  In November of 2018 we adopted our 3rd child at the age of 13.  We are still currently fostering babies mostly. You never know, on any given day, how many sweet faces will be living under our roof!

What is your professional background?
I have served as a pastor’s wife for the past 25 years.  My distant past career paths include Administrative Assistant to the Dean of Baptist Bible Theological Seminary as well a National Sales Secretary for Moody Press.  For the past 7 years have had the pleasure of working at our local bariatric surgery center educating preoperative patients, providing support group for post bariatric patients in addition to being the Medical Assistant in the clinic.   As of February 2019, I have been given an opportunity work with Project 1.27 that will enable me to utilize my skills and my passion for fostering.  In my opinion, I have the best of both worlds!

What is your guilty pleasure? Watching NCIS 
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Who is your favorite character in This Is Us?​ I must confess.  I have never seen this show.  Let’s assume it’s because it is airs at the baby’s bedtime.

SHARON BOUSE-FERRY
Western Slope Family Care Manager

How long have you been involved with foster care or adoption? 
My experience with Foster Care and Adoption stared as a personal one in 2012. A kinship placement of a little girl in our home that would become our adopted daughter, provided insight and passion for working with children and families on similar paths. In 2015, I started volunteering as a training consultant for Project 1:27!

What is your professional background? 
My background is in Child Development/Early Childhood Education and Non Profit Management. It's always been about kids for me. After working as a preschool teacher since 2000, I opened my preschool and childcare center in 2012. My personal experiences parenting a child from a hard place led to my professional experiences in the non profit world. In 2016, I began my work with Karis, Inc. a non-profit on the Western Slope of Colorado serving unaccompanied homeless youth. I served as Karis Inc.’s Host Home Manager, Volunteer Manager, Development Manager, Operations Director, and Founder and Chairperson of Night On The Street, and annual fundraiser.

What is your guilty pleasure? 
Sunshine, Fresh Cut Flowers, Candles and Traditions! My hygge! Pronounced “hoo-gah”- the Danish sentiment of taking joy in the little things around you, doing the things you love with the people you love.
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Who is your favorite character in This Is Us? 
With four kids I can honestly say that I have only seen this show once! I don’t have a favorite character since I have no clue, ha! If there’s a character that loves Pinterest, is type A with a compassionate side, works hard and plays hard, he or she would hands down be my favorite- as well as my kindred spirit!

SADIE DODSON
Family Care Manager

How long have you been involved with foster care or adoption?
My husband was adopted at birth, so adoption has always been part of our lives. We always knew we wanted to adopt. In 2011 God opened the door for us to adopt our youngest son through foster care. Since his adoption I have been involved in some capacity with foster care and adoption. We have fostered babies – teens over the years.

What is your professional background?
I have a master’s degree in psychology with an emphasis in Attachment theory. After grad school I worked as a family and marriage therapist. I also volunteered as a crisis pregnancy counselor and a pastoral counselor while serving alongside my husband in ministry. After we adopted and started fostering, God gave me a
passion for serving kids and families. I switched gears and started volunteering my time to recruit, train, and support foster and adoptive families. After moving to Denver my husband and I went through additional training and became therapeutic foster parents for teens with complex trauma and attachment issues.

What is your guilty pleasure?
My favorites are Netflix and dark chocolate, and if I can have those with a view of the mountains and snow on the ground, its prefect!
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Who is your favorite character in This Is Us?
I love all the characters but the mom, Rebecca Pearson, is probably my favorite. I am inspired by her example of love and strength. 

RHONDA DENISON
Metro Relationships and Support Manager​

How long have you been involved with foster care or adoption? 
I have been involved in adoption since we adopted our oldest 13 years ago. Five years ago we jumped into the world of foster care!

What is your professional background? 
Before joining the team at Project 127, I spent 13 years in campus ministry where I discipled college students in their pursuit of Jesus. For the past 2 years, I have worked alongside my husband Jesse in a ministry focused on training and equipping the church in the Great Commission, including mentoring refugees.

What is your guilty pleasure? 
Pumpkin Spice Lattes!
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Who is your favorite character in This Is Us? 
From what I have seen of the show, I have to say Jack. That scene where he does push ups with his son on his back was so powerful. He was willing to do the hard to connect with his son.

JENNY WATSON
Communications Manager

How long have you been involved with foster care or adoption?
My husband and I were certified as foster parents in 2012 through Project 1.27. Over the years, we have fostered 8 children, one of whom we adopted. We've also hosted an adoption support group for the last 4 years.

What is your professional background?
I have worked with multiple non-profits in the Denver area in communications, fundraising, event planning, and web design. I served as the Director of the Justice Run for the last 12 years raising money for victims of human trafficking. 

What is your guilty pleasure?
Reading, naps, and coffee!

Who is your favorite character in This Is Us?
I love all the characters, but I would have to say Jack and Rebecca are my favorite. They worked to create their family culture and we can see their legacy rippling through the lives of their children and grandchildren.

NAOMI LEMON
WS Family Care Support Manager

How long have you been involved with foster care or adoption? 
Foster care is part of my family’s history. We became a foster home in 2004. Three of my siblings are adopted and many of my cousins. This has been an entire family journey!
 
What is your professional background? 
After working many years in the world of marketing & fundraising, I felt drawn to pouring back into my community. Specifically in supporting families that are near and dear to my heart. I have a degree in agricultural communications and years of experience in graphic design, social media management, and website design. 
 
What is your guilty pleasure? 
My family loves to thrift and the hunt for a new treasure. We love taking something forgotten and bringing it back to life. Also coffee, without which I would be unable to function.

Who is your favorite character in This Is Us? 
I’ve never watched This Is Us. I get emotional at their trailers and am positive I would only be able to cry if I watched the show.