FSU CFC CENTER STAFF

Ellen Piekalkiewicz, MA  – Director

During her tenure as the Stoops Center for Communities, Families, and Children Director, Ms. Piekalkiewicz has overseen the successful implementation of federal research grants, state contracts, and private foundation projects. Ms. Piekalkiewicz is an experienced expert in non-profit leadership with more than thirty years of experience in public policy, legislative and governmental affairs, and disability rights. She served as the executive director for United Partners for Human Services as well as director of an advisory council to Florida’s governor and legislature. She also consulted for numerous statewide organizations, local nonprofits, and federal agencies. She is the chair of the Florida Higher Education Substance Use Consortium.

Savannah Smith-Collier, LCSW, MSW – Assistant Director of SE ROTA Regional Center and Program Manager

Savannah Collier joined the Stoops Center for Communities, Families, and Children in 2019 to assist with providing mental and behavioral health services for children and families impacted by Hurricane Michael in the Panhandle. She received her master’s degree in Clinical Social Work from Florida State University in the summer of 2019. She is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with expertise in trauma, resilience, and protective factor implementation. She is a CFC Program Manager and Field Educator. She supervises College of Social Work students completing their internships at the CFC Center. As Program Manager, she oversees the Cognitive Behavioral Intervention for Trauma in Schools (CBITS) project and multiple National Science Foundation disaster recovery and resilience projects. She assisted in developing the curriculum Rebound & Recovery and is now modifying Rebound & Recovery to be developmentally appropriate for upper elementary, middle, and high school-aged youth.

Tai Zimmerman Cole, LCSW, MSW, M.Div, MACE – Assistant Director of Rebound & Recovery and Program Manager

Tai Zimmerman Cole joined the Stoops Center for Communities, Families, and Children in 2019. She received her master’s degree in Clinical Social Work from Florida State University and is a licensed clinical social worker (LCSW). She is pursuing a Ph.D. in Curriculum Develop for early childhood and children with special needs from the College of Education at FSU. The focus of her work during her time at the CFC Center has been curriculum development for various populations. She has worked on the Substance Use Disorder Curriculum for the Florida Higher Education Consortium and the implementation of rural opioid technical assistance deliverables with FAMU. Tai has also been working with 4-year-olds on social-emotional development and reduction of trauma symptoms using Cognitive Behavioral Therapy, art therapy, and play therapy developing the early childhood intervention curriculum for Rebound and Recovery and is part of the development team for the clinical Rebound and Recovery, Rebound and Recovery for Tweens, and Rebound and Recovery for Teens.

Jennifer Luther, BSW – Program Manager

Jennifer D. Luther serves as Project Lead at the CFC Center for the development of an advanced certification curriculum in substance use disorder. She comes to FSU with an extensive background in program evaluation and large-scale implementation. Having begun this work at the Florida Department of Juvenile Justice, she is an author, master trainer, and consultant of best practices in behavior change. Serving in Corrections for many years has afforded her the opportunity to explore the components of implementation throughout the continuum of care. With this broad perspective, she has extensive experience translating research into practice. She has focused her career on the effective integration of cognitive-behavioral interventions and client-centered, strength-based approaches. Most recently, she was awarded the 2021 Department of Justice- Special Courage Award, which honors a victim or survivor who has shown exceptional perseverance in dealing with her own victimization and acted bravely to aid others.

Alison Dujovic – Assistant Director of Business Operations

Alison joined the CFC Center as the lead financial administrator in July 2023. After receiving a double bachelor’s degree in Humanities from Florida State University and Elementary Education from Florida International University, she continued advancing her career in financial and administrative management. Prior to joining CFC, Alison served as a Senior Grants Coordinator at Florida Center for Reading Research and Assistant Director of Research for the College of Nursing at FSU. Alison is responsible for managing CFC’s business operations, which encompass tasks such as proposal development, financial and administrative management on projects, as well as daily oversight of the organization.

Michael Nesbit – Program Associate

Michael Nesbit is a Curriculum Development Program Assistant and Staff Writer at the CFC. He is pursuing his MSW at FSU. Michael comes to CFC with an extensive background of direct care with foster children, juvenile justice-involved youth, and special court-adjudicated minors. While working many years at the downstream end of child welfare, Michael had his start in juvenile justice in the 1990s, working in data and research. On a parallel track, Michael took his experience with nontraditional youth and incorporated it into a classroom environment where he spent years teaching language arts, English, creative writing, and remedial reading. Michael has also worked as a life coach and mentor for adults with developmental disabilities, providing them skills and supervision to enter the workforce.

Carli Lucius, MSW – Program Associate

Carli Lucius graduated with her Master of Social Work Degree from Florida State University in the Summer of 2022. She also attended Florida State for her Bachelor of Social Work Degree, where she received a Certificate in Child Welfare and served as the President of the Student Association of Social Workers. Carli has worked at the CFC Center since August of 2021 assisting on the NSF Calhoun project by building community connections through weekly in-person visits. She also assisted in manualizing the CFC’s Prep Rally curriculum that helps children prepare for natural disasters and spark conversations with their loved ones about their natural disaster plans. Carli now assists in overseeing the Center’s National Science Foundation (NSF) projects and ensures project deliverables are met.

KC Callison, MA, CATC, FCCM – Program Associate

KC Callison holds a graduate degree in Human Development (specializing in development across the lifespan) from Pacific Oaks College in Pasadena California and has spent over 10 years working in public health; focusing on substance abuse and mental health treatment with certification out of the state of California. KC has diligently worked with diverse populations to improve access and equitable recovery and well-being services to at-risk individuals, families and communities.

Margarita Amado-Blanco, MSW, MPA – Program Associate

Margarita Amado-Blanco is a dedicated professional with a strong background in social work and public policy and administration. After obtaining her Bachelor’s of Social Work from Florida State University, she pursued further education and earned double Master’s Degrees in Social Work and Public Policy and Administration. Margarita has been actively engaged with the CFC Center since January 2022 when she joined as a graduate assistant on the SOS Interventions in Family Systems Project. In this role, she has collaborated with child welfare professionals and family members involved in the child welfare system, contributing to valuable research efforts. Margarita played a pivotal role in the development of the SOS Interventions advanced certification course. Currently, she serves as the Virtual Engagement Learning Coach for the SOS Interventions project, leveraging her expertise to facilitate virtual learning experiences. Furthermore, Margarita actively contributes to research initiatives and data collection at the CFC, showcasing her commitment to making a positive impact in the field of social work. In addition to her professional accomplishments, Margarita is also fluent in Spanish, enabling her to effectively engage with Spanish-speaking individuals and communities.

Rachel Christensen, PhD – Director of Quality Assurance, Rebound & Recovery
and Strategic Initiatives Manager

Rachel Christensen joined the Stoops Center for Communities, Families, and Children in 2021 and has supported a variety of programs since that time. She has a PhD in Public and International Affairs from Virginia Tech and has a wide range of experiences working with institutions of higher education and community-based nonprofit organizations. Focusing on the role of relationships and systems to improve organizations, Rachel’s work centers around navigating complex situations and envisioning exciting paths forward through big picture strategizing and detail-oriented approaches. She has served in various settings as an instructor, mediator, program coordinator, and a consultant on topics including strategic management, program evaluation, volunteer management, funder/contractor relationships, staff capacity building, and boards.