Meet the Carolina Family Engagement Center Team
Project Director
Karen Utter, J.D.
utter@email.sc.edu
800.868.2232
As CFEC Project Director, Karen has overall responsibility for the work of the Carolina Family Engagement Center, to include CFEC staff oversight, network coordination with partner organizations, managing development and implementation of CFEC family engagement initiatives, and overseeing CFEC training, outreach, and resource development and implementation. She also serves on the national Statewide Family Engagement Center Advisory Board. Karen is Associate Director of the SC School Improvement Council (SC-SIC), where she assists in the development of new materials, resources, training, and other initiatives designed to assist local SICs in carrying out their roles and responsibilities.
Project Co-Directors
The Project Co-Directors work closely with the Project Director in providing oversight for CFEC activities, including personnel, partnership coordination, resource and training development and dissemination, public outreach efforts, and work with the CFEC Advisory Board.
Yasha Becton, Ed.D.
yyjones@mailbox.sc.edu
803.777.2489
Yasha Becton’s areas of concentration include multicultural education and student achievement, particularly as it relates to classroom instruction, curriculum design, professional development, and parental involvement. Additional interests include how issues of social class, culture, and race intersect with the aforementioned areas. Becton has more than 15 years of experience serving as a high school teacher and administrator within the South Carolina public school systems.
Tom F. Hudson
hudsontf@mailbox.sc.edu
800.868.2232
Tom is Executive Director of the SC School Improvement Council (SC-SIC). He has expertise in the operation and roles of School Improvement Councils (SICs), and in parent and community engagement. In that capacity, he oversees overall operations of SC-SIC and provides training, technical assistance, and other support to SIC members, educators, and public officials on the local, state, and national levels.
Gina M. Kunz, PhD
ginakunz@sc.edu
800.868.2232
Gina is the former Director of the University of South Carolina’s College of Education Research Institute, and a former Research Associate Professor in the Department of Educational Studies. A licensed psychologist, she also conducts large-scale research to identify evidenced-based practices for children, families, and educators. She also serves on the national Statewide Family Engagement Center Advisory Board.
Abraham Wandersman, PhD
800.868.2232
wanderah@mailbox.sc.edu
Abe is President of Abe Wandersman, LLC. He is a co-developer of the Getting To Outcomes™ implementation framework being used by CFEC and is Emeritus Professor in the Department of Psychology in the University of South Carolina College of Arts and Sciences. He has an extensive history of grant-funded work as a principal investigator.
Additional CFEC Staff
Jordan Rice, CFEC Project Manager
jdr8@mailbox.sc.edu
803.777.7658, ext 7353
Jordan is a 2020 University of South Carolina graduate, who loves cheering on her Gamecocks from Willy B to Colonial Life Arena. She assists in developing training tools and family engagement resources to provide to districts, schools, teachers, families, and community organizations. She supports the development of CFEC organizational practices and procedures, budget management, and aids in meeting U.S. Department of Education and University of South Carolina grant compliance and reporting requirements.
Jennifer Dever, Digital & Web Coordinator
deverj@mailbox.sc.edu
Jennifer serves as the Digital & Web Coordinator for CFEC and is responsible for coordinating content among all social media platforms and CFEC website, as well as managing CFEC’s “Septima Speaks” podcast and editing video content.
Aïda Rogers, Marketing & Communications Coordinator
aidar@mailbox.sc.edu
Aïda Rogers is a veteran journalist who loves a great story and a salty quote. She serves as the Marketing & Communications Coordinator for CFEC and is responsible for identifying, interviewing, and curating CFEC stories from across the state for dissemination across various media outlets.
Regional Liaisons
To increase the likelihood that schools will be able to implement and sustain evidence-based family engagement programs, CFEC will focus significant resources on providing long-term, intensive family engagement capacity-building training and technical assistance to 24 K-12 public schools (four in each of the state’s six regions: Upstate, Upper Central, CRSA, Midlands, Pee Dee, and Lowcountry). CFEC will assign a Regional Liaison to each participating school to assist it in planning, implementing, and evaluating a school-wide family engagement program that is evidence-based, includes dual capacity building initiatives, and is aligned with the school’s existing improvement plan goals. The Regional Liaisons will maintain a base of operations in the SC School Improvement Council office, but will spend the majority of their time in the field working directly with districts, schools, School Improvement Councils, and families.
Laurann Gallitto, MMFT
Lead Regional Liaison-Midlands region
GALLITTL@mailbox.sc.edu
Laurann received a BA in History and Modern Languages and a Master’s in Marriage and Family Therapy at Converse College. She participated in the AmeriCorps NCCC service program assisting community organizations to address housing, education, disaster relief efforts, and environmental needs. Her experience in refugee resettlement includes positions with LSC and the IRC to assist, educate, and empower refugee youth. Laurann is excited for continued collaboration with schools and parents to increase family engagement and assist students across South Carolina!
Claressa Hinton, MHA
Regional Liaison-Low Country region
hintonc@email.sc.ed
Claressa Hinton was born in Rock Hill, SC and moved to Tamassee, SC at the age of 9. She received a Bachelor’s degree at Morris College and received her Master’s degree at Webster University. She has previously served as a Parent Family Engagement Specialist in the Midlands. Some of her favorite things are sports, Snickers bars, peach cobbler, and the book Where the Red Fern Grows. Claressa will serve as CFEC’s Low Country liaison serving Allendale, Hampton, Jasper, Beaufort, Colleton, Dorchester, Berkeley, and Charleston.
Ranina M. Outing, MHA, MPH
Regional Liaison-Pee Dee region
outingr@email.sc.edu
Ranina Outing has worked on a variety of research projects at the University of South Carolina. She has many years of experience in administration, providing training, technical assistance and coordinating programs. She earned a B.S. degree in Business Management with a Master of Business in Healthcare Administration and a Master of Public Health with a focus on improving the life and wellbeing of individuals through a combination of analysis, psychology, social work, and methodologies. Ranina is a leader, which she demonstrates through helping, teaching, and supporting others. She is an active advocate for education and human welfare, determined to continuously develop her expertise in community, school and worksite settings.
Lorilei Swanson, LMFT, LPC, PhD
Regional Liaison-Upstate region
SWANSOL@mailbox.sc.edu
Lorilei Swanson is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and Professional Counselor with a PhD in Educational Leadership. She has a lifelong passion for strengthening families with previous work experience at the National Dropout Prevention Center, International Center for Service-Learning in Teacher Education and School District of Oconee. Lorilei is a recent graduate of the SC Education Policy Fellowship Program. Her leadership experience includes serving as SCAMFT President and School Improvement Council Chair at Walhalla High School, earning the SIC Advocate of the Year Award with fellow SIC member Dora Leonard in 2016. In 2018, the Walhalla High SIC earned the Dick and Tunky Riley Award for SIC Excellence under the leadership of Lorilei and co-chair Jessica Duke.