MEET OUR TEAM
Bob Lybarger
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Bob is a humble and driven leader. Bob has served on non-profit boards for decades and loves to bring ideas to life that benefit kids throughout the Miami Valley. Bob also has a part of his heart in Nicaragua. He brings long-term relational care and transformation to that community over the 10 years and 30+ trips under his belt. Professionally, he brings a wealth of organizational wisdom and experience, creating and selling 2 businesses in his career.
Jennifer Knisley
MSW, LSW
Program Director, Child Advocacy Center
Jennifer has been a social worker since 2004 and has worked primarily in the field of child maltreatment. She worked previously for Isaiah’s Place as a caseworker and again for several years doing licensing, recruitment and investigations. She lives locally with her husband who is a firefighter, 2 boys, chocolate lab and barn cat. She loves all things baking, dark chocolate and puzzles.
Kim Eller
Placements and Case Management Coordinator
Kim is a foster and adoptive parent. She's an encourager, jazz lover, coffee and sushi connoisseur, OSU Fan, and Jesus Girl. She loves spreading hope and giving children in foster care a voice.
Shelley Stoltz
Office Manager
Shelley is our versatile office manager all-star. Shelley comes from a rich history of efficiently creating systems that benefit everyone in the organization from the top-down. Shelley enjoys spending time with her family, learning new things, and making everything in the office as efficient and as effective as possible.
Robby Lybarger
Development Coordinator
Robby is local to Troy, Ohio. He has background in teaching and working with youth. Robby assists Isaiah's Place in achieving their mission through grant writing and improving and expanding programming. He is married to his lovely wife Ketley and has a big goofy dog named Bodie.
Penny Hoekstra
Outreach Coordinator
Penny spent almost 15 years as the Director of Children’s Ministries at First United Methodist Church here in Troy. She has a huge heart for kids and loves to interact with them and support them. Penny and her husband, Jack, are both active in the community serving on multiple boards and being members of the Troy Kiwanis Club. Penny loves to bake, read and is a huge, lifelong Chicago Cubs fan!
Sherri Abbott, LSW
Licensing Specialist
Sherri is blessed to have 5 beautiful children that call her momma. She has navigated 2 adoption journeys of her own and helped over 100 families to adopt children throughout her 18-year career as a Certified Adoption Assessor. Her passion for helping others has allowed her to learn through her work experiences. Highlights include- teaching parenting classes to parents recovering from addictions, helping women that are incarcerated to make adoption plans, crisis work in multiple settings, and providing individual counseling services to children with parents that have severe mental illness and addictions. She has been a home educator for 20 years and a LSW for 29 years.. Sherri loves to travel, enjoys cooking, running and swimming. She has a 1-year-old house bunny named Marley.
Elisha Hicks
Training & Licensing
Coordinator
Elisha is a child development college educator. She has been a teacher, administrator, and trainer in child development for the past 26 years. Elisha now administers our ever excelling training program and also provides training. She has 7 kids, 3 biological and 4 adopted. She praises TBRI for helping her get through it.
Nathan Cregar, LSW
Case Manager
Nathan is originally from Southwest Virginia. He moved to central Florida where he attended Southeastern University to study social work. Upon graduating, he moved to Troy, Ohio. Nathan is a licensed social worker with previous experience in child welfare and foster care. Nathan enjoys tacos, books, podcasts, coffee, and Target/Starbucks dates with his fiancée.
Serena Persky
Case Specialist
Serena is originally from Phoenix, AZ and moved to Ohio in 2020. She has worked in children’s crisis services, young adult mental health, and family support services and has a credential in infant and early childhood mental health. Serena, her husband, and their two children love to spend time outdoors and enjoy biking, kayaking, and exploring the beautiful nature trails across Southwest Ohio. Serena is a plant mom, a lover of spicy foods, a voracious reader, and a professed “coffeeholic”. Serena’s favorite aspect of working in foster care is witnessing the healing and growth of the children she serves and celebrating the little everyday victories.
Kennedy Tucker
Licensing/Case Specialist
Kennedy is a self-proclaimed “Athenian”, but is originally from Columbus, Ohio. She has served children and families in different capacities for 3 years in settings such as a public child welfare agency and a domestic violence shelter. Kennedy is a lifetime learner and is always looking to improve her ability to advocate for her clients and empower them to dream big. Kennedy is a Disney lover and can often be found jamming to Disney tunes while working. She has a wonderful husband named Noah and a cute dog named Korpi. When she isn’t at work, Kennedy can be found either crafting and spending time outside or cheering on her favorite hockey team: The Columbus Blue Jackets.
Macie Schaffner
Case Specialist
Macie is a local from Piqua, OH. She graduated from Wilmington College in Middle Childhood Education. From babysitting to teaching, she continues to explore new paths in the world of children's services. She plans to teach middle school math, and also work her way up here at Isaiah’s Place!
Louise Burgess, LSW, M.S Ed
Licensing Specialist
Louise is a Licensed Social Worker and graduated from University of Dayton with a master’s degree in education (family counseling). She is the director of the women’s jail ministry (Fully Pardoned). She loves teaching the women incarcerated about Jesus Christ. She was adjunct faculty at Edison Community College. She has worked in many capacities of social work: Job and Family Services, Children Services and Schools. She enjoyed working as a school counselor, focusing on high-risk students. She loves working with families. She teaches in- home parenting skills to families. Louise is married and has four children and four grandchildren (whom she adores.)
Board of Directors
Mike Cargill
PRESIDENT
Kay Kaebnick
VICE PRESIDENT
Darla York
SECRETARY
Kristy Holm
BOARD MEMBER
John Jung
BOARD MEMBER
Steve Ackley
BOARD MEMBER
Bob Parker
BOARD MEMBER
Bob Lybarger
BOARD MEMBER