Meet our staff
Linda Fiore, M.A.
Executive Director
Linda has a Masters Degree in Sociology and Social Work from DePaul University and she has over 20 years experience in the field of adoption. She has been active on several adoption councils where she was involved in drafting adoption legislation. Her experience also includes working as a Supervisor and Program Director in Foster Care and providing search and reunion services for adoptees, birth parents and adoptive families. Linda oversees all financial and marketing services, supervises all clinical and administrative staff and counsels adoptive families. Linda has personally been touched by adoption.
Tobi Ehrenpreis, M.A, MPH
Founder and Consultant
Tobi has a Bachelors Degree from the College of Arts and Sciences at the University of Michigan. She also holds a Masters Degree in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago and a Masters Degree in Public Health from the University of Illinois. She started the Adoption Center for Family Building in 1996 and had been the agency Executive Director until she passed the torch to Ms. Fiore in February of 2020. Tobi has two daughters by adoption. In 2001, Tobi founded On Your Feet Foundation, an Illinois and Indiana not-for-profit that assists birth mothers following an adoptive placement.
Maggie Gill Benz, LCSW, LMFT
Founder and Consultant
Maggie holds Masters Degrees in Psychology and Social Work from the University of Illinois, and DePaul University. Maggie has over 30 years of experience in the adoption field and is both a licensed Clinical Social Worker and Marriage and Family Therapist. Maggie is co-founder of the Adoption Center for Family Building. In her role as Clinical Director, Maggie was instrumental in setting the high standards for which the agency is known. Maggie has two adult sons and is a parent by adoption.
La'Shea Gibson, LCSW
Clinical Consultant
La’Shea is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and has a Master of Social Work from the Jane Addams College of Social Work at UIC. She has held previous roles as a Therapeutic Foster Care and Post Adoption Program Supervisor. Her experience also includes work as an Adoption Specialist where she licensed foster care homes and completed adoption subsidies. La’Shea was the Clinical Manager at ACFB for two years where she oversaw home study and interstate services, supervised clinical staff, and counseled adoptive families. She recently relocated to Indiana with her family where she will be providing individual therapy to clients throughout the state of Indiana. La’Shea will continue to work with ACFB as a clinical consultant and also oversee the relative home study program. La’Shea has experienced adoption within her own family with her grandfather being an adoptee.
Mary Seddon, MPH
Indiana Adoption Coordinator, Northern and Northwest Indiana
Mary works with birth mothers in Northwest and Northern Indiana, and coordinates adoption services throughout the state. Mary has a master’s degree in public health from the University of South Florida and had worked in the counseling field for many years before joining the Adoption Center staff over 10 years ago. Mary and her husband are parents by adoption. Their son and daughter are young adults.
Susan Wilson, M.S
Adoption Counselor, Metro Chicago Area and Northwest Indiana
With over 20 years of experience in the adoption field, Sue conducts home studies in the greater Chicago area and Northwest Indiana. Sue is the past co-director of On Your Feet Foundation, an organization that offers support services and grants to birth mothers who have placed a child for adoption. She has a Master’s Degree in Counseling from Chicago State University, and has recently completed CTI, Life Coaching coursework. Sue is married and is a mother of six adult children. She is also a grandmother.
Andrea Jenkins, MSW, LCSW
Adoption Counselor, Central and Southern Indiana
Andrea has a Master of Social Work from Indiana University and a Bachelor of Psychology with a minor in sociology from Purdue University. Andrea is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 20 years of experience working with families. She counsels birth parents and provides home study services to prospective adoptive parents. Andrea is married with two children.
Dana Ellenby-Bergeron, BSW
Adoption Counselor, Metro Chicago Area
Adoption Counselor, Metro Chicago Area Dana has worked with both birth parents and adoptive parents and managed intercountry adoption programs. She has been conducting home studies in the greater Chicago area for over thirty years. Dana holds bachelor’s degrees in social work and psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign. Dana is married with two adult sons.
Jaime Lockard, LCSW
Program Manager, Metro Chicago Area
Jaime is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She joins the ACFB team with several years of experience in the field of adoption and foster care. She has worked with all members of the adoption triad including birth parents, adoptive parents, and adoptees. Jaime provides counseling to expectant parents and conducts home studies with prospective adoptive parents. She holds a master’s degree in social work from Loyola University Chicago.
Tera Gurney, LCSW
Adoption Counselor, Metro Chicago Area
Daniela Trevino, B.S
Adoption Counselor, Metro Chicago Area and Northern Illinois
Dawn Saphir, LCSW
Adoption Counselor, Metro Chicago Area
Dawn has over twenty years of experience in post adoption, search, and connection field of adoption. She is also an adult international transracial adoptee who has sat on panels for prospective adoptive parents and has worked with internationally adopted children at culture camps. Dawn provides home studies with prospective adoptive parents. She holds a master’s degree in Social Work from Loyola University and is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker.
Katy McNamara, LSW
Adoption Counselor, Eastern and Central Indiana
Katy is a Licensed Social Worker who joins ACFB with 8 years experience in child welfare. She more recently transitioned to a school social worker role where she works closely with children and their families. This also allowed more time at home with her husband and daughter. Katy provides adoption counseling to expectant parents and conducts home studies with prospective adoptive parents. She holds a Master of Social Work from Indiana University.
Ellen Ross, MSW, LCSW
Meghan Cummings
Founder and Consultant
Meghan is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and has a Master of Social Work from the Jane Addams College of Social Work at UIC. Meghan has been within the social work field for over 7 years, which has included working with children, adults, and families. She provides counseling to expectant parents. Meghan is married with two children.
Kelsey Anderson, LCSW
Adoption Counselor, Central Illinois and Indiana
Kate Sutton, LCSW, MEd, LSOTP, TMHP
Adoption Counselor, Metro Chicago Area
Carolyn Ostafinski, LCSW
Adoption Counselor, Northern and Northwest Indiana Area
Carolyn received her Bachelor of Social Work degree from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign and her Master of Social Work degree from the Jane Addams College of Social Work at the University of Illinois at Chicago. Her previous experience includes foster care licensing and home study writing, case management and facilitating adoption through foster care as well as counseling in the school setting as a licensed clinical social worker. Carolyn is married and is a mom to a little boy.
Brenda Flores, AA
Office Manager
Brenda has an Associates Degree, and has been with ACFB for over 12 years. As Office Manager, Brenda handles most bookkeeping activities and bill paying and oversees the management of all office functions. Brenda is also fluent in Spanish and functions as a translater, as needed.
Colleen Klosa, BA
Clerical Manager
Colleen has a bachelor’s degree in business administration and joined the ACFB office staff in 2019. She previously worked as an administrative assistant in her family-owned business for over ten years. Colleen joined our staff with a great deal of enthusiasm and a love for children. She is the mother of four kids.
