Debbie Ausburn

J.D.

Debbie Ausburn is a social-worker-turned-lawyer who has worked with youth-serving organizations for more than 40 years. She graduated magna cum laude from the University of Georgia School of Law and has served a a criminal prosecutor, member of the governing board of the Georgia Department of Human Resources, and a volunteer and Board member with non-profit youth organizations. She currently serves as a civil attorney working with youth organizations, defending lawsuits, assisting with internal investigations, and advising clients about best practices for child safety. Debbie’s most challenging and rewarding service has been as a foster parent and stepparent. She has never had biological children, but she and her husband have collected 7 children and 10 grandchildren. She put the lessons that her foster and stepchildren taught her into her book Raising Other People’s Children: What Foster Parenting Taught Me about Bringing Together a Blended Family. “In these courses, I share the best practices that I have learned from the many youth organizations I have worked with and represented over the years. I hope that the videos and worksheets will help you better serve the children and teens entrusted to your care.”

Donna Caudell

D.Ed.

Dr. Donna Caudell is a 40-year veteran in the field of education, having served as a counselor and teacher at all levels from elementary to college. While she holds degrees in nursing, counseling, and educational administration, her passion is helping people discovery the best ways to reach their life goals. Donna’s academic interests center on human development and family dynamics. In addition to her career in education, she has served as a volunteer and Board member with camps, private K-12 schools, churches, and youth mentoring organizations.

Gena Hood

Ed. Specialist

Owner-Operator, Hood Educational Services, LLC Gena Hood began her career as an elementary school teacher. After nine years in public-school elementary and middle school classrooms, she moved to building-level leadership, where she practiced for twenty-one years, the last nine as a school principal. After thirty years of full-time educating, Gena “retired” to form Hood Educational Services, LLC. Her role in that company has been to develop and deliver staff development to teachers in the field of gifted education, to train university students in core education classes and to train retail employees for local businesses. Her not-for-profit work currently involves teaching small groups, in person and online, while volunteering in her local community. Gena holds two advanced education degrees from the University of Illinois, Champaign-Urbana. Gena and her husband, Bill, have been blessed with two young adult sons, one daughter-in-law, a grand-dog and a grand-cat. In her “spare” time, Gena studies a foreign language, in weekly private lessons. She loves to travel and invest in the lives of others. “In these courses, I share the perspective of the organization’s leader. It’s my hope I can encourage and empower those in leadership roles with new tools they can easily apply to better lead their organizations. In my gifted courses, I hope to help those who work with youth realize the unique needs of gifted youth, how to identify them, and how to better serve them.”

Amber Jewell

LCSW

Motivational Speaker. Author. Educator. Advocate As a licensed master social worker, Amber Jewell has almost 20 years of experience working with youth and families in child protective services, the education field, and mental health services. She has worked in clinical, administrative and direct-service roles and collaborated with many organizations and religious affiliations. She continues work as a preK-12 social worker and a therapist at her private practice. Amber is the nationally published author of “Finding Hope: The 12 Keys to Healing Hardships, Hurts, and Sorrow.” With her expert knowledge of hope and hardships, she can educate and inspire people in many fields of work and life. Despite the challenges that come in life, Jewell believes in the power of any individual, at any age to make positive changes, impact others and improve their phase of life. She has confidence in the ability of people to plant many seeds in the lives of those they are around. Jewell loves to help others discover their own hope and skills that equip them in making a difference. "My style of instruction is supportive, encouraging and practical. I love to blend research, compassion and laughter in a way that people use these tools and walk away feeling like their efforts and influences DO make a long-lasting impact!

Tom Rawlings

J.D., CWLS

Tom Rawlings brings 30 years of legal experience in juvenile justice, child protection, and legal ability to YSO Academy. Over the past 20 years, he has been a trusted advisor to and leader of child-serving ministries and nonprofits both in the US and abroad. He has served as the director of the Georgia Division of Family and Children Services, the director of the Georgia Office of the Child Advocate, and juvenile court judge. In addition to his work in the US, Tom has also served as the Guatemala country director for International Justice Mission, where he built and led a team of Guatemalan professionals who worked with government prosecutors and courts to protect and treat child sexual abuse victims, prosecute offenders, and train child abuse professionals. He has trained child welfare, justice, and human rights professionals across the US as well as in Armenia, Romania, and Thailand. Tom earned a master's degree in international human Rights Law from Oxford University (UK), and he is certified by the National Association of Counsel for Children as Child Welfare Law Specialist.