Meet the Staff
Regina McDevitt, M.Ed.
Executive Director
Regina is the FJC’s Executive Director. She graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a Master’s degree in Guidance and Education, the Executive Leadership Institute Alliance for Strong Families and Communities and the University of Michigan School of Social Work and Ross School of Business, and Foresight Management Development Program. Regina holds an extensive list of awards and accomplishments including Recipient for Efforts to Reduce Family Violence Award 2002, The Coalition against Domestic and Community Violence Greater Chattanooga recipient of the Advocacy Leadership Award 2006, TennCare Access Network, Recipient of the National Visionary Award 2011, National Sexual Violence Resource Center, Recipient 2021Champions of and the Victims’ Rights Award.
Regina has lived in Chattanooga since college, and her personal goals are to remain grounded in her faith, and to continue to build a healthy work life balance. Professionally, she aspires to make an impact in the community and bring awareness and support about domestic violence, sexual assault and other forms of interpersonal violence. As a lifelong learner Regina, possess many skills and expertise. She is a part of Community Outreach; Volunteer Management; Program Development; Nonprofit management; Community Collaboration and Partnerships Grant writing; Strategic Planning; Customer Service; Peer Reviewer for the National Council of Accreditation; Leadership; Content expert in Issues of Domestic and Sexual Violence, Community Collaborations. She also prides herself in her skills of public speaking, leadership, and best practices.
In her personal time, Regina enjoys listening to music, reading, and spending time with family and friends. Regina states she chooses to work with survivors because “I believe in the power of Hope and feel that working to keep people, who have experienced abuse and violence safe, is important to creating a safe community. As a trauma survivor, knowing that someone was there to support my goals and to listen to my story free of judgment, created the basis for how I want to serve others.”
Contact Regina:
City of Chattanooga Family Justice Center
5705 Uptain Rd.
Chattanooga, TN 37411
Phone: (423) 643-7602
Email: RrMcDevitt@chattanooga.gov
Wendy Jenkins, LCS, CFSW, CCFP, CLC
Assistant Director of Clinical and Coordinated Services
Wendy is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW). She currently serves as the Assistant Director of Clinical and Coordinated Services at Chattanooga/Hamilton County Family Justice Center. She obtained her B.S.W from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She obtained her MSW from Southern Adventist University. She is also a Certified Financial Social Worker (CFSW), Certified Compassion Fatigue Professional (CCFP), and a Certified Life Coach (CLC).
Wendy is a Chattanooga native and has a deep love and connection for this community. Wendy brings forth a variety of experiences as a Community Social Worker in the Chattanooga area and believes that no community can be complete without the strength and vitality of every voice. Wendy brings forth a wealth of practice and life experience and has been in several practice areas including; geriatric care, mental health, family education and support, homeless population, and survivors of domestic violence, human trafficking and elder abuse. Wendy is exceptionally passionate about good care for the older adult community and strengthening the ties between the younger and older generations.
Wendy is equally passionate about helping women find their voice and empowering them to become the best that they can be. Wendy has provided therapeutic support to both individuals and groups in a variety of settings and particularly values providing education to help individuals and families move forward. She chose to work with survivors and particularly at the FJC, because she is excited about the mission and goals of the FJC and wants to work closely with all of the families and partners to help foster a stronger Chattanooga.
Contact Wendy:
City of Chattanooga Family Justice Center
5705 Uptain Rd.
Chattanooga, TN 37411
Phone: (423) 643-7609
Email: WJenkins@chattanooga.gov
Patti Childers, LBSW, CCFP, CMIP
Assistant Director of Outreach, Training, and Volunteers
Patti has been with the Chattanooga Hamilton County Family Justice Center for over 7 years and is the Assistant Director of Outreach, Training, and Volunteers. Patti is a Chattanooga native who graduated from Ooltewah High School, and went on to obtain her Bachelors of Social Work from UTC, and is a licensed Social Worker in the state of Tennessee. Patti is a Certified Compassion Fatigue Professional (CCFP) and a Certified Mindfulness Informed Professional (CMIP) as of 2020. She utilizes her skills in project management and coordination of multidisciplinary groups to support survivor and service organizations. Through the coordination of these groups, Patti identifies, creates, and executes training for community agencies, law enforcement, FJC partners, civic organizations, schools and the faith community.
Building the recruitment and retention of volunteers is among one of her primary roles and is critical to the success of the FJC. Among Patti’s list of accomplishments is coordination and implantation of FJC conferences including the first two totally virtual conferences. Patti spoke at the 20th Annual Tennessee Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence on Compassion Fatigue in 2022. Patti presents on Mindfulness and Compassion Fatigue to agencies locally and statewide. She serves on the TN Valley Regional Advisory Board for Nurture the Next.
Contact Patti:
City of Chattanooga Family Justice Center
5705 Uptain Rd.
Chattanooga, TN 37411
Phone: (423) 643-7603
Email: PChilders@chattanooga.gov
Deana Keys Lane
Coordinated Community Response Specialist
Deana has worked in the field of domestic violence, sexual assault, elder abuse, and human trafficking for more than twelve years. She has presented to officers, judges, attorneys, school boards, committees, and our communities as well as having more than twelve years of media and public speaking experience to help raise awareness and education on the victimizations she is specialized in. Among the considerable list of accomplishments and awards, she has also received a letter of commendation from Tennessee Senator Corker for the work she has done with survivors. Deana was an integral part of strategic planning with the Family Justice Alliance which preceded the implementation of the family violence court, family justice center and was a part of the planning board for supervised visitation.
Deana is the mother of five phenomenal children and has four grandsons who not only hold her whole heart, but also keep her busy and grounded. She loves spending time with family and friends whether it’s hiking, walking around our beautiful city, or just having dinner in one of our delectable restaurants. Deana is in love with Hamilton County and Chattanooga and enjoys all our community has to offer.
Deana is a survivor who believes and is passionate about the power of empowerment, giving a voice to survivors, prevention, awareness, and education. Strategic planning for events, conferences, and committees, at the FJC, is just one of her many avocations, as well as supporting partnering agencies and managing the FJC social media. She believes in the Mission of the Chattanooga Hamilton County FJC which is evident in her commitment to educating our community and potential partners about the FJC, as well as inviting new agencies to partner in order to serve survivors in an all-inclusive holistic way in our community.
Contact Deana:
City of Chattanooga Family Justice Center
5705 Uptain Rd.
Chattanooga, TN 37411
Phone: (423) 643-7626
Email: dklane@chattanooga.gov
Timothy Machado
FJC Prevention Coordinator
Timothy is the Office for Victims of Crime Project Coordinator at the Family Justice Center. So far in his career, he has worked in various mental health settings within the Chattanooga community. After graduating with a Bachelors of Social Work degree at the University of Texas at Arlington, Timothy moved to Chattanooga to pursue his career and begin a new chapter in life. After graduating from the University of Tennessee – Knoxville in the Spring of 2022 with a Masters of Social Work, he became a Licensed Master Social Worker and started the process to obtain the Licensed Advanced Practice Social Worker certification.
Having visited family members all over the US and the world, Timothy is happy to call Chattanooga home because of its welcoming atmosphere, lovely multicultural heritage, excellent food, and exciting outdoor activities. Timothy happily shares a home with his wife and two cats.
Timothy has a heart for bringing positive change for communities at large scales through social work. For him, being a part of the movement of Family Justice Centers that bring together organizations and communities to meet the needs of those experiencing domestic violence, human trafficking, and elder abuse is an incredible opportunity. In the FJC Prevention Coordinator role, he focuses on prevention and education work with men and youth to raise awareness around domestic violence and related topics.
When Timothy isn’t collaborating with others at the FJC, he’s usually working on DIY home projects, helping teach youth at his church with his wife, gaming with friends, or cooking and baking.
Contact Timothy
City of Chattanooga Family Justice Center
5705 Uptain Rd.
Chattanooga, TN 37411
Phone: 423-643-7618
Email: tmachado@chattanooga.gov
Sonya Reaves, BSW, MA International Community Development
FJC Education Coordinator
Sonya is FJC’s first ever Education Coordinator. In her career she has worked as an international social worker, kindergarten through 2nd grade teacher & principal, and in community development. All of which help her to successfully build comprehensive training and educational programs for the larger Chattanooga community on issues that impact individuals and families.
She graduated with her B.S.W. from Southern Adventist University and a Master’s degree from Northwest University in International Community Development.She has worked in multiple countries creating and developing programs while also focusing on empowering her team and community for change. Because of her international work she speaks multiple languages, including Spanish and French. She is always the one asked to train the team, and nothing makes her happier than ensuring everyone understands the objectives and their roles. She is known for bringing ideas to life and thinking outside the box while meeting educational objectives.
Contact Sonya
City of Chattanooga Family Justice Center
5705 Uptain Rd.
Chattanooga, TN 37411
Phone: 423-643-7618
Email: sreaves@chattanooga.gov
Kimberly Colen, M.S., LSC
Client Services Coordinator
Kimberly is the Client Services Supervisor at the Family Justice Center. Kimberly holds an Associate of Science degree in Early Childhood Education from Chattanooga State and a Bachelor’s of Science degree in Child & Family Studies from Western Kentucky University. She also holds a Master of Science degree in Counseling, and is a licensed School Counselor
Kimberly is a native of Chattanooga where she has worked with children and families for over twenty-five years in several different capacities such as School Counselor, Disabilities & Mental Coordinator, and Mental Health Resource Specialist. Kimberly enjoys learning from people and engaging in new experiences. She considers herself a lifelong learner. Kimberly also enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and swimming. She has been married for twenty-six years and has a son who is a senior at UTK.
When asked why she chose to work with survivors, she stated “My goal is to help create an environment where everyone feels accepted and has access to all needed resources in order to live a happy productive life.”
Contact Kimberly:
City of Chattanooga Family Justice Center
5705 Uptain Rd.
Chattanooga, TN 37411
Phone: (423) 643-7606
Email: KColen@chattanooga.gov
Edith Karen Godwin
Administrative Support Specialist
Karen is the FJC’s Administrative Support Specialist. She was trained in secretarial school at both Massey Draughon Business College and Edmondson Business College. Karen brings many years of administrative experience to FJC.
Karen was raised in Dunlap, TN, but has lived in Chattanooga since her business school years, and especially loves acting as a support system to organizations of domestic violence and elder abuse and mentoring victims of domestic violence. Working together toward goals of ending domestic violence and elder abuse are important because there are so few effective support systems.
In her personal time, Karen enjoys reading, gardening, cooking and spending time with family and friends.
Contact Karen:
City of Chattanooga Family Justice Center
5705 Uptain Rd.
Chattanooga, TN 37411
Phone: (423) 643-7618
Email: kgoodwin@chattanooga.gov
Kelsi Bush
Court Navigator
Kelsi is Court Navigator at the Family Justice Center. She graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a Bachelor of Science in Psychology. She plans to obtain her Master’s degree in clinical social work, become a licensed clinical social worker, and then professionally practice therapy and counseling. Her mission is to empower survivors by listening, understanding, and providing help through stability, dependability, and access to resources to increase hope and livelihood. She enjoys her role as a navigator because her passion is advocating for clients.
Kelsi is a native of Tullahoma, Tennessee, and completed her freshman year of college at the University of Alabama before transferring to UTC and moving to Chattanooga in 2015. She fell in love with the city and has a desire to better the lives of individuals in the community. Professionally, she wants to make an impact in the community by providing support and awareness to domestic violence and sexual assault. A goal of hers is to focus on the intersection of trauma, victimization, and mental health. Personally, her goal is to have a healthy work-life balance and to travel as often as possible.
Kelsi has previous experience working with survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault, and she brings that experience along with her personal skills and attributes to the FJC team. She possesses many skills and expertise such as active listening, empathy, crisis intervention, safety planning, volunteer management, psychological research and practices, video and photo editing, social media content creation/promotion/engagement, problem-solving, collaboration and teamwork, critical thinking, and multi-tasking. She is certified in QPR Suicide Prevention. She values loyalty, empathy, understanding, reliability, optimism, respect, equality, collaboration, knowledge, growth, and perseverance. She seeks to embody those values in every aspect of her life and hopes to empower others with their personal values too. In her free time, Kelsi likes spending time with family and friends, hiking, reading, listening to music, watching sports, and studying and practicing astrology and psychology.
Contact Kelsi:
City of Chattanooga Family Justice Center
5705 Uptain Rd.
Chattanooga, TN 37411
Phone: 423-643-7621
Email: kbush@chattanooga.gov
Elisa Perez
Navigator
Elisa holds an Associate of Science Degree, TTP- Criminal Justice from Chattanooga State Community College and a Bachelor’s of Science Degree in Criminal Justice from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. Elisa is originally from Grand Rapids, Michigan but has permanently moved to Chattanooga where she’ll continue her education. Her personal goal is to keep living her life with no regrets and to continue to practice self-love. Professionally, her desire is to continue and advance on how to provide support, education, and awareness to Domestic Violence Victims including Survivors.
Elisa feels that she shares the same mission and values as the Family Justice Center “promote healing, transformation, and hope for the future” “Every person has the right to live free of fear and violence.” These are very unique because it allows us to create pathways to a healthy lifestyle without violence and fear. She is a former Youth Leader, and absolutely loved it! She loves giving advice and spiritual advice, she has worked with teens and has mentored a few at her church over the past year. She has learned that when you decide to break free, you start to see beauty in everything. Breaking free is important and getting the help you need is essential.
Elisa loves music! In her spare time, she loves to get lost in music. She plays the piano and sings, with that being said Elisa stated “I like to just sit at the piano and sing my heart out, sing my soul out, and I do it with such passion. My relationship with music is irreplaceable.”
Contact Elisa:
City of Chattanooga Family Justice Center
5705 Uptain Rd.
Chattanooga, TN 37411
Phone: 423-643-7633
Email: emraymundo@chattanooga.gov
Lydia Salva, AGS, BA.
Navigator
Lydia serves as a Navigator (with bilingual/cultural advocacy skills) at the Family Justice Center. Lydia has lived in the Chattanooga area for the past 40 years, she is of Latino ancestry and holds an Associate Degree from Chattanooga State Community College and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology & Economics from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga.
Lydia has traveled with organized teams to the Caribbean, Central and South America to provide resources and hopes to those communities.
Additionally, Lydia has traveled to several countries in Europe and the Far East to learn about art, life, and different cultures.
Lydia has worked in the domestic violence field for 14 years which has been both challenging and enriching as she has learned some very valuable lessons in life because of the trust and generosity of the people she has served in our community.
Contact Lydia:
City of Chattanooga Family Justice Center
5705 Uptain Rd.
Chattanooga, TN 37411
Phone: 423-643-7600
Email: lesalva@chattanooga.gov