Caterina Tassara Runyon

Executive Director

caterina@youthconnections.org

(317) 738.3273 ext. 101

Caterina comes to Youth Connections with over 15 years of management experience working on behalf of children and families in need.  Caterina is originally from Santiago, Chile and speaks fluent English and Spanish.  She recently served as the Regional Vice-President for Volunteers of America Western Washington – a Christian human service organization.  In this capacity she was responsible for the Family and Children’s Services division, a Family Resource Center and the development of various child centered programs totaling over 2.5 million dollars in State and Federal Funds.  Caterina brings a diverse background to Youth Connections in both the non-profit and public sectors and she completed her undergraduate degree in Psychology at the University of Southern California (USC).  She has completed graduate coursework at Antioch University in Organizational Management and was selected in 2009 to be 1 of 20 national leaders to complete the Executive Development Program through the Mendoza College of Business at the University of Notre Dame, in partnership with Volunteers of America.  Caterina has also completed professional development training through Harvard’s Graduate School of Education and has served on numerous not-for-profit boards, as well as, recently serving as a County Council appointed Children’s Commissioner in Washington.  When not advocating for children and families, Caterina enjoys spending time with her family, camping, hiking and salsa dancing.

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Thelma Slisher

Associate Director

Thelma@youthconnections.org

(317) 738.3273 ext. 106

Thelma Slisher became the Associate Director of Youth Connections in June of 2010. Thelma comes from an accounting background. She graduated from University of Indianapolis with her BS in Business in 1983. Thelma worked in the for-profit world as an accountant for most of her career before switching over to non-profit work three years ago. Thelma was a AmeriCorps Vista member with Red Cross when the floods of 2008 hit Johnson County and is very involved in Johnson County as as resident and as a volunteer. Thelma runs a basketball program for kids with Autism in her free time at the Gathering Place (Community Church of Greenwood). 

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Tom Bingham

Program Director

tom@youthconnections.org

(317) 738.3273 ext. 102

Tom Bingham came to the leadership team of Youth Connections as the Program Director. He is a graduate of the University of Indianapolis. His background is in the non-profit world with a history of serving youth with special needs. Prior to Youth Connections he oversaw day-to-day operations for Damar Services Inc, with a focus on Young Boys Services.  Tom sat on the Special Events Committee for 3 years and planned events for the adults and children at Damar. Previously he has worked for the Special Olympics of Indiana where he assisted with planning, implementing, and evaluating the 2007 Indiana State Games for Special Olympics.

He is a husband and father of two young boys. As a Franklin native he enjoys fishing, hunting, golfing, and spending time with his wonderful family.

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Joanna Tucker

Program Coordinator

Joanna@youthconnections.org

(317) 738.3273 ext. 102

Joanna Tucker joined Youth Connections as the Youth Program Coordinator in July 2011. She is a graduate of Indiana University-Purdue University Columbus, and was employed as the Arts Instructor Specialist at the Boys and Girls Club of Columbus before relocating to Terre Haute with her family. While living in Terre Haute, she worked as a Case Manager at Hamilton Center, Inc, where she served children and adults with mental and behavioral health needs. Joanna also has several years of volunteer experiences, including fielding crisis line calls at First Call For Help, assisting with Foundation For Youth events, and photographing homeless animals for the Parke-Vermillion Humane Society’s website.

Joanna is married and has one “fur baby”- a Maltese named Snowball. She enjoys spending time with her family, traveling, and is a photographer in her spare time.

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Brad Spitler

Program Assistant

brad@youthconnections.org

(317) 738.3273

Brad Spitler joined staff during his tenure at ITT from 2008 to 2010 where he studied Criminal Justice. Before ITT he attended Vincennes University from ’99 to ’02, where he studied to become a paralegal and after school  spent 6 years managing two prominent Indiana restaurants. It was then he realized the service industry was not the long term career he wanted and chose to use his passion for connecting with people in a more impactful capacity. He looks forward to being able to make positive impacts in the community and in the lives of youth at Youth Connections.

He is a father of one who loves to get out and mingle throughout Johnson County. In his spare time he is an avid golfer and a member of the Indiana Adult Baseball League.

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Abby Mercer

Children’s Visitation Center Supervisor Coordinator

cvc@youthconnections.org

(317) 738.3273 ext. 104

Abigail Mercer joined the Youth Connections team in October 2011 as the Children’s Visitation Center Supervisor.  She graduated from Indiana Wesleyan University with a Bachelor’s degree in Business Management in 2010 and has worked in various positions within the non-profit world. In addition to her position with Youth Connections, Abigail currently holds a part-time position with the Purdue Extension Office of Johnson County as the Family Nutrition Program Assistant.  Abigail is a member of the Maternal and Child Health Action Team for Partnership for a Healthier Johnson County and previously volunteered with the CASA program.  Her hope is to facilitate healthy living and positive relationship-building for all families in need living in Johnson and Morgan counties.

Abigail and her family love living in Franklin and are proud to be a part of this close-knit community.  She enjoys watching her son play sports, cooking for her friends and family, and relaxing at home with a good book.

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Minta Dolph-Rather

Office Assistant

minta@youthconnections.org

(317) 738.3273 ext. 100

Minta joined the Youth Connections staff as the Office Assistant in June 2010.  She graduated from Franklin College in 2005 with a Bachelor’s in English.  Through her work with various non-profit organizations, Minta decided to steer her professional career into the non-profit sector. Minta currently volunteers her time at her Alma Mater and is an advisor for Zeta Tau Alpha. She looks forward to an opportunity to serving families in Johnson  and Morgan Counties at Youth Connections.

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Interns

Since Youth Connection’s start in 1976, it has hosted interns from associates, undergraduate and graduate programs-including IUPUI, Franklin College and Ivy Tech. Some of the interns have been from the AmeriCorps program which has been on Franklin College’s campus since 2006.