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100%
of our Board Members have completed the Charitable University Course through the Ohio Attorney General's office
Meet The Team
At First Step, we are committed to helping victims of domestic violence find safety, strength and hope. Our team of passionate individuals work hard every day to provide the survivors in our community with the tools they need to take the first step towards a brighter future.
Executive Director
Amy Kinney
Amy has been the director since March 2023 and previously served for several years as the Board President. She has a background in healthcare, higher education, and ministry. Amy has a Bachelor of Science in Healthcare Management and Master of Science in Leadership from South University and a Master of Practical Theology from Winebrenner Theological Seminary. Amy serves as Pastor for St. John’s United Church of Christ in Fostoria.
Director of Advocacy and Resident Relations
Mary Jaquot
Mary is a resident of Bowling Green and has been with First Step since 2003. She is a mother of three and grandmother of 7. She has been on the board for H.O.P.E. in the past and a member of Kiwanis. Mary is also a CASA for Wood County and has been for seven years. She has a degree in Early Childhood Education. Mary is a member of Dayspring Church and when not working, enjoys painting, reading, crafting, and spending time with family.
Shelter Care Coordinator
Kelly Smith
Kelly is the Victim’s Advocate at First Step. She has worked at First Step for 3 years. Kelly answers hot line calls, accompanies clients to court, assists clients with navigating and using community resources, helps to maintain our free store, and keeps important inventory of our needs at First Step. Kelly graduated from Owens Community College in 2008 with an Associate’s Degree of Science in Medical Assisting. She is the co-Treasurer, bus driver, and greeter at Fostoria Baptist Church.
Licensed Clinical Counselor
Elyse Cramer
Elyse graduated from Mohawk high school, then went on to Bowling Green State University where she received a B.A. in psychology and sociology. Elyse also has her M.A. in Marriage & Family counseling from Wright State University and a Master of Divinity from Winebrenner Theological Seminary. Elyse is a Licensed Clinical Counselor in the state of Ohio. She provides counseling to adult clients of abuse right here at First Step. Thanks to a grant from the State of Ohio, all services provided by Elyse are at no charge to the client.
Licensed Professional Clinical Counselor
Joni Spink
Joni graduated from Winebrenner Theological Seminary with her masters of arts in clinical counseling. Joni has been a counselor for seven years. She has worked in a helping profession for 19 years, including case management and corrections. Joni's treatment modalities commonly include cognitive behavior therapy, solution-focused brief therapy, acceptance therapy, strength-based treatment, mindfulness and trauma informed care. She treats many mental health disorders such as, depression, anxiety, post-traumatic stress, obsessive compulsive disorder, mood disorders, attention deficient disorder, conduct disorder, personality disorders and autism. She has also treated such disorders as schizoaffective disorder and schizophrenia. Joni has facilitated family sessions, couples therapy, cognitive behavioral treatment groups, and fulfilled contracts within several different school settings. Although Joni has worked with a variety of clients over the years, she finds herself most passionate about helping survivors overcome abuse and restore, or find, the relationship with themselves. All of us deserve a chance at our best life!
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Criminal Justice Liaison
Marrisa Orzechowski
Marrisa serves as the Criminal Justice Liaison at First Step, where she works collaboratively with survivors, law enforcement, prosecutors, and community partners to support victims as they navigate the criminal justice system. She first became involved with First Step in 2023 as Vice President of the Board of Directors before joining the agency as the Anti-Human Trafficking Project Coordinator in April 2024. In 2025, she transitioned to the role of Community Outreach Coordinator before assuming her current position as Criminal Justice Liaison. Marrisa earned both her bachelor's degree and her Master of Science in Criminal Justice, with a specialization in victims and offenders, from Bowling Green State University. She brings extensive experience in victim advocacy, having previously served survivors through organizations including The Cocoon in Bowling Green, Open Arms in Findlay, Sisters in Shelter in Tiffin and Hope's Landing in Tiffin. Outside of her professional role, Marrisa enjoys spending time outdoors, crafting, and spending time with family and friends.
Community Outreach Coordinator
Wendy Tong
Wendy comes to First Step with 10 years experience working as a case manager in two locations in Findlay, Ohio. She has a passion for helping others that are going through domestic violence and feels that everyone should not have to go through such a traumatic experience without a helping hand. Wendy has three children and a husband which keeps her very busy, but when she has some free time, she likes to garden, read, and travel.
Shelter Monitor
Laura Curlis
Laura is passionate about serving others and making a meaningful difference in the lives of those she supports. Prior to joining First Step, she spent three years working as a Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Advocate, providing compassionate, trauma-informed support to survivors during some of the most challenging times in their lives. Her commitment to helping others and fostering hope has always been at the center of her work.
Outside of her professional role, Laura enjoys spending quality time with her family and her dog, Milo. She loves getting lost in a good book, expressing her creativity through arts and crafts, shopping, and spending time outdoors. Laura believes in finding joy in life's simple moments and values building meaningful connections with those around her.
Shelter Dog
Gracie
Gracie is a yellow lab who is fully certified as a therapy dog through the Alliance of Therapy Dogs.
Her handler is our ED Amy Kinney. Gracie brings joy throughout our shelter, and is not just for our clients, but also for our staff. The staff of DV shelters are often exposed to vicarious trauma and Gracie seems to know when to seek out staff who are struggling.
Shelter Monitor
Sally McIntire
Sally began volunteering at First Step over ten years ago and has been a Shelter Monitor for nine years. She is retired from Bethesda Care Center as a head cook where she worked for over 30 years. She loves spending time with her children, grandchildren, and great grandchildren. She likes playing cards and participates in various volunteer activities in the community.
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Shelter Monitor
Grace Huth
Grace has been with First Step since July 2024, serving as a Shelter Monitor. Born and raised in Fostoria, Ohio, Grace brings a passion for helping others and a commitment to the community. When not working, grace enjoys reading, spending time with her three huskies, and spending with family.
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President
Susan Wren
Susan Wren is a Continuum of Care (CoC) Coordinator with the Coalition on Homelessness and Housing in Ohio (COHHIO). She provides training, technical assistance, and support to 80 rural and suburban counties across Ohio, helping communities navigate the Coordinated Entry system. Susan joined COHHIO in September 2024 as a member of the Ohio Balance of State Continuum of Care team.
Prior to joining COHHIO, Susan spent 12 years at Great Lakes Community Action Partnership (GLCAP), where she supported regional initiatives and coordinated entry efforts and provided technical assistance to partners and sub-grantees. She has experience operating Permanent Supportive Housing (PSH), Homeless Crisis Response Program (HCRP), and Supportive Services for Veteran Families (SSVF) programs.
Susan holds a B.A. in Psychology from Bowling Green State University. Outside of work, she enjoys traveling, gardening, and spending time with her family and dogs.
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Treasurer
Scott Harlow
Scott has served on the Board of Trustees as Treasurer of First Step since 2011. He has assisted in various Finance and Management capacities and has taken a more active role in some areas of daily operations in recent years. Scott received his Bachelor of Science in Business Administration from Bowling Green State University. He became a Certified Public Accountant in 1984 and practiced in Public Accounting for eight years. Since 1992, he has served as Chief Financial Officer for a distributing company in Fostoria.
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Secretary
Rebecca Terry
Becky is a nursing instructor at Terra State Community College and a staff nurse at Good Shepherd Home. Her nursing practice experiences include public health, acute care, long term care, mental health, obstetrics, and pediatrics. She is involved at Grace Community Church – Children’s Ministry in Fremont, Ohio. Mrs. Terry graduated from University of Toledo with Bachelor of Science in Nursing in Consortium with Medical College of Ohio. She earned her Doctorate of Nursing Practice from Northern Kentucky University.
Board Member
Pam Morral
Pam currently serves as the Resource Coordinator for Wyandot County United Way of North Central Ohio. Pam has experience, as an entrepreneur, in retail/wholesale and the in the non-profit world. She currently serves Christian Education Board and Consistory at Trinity United Church of Christ in Upper Sandusky. She serves on the board for Carey Chamber of Commerce. She is mother of two sons and grandmother of three. She enjoys time with her grandchildren, flower gardening, and time with family.
Board Member
Jael Stetzik
Jael is a nursing manager at ProMedica Fostoria Community Hospital. Her background in nursing has largely been in Emergency Medicine but has also included some cardiology and general acute care. After growing up in Bellevue and attending The Ohio State University, Jael spent the greater part of a decade living and working in Pittsburgh, PA before recently moving back to the area in 2022. She is the mother of two small children and enjoys spending time at home with her family, reading a good book, or exploring the great outdoors.
Board Member
Jennifer Croy
Jennifer is a dedicated nurse with over 15 years of experience serving her local community. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of
Toledo and is deeply involved in Substance Abuse Prevention and Recovery/Addiction Medicine. Outside of her professional life, Jennifer enjoys
spending time with her Great Dane and hiking with her family.
Board Member
Linda Lopez-Fouts
Hey all, my name is Linda Lopez - Fouts. I am excited to be a part of this amazing organization to help create a safe environment for victims of domestic violence. To tell you a little bit about myself, Reading & learning something new are my happy places! Currently, I am taking an online Digital marketing/ecommerce class to support my MBA and to add to my resume to gain employment & to help market my micro business; She.Tiques Limited - I collect & sell vintage items & refurbish/flip furniture. And yes, I have a she shed. Traveling is my cardio and so is spending time with family & friends. Another family member that truly gives me a workout is my dog Bosco. We are still in the training phase, he still needs to correct me when I’m not giving him enough treats or belly rubs. This is something I have to work on daily. If you would like to learn more about me, please reach out at lopeslm002576@gmail.com. I look forward to meeting all of you!
Board Member
Jill Filliater
Jill currently owns a local business in downtown Fostoria called Downtown ReEvented. She was a native of Fostoria and returned to the area with her high school sweetheart after spending over 20 years in the Virginia area working as a corporate nurse with focus on education, operations and quality. She is currently on the board of the Fostoria Community Arts Council. She has a passion for music and the arts and enjoys playing the flute and singing in her spare time.
Board Member
Pamela Moore
Pam is new to the board of directors at First Step and is a native of Fostoria, Ohio. She raised 4 children while working at Honeywell for 18 years. She went on to receive an Associate in Applied Business from Terra State Community College. She currently serves as Vice President of The Imagine for Youth Foundation, which supports underserved children throughout Ohio, New York, Michigan, and Iowa. Pamela and her husband have 8 children and 11 grandchildren. She finds her joy in traveling with her husband and spending time with her children and grandchildren. Pam is excited to serve survivors of domestic violence and through her support on the board help them find the peace and normalcy in life they deserve.
Board Member
Kelly Giacalone
Kelly currently is owner and operator of A Cut Above Salon in Upper Sandusky. Born and raised in Upper Sandusky she has a great appreciation for her community. In the past she has volunteered with Reach program in teaching a hair design class and a cooking class to children. She headed up Bells of Downtown, a community holiday event. Most recently she took part in Heavenly Haircuts, a free back to school haircutting event. Over the years she has owned/operated a construction business, a salon and wedding and event business. Her and her husband have 5 children and 13 grandchildren. In her spare time she enjoys spending time with family and friends and doing lots of cooking for both! When it comes to cooking, her family and friends refer to her as the overachiever!