PAM Parenting Awareness Month Webinar Series

Barb Flis

Parent Action for Healthy Kids

Barbara Flis is the Founder of Parent Action for Healthy Kids. Her vision and passion to bring families, schools, and communities together for the purpose of improving the physical, social, emotional, and academic success of children began more than thirty years ago as a PTA Mom.

Barb’s grass-roots message quickly elevated to state and federal levels, most notable is her work with Former Governor Jennifer Granholm, in designing the Talk Early & Talk Often parent program (now in its 18th year) and with Former First Lady Michelle Obama on her Let’s Move campaign. She believes that until parents and those who care for children connect and create a community of belonging, we will continue to feel powerless in creating a thriving environment for children. Barb’s heart work and hard work is at the grass-roots local level in being a champion for those who educate and serve children and their families.

Barb holds both a Bachelor and Master degree from Wayne State University. She is currently an Adjunct Professor at DePaul University, is a Certified Life and Leadership Coach and is Advanced Certified in Whole Brain Living.

• 11:00 AM - 12:00 PM, March 5, 2025

  Family Engagement - It's not what you think!

Kim Phillips-Knope

MSW

Michigan Department of Education's LGBTQ+ Students Project

Kim Phillips-Knope, MSW, is the Co-Director of Roots of Change, an organization dedicated to building healthy communities and transforming lives through holistic programs and consulting services, and currently serves as the Project Lead for the Michigan Department of Education’s LGBTQ+ Students Project. In this role, she seeks to inspire, empower, and equip schools to provide equitable, meaningful, and high-quality
educational experiences to LGBTQ+ students, their families, and the educators who serve them. She has over twenty years of experience working with young people, as an educator in both traditional and non-traditional classrooms, within community-based organizations, and as an athletics coach. As a consultant for state and local governments, Kim has facilitated workshops for, and collaborated with, schools throughout Michigan and the United States, supporting their efforts to create exceptional learning environments for all students, especially those who identify as LGBTQ+.  She has co-edited five editions of the A Silent Crisis: Creating Safe & Supportive Schools for LGBTQ Youth resource guide and has developed materials and curricula for organizations across the country. She has been honored twice by the Michigan School Health Coordinators’ Association, most recently as a recipient of their Children’s Health Award for her work on behalf of LGBTQ+ youth across the state. Kim has been a certified secondary education teacher in the state of Michigan and received her Bachelor of Arts and Master of Social Work degrees from the University of Michigan.  
Contact Information: Kim Phillips-Knope, kim@rootsofchange.us , 248-210-3523

• 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM, March 12, 2025

  LGBTQ+ Sexual Orientation, Gender Identity, and Gender Expression! What does it all mean?

Kevin Zoromski

MSU Extension

Kevin received his Bachelor's of Science Degree from Oakland University focusing in Psychology and completed a Master's of Science Degree focusing on Counseling and School Psychology from the University of Nebraska. He is recognized as a Certified Lekotek Play Specialist through the National Lekotek Center of Chicago, Illinois. As part of the Child and Family Development Team for MSU Extension, Kevin focuses on providing information to parents, and professionals, in areas such as fatherhood, early childhood literacy, social emotional development, positive discipline and the purpose of play.

• 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM, March 20, 2025

  Getting Dads: Engage Male Caregivers to Increase Attendance

Lisa Grodsky

Oakland Livingston Human Services Agency

Lisa Grodsky is a Program Operations Manager at Oakland Livingston Human Service Agency (OLHSA).
Lisa has been involved with OLHSA, A Community Action Agency since 2002, when she volunteered for
the organization, and is celebrating 20 years of service in 2025! She has been a dedicated advocate for
kinship care since 2013, as the lead for their Grandparents Raising Grandchildren program. In 2014, she
became a founding member of the Michigan Kinship Care Coalition, an inclusive network of voices
collaborating to strengthen and increase support for kinship families, to ensure that grandfamilies
around the state have access to the support they need to provide a vibrant future for the children in
their care.

• 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM, March 27, 2025

  It’s All Relative: Supporting Kinship Caregivers

Beth Lindley

Kinship Care Resource Center

Beth Lindley is the Director of the Kinship Care Resource Center, a Community Program of the School of Social Work at Michigan State University. Beth has worked as a Social Work professional with aging adults and communities for over 25 years. As a career Social Worker, leading the MSU Kinship Care Resource Center has afforded Beth the opportunity to learn from amazing colleagues, generous kinship caregivers and leaders across state and national systems in the service of promoting well-being and stability for kinship families and the children in their care. Beth is interested in self-management and family connection and how each has an impact on stability and well-being for individuals, their families, relationships and the organizations with whom they work.

• 11:00 AM - 12:30 PM, March 27, 2025

  It’s All Relative: Supporting Kinship Caregivers