Staff

Kim Mangiaracino has served as the Chief Executive Officer of the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Illinois (CACI) since 2018, supporting 41 accredited centers serving all 102 Illinois counties. With 30 years of experience in supporting children and nonprofit leadership, she leads statewide efforts to strengthen multidisciplinary responses to child abuse. Kim is a recipient of the 2023 Champion for Children Award and the 2025 Outstanding Chapter Leader Award from the National Children’s Alliance.

Amy Apostal is the Chief Operating Officer at CACI, overseeing chapter operations including finance, HR, compliance, grants management, and data systems. She holds a master’s degree in forensic psychology and is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC). With over a decade of experience in the child advocacy center field, Amy combines clinical expertise with organizational leadership to strengthen multidisciplinary response systems and outcomes for children and families across Illinois.

Carrie Cohan is the Chief Program Officer at CACI, bringing more than two decades of leadership in child advocacy and prevention. She previously served 17 years as executive director of an Illinois Children’s Advocacy Center and led three community-based child abuse prevention programs in Northeast Florida. She serves as President of the Southern Illinois Child Death Investigation Task Force Board of Directors and is a member of the Illinois Child Death Review Teams.

Kathy currently serves as Director of Finance and Grant Accounting, bringing more than 40 years of combined experience in public accounting and the childcare sector. Kathy’s role with CACI has grown as the organization has expanded. With a strong commitment to CACI’s mission and long-term financial health, she has played a key role in strengthening fiscal systems and supporting organizational growth through sound financial stewardship and grant compliance.

Michael Morgan is an experienced nonprofit and grants management professional currently serving as Director of Grants for Children’s Advocacy Centers of Illinois. He oversees state and federal funding, compliance, audits, and subrecipient monitoring while supporting programs statewide. Michael is known for strengthening grant systems, fostering strong partnerships, and helping organizations operate effectively to better serve children, families, and communities.

Molly serves as the Director of Training and Programs at Children’s Advocacy Centers of Illinois. She brings a longstanding commitment to child welfare and advocacy, with six years as Executive Director of the McLean County Children’s Advocacy Center and 15 years at the Illinois Department of Children and Family Services as a Child Protection and Child Welfare Specialist. Molly also serves as an adjunct professor in the Illinois State University School of Social Work.

Brooke has over 10 years of experience in the victim advocacy field. Her background includes roles as Director of Advocacy at a sexual assault center, Executive Director of the Vermilion County Children’s Advocacy Center, and Program Associate for Grants at the National Children’s Alliance. She currently serves as a Subrecipient Grant Manager for CACI, where her primary focus is supporting Children’s Advocacy Centers in strengthening services and promoting successful, victim-centered outcomes.

Karen Maher has 20+ years of experience advocating for vulnerable populations and leading positive change in the systems that serve them. As an attorney, she represented children in abuse and neglect cases, recovered assets for exploited adults, and provided legal aid to individuals in crisis. In the antitrafficking field, Karen advanced best practices and collaborative MDTs in Indiana; she currently coordinates statewide efforts in Illinois to improve outcomes for trafficked children and youth.

Monica serves as a Training Coordinator at CACI, where she is passionate about supporting professionals who work to protect and serve children and families. She plays a key role in developing and coordinating statewide trainings for multidisciplinary team (MDT) partners, with a strong emphasis on child advocacy and continuing education. With more than seven years of experience in Children’s Advocacy Centers, Monica has gained extensive experience across nearly every role in the field.

With a professional background spanning operations, project and event coordination, and organizational development, Shannon brings a wealth of experience to her role as the Operations and HR Coordinator. In this role, she supports CACI through HR and office management functions, strengthens internal systems, and helps support organizational growth. She believes the best work happens when fun and function come together in a professional, collaborative environment.

Stephanie Jewett is a Training Coordinator at the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Illinois, where she coordinates trainings for child abuse professionals across the state. She brings over a decade of experience working within the Children’s Advocacy Center model and is passionate about abuse prevention, multidisciplinary collaboration, and strengthening professional responses to better support children and families.

Tito is a Data Manager & GIS Analyst with five years of experience turning complex data into meaningful results. Tito worked with CACND, Standard Solar, and now CACI, where he advanced from Data Manager into his current role, and also supports network administration for Collaborate and CACI Freshdesk.

Anita has been with CACI since August 2025. Prior to that, she spent 12 years with a Bloomington, Illinois-based nonprofit serving runaway and homeless youth. She began her career in direct service roles and progressed to overseeing program-wide reporting and data. Anita worked directly with grant funders and other community organizations to optimize services provided to youth and families. She is a graduate of Illinois State University and lives in Bloomington with her wife and three children.

Breanna Vanden Boogart holds a master’s degree in Forensic Psychology from The Chicago School of Professional Psychology. Prior to joining CACI, she served as a Program Manager at a Children’s Advocacy Center, where she was trained in core direct services, supported staff, oversaw daily operations, and monitored grant compliance and quality assurance. Her experience provides a strong understanding of CAC operations and mission-driven work.

Gail Mayer is the Program Assistant for the Illinois Child Death Review Teams. Gail has a BS degree in Administration of Justice and a MSW degree with a concentration in child welfare. Gail worked for DCFS in a variety of roles and retired after a 30-year career in the field of child welfare.

Ramie is a Grant Accountant with over 20 years of experience in finance and accounting. She brings deep expertise in grant management, compliance, and financial reporting, with a strong commitment to accuracy, transparency, and stewardship of funds. Ramie is especially passionate about supporting children’s advocacy and social service organizations, and she values work that makes a meaningful impact in the community. Outside of work, she stays busy with her two children, two dogs, and a cat.