Brannon Hulsey

Team Leader

Brannon and her husband, Wade, have been married for 17 years, have three biological children, and are active members of First Baptist Church Knoxville. She volunteers with multiple local organizations and enjoys using her administrative gifts. She is excited to volunteer for KAFCAM and support families in their foster/adoption journey.

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Melanie Cahill

Community Connection Coordinator

Melanie and her husband Bill have been married 35 years. They have called Knoxville home since moving here from Maryland in 1994. They have 4 grown sons, 3 living here and their oldest in DC with his wife and their adorable son. Melanie is an active member at Fellowship West where she enjoys holding babies in the nursery. She works part-time and volunteers with seniors living with dementia. She loves the vision of KAFCAM and has been involved since the ministry’s inception.

Julie Gillen

Treasurer

I am blessed to have been married to my best friend since 1998, and we have four children. Our two oldest were adopted via international adoption, and our two youngest via foster care. I am the director of Compassion Closet, which provides foster and adoptive families with clothes and baby items. Adoption and foster care are very close to our hearts, and we are burdened and pray for more families to rise up to care for the fatherless.

Chris Graves

Communications

Chris Graves married Anne, a Midwest farmer’s daughter, in 2001. We have two biological sons, and we adopted our third son in 2011 from northern China. Our home is busy with trick shots, aspiring YouTubers, perpetual science projects, and two entertaining bulldogs. Chris and Anne have been active with KAFCAM, Fostering Hearts, The Empty Cup coffeehouse, and other adoption/foster care ministries for several years.

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Veronica Jackson-Patrick

DCS Liaison

Veronica Jackson-Patrick has been a certified foster parent for over five years and has fostered more than 30 children. She is a trained mentor for new DCS foster parents and is a member of the DCS recruitment and retention circle and the minority workgroup. Veronica is employed by the federal government and resides in North Knoxville with her husband of 30 years, Terrell Patrick. They have four adult biological children and are active in their local church. 

Kristin Miller

Every Child TN Liaison

The Millers have 2 adopted girls from Ghana and two biological sons. Kristin also has 3 adopted siblings from Guatemala. She works as the Faith Engagement Director for TN Kids Belong and serves in the adoption, foster and kinship care ministry at Fellowship Church.

Mia Slager

Social Media / Marketing

Mia and her husband, Josh, grew up in Michigan and have lived in Knoxville for the last 12 years. They have been married for 20 years and have two biological sons. Mia leads The Village, which is the adoption and foster care ministry at Cornerstone Church of Knoxville where she and her husband are members. She also serves with many of the local adoption and foster care organizations including Compassion Closet, Isaiah 117 House, Tennessee Kids Belong, and the Department of Children's Services. She is honored to serve on the KAFCAM leadership team, and desires to see more people who are not adoptive and foster parents serve and care for those who are.

Sherry Sewell

Partner Liaison

Sherry Denise Sewell, born in Knoxville, Tn.  Mother of three adult children and seven grandchildren. Member of Canaan Baptist Church of Christ, Inc., Born again Christian and servant of Jesus Christ. Department of Children Services Worker for the past 24 years. Hobbies include reading the Bible and other Biblical material, serving as a deaconess, serving as a Sunday School, serving as a church choir member, serving as a church van driver, serving annually in the Mission of Hope Ministry in the Appalachian area, walking, swimming, serving in a monthly feeding and nursing home ministry and spending quality time with my grandchildren who are the joy of my life. 

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Tracy Taplin

Faith Community Liaison

Tracy, a bio and adoptive parent, and former licensed foster parent, has served vulnerable children and families over the last two decades in various roles including pregnancy resource centers, CASA, foster/adoptive ministry, and as a TBRI®️ Practitioner.  

Currently on staff with Tennessee Kids Belong (TKB), Tracy loves life with her husband Dru, four adult children, and one mostly well-behaved pup.