Chairperson - Bindy Sweett, CCLS

Prior to taking on the role of CLCC Chairperson in June 2018, Bindy was Chair Elect for two years.  From 2014-2016 she coordinated the Ethics and Appeals Committees, and prior to that time served on Exam Assembly, Practice Analysis Task Forces, Academic and other summits as well as participation in other certification-related positions. Her first experiences as an ACLP volunteer were with Item Writing and Review as early as 1998, preparing for the first certification by exam. She also worked as Chairperson of the Certifying Committee from 1999 until 2001.

The quality and quantity of work completed in the past two years challenges all those cumulative years of CLCC volunteer work prior to 2016. Although it has been challenging to come up to speed and respond with the rapidity with which CLCC performs, she looks forward to the next two years as Chair with a hardworking group of volunteers. Between stints with certification, Bindy was involved with the Internship and Practice Standards Task Forces, also completing 22 years as a clinician and 10 years as a child life instructor before retiring in 2011. Bindy’s personal interests including books, music, cooking, a love of nature and a fond admiration for winter sports, most of which she is terrified! She is the loving single parent on one wonderful grown son.

Past Chair - Nancy Ramhap, BS, CCLS

Nancy has been a member of CLC since 1990, was certified in 1991 and by exam in 2003.  Nancy’s involvement with CLCC began in 2004 when she began as an item writer.  From there, she spent time lending her expertise to the Item Review, and Exam Assembly committees.  Prior to her position as CLCC Chair, she served on the Ethics Committee and Appeals Committee.  From 2014-2016, Nancy served as Chair-elect to the CLCC, followed by her role as Chair from 2016 to 2018.  In addition to her committee duties, she has been part of several other projects including being a panel member for the 2013 and 2018 Job Analyses, the Strategic Planning process in 2015, and helped lead the Academic and Clinical Summit in 2016. In conjunction with her role as CLCC Chair, Nancy became a member of the ACLP Board in 2016. 

She co-presented a webinar for ACLP in 2017.  She has been a presenter on two occasions at the Delaware Valley Association of Child Life Professionals.  Nancy has authored patient education materials in relation to surgery preparation, coping and parenting.  Currently, Nancy is a Certified Child Life Specialist on an infant and toddler unit.  She has been practicing clinically at the Janet Weis Children’s Hospital since 1991.  In addition to her clinical responsibilities, Nancy has led or been a part of numerous committees and tasks including camps for children with medical needs, Children’s Miracle Network-related events, and education for employees.  

 

ACLP Past President - Stephanie Hopkinson, MA, CCLS

Stephanie’s journey in child life includes over 25 years of experience as a child life specialist, trainer, educator, and leader. She has been highly engaged in the ALCP serving in several capacities.  In May of 2013 Stephanie received the Mary Barkey Clinical Excellence Award from the ACLP in recognition of her exemplary child life work and high level of clinical skill. Stephanie has worked at several well-known hospitals and taught at two universities as adjunct faculty.  In the past four years Stephanie worked internationally in the Middle East to support child life program development and education.  Among her many accomplishments is the delivery of international and national presentations on the topics of child life, leadership, reflective practice, professional care, resiliency, reflective supervision, race, ethnicity and culture.  In addition to her professional commitments Stephanie’s dedication to child life includes volunteering with Operation Smile traveling with a multidisciplinary team to provide child life services in Kenya, the Philippines, and Malawi. Stephanie is deeply committed to the advancement of psychosocial care, and this passion and profound commitment to children and families continues to inspire and motivate others. 

 

Commissioner - Katie McGinnis, MPH, CCLS

After becoming certified in May 2009, Katie worked as a CCLS at two different children’s hospitals for 6 years.  Since 2015, she has lived in both Uganda and Kenya, working to scale up psychosocial care services for impoverished children and families in healthcare settings. She currently resides in Zambia where she is the Director of Psychosocial Services for Family Legacy Missions International, a non-profit that operates the largest orphanage in Africa and provides education and care for 16,000 vulnerable children. In addition to serving on the Conference Planning Committee and the International Collaboration Committee, Katie has served on the CLCC as both an Item Writer and an Item Reviewer since 2013. 

Commissioner - Geri Sehnert, CCLS

Geri is the Chair of the Communications Committee of the CLCC.  Geri began her CLCC volunteerism by joining the Appeals Committee in 2010. Over the years, she has worked as an item writer, item reviewer and also on the exam assembly committee. She is continuing on the Appeals Committee and looking forward to leading the Communications Committee. Being involved with several committees within the CLCC has been truly rewarding. The focused and prolific amount of work that the CLCC tackles is both daunting and rewarding. Geri looks forward to leading the Communications Committee and exploring ways that the CLCC can inform members of certification requirements in a way that is clear and helpful.  
 
Geri is currently in her 9th year as a CCLS in the Pediatric Surgical Center at Golisano Children’s Hospital. She has been a CCLS since 1989 and was the first child life specialist at Tucson Medical Center and Children’s Clinic for Rehabilitative Services in Tucson, AZ. Some of her fondest memories are of meeting lifelong friends at child life conferences over the years. In her free time, Geri enjoys pursuing fitness goals, reading, and spending time with her husband and her two children. Though they are both young adults, they are still influenced by Geri’s love of play!

  

Commissioner - Melissa Schotthofer, CCLS

Melissa Schotthofer is a Clinical Instructor and academic advisor for the Undergraduate Child Life Program at Missouri State University. Melissa has been a CCLS since 2005 and started her current position at Missouri State University in 2013. Melissa enjoys training and preparing the next generation of Certified Child Life Specialists through her work at Missouri State University. Melissa is also currently pursuing a PhD in Psychology with an emphasis in Cognition and Instruction in Higher Education. Melissa’s dissertation research focuses on the influence of transformative experience on the academic persistence of first-generation college freshmen. Melissa began volunteering with the ACLP in 2015 and has served on the Item Writing Committee. Currently Melissa serves as the Chair of the Item Writing Committee.  For fun, Melissa enjoys traveling to visit her two nephews and three nieces.