Kelly Kendall is the Utah State University’s Fatherhood FIRE Education Coordinator where they teach and facilitate the InsideOut Dad Curriculum throughout the State of Utah to incarcerated fathers and fathers on AP&P. He has been an educator and served in administrative roles in healthcare, education, and other corporate entities for the past thirty-five years, including his own consulting business, ‘Practice Partners, LLC’, where he does consults with healthcare professionals internationally. He is passionate about serving the less fortunate and homeless and he and his wife started the non-profit “Socks for Souls” in 2015 where they have collected and distributed over ¼ of a million pairs of socks to the less fortunate from Idaho to Mexico (Arizona, Idaho, Nevada, Utah, and Mexico). He loves doing humanitarian work locally and in third world countries and has been blessed to do projects in Guatemala, El Salvador, Mexico and Thailand. He is most passionate about family relationships, especially in his own family, starting with his wife, children - 8, grandchildren - 7, siblings -6 and extended family – 90 as well as exploring family history. Kelly enjoys fishing, gardening, ATV’ing, and all things outdoors. His favorite saying is “enjoy the journey” and sees everyone on planet earth on a journey where we help each other on our individual journeys called life!

Sherie Allen earned her bachelor’s degree from Brigham Young University in Psychology, and her Master’s Degree from Utah State University in School Counseling. Sherie was married for 33 years before her husband unexpectedly passed away in November, 2018. She has 7 children, 4 of which are adopted, 10 grandchildren and 2 cats.

Her work experience, in-part, includes: Owning and operating a residential treatment center, teaching and writing curriculum on both the middle school and high school levels for: Math, Abnormal Psychology, Tools for Life, and Polynesian studies and leadership. She has worked as a high school counselor and an Academic Director. She has served as a 504 Coordinator, been on the board of the District 20/Improvement Committee in Colorado and worked on several School Improvement Committees. She served with Communities that Care as the At Risk Youth – Lead, among other academically directed achievements. She is currently working as an Education Coordinator for the Inside Out Dad program teaching incarcerated dads fatherhood skills.

Sherie is the CEO and Executive Board President of a non-profit organization, Ohana Beginnings. Ohana serves women who have been trafficked or who may be facing an unplanned pregnancy.  

She loves hiking, camping, reading, creatures, playing games, and traveling, but most of all spending time with her family. She believes ANYONE can successfully realize their dreams if given the vision, access, opportunity and skills to do so.

After receiving a PhD in Family and Human Development from Utah State University, Wally was a Professor at Auburn University and later at the University of Arkansas. He created many award-winning programs on personal well-being, marriage, and parenting.

Wally created and hosted Guiding Children Successfully, a television series for PBS. He has written, edited, or co-authored several books including Discoveries, Between Parent and Child, Drawing Heaven into Your Marriage, The Soft-Spoken Parent, and Finding Joy in Family Life. In 2010, he won the national award for Outstanding Family Life Educator. Wally and Nancy have three children and 14 grandchildren.

Richard O’Keef has been studying parent-behavior and its effect on children ever since becoming a father of six children and 21 grandchildren ago. From 2016 he has taught parenting and fatherhood classes as a staff member of Utah State University, and has shown hundreds of inmates in the State Prison and county jails how to break the cycle of abuse and be good dads. Richard recently published a book called “The 7 Essential Dad-Skills.”

Natasha Dansie is a Family Life Coach and a Certified Family Life Educator. She has taught relationship education classes through Utah State University for the past 10 years, and particularly enjoys her work with incarcerated fathers in prisons and jails. Seeing the immense need for relationship skills, Natasha co-founded Arise Workshops in 2019 and enjoys presenting, coaching, and teaching about the things that matter most. She loves traveling, learning, snuggling, Sundays, mornings, and Disney. Natasha and her husband, Jeff, are raising their five children ages 5-18 alongside a variety of farm animals in Nephi, Utah.

Danielle Cook is an active educator, teaching as a Family Life Educator for the past 8 years to a wide variety of audiences with Utah State University and Utah Valley University. She is certified in teaching several curriculum including Parenting with Love and Logic, Anger Management, Dating and Life Skills courses. She is passionate about service, people and relationships and believes her life’s work is through empowering others to live their full potential. Her life motto is “be a fountain, not a drain” that was adopted from her late father. She loves being physically active and considers herself an adrenaline seeker. Like so many of you here today, the heart and soul of her life is her family. Spending time with her wonderful husband, 4 young children, extended family.

Mackenzie Johnson is a Human Sciences Specialist in Family Wellbeing with Iowa State University Extension and Outreach and a Certified Family Life Educator. Mackenzie co-hosts a podcast called “The Science of Parenting” where she shares research-based information on effective parenting practices along with stories about her own wins (and fails) as a mom. Mackenzie has graduate degrees in both Family Science and Adult Learning, she serves on the board of a national parenting newsletter, and has published research on parenting experiences during the pandemic. Her focus on providing trustworthy, practical parenting information combined with her humor and insightful perspective make her presentations credible, engaging, and inspiring.