The Restore Hope Conference brings together leaders across sectors and states to cast vision and align goals in collaborative efforts to more effectively serve people in crisis.
Agenda
Speakers
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Non-profit
Les Ford
Senior Fellow, The Alliance for Opportunity
Les Ford is a Senior Fellow at the Alliance for Opportunity, where she works to uplift vulnerable citizens. She focuses her research on the entirety of the safety net: reforming welfare so low-income Americans can build flourishing lives, transforming U.S. health care to be free-market based and consumer-oriented, ensuring individuals with disabilities are empowered, and strengthening child welfare so every child is safe. Before joining the Alliance, Les was the Special Assistant to the President for Domestic Policy on the White House’s Domestic Policy Council from 2018-2020, where she worked to fulfill the president’s objective to empower all Americans by implementing the Executive Order, “Reducing Poverty in America by Promoting Opportunity and Economic Mobility.” Les also led the White House initiative to draft the Executive Order, “Strengthening the Child Welfare System for America’s Children.” Before that, Les served as a legislative advisor to Senator Mike Lee (R-UT) on health care, welfare reform, education, labor, religious freedom, and child welfare policy. Les is also the President of Ford Policy Solutions. She, her husband, and their four children live in Alexandria, Virginia.
Child Welfare
Greg Baker
Founding Director - Church Ambassador Network
Greg Baker was saved while working on a gubernatorial race in April of 2010. Since then, God has repurposed Greg's interests and passions in government, to make them useful for a bigger, eternal Kingdom. Greg has since founded a ministry called the Church Ambassador Network, an initiative of The FAMiLY Leader Foundation, which aims to inspire the Church to engage government for the advance of God's Kingdom.
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Child Welfare
Tiffany Wright
Arkansas Division of Children and Family Services
Wright joined DCFS in 2009 as a family service worker tasked with providing protective and foster care services to children experiencing abuse and neglect. In 2016, she was promoted to Foster Care Program Manager, working to engage, support, and recruit foster families across the state. In 2019, she became the Foster Care and Adoption Program Administrator. In this role, she bolstered efforts to bring permanency to children in foster care and engaged partners in impactful initiatives like the Project Zero Heart Gallery, which features compelling biographies and photos of adoptable children in need of loving forever homes. Wright later served as Community Services Program Administrator, supporting field operations across the state and working to guide staff during the COVID-19 pandemic. In 2021, she became the Assistant Director of Field Operations, supervising the directors of each DCFS area and ensuring that agency resources are available to provide needed services to children and families on a 24/7 basis.
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Government
Janee Harvey
Family Well-Being and Protection Director, Iowa HHS
Janée C. Harvey worked as a social worker in New York, NY, for more than a decade before transplanting to Des Moines, IA, in 2015 with her wife and two kids. She is a graduate of Hunter College with a Master of Social Work (MSW). She has worked with runaway and homeless teens, LGBTQ youth, and families, children and youth involved with the child welfare system for the past 25 years. Most recently, she served for four (4) years as the Child Welfare and Community Services Bureau Chief for DHS and as the Division Administrator over Adult, Children and Family Services (ACFS) beginning in 2020, until her transition to Division Director of Family Well-Being and Protection for HHS in 2022. In addition to her professional roles within Child Welfare, she was a foster parent for seven (7) years and is an adoptive parent.
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Government
Clarence H. Carter
Commissioner, Tennessee Department of Human Services
Clarence H. Carter was appointed to serve as a member of Governor Bill Lee’s Cabinet as the Commissioner of the Tennessee Department of Human Services (TDHS) in January 2021. Mr. Carter oversees the state's second-largest agency, with an operating budget of more than $3 billion and nearly 4,000 employees across 95 counties. TDHS provides more than 17 programs and services, including nutrition programs, employment assistance, vocational training, and protective services, aiming to strengthen Tennessee by strengthening Tennesseans. A chair of multiple state task forces, a Fellow of the National Academy of Public Administration, and a published author, Mr. Carter is recognized for his leadership and innovation in public administration. With over 30 years of experience, including roles under four Governors, two Presidents, and a Mayor, Mr. Carter has significantly contributed to public service, focusing on improving the safety net for socially and economically vulnerable citizens.
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Education
Dr. Jared Cleveland
Superintendent, Springdale Public Schools
Dr. Jared A. Cleveland previously served 7 years as the Springdale Deputy Superintendent. Dr. Cleveland has worked in public education for the past 32 years. Prior to joining the district, he served as Arkansas Department of Education Assistant Commissioner and Superintendent of the Lavaca and Magazine School Districts. He is married to Cristi Cleveland and they have three adult sons, Crason, Callen, and Camden. Dr. Cleveland earned a bachelor’s degree in history and political science from Arkansas Tech University in 1993. He then went on to earn a master’s degree in Educational Leadership, Educational Specialist, and doctorate of P-20 Education, all from Harding University. Dr. Cleveland has served in various capacities at the state and national level. In 2005, he served as the Arkansas Commissioner for the Education Commission of the States. He has also served on the national steering committee for ACT State Organization, the Arkansas Activities Association Board of Directors, and the Arkansas Association of School Administrators Board of Directors. He is a current member of the Governing Board to the prestigious American Association of School Administrators Board of Directors representing Arkansas. Dr. Cleveland was recognized in 2009 as the “Outstanding Early Childhood Professional of Arkansas”. In 2020, he was recognized as the “Arkansas Association of School Personnel Administrator of the Year” by the Arkansas Association of Educational Administrators. Most recently, Dr. Cleveland was named the 2023 Arkansas Superintendent of the Year. Dr. Cleveland is passionate about preparing students to enter the global workforce through the integration of technology, rigorous instruction and real-world application of learning. His mission is to develop minds that think, hearts that care, and hands that serve.
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Judicial
Mischa Martin
Attorney and the Arkansas Principal for AxAdvocacy
Mischa Martin is an attorney and the Arkansas Principal for AxAdvocacy, a national government relations and public affair firm, where she helps clients navigate public policy, government relations, and strategic advocacy. She previously served for seven years as Director of the Arkansas Division of Children and Family Services before being appointed by Governor Sarah Sanders as Deputy Secretary of Youth and Families, overseeing child welfare, juvenile justice, child care, and TANF programs. A nationally recognized policy leader, Mischa has spent her career advancing policies and partnerships that strengthen children, families, and communities.
Faith-Based Initiatives
Morgan Warbington
Director of the Arkansas Governor's Faith-Based Initiatives
Morgan Warbington has previously served as the Governor’s Education Policy Advisor. Prior to that, she served as a Public School Program Advisor in the Office of Computer Science at the Arkansas Department of Education. Morgan is an Arkansas native, growing up in White Hall and graduating from the University of Arkansas at Fayetteville before joining the education policy team under former Arkansas Governor Asa Hutchinson.
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Non-Profit
Carol self
Directory of Public Policy for Casey Family Programs
Carol Self serves as the Director of Public Policy at Casey Family Programs in Austin, Texas, a leadership role she assumed in April 2022. She brings extensive expertise to the position following a distinguished 13-year career at the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, where she held key administrative titles including Director of Permanency. Her professional foundation is anchored by a Master of Social Work from The University of Texas at Austin, equipping her with specialized skills in child welfare, public policy, strategic system improvement, and family preservation.
Education
Dr. Debbie Faubus-Kendrick, Ed.D
Director Crawford County Adult Education Center
Dr. Debbie Faubus-Kendrick, is a nationally recognized leader in adult education, workforce development, and lifelong learning with more than four decades of experience in education. As Director of the Crawford County Adult Education Center in Arkansas, she has championed innovative programs that expand educational access, strengthen workforce readiness, and improve opportunities for adult learners. Throughout her distinguished career, Dr. Faubus-Kendrick has served in numerous leadership roles in state and national adult education organizations, helping shape policy, advance best practices, and advocate for adult learners. She is also a graduate of Leadership Crawford County through the Van Buren Chamber of Commerce, reflecting her commitment to civic leadership and community engagement. Her outstanding contributions have been recognized with numerous honors, including the 2022 Workforce Development Hero Award, the 2023 Outstanding Alumni Award from the University of Arkansas College of Education and Health Professions, and induction into the 2026 Van Buren School District Hall of Honor. She is widely respected for her commitment to educational excellence, workforce development, community engagement, and empowering individuals through lifelong learning.
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Non-Profit
Kristi Putnam
Cicero Institute Senior Fellow and Former HHS Leader
Kristi Putnam brings more than 25 years of policy leadership and hands-on experience across human services, early childhood, education, workforce development, and health policy. Throughout her career, she has led transformative, state-level initiatives in maternal health, Medicaid, foster care, early learning and school readiness, and the integration of AI and technology to strengthen health and human services through an ecosystem approach. Kristi has held senior leadership roles in multiple states, including serving as Child Welfare Services Director in Florida, Deputy Secretary of Kentucky’s Cabinet for Health and Family Services, and most recently as Secretary of the Arkansas Department of Human Services under Governor Sarah Sanders from January 2023 to July 2025. In addition to executive leadership, she has provided trusted policy and strategic guidance to legislative leaders—including the Kentucky House Speaker and House leadership—federal agencies, and numerous state health and human services agencies and associations. At the core of Kristi’s work is a belief in the transformational power of human connection and the importance of disrupting the status quo in government systems to achieve better outcomes for families. She joined Cicero because of its relational, partner-centered approach to supporting states with rigorous research, data, and strategy, as well as its commitment to transparency and to ensuring government safety net services are limited, time-bound, and highly effective. Kristi and her husband, Claude, live on a small farm in Kentucky. They are the proud parents of three adult daughters and the joyful grandparents of three grandchildren.
Child Welfare
Karen Jointer Bryant
Deputy Commissioner of Child Programs
With more than 24 years of experience, Karen Jointer Bryant has had the opportunity to serve the field of social work as a case manager, a research associate, and an executive administrator. She began her career at Youth Villages in 1999; she served this agency for many years and in several capacities, providing short-term interventions to youth and families in crisis and assisted older youth transitioning out of custodial care into independent living. Since earning a Master of Science in Social Work in 2005, Karen has worked in the field of social research, serving as an Outcome Evaluation Specialist with Youth Villages in Memphis, Tennessee and Research Associate with Casey Family Services in New Haven, Connecticut. At Casey Family Services, she managed and coordinated all day-to-day activities for a longitudinal study on foster youth development. This project tracked the progress of older youth previously served by Casey Family Services, to evaluate and improve agency programing. The University of Tennessee’s Center of Excellence for Children in State Custody hired her in November 2006 to serve as a child welfare consultant for the Tennessee Department of Children’s Services. Additionally, from January 2007 to December 2009 she was afforded the opportunity to serve the University of Tennessee, College of Social Work, as an Adjunct Professor. After serving the University of Tennessee for many years, she then ventured to Sunderland, England for almost a year to serve as a Principal Social Worker for the local Children’s Services. Upon return to the states, Karen had the pleasure of serving as the Director of Social Work at Le Bonheur Children’s Hospital in Memphis, TN as well as the Office of Child Safety's Director of Community Partnerships for Tennessee's Department of Children’s Services. In the years preceding her appointment as the Deputy Commissioner of the Office of Child Programs, Karen served as the Deputy State Director of Child Welfare Services for the South Carolina Department of Social Services, and the Executive Director for the Tennessee Chapter of Children’s Advocacy Centers.