Creating a Family Staff

Linda Fiore, Executive Director

Linda is a seasoned leader with more than 20 years of experience in adoption and family services. She earned a Master’s degree in Sociology and Social Work from DePaul University and has held program director and executive director roles across foster care, search and reunion services, and adoption support. She has served on multiple adoption councils and contributed to shaping adoption legislation, reflecting a long-standing commitment to advancing the field.

Her work has included supporting adoptees, birth parents, adoptive families, and grandparents raising grandchildren, and she is deeply committed to honoring and strengthening diverse family structures. Personally touched by adoption, she brings both professional expertise and heartfelt compassion to every family she serves.

Jamie Gilmore, Assistant Director

As Assistant Director at Creating a Family, Jamie supports the organization’s mission to strengthen adoptive, foster, and kinship families through education, resources, and community support. She plays a key role in program development—particularly in advancing kinship support—and contributes to the organization’s program evaluation efforts to strengthen impact and outcomes.

She holds a Bachelor of Science in Business Administration and brings 24 years of nonprofit experience to her work. Jamie has been with Creating a Family since 2012 and also brings personal experience as a foster parent, along with service as a past county DSS board chair. Together, these professional and lived experiences shape her strong commitment to trauma-informed, family-centered programs and partnerships.

Cressa Megown, Operations Director

Cressa is the Operations Director at Creating a Family and has been part of the organization since 2018. She holds a master’s degree in Project Management from Western Carolina University and brings a strategic, detail-oriented approach to her work.

In her role, Cressa oversees online education, curriculum development, the Creating a Family podcast, and the organization’s website. She was instrumental in developing the nationally recognized Legal Options for Kinship Caregivers website and moderates the organization’s monthly legal clinics. She also plays a key role in developing and launching new programs that support families and professionals.

Married for more than 30 years, Cressa is the proud parent of three adult children and brings both professional expertise and lived experience to her work.

Gabrielle Juba, Chief Financial Officer

As CFO at Creating a Family, Gabi provides financial leadership to support and strengthen the organization’s mission-driven work.

She is a Certified Public Accountant (CPA) and Certified Fraud Examiner (CFE) with nearly a decade of experience in the accounting field. In addition to her role at Creating a Family, Gabi works with other nonprofits by serving on boards and providing fractional CFO services. She holds a Doctorate in Business Administration and is passionate about giving back to the community while advancing the accounting profession. Gabi has been with Creating a Family since April 2025.

Melissa Stegle, Development Director

As Development Director at Creating a Family, Melissa is passionate about sharing the organization’s trusted resources and trainings while building and nurturing partnerships with adoption, foster care, and kinship care organizations. She brings more than 15 years of experience in nonprofit marketing and fundraising, with prior roles at organizations including Habitat for Humanity and the Muscular Dystrophy Association.

Melissa joined Creating a Family in 2020 and values being part of a collaborative, mission-driven team. Known for being flexible, personable, tech-savvy, and team-oriented, she enjoys finding creative ways to connect people with meaningful support. Outside of work, Melissa enjoys spending time with her husband and their two dogs, hosting friends (and their pets) for football games, holidays, and game nights, and experimenting with new recipes in the kitchen.

Tracy Whitney, Content Director

As Content Director and podcast host at Creating a Family, Tracy enjoys learning from guest experts and translating their insights into practical, encouraging resources for families, while also shaping the tone and voice of how the organization shows up online.

With a background in Communications and a minor in Family Studies, this role reflects a natural blend of her education, lived experience as a parent by birth and adoption, and her passion for strong, healthy families. A connector at heart, Tracy enjoys bringing people together through ideas, resources, and relationships that help families thrive. She strives to create content that feels warm, accessible, and genuinely useful—always conveying that learning is a shared journey alongside the families Creating a Family serves. Tracy has been with Creating a Family since 2016.

Outside of work, she enjoys life with her big family—six children, three children-in-law, and two grandsons—as well as crocheting, reading, and entertaining. She also volunteers at her church and supports two online adoptive communities.

Sarah Erdman, Resource & Training Developer

As a Content and Training Developer at Creating a Family, Sarah specializes in resources and training that support children and families affected by prenatal substance exposure. Trained in the FASCETS neurobehavioral model, she frequently presents on this topic and helps develop practical strategies for caregivers and professionals. As a former foster parent, she brings both professional expertise and lived experience to her work and especially enjoys connecting with families through parent workshops.

Before joining Creating a Family, Sarah spent more than thirty years as a public school educator. She was twice named Teacher of the Year in her district and is a National Board Certified Teacher, with both bachelor’s and master’s degrees in education. Outside of work, she enjoys hiking, mountain biking, backpacking with her adult daughters, playing classical piano, and singing in her church choir.

Sara Megown, Digital Content Editor

As Digital Content Editor at Creating a Family, Sara uses her B.S. in Audio Engineering Technology and six years of editing experience to create high-quality podcasts and online courses. She believes that excellent audio and visuals lead to better learning experiences for the families the organization serves and help resources reach more people who need them.

Sara is passionate about ensuring that all types of families see themselves represented in course content. In her free time, she enjoys creative writing, travel, and playing with her cat, Cashew.

Dawn Davenport, Founder/Consultant

Dawn is the founding Executive Director of Creating a Family and was the voice of the podcast Creating a Family: Talk about Adoption & Foster Care since 2007.

She is an attorney, educator, training developer, and trauma-informed adoption, foster care, and kinship specialist. Upon retiring in 2025, Dawn now serves Creating a Family in a consulting role.