Candace Wallace serves as the Chief Customer Officer where she leads the entire Client Care organization at Relias. This includes customer excellence, Client Success, Support, and Professional Services. These key teams and initiatives provide technical, clinical, and educational support and guidance for more than 11,000 organizations with 4.5 million individuals across the healthcare industry. She previously served as the Senior Vice President of the Solutions Group, a team of industry and technology experts responsible for delivering professional services, such as clinical consultation and population health management. Having joined Relias in 2013 and leading several strategic teams, she has a true passion for Relias’ customers and enjoys using complex data to provide effective solutions. Before joining Relias, she worked as an archaeologist in the environmental compliance industry and holds a bachelor’s degree in Archaeology and Religion from Baylor University. In her free time, Candace enjoys traveling with her husband and spending time with her son and bulldog, Millie.

Melissa is a Senior Implementation Consultant and joined Relias in 2019. She enthusiastically enjoys assisting clients in finding more efficient and streamlined solutions to fit their processes. Over her 4.5 years at Relias, she has skillfully refined her technical expertise and is a subject matter expert on our Academy, RQI, and Compliance Management products. She also serves as a member on the Professional Services Voice of the Employee committee. In her free time, Melissa enjoys exploring with her German Shepherd, Leroy. She is an avid St. Louis sports fan, and works with the Blues Alumni Association to help improve health and wellness of youth in the St. Louis area.

Bryn has worked in Client Care at Relias for 1+ year. She graduated from ECU and has a background in medical as a CTRS, EMT, medical assistant, and scribe. Growing up as a navy brat, she has lived in 9 places, currently living in Raleigh, NC, but her hometown is Virginia Beach, VA.

Jessica Downing is a Senior Implementation Consultant at Relias. She started Relias in our Support Department. She moved into the Professional Services department in 2018 as an Implementation Consultant and moving into the role of Senior Implementation Consultant in 2020. She uses her knowledge of the Relias learning management system to teach clients how to use the solutions they have purchased. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, spending time with her Husband and Step-children, her two dogs and crocheting.

Layne began at Relias in 2021 as a Client Support Consultant and currently works as an Implementation Consultant. He strives to ensure clients are positioned for success and understand how their platform can best meet their needs.

Meet Nat, a former music teacher with a passion for people. Nat spent the last 10 years in Florida before settling with their family in Fuquay-Varina, North Carolina, following the completion of their Music Education degree at Florida International University. Nat has since changed careers, instead utilizing their 6 years of professional customer service experience to put smiles on people’s faces. Joining Relias has allowed Nat to put both their customer service and education skills to work; they are passionate about guiding clients to become their most elevated and knowledgeable selves. In their free time, you can find Nat reading books, journaling, meditating outside, and spending lots of time with their cat, Theodore Roosevelt.

Eric has been with Relias for over two years and has been a member of the Client Success team since September 2023. He is a frequent presenter, hosting Platform Training webinars and Special Interest sessions several times per month for his clients. This is Eric's second time presenting at Impact Nation.

Before joining Relias, Eric was a band director for 14 years in the New York and North Carolina public school systems. He holds undergraduate and graduate degrees in Music Education from Long Island University and Queens College, respectively. Eric currently resides in Raleigh, NC with his partner Nicole and their hound dog named Brodie.

Candace Wallace serves as the Chief Customer Officer where she leads the entire Client Care organization at Relias. This includes customer excellence, Client Success, Support, and Professional Services. These key teams and initiatives provide technical, clinical, and educational support and guidance for more than 11,000 organizations with 4.5 million individuals across the healthcare industry. She previously served as the Senior Vice President of the Solutions Group, a team of industry and technology experts responsible for delivering professional services, such as clinical consultation and population health management. Having joined Relias in 2013 and leading several strategic teams, she has a true passion for Relias’ customers and enjoys using complex data to provide effective solutions. Before joining Relias, she worked as an archaeologist in the environmental compliance industry and holds a bachelor’s degree in Archaeology and Religion from Baylor University. In her free time, Candace enjoys traveling with her husband and spending time with her son and bulldog, Millie.

Candace Wallace serves as the Chief Customer Officer where she leads the entire Client Care organization at Relias. This includes customer excellence, Client Success, Support, and Professional Services. These key teams and initiatives provide technical, clinical, and educational support and guidance for more than 11,000 organizations with 4.5 million individuals across the healthcare industry. She previously served as the Senior Vice President of the Solutions Group, a team of industry and technology experts responsible for delivering professional services, such as clinical consultation and population health management. Having joined Relias in 2013 and leading several strategic teams, she has a true passion for Relias’ customers and enjoys using complex data to provide effective solutions. Before joining Relias, she worked as an archaeologist in the environmental compliance industry and holds a bachelor’s degree in Archaeology and Religion from Baylor University. In her free time, Candace enjoys traveling with her husband and spending time with her son and bulldog, Millie.

Shawn Barber, Chief Product Officer, leads strategy and execution for Relias’ solutions. He comes to Relias after 27 years of experience leading the strategic development and delivery of software in global markets.

Prior to joining Relias in 2019, Shawn held various software company leadership roles, addressing a broad range of business and consumer needs including web applications, mobile network infrastructure, content licensing and distribution, and business intelligence technologies. Starting his career as a civil engineer, Shawn’s passion has always been to build new products and introduce new technologies that make the world a better place.

Andrew Spadafino is a Senior Managed Services Consultant at Relias and has been with the company for four years. He's passionate about serving clients and assisting with their compliance needs. Outside of work hours you can find him spending time with his wife and daughter, playing board games, and watching Survivor.

Tori Braswell is a Managed Services Consultant who has been with Relias for 3 years. She has over 20 years' experience in the clinical field supporting individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. She's dedicated to supporting client needs by overseeing administrative duties, so her clients can focus on other duties within their organization. In her spare time, she enjoys spending time with her husband and son outdoors in the mountains of NC.

Elizabeth has been with Relias for over seven years and has dedicated her time to building and implementing service programs to support Relias clients. Her 16 years of experience in the clinical field have fueled her passion for her work and the communities that our clients serve. When she is not working, she loves spending time outside exploring nature with her two-year-old daughter and her husband. She has two dogs and two cats, which keep life very interesting!

Jasmine holds a Master of Science in Public Health from UNC Charlotte and currently serves as a Project Manager and Senior Consultant for Benchmarks. Her diverse experience encompasses work with youth, elderly, refugees, individuals in recovery, and other vulnerable populations, providing her with a broad perspective as a presenter. Specializing in trauma, resiliency, and supportive supervision techniques, Jasmine has developed and delivered tailored training programs for a range of audiences, including child and family services, Medicaid managed care, behavioral health, advocacy groups, and faith-based organizations.

Additionally, Jasmine is a certified CRM trainer, lending her expertise to various platforms. Notable speaking engagements include keynote presentations at the annual Paul Sarazen Forum on Child Health and Partners Behavioral Health Management's Teens in Toxic Times child health summit. Driven by a dedication to health equity and community well-being, Jasmine is committed to enhancing access to quality healthcare and promoting resiliency through a prevention focused lens.

With an impressive track record spanning over two decades, enriched ​with transformative healthcare achievements that extend to the strategic implementation of enterprise-level healthcare solutions, Morriah Christian is ​a distinguished professional known for her adaptive leadership to ​orchestrate diverse teams to deliver innovative healthcare solutions.​ As Director of Regulatory and Compliance, Morriah is on a mission to redefine the landscape of compliance management. She envisions ​a future where compliance is not just a requirement but a strategic advantage and is committed to leading the way.

Logan Jamieson is a compliance management product specialist on the Relias Solutions team, where he plays a pivotal role as an internal thought leader for the post-acute care space. With an extensive career spanning over two decades in post-acute care, Jamieson holds a B.S. in gerontology, a B.S. in healthcare management, and a master's in health administration, showcasing a robust educational background.

He is a licensed multi-level nursing home administrator and has served as a multi-site senior living IT Network Director. Jamieson is a founding member of the National Center for Pediatric Palliative Care Homes (NCPPCH), supporting the development of children's hospice and respite homes nationwide. Previously, he was a product manager for a senior living tech startup, contributing to initiatives to enhance residents' quality of life through innovative technology solutions.

As a Senior Sales Solutions Architect for Relias, Theresa Raines works with post-acute care organizations to tailor the Relias Learning Management System to their needs. She has over 15 years of training and development experience focused on improving employee engagement and quality. She has worked with Human Resources, Compliance, Clinical Education, and IT executives throughout her career to improve onboarding, continuing education, and professional development.

Raines received her MBA from Indiana University and is a long-time member of the Association for Talent Development (ATD). She is married and has two children, both nurses. In her spare time, she enjoys painting and hiking.

Christine Francis is the Director of Nursing at Avantara Mountain View (Legacy Healthcare) with a rich career spanning over two decades. Beginning as a Patient Care Technician in 2002, she was inspired to pursue nursing, earning her LPN in 2004 and her RN in 2009. Christine served as Resident Care Coordinator at Beverly Healthcare Center (now Avantara) before becoming Director of Nursing at Golden Living Center Belavista. She later worked in specialized LTCH facilities in Arizona and Nevada, including emergency care in Pahrump's local ER. Christine returned to Avantara Mountain View in 2018, navigating its transition from state receivership to Legacy Healthcare ownership in 2019. With over 15 years at Avantara, Christine's dedication and diverse experience demonstrate her resilience and passion for healthcare.

Laura McKee, co-founder and COO of Hucu.ai, is a business leader with a passion for bringing out the best in people. Hucu.ai is the revolutionary HIPAA-compliant messaging solution that drives efficiency, reduces burnout, and manages risk. Laura currently serves as Chair of the Board of Directors of The Admiral at the Lake (ranked by Newsweek as #7 on "America’s Best Continuing Care Retirement Communities"). Prior to co-founding Hucu.ai, she was the founding CEO of Autism Home Support Services, a leading provider of therapy services to children with Autism Spectrum Disorders (ASD). Laura’s degree in economics and computer science from Swarthmore College and MBA from Northwestern University's Kellogg School led to a career in strategy and entrepreneurship. Her professional experience included Booz Allen (now PwC/Strategy&), McKinsey, Sears, and the McDonald’s System. Although she grew up in St. Louis and Dallas, she finds Chicago an increasingly exciting place for serving the healthcare industry.

Jess Grib is a Product Manager on the Learning & Performance team with a focus on Reporting.

Jeff Sandstrom is a Senior Product Marketing Manager at Relias focusing on the post-acute and home-based care markets. Jeff holds a Bachelor of Science in Business and a Master of Business Administration from the University of Minnesota.

Noah Block serves as the Advocacy Manager at ANCOR, the leading federal disability provider association, where he develops national advocacy strategy, leads housing advocacy, and supports ANCOR’s Disability Champions Political Action Committee. Noah's journey in this field began as he worked on justice diversion programs in collaboration with law enforcement and community providers across the nation, with a particular focus on individuals with disabilities in the justice system. As someone who identifies as having a disability, Noah has worked at the intersection of these issues for over 10 years, beginning his career providing direct-support services and expanding community-driven approaches that support youth and families in the justice system.

Prior to joining ANCOR, Noah worked in a variety of settings, including the National Center for Learning Disabilities, the California Association of Youth Courts, and the African Centre for the Constructive Resolution of Disputes. Through his work, Noah seeks to connect communities' voices to policy outcomes.

Elise is the Director of Federal Relations for ANCOR (American Network of Community Options and Resources), where she leads legislative policy on behalf of more than 2,500 community-based providers across the country that provide long-term supports to individuals with intellectual and developmental disabilities. Prior to joining ANCOR, Elise served as both State Policy Counsel and Federal Policy Counsel at Americans United for Separation of Church and State. She also led the National Coalition for Public Education, a group of over 50 national education, civil rights, disability rights, secular, and religious organizations in support of funding for public education. Elise has previously worked as a legal fellow for FairVote and on successful congressional campaigns in both Florida and Virginia. Elise obtained her Juris Doctor from the University of Florida Law School and her Bachelor of Arts in Government from the College of William and Mary.

Lora Sparkman holds a Master of Health Administration from Lindenwood University, a Bachelor of Science in Nursing from the University of Missouri, and a Diploma in Nursing from Barnes Hospital School of Nursing. She has been a nurse for 37 years and leading patient safety and improvement work for over 22 years. Sparkman's work includes using software and technology to advance healthcare education and improve the competency of clinicians, which leads to improved patient outcomes. For the past six years, she has served as a clinical leader at Relias, one of the largest healthcare education and solutions providers in the U.S. leading the industry in healthcare workforce readiness. In 2022, Sparkman was recognized as one of the top 10 Women Leaders in Healthcare Software by Beckers and the top 25 Women Leaders in Healthcare Software by The Healthcare Technology Report. Additionally, she completed a mini docuseries on Maternal Mortality sponsored by the BBC Storyworks and the International Council of Nurses in 2022. Sparkman leads as a healthcare strategy thought leader and clinical expert in patient safety/risk reduction, high reliability, operations, and quality improvement in acute care.

Claire Beck is the Manager for Transition to Practice for the St. Luke’s Health System in Boise, Idaho. She has a strong passion for supporting the professional growth and development of nurses – newly licensed and experienced – as they transition to new or specialty practice areas. Claire obtained her BSN and Master of Nursing degrees from the University of Victoria, and her Doctor of Nursing Practice from Chamberlain University. Her clinical experience has been focused on cardiac, perioperative, high-risk perinatal, and nursing professional development practice areas. She has worked in in rural, community, and tertiary hospital setting. Claire is certified in Inpatient Obstetrics from NCC, Nursing Professional Development through ANCC, and is the Section Chair for AWHONN Idaho. In her spare time, Claire enjoys spending time with family, traveling with her husband, and being outdoors with their dogs, Lucy and Fergus.

Dr. Krista Van Hooser-Perin is a seasoned development professional with more than 15 years of experience supporting the career growth and skill advancement of adults in the fields of education, social work, and health care. Krista earned her master’s degree in psychology from the University of Northern Iowa and her doctoral degree in human development from Iowa State University. She joined WesleyLife in 2016 as the Director of Organizational Learning, where she oversees regulatory training, clinical education, leadership development, and career progression.

Rola Aamar completed her PhD in Marriage and Family Therapy from Texas Tech University, where she focused her clinical research on vulnerable populations and the importance of treatment alliance between patients, the family, and healthcare providers. Aamar was a SAMHSA Minority Fellowship Program fellow from 2014-2015. She has years of behavioral health clinical experience working with multidisciplinary healthcare teams in primary and specialty treatment, where she implemented clinical protocols to address social and relational care barriers. She is a Partner for Behavioral Health Solutions at Relias, bringing her clinical and operational knowledge of integrated care, clinical research, and behavioral healthcare to support client use of population performance data to improve clinical performance and patient health outcomes. In this role, she provides clinically informed, data-driven consulting to clients to promote performance improvement.

Michael Audey-Koch is a dedicated advocate for staff training, development, and growth in his role as Vice President of Corporate Projects at Passavant Memorial Homes Family of Services (PMHFOS). PMHFOS provides a comprehensive array of support services to address the unique needs of individuals with intellectual disabilities, autism, and behavioral health needs, while promoting choice and independence. PMHFOS supports more than 10,000 children and adults with intellectual disabilities, autism, and behavioral health needs through its operations and employs more than 1,300 staff.

Michael is responsible for overseeing the selection, configuration, implementation, and ongoing management of technology and processes across the organization, with many projects focused on staff onboarding, training, and development. In his role, he oversees Talent Acquisition and Onboarding, Training and Development, Benefits Administration, and Employee Communications. Michael works diligently to promote a supportive work environment for all staff throughout their career, ensuring that they have continued opportunities for growth and recognition.

Cara Lunsford is a Registered Nurse with 16 years of experience and a healthcare technology innovator who founded the HOLLIBLU app, the first social media network for nurses. Over her 16-year career, she has worked in the acute care setting as a pediatric Heme/Onc nurse, in-home health and home infusion, and as Director of Nursing for an L.A.-based home health and hospice organization. In 2022, Relias, the parent company of Nurse.com, acquired HOLLIBLU. Lunsford is now the VP, Community at Nurse.com. She is excited to work with her team to create a place where nurses will find peer support, allies, professional opportunities, resources, and education.

Amanda Gianelli, VP, Communities Sales at Relias has over 20 years’ experience in the recruiting industry, most recently at Monster Worldwide. Amanda is passionate about helping organizations solve their recruiting struggles with innovative advertising and talent acquisition strategies to maximize their budget and resources. Prior to joining Monster, Amanda held various roles in field, tele, and sales management honing her skills as a seasoned sales professional. She was a Journalism major at Roger Williams University in Rhode Island and resides in the suburbs of Boston.

Marcus Stallworth, LMSW, has close to 20 years in Child Protective Services and is recognized by the State of Connecticut as an expert witness for Superior Court for juvenile matters. He has spearheaded initiatives to promote the engagement of fathers, identify the dangers of social media, and raise awareness of equity and inclusion. He has experience educating and supporting victims of human trafficking and sexual exploitation, including those in foster care. He held a leadership role in Connecticut’s Disaster Behavioral Health Response Network and oversaw recovery efforts in Newtown, CT after the events on December 14, 2012.

Marcus has spent the last several years working with the Child Welfare League of America and now serves as Director of Training and Implementation. This work has provided him the opportunity to assist child welfare agencies across the U.S. and internationally with implementation strategies to achieve positive outcomes for children and families. He has published many articles regarding the importance of using strength-based language, how to support grieving children, and ways to reduce and prevent disruptions.

As Vice President of Product Management for Regulatory and Compliance at Relias, Brooke Brown, RN, BSN, MHA, shapes strategy and implementation for solutions crucial to healthcare organizations’ success. Her experience as an RN includes ICU nursing and home health. She earned both a master’s in healthcare administration and a BSN from Queens University in Charlotte, NC. Her current work on product design and platform integration spans tech and healthcare organizations — DuPont, McKesson, and MediTract.

Nicolas Tobis serves as Vice President of Data and Generative AI at Relias focusing on the integration of artificial intelligence into Relias's offerings. With decades of experience in the education sector spanning investment, product development, and data science, Nicolas holds a BSc Cum Laude in International Business Administration from the Rotterdam School of Management and an MSc with Distinction in Computer Science from Imperial College London. He is passionate about building intelligent products that delight end-users and integrate seamlessly into their day-to-day workflows.

Seth Roy, Vice President of Product Management for Learning and Performance, joined Relias with over 20 years of experience leading product design and development strategies. Seth has supported companies in identifying new opportunities and achieving success through innovation, process improvements, and best-in-class product and business development strategies. He has held product roles at Corning Optical, iBwave, and Miovision and has led management, research and development, IT, and DevOps teams, innovating product release timelines, supporting third-party integrations, and revamping organizational structures. He has an executive MBA from the University of Maryland, College Park, and a BS in mathematics and statistics from Missouri State University.

Jason brings more than 20 years of experience in advocacy and nonprofit management. His background includes tenures as Chief of Staff and Senior Advisor to the President at the American Dental Education Association (ADEA) and Chief Advocacy and Strategy Officer at the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP). Lee holds a Juris Doctor degree from The George Washington University Law School, a Master of Arts in English Literature from Binghamton University, and a Bachelor of Arts in English Honors and Plan II Honors from The University of Texas at Austin.

Rola Aamar completed her PhD in Marriage and Family Therapy from Texas Tech University, where she focused her clinical research on vulnerable populations and the importance of treatment alliance between patients, the family, and healthcare providers. Aamar was a SAMHSA Minority Fellowship Program fellow from 2014-2015. She has years of behavioral health clinical experience working with multidisciplinary healthcare teams in primary and specialty treatment, where she implemented clinical protocols to address social and relational care barriers. She is a Partner for Behavioral Health Solutions at Relias, bringing her clinical and operational knowledge of integrated care, clinical research, and behavioral healthcare to support client use of population performance data to improve clinical performance and patient health outcomes. In this role, she provides clinically informed, data-driven consulting to clients to promote performance improvement.

Terence Fitzgerald, PhD, EdM, MSW, who specializes in trauma-informed, resilience-oriented, equity-focused systems (TIROES), was previously a clinical associate professor of social work at the University of Southern California’s Suzanne Peck-Dworak School of Social Work. As both a social worker and a race and gender scholar, Fitzgerald worked with K-12 grade levels as a school social worker, and then later as a special education equity coordinator in racially and economically diverse settings in central Illinois. He has worked with social justice grassroots organizations that focus on marginalized children and families, aligned for the purpose of meeting state and federal requirements, and helped organizations and corporations work toward meeting the needs of culturally and socially just organizations and environments. Professionally, he has utilized his program and curriculum evaluation talents to enable public schools in Illinois to make financial, efficient, ethical, racially just policy, program and curriculum changes. His expertise as a racial scholar is spotlighted in numerous international and national media outlets, peer-reviewed journals, and collaborative and independently published books.

Elizabeth has been with Relias for over seven years and has dedicated her time to building and implementing service programs to support Relias clients. Her 16 years of experience in the clinical field have fueled her passion for her work and the communities that our clients serve. When she is not working, she loves spending time outside exploring nature with her two-year-old daughter and her husband. She has two dogs and two cats, which keep life very interesting!

Candace Wallace serves as the Chief Customer Officer where she leads the entire Client Care organization at Relias. This includes customer excellence, Client Success, Support, and Professional Services. These key teams and initiatives provide technical, clinical, and educational support and guidance for more than 11,000 organizations with 4.5 million individuals across the healthcare industry. She previously served as the Senior Vice President of the Solutions Group, a team of industry and technology experts responsible for delivering professional services, such as clinical consultation and population health management. Having joined Relias in 2013 and leading several strategic teams, she has a true passion for Relias’ customers and enjoys using complex data to provide effective solutions. Before joining Relias, she worked as an archaeologist in the environmental compliance industry and holds a bachelor’s degree in Archaeology and Religion from Baylor University. In her free time, Candace enjoys traveling with her husband and spending time with her son and bulldog, Millie.