Co-Founder and Executive Director
Sister Anne Francioni
Sister Anne Francioni, SSND, RN, MA arrived in St. Louis in from her home in New Orleans where she had worked at St. Michael Special School, Touro Infirmary, and Children's Hospital of New Orleans. She continued her vocation as a pediatric nurse in two St. Louis children’s hospitals. From there she accepted the role as nursing and residential program director at St. Mary’s Special School where she worked with children who had significant and varied developmental challenges. Later came her call to serve God as a School Sister of Notre Dame. It was then she was led to southeast Missouri to assist other Sisters who were working in the area. She will tell all who ask her:
After meeting the children and seeing the way of life in this area, I knew I wanted to stay!
Since receiving permission from the School Sisters of Notre Dame to start Whole Kids Outreach in 1999, Sr. Anne has served as WKO's Executive Director and as an agent of change in the service region helping families work toward better futures for their children.
Staff Bios
Susan Dement
Clinical Director
susan.dementwko@gmail.com
A native of Reynolds County, I have been a Registered Nurse since 1983, graduated from Southeast Missouri State University with an Associate of Arts in Nursing and became certified as a high-risk OB nurse in 1999. I spent 18 years working in Labor and Delivery, and came to Whole Kids Outreach in 2003 as a Maternal Child visiting nurse. My passion is to work with pregnant moms and babies and I love that I can put my knowledge and experience in Obstetrics and Labor and Delivery to help our families and their babies.
Stacia Moe
Center Director
staciamoe@wholekidsoutreach.org
I come from a background of horses and have a degree in Equine studies. After I bought my dream farm and landed in Missouri, WKO found me for their horse program in 2004. Over the years, I grew, as WKO grew, into the position I have today. WKO is a very special place. WKO not only helps families but helps the animals which come our way. Most of the animals have their own special story - of neglect, sadness or “being thrown away.” I will go the distance for each one of the children and animals that have found their way to WKO. I am the lucky one that helps heal and restore the love, kindness and compassion back into those amazing souls!
Connie Pendley
Outreach Program Director
conniependley@wholekidsoutreach.org
After working 14 years at a school district, I came to work for Whole Kids Outreach in 2004. Whole Kids Outreach offers the opportunity for every employee to grow and fulfill their dreams with knowledge and support. I am constantly in awe of how Whole Kids Outreach continues to grow by providing health education, support and resources throughout the many programs like Healthy Families American, Parents as Teachers and Nurses for Newborn. WKO mission is to "Build Strong Families, Ensure Healthy Children" and seeing all the families that have been affected by WKO and our Outreach Specialists only inspires me to do better in my life each and every day.
Lynn Clark
HR/Finance Manager
lynnclark@wholekidsoutreach.org
I am a native of the Carter County/Reynolds County area, and first came to work at Whole Kids Outreach in 2002. After a departure in 2009 I was drawn back into the mission in 2017. It turns out, WKO never left my heart, because I have a passion to see families in our community flourish.
Rosetta Williams
Administrative Support and IT Manager
rosettawilliams@wholekidsoutreach.org
I have lived in Reynolds my whole life and everyone calls me Rosy. I am currently working on my Bachelors in Business Administration and Management through Capella University. I love animals and being a role model and mentor for children. My journey with Whole Kids Outreach started when I was six years old. I went to “Camp Whole Kids” until I was 12 and became a Counselor In Training (CIT) when I was 13. I worked my way up the ladder to Sr. Counselor of Pool and eventually Assistant Camp Director. I started as the Administrative Specialist in 2018 and worked my way to Program Support Coordinator in mid-2020. By 2023, I became the Administrative Suppor and IT Manager. Watching and being a part of shaping the lives of children has been humbling.
Jeanine Delong
HFA Supervisor
jeaninedelong@wholekidsoutreach.org
I am a retired school teacher, spending 27 years in the classroom working with children. Whole Kids is an opportunity to continue my calling to teach and empower others. I am very excited to help parents make sure their children are prepared and have the building blocks to be successful in school. Parents are the first teachers and what they do influences their children’s future. I believe, “Knowledge is power.” Working together we can make a difference and a brighter society for all.
Ashley McClanahan
HFA Supervisor
ashleymcclanahan@wholekidsoutreach.org
I have been a nurse since 2006, and came to Whole Kids in August 2019 as an Outreach Specialist. I later became an Outreach Specialist supervisor, and love working with our WKO team. I live in Centerville with my four children. I love my job because I like being able to give back to my local community by being a support and resource to parents.
Carrie Street
HFA Supervisor/Outreach Specialist
carriestreet@wholekidsoutreach.org
My family and I live on a farm where we enjoy working together and doing anything fun outdoors. I joined the WKO family in May 2017, and it did not take long to see that I wanted to help carry out the Whole Kids vision - to ensure that children and families in our communities can write their own “success” story. To be successful, a family needs support for building that strong foundation and Whole Kids can be that concrete support to families. Each family has a different story, but their building blocks and foundation are very similar. The need for Whole Kids is overwhelming, and to be a part of WKO is humbling and rewarding.
Melinda Hill
Outreach and Parent Gathering Specialist
melindahill@wholekidsoutreach.org
I have worked at Whole Kids Outreach since 2015, teaching the Protective Factors for Children as an Outreach Specialist. I enjoy working with families to help them find extra resources to strengthen their families. In 2020, I moved into my current position focused on community engagement and parent leadership development. I am able to draw on the lessons I learned from the parents when I was in the field to strengthen WKO's network and empower parents in a new way.
Carla Vowell
Outreach Specialist
carlavowell@wholekidsoutreach.org
Hi! I’m Carla Vowell! I am an outreach specialist, and have been with Whole Kids Outreach since 2019. I love my job because I love being a support and resource to our families.
Katherine Long
Outreach Specialist
katherinelong@wholekidsoutreach.org
I am proud to say I was born and raised in the Ozarks. I chose to raise my children here where they could enjoy the same rivers, cultures, and emphasis on family that I grew up with. I live in Howell County with my 10-year-old son. My four adult children still live in the area. I have also been blessed with one grandson and have another grandchild on the way. I worked for 15 years in the fight to end domestic violence in our communities. My favorite part of my work has always been the children. I believe the proverb “It takes a village to raise a child” and I’m excited to be part of the Whole Kids Outreach community that puts this into practice every day. I will continue to work hard to insure that our next generation receives the best start we can give them.
Debra Martin
Outreach Specialist
debramartin@wholekidsoutreach.org
I am a former substitute teacher of 14 years. I have always loved teaching and helping children further their knowledge. I was drawn to WKO because of their passion to educate families. They want to help them to be healthy and succeed. I am married and we live in Bunker, MO with three of our children. We also have one daughter who is currently attending college at SMS-West Plains and will soon be transferring to SMS-Springfield. I enjoy watching my children participate in different sports such as volleyball, basketball, and rodeo. We travel a lot with our children, but we also love spending time with family and friends on the Current River and camping.
Kathy Shoemaker
Outreach Specialist
kathyshomaker@wholekidsoutreach.org
I started with WKO in the summer of 2023. I am originally from the Van Buren area but moved to Winona in 1997. I have two sons. I taught school and love working with children. My favorite thing is teaching someone a new skill, and you see in their eyes or body language that they get it. WKO gives me the opportunity to continue serving children and their families. I am humbled and proud to work for WKO and the families that we serve.
Mallory Sharp, RN
Staff Nurse
mallorysharp@wholekidsoutreach.org
I grew up as a WKO kid! It all began when I was a 5 year old camper at Camp Whole Kids. When I turned 13, I started working as Councilor-in-training and eventually worked my way up to Senior Counselor. and worked at WKO every summer until I graduated from nursing school in 2020. After graduation, I moved to Columbia, MO to work at Ellis Fischel Cancer Center. In May 2021, I got married and moved back home to Ellington. I then started looking for a new job when I found my way back to WKO. God led me back to WKO because he knew my passion could help moms in this rural area. Now I am a RN in the Maternal-Child Nursing program, doing in home visits with moms and their new babies to make sure they have all the necessities to adjust to their new life. I choose to work at WKO because I love their mission, I love the people that work here, and it will always feel like home to me.
Tanya Hampton, RN
Staff Nurse
tanyahampton@wholekidsoutreach.org
I started my career at Whole Kids Outreach as an Outreach Specialist for 4 years and during the last two I was also studying to be a nurse. After working at a nursing home for a while, I returned to WKO, this time as a RN to work in the Maternal-Child Nursing Program. I am blessed to be provided the opportunity to engage with families who live in our counties. I am a married mother of 3 and understand the importance of the bond between a parent and a child. My 3 children have all been blessed to be a part of WKO at some point in their lives. One thing I absolutely love most about WKO - we are able to provide our families with evidence based information, resources available within the communities and the medical knowledge of our well trained staff. At WKO, we are allowed the unique opportunity to empower the parents we serve, allowing each one of us to make a difference, one child at a time.
Debbie Williams
Parent Educator
debrawilliams@wholekidsoutreach.org
I have been working with children for over 20 years, from prenatal to 18 years of age. I enjoy working with not only the children but the families as well. That has led me to become a Parent Educator for Parents As Teachers for the last 3 years. WKO’s mission to “Build Strong Families, Ensure Healthy Children,” has combined all I love to do into one job, working with the entire family as a whole.
Tyler Kuntz
Center Staff
tylerkuntz@wholekidsoutreach.org
After I graduated high school, I decided to join the Army and serve my country. I did that for a while and then started a family and moved back to Missouri. One day someone told me there was a maintenance job opening at Whole Kids Outreach. I had gone there as a kid but never really thought it was a place where I'd be able to work. But I got hired a couple weeks later. I enjoy working at Whole Kids Outreach because I'm not doing the same thing every day and I get to be outside, learn new things, and be happy to come to work every day. I may not be serving my country anymore but I can serve and give back to my community and I know that every day I come to work and get things done it lets everyone else focus on their part of the mission by helping families grow together and keep children healthy.
Megan Long
Center Staff
meganlong@wholekidsoutreach.org