SWAN Conference 2010 Speaker Biographies
David Baum is the President of the Academy of California Adoption Lawyers and of the Academy of California Family Formation Lawyers. He previously served from 1995-2006 as President of those organizations and was elected to serve again as President commencing in 2008. A longstanding and active member of the American Academy of Adoption Attorneys, Mr. Baum is also a member of the Beverly Hills, Los Angeles County, San Fernando Valley, and American Bar Associations. In addition, Mr. Baum has served on the State Bar of California’s Southern California Standing Committee on Adoptions. In 2004 Mr. Baum was selected by Congressman Henry Waxman as an Angel In Adoption and awarded that honor by the Congressional Coalition on Adoption Institute at a gala in Washington D. C. making him one of three Angels In Adoption from the state of California. Mr. Baum continues to serve as a Continuing Education Speaker and author on adoption law and practice. In 2007 Mr. Baum was named as a California Super Lawyer and his profile was featured in the New York Times Magazine and Los Angeles Magazine. David Baum graduated from Brandeis University (B. A. with high academic honors) in 1975. He received his law degree from Loyola University School of Law in 1978. He was admitted to the Bar of the State of California in November of that year. In addition, Mr. Baum is admitted to practice law before the United States Supreme Court, the Ninth Circuit Court of Appeals, and the United States District Courts for Northern, Eastern, Southern and Central California. Since 1985, Mr. Baum has served as a volunteer Judge Pro Tempore of the Los Angeles Municipal and Superior Courts. In addition Mr. Baum is regularly appointed by Judges of the Los Angeles Superior Court to represent minors and others in guardianship, conservatorship and probate proceedings.
Colby Bekhor, LCSW, has worked in the field of adoptions for the past 10
years. She currently works as an Adoption Service Provider and Home
Study Social Worker.
Prior to this, she worked at the Independent Adoption Center in many
positions including, Southern
California Branch Director, Open Adoption Counselor and Adoption
Coordinator. She is very passionate about adoption and finds great joy
in seeing so many wonderful families created through adoption.
Loretta Coha, PhD, is a licensed psychologist with over 20 years of experience as a psychotherapist, organizational consultant, and trainer, working with individuals, couples, and organizations around a variety of problems, concerns, and issues. Loretta has personally dealt with infertility and adoption. She adopted two children from Kazakhstan in October 2004 and is currently the proud and joyful mother of a 6 year old daughter and 4 ½ year old son who she describes as healthy, bright, spunky, and full of life. Loretta combines her professional background and personal interest in working with individuals and couples in supporting them in creating family. She works with clients in Burbank, CA.
Ilana Cohen, LCSW was born and raised in New Mexico. Ms Cohen obtained her MSW from New York University in 1999. She initially worked in West Hollywood for Jewish Family Services and later at the Hollygrove residential treatment center. At Hollygrove she worked both as a therapist and as an intake coordinator. in 2005 she obtained her LCSW in California. In 2002 Ms. Cohen began conducting adoption home studies for Holt International Children's Service and joined the full-time staff of Holt in the summer of 2003. Since then, she has worked with several hundred families in the greater Los Angeles area who were adopting internationally, guiding them through the adoption process.
Mark Goldman, Esq, graduated Summa cum Laude and Phi Beta Kappa from the University of California, Irvine and attended the University of Southern California law School where he graduated with honors and earned his Juris Doctorate. Mark is the founder of AdoptHelp Law Center, a full service adoption law firm located in Sherman Oaks, CA, and AdoptHelp, Inc. a birthmother advertising and outreach corporation. Mr. Goldman recently helped pass legislation that he co-wrote reducing adoption fee in the state of California. In addition, he has served as a court appointed child advocate, received a grand for his work with The Alliance For Children's Rights and has provided pro bono assistance to abused and neglected foster-care children for the past 15 years. He won the Friend of RESOLVE Award in 2007.
Robyn Harrod Director of the Adoption and Mental Health programs, Robyn Harrod brings over 15 years of Social Work experience to her position at Southern California Foster Family and Adoption Agency. Prior to joining SCFFAA, she spent 5 years working with children, prospective adoptive parents, birth parents and adult adoptees at the Los Angeles County Department of Children and Family Services Adoption Division. Her expertise in independent, international and foster care adoption allows her to assist prospective parents in choosing the type of adoption that best meets the needs of their family. Before embarking on her career in social work, Robyn traveled extensively around the world for business and was able to learn a great deal about different cultures. Bringing those experiences to her role at SCFFAA, she has been able to develop and operate the adoption program with a strong sense of purpose. Further, Ms. Harrod supervises the SCFFAA Mental Health Program, which offers individual and family counseling to children in the foster care system and those who were adopted. Ms. Harrod is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker. She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from Pace University in New York City and a Master of Social Work degree from the University of Southern California. For her Social Work degree she concentrated in the area of family and children and, more specifically, in child welfare. Ms. Harrod is frequently invited to public speaking engagements on adoption and alternative ways of creating families. She served as a consultant for HBO’s Six Feet Under television program to assist with their adoption storyline.
Guylaine Hubbard-Brosmer PhD, MSW, is an Adoption Coordinator at the Independent Adoption Center (IAC) located in Los Angeles, California. Guylaine was awarded a departmental Best Thesis Award for her study on Transracial Adoption. Prior to entering her career in the field of Adoption she performed clinical research and work in an infertility lab associated with one of the premier clinics in California. She and her husband are adoptive parents of two children who are now 15 and 16 years old.
Carole Lieber Wilkins is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist in private practice in West Los Angeles, providing individual, couples and group counseling. A specialist in the field of reproductive medicine, adoption and family building options since 1986, she became a founding member of Resolve of Greater Los Angeles in 1987 and served on the Board of Directors in various positions for the next 14 years.
Ms. Lieber Wilkins is well known for her work regarding disclosure of information to children, having helped hundreds of patients feel comfortable about talking with their kids about how they built their families. Many clinics and practitioners around the world distribute to patients her groundbreaking article, Talking With Children About Their Conception. She has lectured locally and nationally, on many subjects related to infertility. She has been the keynote speaker at several Resolve symposia, and a presenter at the professional meetings of the American Psychological Association, The American Society of Reproductive Medicine, Organon Nurses Symposia and Kaiser Hospitals.
Carole is a member of the American Society of Reproductive Medicine Mental Health Professional Group, California Association of Marriage and Family Therapists, and a professional member of both Resolve and AFA. In addition, her own experience creating a family through adoption and ovum donation deepens her understanding of the challenges others face when exploring these complex family building options.
Richard (Dick) Lotspiech Dick and his wife, Val Free, adopted their first child from Thailand in 1987. He is now the father of five children adopted internationally who now range in age from 28 to 10 years old. Dick and Val have two sons from Vietnam and Thailand and three daughters from China. In 1995 Val founded Heartsent Adoptions and Dick worked with her as co-founder. He is currently the President of the Board of Directors and among his duties is working towards expansion of Heartsent's international programs. Dick's passion is with the post placement services and in particular Heartsent learning Solutions, a successful and gentle solution to the neuro developmental needs of children who have been institutionalized or otherwise deprived of adequate developmental environments.
Tina Jameson was adopted three days after birth in an open adoption. She has known most of her birth mother and birth mother's family her entire life and her birth father's and his family since the age of 15. Her parents have always encouraged a good relationship with both of her birth families. Tina recently graduated from UCLA and is currently a new professor at Cal Poly San Luis Obispo. Tina is 28 years old and she and her family is open advocates of adoption. Tina's family also included two foster sisters.
Jennifer Munro (bio coming)
Sara Rector (bio coming)
Queenie Mason (bio coming)
Eric Schrock is an adoptive father of a 14 month old girl. Having assisted with coordinating several conferences like this one and a veteran of all things infertility and adoption related, Eric is a resource for people seeking to build their families through adoption - however they arrived at the decision.
MISSING BIOS AND PHOTOS: We regret we have a few speakers that we were not able to provide bios and photos for your reference.