FOSTER FAMILY ALLIANCE TEAM
GAILE OSBORNE
Executive Director
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Gaile Osborne and her husband have adopted 2 children from foster care, have two children under guardianship and two current placements of medically complex infants. They have fostered over 28 children in the past 10 years. Gaile's passion is helping other families overcome trauma, creating changes through advocacy to systemic challenges and coaching parents and school systems when supporting children with trauma.
Osborne is a native of Alamance County and currently lives in the Asheville area. Her desire to get help for her children—adopted from significant trauma backgrounds—led her to a full-time career as an advocate for children with disabilities for 8 years. Before becoming an advocate, Osborne spent 18 years as a special education teacher in North Carolina. She has her master’s degree in special education from UNC-Greensboro with a focus on emotionally disabled children and currently holds NC teaching certification in four areas. Osborne brings experience to Foster Family Alliance of NC as a parent of children with special needs, an advocate statewide, and a former special educator.
KATE SCHULTZ, M.Ed.
Deputy Director
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Kate Schultz has been a licensed foster parent since 2019 alongside her husband. They have fostered multiple children with cases that have closed in reunification with biological parents as well as kinship. Kate’s family also cared for a family member through informal kinship when she was a young child and was a “Foster Aunt” prior to becoming licensed herself. Kate holds a Master’s Degree in Trauma-Informed Education from Columbia College and is passionate about foster care, family preservation, trauma-informed parenting, and connecting people to resources and support.
CHRISTY ROESSLER, BSW
Director of Outreach
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Christy Roessler graduated from UNC-Greensboro in 2000 with a Bachelor of Social Work degree. She has spent the past 22 years working for a local Department of Social Services, starting out as a Child Welfare In-Home Services worker, Foster Care Social Worker and for the past 15 years as an Adoption/Post-Adoption Social Worker. She has a wealth of knowledge in the areas of DSS, foster care, adoption and post adoption services. She has wonderful working relationships with the many foster/adoptive families and community partners she has served over the past 22 years. Since leaving her DSS position this year, she has continued to advocate for and encourage foster/adoptive families. She is looking forward to focusing her advocacy and support to the families she will encounter through FFA.
Christy is a native of Alamance County. She and her husband have four children.
CONNIE HOLT, BSW
Business and Clinical Director
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Connie Holt graduated from UNC-Greensboro in 2000 with a Bachelors of Social Work and Political Science degree. She has 22 years experience working as a social worker in the healthcare field. She is aunt to several adopted and fostered children. She has expansive knowledge of community resources. I am excited about the opportunity to work for FFA-NC!
Connie is a native of Alamance County and is married and has two children.
JERRIE TEAGUE
Foster Family Specialist
Region 3 Support Group Leader
Alamance County
COURTNEY THOMPSON
Support and Outreach
Specialist
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Courtney Thompson and her husband have been foster parents for a little over 3 years now. They currently have three placements, one of which was diagnosed with Autism since coming into their care. Courtney is a huge advocate for children with special needs and is always working to support those children and their families with information to thrive. The Thompson’s have fostered over 12 children in the past 3 years.
Courtney is a native of Lincoln County and currently still lives in the area. After 8 years of fighting infertility, Courtney and her husband decided to take a break and become foster parents. Their desire was to help children in many different ways while still becoming parents in a different way. Before starting here with Foster Family Alliance of NC, Courtney spent 8 years as a special education TA and Kindergarten TA in local North Carolina public schools. Courtney brings experience to Foster Family Alliance of NC as a parent of a child with special needs and as a former special education assistant. Courtney is looking forward to all the opportunities she will have to support and advocate for all the families she will encounter through Foster Family Alliance of NC.
CARRIE COOPER
Region 1 Support Group Leader
Haywood County
SHERRY H THOMAS
School Advocacy
Consultant
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Sherry H. Thomas has been involved in special education in North Carolina for more than 37 years, working at the school, district and state level. She has a Bachelor’s degree from Sacred Heart College and a Master’s Degree from UNC-Charlotte both in special education, focusing on Learning Disabilities, Intellectual Disabilities and Behavior issues. She is married and has three adult children and a wonderful grandson. She is a native of Lincoln County, and currently lives in Raleigh. In her free time, she enjoys gardening, reading, time at the lake and travel.
She is excited to bring her experience to this position with FFA and to be included in this most important work for children and families.
LEEANN SETLIFF
Region 2 Support Group Leader
Catawba County
KELLYANN BREEST
Logistics
Manager
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I have over 20 years of experience in administrative support for the Department of Public Instruction in the Exceptional Children Division. Currently I am working as a project coordinator for the Special Education department in Nebraska through a Technical Assistance Center called Westat. I have expertise in all things office related and a passion for supporting the systems that teach our children so they can be the best versions they can be. I have two associate degrees from Wake Technical College in Business Administration and Hospitality Management. I am a transplant from Long Island NY my husband, 2 son's and I moved to North Carolina in February 2000 and moved into our forever home in Franklin County in December 2000.
