Stay Tuned for our brand new website coming May 2019!
We look forward to sharing how ASA is growing and changing after almost five years of service to the adoption community.
Our Board Members & Staff
Adoption Support Alliance was started by Charlie and Erin, two adoption professionals who desired to create community around adoptive families. We long to see adoptive families grow and thrive during all the stages of adoption: as they are considering adoption, during the adoption process and after the adoption is finalized. We developed services designed to offer personalized, interactive support through sharing information, creating friendships and establishing therapeutic relationships to support during difficulties and celebrate successes. We, then, recruited board members who are committed to the agency mission and have the experience to bring our vision to reality.
Erin Q. Nasmyth, LCSW
Executive Director & Co-Founder
Erin has her undergraduate degree from Vanderbilt University in Child Development & Human and Organizational Development. She received her Masters in Social Work and Certificate in Nonprofit Management from Georgia State University. She subsequently became licensed as a clinical social worker. Erin has worked in a variety of positions related to adoption including in the foster care system in Tennessee, a nonprofit foster care agency in Georgia and two years as a clinician at Alexander Youth Network in Charlotte, North Carolina. She now does contract work through Triangle Adoption Services completing home studies and postplacement reports for families pursuing adoption. Erin's passion for adoption work was sparked by service work in orphanages in China and Vietnam when living in Hong Kong during high school. Erin is married to Ibrahim and has two biological daughters, Olivia and Audrey.
Kristie Opiola, Ph.D, LPC
Board Member & Professor at UNCC
Kristie Opiola, Ph.D., LPC (Texas), RPT, CCLS is an Assistant Professor at UNC Charlotte, Licensed Professional Counselor (Texas), and a Registered Play Therapist. Kristie has 5-years of experience counseling children and families who have experienced interpersonal trauma. Kristie has a special interest in facilitating stronger attachment between parent and children and helping parents heal early trauma in their children.
Adoption Support Alliance is thrilled that Dr. Opiola will be sharing her expertise with our organization!
Katie Pendergrast, LCSW
Board Chair & Adoptive Mother
Katie Pendergrast received her undergraduate degree in Psychology from the College of William and Mary and her Master's degree in Social Work from UNC-Chapel Hill. She has been a Licensed Clinical Social Worker for 13 years. Katie has worked in both the public and private sectors of social work practice for 20 years. She has a breadth of knowledge about clinical support agencies in the Charlotte area and is excited to use her clinical relationships to help ASA flourish.
Katie and her husband, Chris, are the proud parents two biological sons and two daughters adopted from China.
info@adoptionsupportalliance.org
Lindsey Vickers
Board Member & Adoptive Mother
Lindsey holds a B.A. in Communications (with minors in Business Administration and Advertising) from Flagler College and a Master’s in Technology Management from Georgetown Unversity. She currently serves as a Senior Project Manager for Wiley Educations Services, where she works to develop and implement custom solutions that solve diverse challenges facing colleges and universities. Before working with Wiley, Lindsey took time out of the corporate world contribute in a meaningful way by becoming a teacher. She taught second and third grades as well as Gifted and SLD (K-5). She started her career in Marketing and Events Management working at Starwood and The Knot.
Lindsey and her husband, Ren are parents two beautiful and bright little girls. Her family has been blessed through adoption with their second child. They have a transracial open adoption.
info@adoptionsupportalliance.org
Jessica Houston, MSW, LCSWA
Contract Social Worker and Adopted Person
Jessica has her Masters in Social Work (MSW) from University of North Carolina at Charlotte. She received her undergraduate degree in Sociology from High Point University. Jessica is in the final stages of becoming a licensed clinical social worker.
Jessica has years of experience in foster care, domestic and international adoption. Jessica is an adult adoptee herself from China. She works for the Ties program, where she travels back to China with adoptive families for a homeland tour once a year. Jessica does contract work through Triangle Adoption Services completing home studies. Jessica is passionate about working within the adoption community. Currently, Jessica does school based and outpatient therapy working with children and adolescents in the Charlotte area. In addition, she is a behavioral health clinician at Atrium Health.
jessica@adoptionsupportalliance.org