Working Together on Behalf of Child Victims

Aylen Alfaro-Fair joined Sungatekids in 2021, bringing with her invaluable knowledge and experience from her work as a bilingual Case Manager at Denver Children’s Home. At Sungatekids, Aylen is proud to serve as the only bilingual Family Support Coordinator. Aylen is passionate about working with children and families who are impacted by traumatic experiences and supporting them by providing resources that are relatable and accessible. Aylen uses her unique skill set and genuine care for others to guarantee that families never feel alone during the forensic interview process, and that they leave SungateKids with the tools necessary to begin their healing journey. During her free time, Aylen enjoys the outdoors with her family, traveling, and cooking.

Sophie grew up as a Colorado native and earned her Bachelor’s degree in Psychology, with a career background in behavioral health, child development, and family support.

Sophie joined SungateKids as a Prevention Specialist, where she brings her background in psychology and child development into the community through prevention and education. She visits schools throughout the community to provide age-appropriate child abuse prevention education to help children learn about personal safety, recognize situations that may feel unsafe, and identify trusted adults who can support them. She is passionate about creating spaces where children feel empowered to use their voices and know that help is available when they need it.

Outside of work, Sophie enjoys spending time with her dogs, exploring Colorado, getting creative with versatile projects, and trying new things.

Jodi joined SungateKids in 2019 with over 20 years of experience working with children and families. Prior to joining SungateKids, Jodi was the Forensic Interview Program Director at the Denver Children’s Advocacy Center for 9 years. Jodi brings with her an extensive knowledge of community resources as well as her long-standing working relationships with law enforcement, child protective services professionals and other agency personnel throughout the metro area. She is a licensed professional counselor in the State of Colorado. Jodi has presented at conferences throughout the country and is dedicated to maintaining and applying best practices in forensic interviewing. Jodi is also a trainer at Colorado Children’s Alliance which offers training to CAC and MDT professionals, as well as community members who work in a related field. All CCA trainings are recognized as nationally accredited trainings by the National Children's Alliance.

Vianeth joins SungateKids as our Bilingual Family Support Coordinator, bringing over six years of experience as a dedicated Victim Advocate. Her passion lies in empowering individuals and guiding victims toward healing and resilience. As a bilingual professional fluent in English and Spanish, Vianeth is committed to fostering connections and providing vital support to the Hispanic community. Her advocacy and compassionate approach help ensure every family receives the care and resources they need.

Jazmine joins SungateKids as a Family Support Coordinator, bringing experience as an elementary school teacher and as a Program Manager with the Boys & Girls Club. Her background has strengthened her passion for working with children and supporting them during difficult seasons in their lives.

Currently pursuing her master’s degree in social work, Jazmine is committed to continuing this work with care and compassion. She was drawn to SungateKids because of the opportunity to support children and families during some of their hardest moments and be part of a team that helps them move toward healing.

Lisa Cesario is a highly experienced forensic interviewer with over 20 years of dedicated service in the field of child abuse and child advocacy. She has been with SungateKids Child Advocacy Center since 2006, where she has spent more than 19 years working directly with children and families impacted by abuse. Throughout her career, Lisa has conducted over 5,200 forensic interviews, bringing a depth of expertise, consistency, and compassion to each case. She is especially recognized for her specialized work with developmentally delayed adults who have experienced abuse, an area requiring advanced skill, patience, and trauma-informed practice. In addition to her role as a forensic interviewer, Lisa currently serves as the Coordinator of the Sexual Assault Response Team (SART) for Arapahoe County. In this capacity, she leads multidisciplinary efforts across the 18th Judicial District in Colorado, coordinating responses among partner agencies to ensure effective, victim-centered investigations and support.

Hannah was born and raised in California before moving to Oregon to get her Bachelor of Science in Psychology and Criminal Justice from Southern Oregon University in 2014. Hannah moved to Denver in 2020 and obtained her Master of Social Work from the University of Denver in 2022. Hannah is both the Clinical Director and a Trauma Therapist on staff. She is trained and certified in Child and Family Traumatic Stress Interventions (CFTSI), Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), and Problematic Sexual Behavior- Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (PSB TF-CBT).

In her free time, she enjoys spending time outside with family and friends.

Diana is privileged to have served as the Executive Director of SungateKids since 1996. Since that time, she has been pivotal in building the staff into a competent and dedicated team of professionals as well as overseeing and directing the growth and development of SungateKids' programs and services. In addition to her responsibilities at SungateKids, Diana serves on the Board of Directors for the Colorado Children's Alliance, the statewide organization of children's advocacy centers, and was appointed by Governor Hickenlooper in 2018 to sit on the statewide Human Trafficking Council.

Diana is a graduate of Columbia University and the University of Virginia School of Law. She practiced law with the firm of Davis Graham & Stubbs and with the Legal Aid Society of Metropolitan Denver (now Colorado Legal Services) prior to her career in nonprofit management. She served as the Executive Director of the Central Visitation Program before joining SungateKids.

Avery Hilden grew up in Virginia and earned her Bachelor’s degree in Interdisciplinary Liberal Studies with a minor in Elementary Education from James Madison University, followed by a Master of Arts in Teaching. She began her career as a classroom teacher and later moved to Colorado, where she taught for a year in Littleton Public Schools.

In 2023, Avery joined SungateKids as the Office Manager and quickly became an integral part of the organization’s daily operations and partner collaboration. She now serves as the Multidisciplinary Team (MDT) Coordinator, where she helps coordinate communication and scheduling among partner agencies to support effective collaboration and ensure children and families receive coordinated, compassionate care.

Outside of work, Avery enjoys spending time with friends and her pup, Lulu, exploring Colorado, and discovering new shops around the Denver area.

Erin Katz serves as the Director of Prevention Programming. She has spent her entire career working to protect children from child abuse and has interviewed thousands of children regarding allegations of abuse during that time. Prior to joining SungateKids in 2013, she served for over a decade as an Assistant District Attorney in the Queens County District Attorney’s Office in New York City. As a member of the Special Victims Bureau, she prosecuted a caseload of sex crimes, elder abuse, and child physical and sexual abuse cases. Erin is a graduate of Goucher College in Baltimore, MD and earned her law degree from The American University, Washington College of Law in Washington, DC. She enjoys spending time traveling and exploring Colorado with her two daughters and her ridiculously cute Bernedoodle, Sunny.

Bio coming soon

Shanel serves as the Director of Marketing and Development at SungateKids, where she leads the organization’s marketing, fundraising, and community engagement efforts to raise awareness and generate support for the children and families served by SungateKids. Her connection to SungateKids began as a volunteer in 1999, and over the years she has grown alongside the organization into a leadership role she deeply cares about.

With a background in communications, marketing and talent acquisition, Shanel brings a strong ability to build meaningful relationships, connect people to purpose, and share the stories that inspire community support. She oversees donor partnerships, special events, and strategic campaigns that help expand SungateKids’ mission of providing truth, hope, and healing to child survivors of abuse.

Outside of her professional work, Shanel enjoys spending time with her family and staying active in the community. She loves dancing, horseback riding, reading, and caring for her ever-growing collection of plants. A graduate of the University of Kentucky, Shanel is also the proud mom of two young boys who keep life busy, fun, and full of adventure. Go Big Blue!

Dulce Solis currently serves as the Director of the Investigative Interview Program at SungateKids Child Advocacy Center, where she oversees both Forensic Interviewers and Family Support Coordinators In addition to her leadership role, she continues to serve as a bilingual forensic interviewer at SungateKids.

Dulce is a nationally recognized leader in the field of child abuse and forensic interviewing, with more than 15 years of experience working in child advocacy and multidisciplinary investigations. She pioneered Spanish-language forensic interviewing in the state of Colorado; her work has significantly expanded culturally and linguistically responsive practices within Child Advocacy Centers and multidisciplinary teams.

Dulce serves as the Director of the Spanish Forensic Interview Clinic with the American Professionals Solving the Abuse of Children (APSAC) and is a Practicum Leader with APSAC, where she provides advanced training and mentorship to professionals across the country. She also serves as a state trainer with the Colorado Children’s Alliance, supporting the development and training of professionals working within Child Advocacy Centers across Colorado.

Dulce is also a published author and a frequent national presenter. She has delivered presentations throughout the United States on topics including child abuse investigations, multidisciplinary team collaboration, culturally responsive forensic interviewing, and lingustics. Her work centers on strengthening investigative practices while ensuring children and families receive trauma-informed and culturally competent care throughout the investigative process.

Through her leadership, training, and advocacy, Dulce continues to contribute to the advancement of national standards and innovative practices in the field of child abuse response.

Lucia was born and raised in Beijing, China, and moved to the U.S. to pursue her education and training in mental health counseling. She earned her Bachelor’s degree in Art History and Psychology from Wesleyan University in 2018, and her Master’s degree in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Naropa University in 2024. Lucia is a Licensed Professional Counselor Candidate (LPCC) in the state of Colorado, working towards her LPC.

Lucia brings over four years of experience working with children and supporting families in both school-based and clinical settings. She is trained in Child-Centered Play Therapy (CCPT) and Eye Movement Desensitization and Reprocessing (EMDR), and her work is grounded in trauma-informed, attachment-based, and developmentally sensitive practices.

As a bilingual therapist providing services in both English and Mandarin, Lucia brings a culturally responsive lens to her work. She is especially passionate about supporting BIPOC children and families navigating intergenerational trauma and the complexities of cultural identity.

Lucia approaches each child with deep respect for their inner world and innate resilience, believing that play, creativity, and connection are powerful pathways to healing.

In her free time, Lucia enjoys dancing to live music, skiing, cooking dishes from around the world, and exploring art museums.

Stacy Wasserman is SungateKids’ resident Parent Coach as well as a Prevention Specialist. Stacy joined the SungateKids team in July 2018, following a career in informal youth education and early childhood education. Stacy’s dedication to the betterment of children of all ages and commitment to best practices in education led her to SungateKids. Working with children and their families in such an empowering way is Stacy’s passion. She lives in Denver with her husband and two children.