Staff

Patty Eagar

Executive Director

Patty Eagar has been executive director since June 1997. She is responsible for the leadership and management of Advocates and its $1,600,000 annual budget. She is a native of southeastern Pennsylvania with a B.A. in Business Administration from The Colorado College. She spent six years with IBM, 14 years as a manufacturing entrepreneur, and two years as a manufacturers’ representative before joining Advocates. She is married with four grown children and three granddaughters, and is an active member of many civic and community groups.

Ava Lipscomb

CASA Director

Ava Lipscomb is a native of Cartersville. She attended Huntingdon College in Montgomery, Ala., and graduated with a B.A. in Communication Arts from Ambassador College in Big Sandy, Texas. After working for the Department of Family and Children Services (DFCS) in Cherokee and Pickens Counties, Ava became the CASA Director for Advocates in 2000. In 1999, she completed Nurturing Families Facilitator training and in 2011, graduated from the Institute of Child Development TBRI (Trust-Based Relational Intervention) Program at Texas Christian University. Bartow CASA received the Established Program Award of Excellence in 2011 from the Georgia CASA Board of Directors. Ava was once a common fixture as an actor/director with our local community theatre group, the Pumphouse Players, where she met her husband, Andy. “After 20+ years in this field, I am passionate about working for Advocates because I know the primary focus of our organization is helping each individual child. Our efforts can be life-changing for a child...which is amazing!”

Rebecca Bentley

A Better Way Children's Advocacy Center Director

Rebecca Bentley relocated from the Pacific Northwest to Georgia in 1996. She holds a Master of Science in Human Services, a Master’s Certificate in Social & Community Services, a Bachelor of Science in Psychology, a Child Development Associate (CDA) Credential, and is a trained Nurturing Parenting facilitator. She joined Advocates for Children in December 2006 and has since become a trained Forensic Interviewer through Finding Words-GA and the National Children’s Advocacy Center (NCAC), a trained Multidisciplinary Team Facilitator through NCAC, and is certified to train various child abuse prevention models. Rebecca remains grateful to have the opportunity to practice her “occupassion" - caring for families, right here in her own community. “I have found that each of Advocates’ programs strives to remain committed to ensuring children and families receive the most supportive and professional care possible, when they need it most.”

Karen White

Director of Development

Karen White joined Advocates as director of development in December 2009. In this role she is responsible for ensuring diverse and expanded streams of funding for our valuable resources and programs. A native of Cincinnati, she is a graduate of Ohio University with a B.S. in Journalism. She spent several years working in event fundraising for a national non-profit organization and three years as a development professional for a Catholic religious order before joining the Cartersville-Bartow County Chamber of Commerce in 2007. She resides happily in Cartersville with her husband, daughter and three dogs.

Liz Fox

Director of Preventive Services

Liz Fox hails from the big town of Ashtabula, Ohio, in the heart of the snowbelt. She has worked in the social services field in different capacities for close to 25 years and has a bachelor's degree in corrections from Kent State University. Liz is a trained Forensic Interviewer through Finding Words Georgia, a trained Nurturing Parenting facilitator, and has a Victim Advocacy Certificate from the National Children’s Advocacy Center and the University of Georgia. She is an avid runner and cyclist and an active member of St. Francis of Assisi Catholic Church. “I am very committed to providing a safe and responsible place for children in their time of great need and am privileged to be part of Advocates for Children, an organization that shares this philosophy.”

Amanda Tant

Family Advocate

Amanda Tant joined Advocates in 2011 after four years working with the Department of Juvenile Justice. Growing up in Bowdon, Ga., Amanda attended Shorter College and graduated in 2006 with a bachelor’s in sociology. She is excited and honored to be working with Advocates where she can share her passion about helping all children feel respected, loved, happy and thriving. Amanda is married with one son.

Deborah Parmenter

Bookkeeper

Deborah Parmenter has been a resident of Cartersville for 34 years. She is originally from Decatur, Ga., and is a graduate of Georgia State University with a bachelor's degree in English. She has been employed by Advocates for nearly 15 years, and has spent 13 of those years as bookkeeper. She is a volunteer on the Citizen Panel Review for Bartow County Juvenile Court and a member of Sam Jones Memorial United Methodist Church. She enjoys working with staff whose collective heart is always big enough to help one more child.

Angela James

Flowering Branch Shelter Director

Angela is a licensed and nationally certified professional counselor. She has a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master’s degree in community counseling. Angela has worked in the child welfare field for six years providing services and support to children and families. She has also counseled in a residential facility for children with severe emotional and behavioral disorders. Her passion is helping children and families deal with trauma and move forward to heal and become stronger. She enjoys gardening, practicing yoga, and spending time with her daughter.

Lyndsey Reed

Case Manager

Lyndsey joined Advocates in June 2012. She received her bachelor’s degree in Human Services and master’s degree in Social Work from Kennesaw State University. Along with a passion for child advocacy, Lyndsey has multiple years of experience working with children and youth through her church, homeless programs, shelters, schools, and domestic violence agencies. As a case manager, Lyndsey will employ both her skill set and passion to make a difference in the lives of children.

Marian Barber

Flowering Branch Volunteer Coordinator

Marian Barber joined Advocates in July 2008. She earned a bachelor’s degree in public administration from Georgia College and State University and later a master’s degree in public administration. Georgia has been home all her life, enjoying Cartersville since 2001. Having four sons has sharpened her ability to be resourceful, versatile and adaptable, smiling all the while. “I am enriched every day by the incredible, young residents here at Flowering Branch. The spirit and warmth they possess, despite the challenging circumstances in their life, is to be respected by all of us. I take pride in being part of an organization dedicated to nurturing children and improving their quality of life.”

Kayleigh Ladshaw

Development Assistant

Kayleigh Ladshaw joined the Advocates family in January 2011. Having earned her B.S. in Public Relations from Kennesaw State University, her role here is to update our website, manage our social media presence, and update online and printed media material, among various other projects. Before joining our organization she worked for the Salvation Army and the Gwinnett County School system, doing client in-take and communications. She is excited about the chance to make a difference in the lives of the children in Bartow County, and hopes to continue to grow and learn through Advocates.

Emily Reynolds

CASA Coordinator

Emily began with Advocates for Children in early 2013 and is a Georgia native hailing from the small town of Lyerly. She graduated with honors from Georgia Southern University in 2004 with a bachelor’s degree in psychology and a minor in sociology. She then moved to California for a number of years until later returning to Georgia to be closer to family.

Emily comes to Advocates for Children from the Department of Juvenile Justice where she worked for over five years as a juvenile probation officer. She has a passion for helping kids in need and advocating for them and making their voices heard. She is a firm believer that every child, no matter their age or background or story, is deserving of a happy ending. Emily currently resides in Cartersville, GA.

Lisa Keeler

CASA Coordinator

Originally from Merritt Island, Fla., Lisa has been with Advocates since August 2008. She has a bachelor’s degree from University of Central Florida and has been in the field of child welfare since 2006. “I love working for Advocates because it means helping children and their families. Although it can be difficult to work with issues such as child abuse and neglect, it’s rewarding to watch the work we do every day make a difference to the children in our community that need us the most."

Deborah Reese

CASA Coordinator

Deborah Reese moved with her husband to Georgia in 1989 after attending Akron University in Ohio. Spending 12 years between Sagamore Hills Children's Psychiatric Hospital and Bellefaire Children's Residential Treatment Center, Deborah moved on to spend 10 years with the Division of Family and Children Services (DFCS) before accepting her role at Advocates. "The volunteers I work with are dedicated, caring individuals who don’t think twice about going the extra distance to make a difference in our kids’ lives. And with our Juvenile Court in Bartow County, we definitely do make a difference!"

Courtney Jones

First Steps Coordinator

Courtney is a graduate of Adairsville High School and is currently attending college. She is the mother of two young children and loves helping our First Steps moms and babies make the transition to family-hood!