Karen has always had a passion for listening and for helping others. She graduated from The Ohio State University with an education degree and has taught in Ohio and West Virginia  public and private schools. She’s served as a volunteer, board member, and staff member with nonprofits since college. She has 40 years of experience working with women and teens in both group and mentoring settings, and is an expert at listening and helping them identify the lies and barriers in their lives. She's passionate about helping women and teens tell their stories to listening ears so they can find their purpose, their voice and their freedom. Along with a handful of other West Virginia women, she developed the Libera model that we use in our Libera groups. Although originally from Ohio, she's lived in West Virginia for over 35 years and has fallen in love with the state. All of her kids are native West Virginians, and she loves spending time with them and going on family travels and adventures. Her other passions are cabin time and hikes with her husband, reading, creativity and Scotland.

Kelsey is a West Virginia transplant from Pennsylvania that fell in love with the state after graduating from Waynesburg University with a Bachelor’s in Business Administration. She has always had a passion for empowering women and supported women for many years as a volunteer at her local Women Center, mentoring women through the Jobs 4 Life initiative and as one of the original Libera Listeners. She has been a corporate business professional for 10 years and considers herself a chief problem solver. Her other superpowers include listening with empathy and inspiring others to take action. As a member of the Libera staff, she is excited to use her superpowers to help women and teens in WV find their freedom and live as their most authentic selves. In her free time, you can likely find Kelsey playing dinosaurs with her young son, glamping at her parent’s farm, or outside soaking up all the natural beauty that WV has to offer. She is an avid lover of sunshine, tacos and deep conversations.

If you would like to share how Libera has helped you re-write your story and be a beacon of light for other women, please reach out to Kelsey.

Prior to becoming our Program Director for Teens, Beth was involved with Libera for 3 1/2 years by taking part in multiple small groups, Listener training, and retreats. During a long, deep valley in life, a Libera group became a pivotal moment that helped change the direction of Beth's life towards a relationally-healthy, balanced, and growth-filled future. Beth credits Libera with helping her learn how to identify barriers, as well as learn self-acceptance and confidence by using the tools, resources, and connections offered in Libera. "This group has enhanced every relationship in my life, continues to help me grow, and now has culminated with me being on staff where I can help others."

Originally from southeast Ohio, Beth earned a BS in Nuclear Medicine and a minor in Psychology from Wheeling Jesuit University. She now lives in Morgantown where she divides her time between Libera and working for the Monongalia Health System in Nuclear Medicine.

Beth is blessed with incredible children. An avid outdoor enthusiast, Beth is always ready for a new adventure with her Goldendoodle, Boomer.

Jessica (Jessie), was born and raised in West Virginia. She received her BFA at WVU in 2012 with concentrations in both painting and photography, and graduated with her Master of Arts in Counseling from Reformed Theological Seminary, Orlando, in May 2017. She has years of experience with children and teens in different capacities and is passionate about giving them a place to be heard and mentored. In her nearly 500 hours of internship, she has worked with couples, individuals, teens and children, and has led an art therapy group for her peers. She hopes to incorporate creative methods into her counseling practice and be a safe place for women from all walks of life to find someone to walk alongside them in their journey to freedom. In her free time she loves eating good food, going on adventures and pursuing artistic endeavors.

Jess is a West Virginia native whohas always been passionate about empowerment and freedom for women.  She attended her first Libera group in thefall of 2018.  She has since proudlyserved as a volunteer and board member. “Libera provided the path I’d been searching for to put my values andbeliefs surrounding women into action. One of the greatest things about the Libera model is that you growpersonally by illuminating your barriers and striving to overcome them, but youalso have the opportunity to pay it forward by becoming a Listener and helpinglight the way for others.”

Jess is a graduate of West VirginiaJunior College with an Associates Degree in Business Administration - HumanResources.  She has spent the last 5years working with students to change their lives through education.  An important part of that work is listeningto understand a person’s dreams, goals and obstacles, and to ensure they havewhat they need to be successful.  She isexcited to take that knowledge and experience to help empower West Virginiawomen and teens full-time!

Jess has three amazing children whoinspire her daily to be the best person she can be - not perfect - just a humanstriving for their best, to be unselfish and giving, and to see the beauty andthe best in others.  Jess attributes muchof her professional success to her husband Tim’s unwavering support as shepursued higher education, took on new challenges at work, and now in steppinginto a new role as Libera Training and Development Coordinator!

If you’d like to learn more aboutjoining a Libera group, becoming a Listener, or how you can help WV women andteens flourish, please reach out to Jess at jess.lowe@liberawv.com.

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Teresa, our Bookkeeper and Executive Assistant, grew up doing the bookkeeping with her dad in the family’s farm-supply store in southern West Virginia. She earned her Bachelor in Secondary Math Education at WVU and taught her four children at home. Somewhere along the way, she was even able to brush up on her bookkeeping skills during her husband’s three years as an insurance agent.

Now that her children have finished their educations at home, Teresa has been wondering what life would look like going forward. She is happy to be able to assist Libera and get a chance to help other women gain freedom in their lives, just as she is learning to do.

Besides her husband of twenty-seven years and their four children, her obsessions are her friends, reading, and her lovable, tri-color Cavalier King Charles Spaniel dog, Theo.