Welcome Letter from the Board

The Board of Directors welcome and invite you to Chrysalis House. The Purpose, Vision, and Mission Statements are true to who and what our Agency culture is driven to support.


Our Vision

Chrysalis House creates and supports loving forever families for all children.


Our Mission

Chrysalis House builds and supports families throughout the adoption journey by providing personalized professional services to all participants of the adoption process.


Our Board is comprised of volunteer Directors who bring a vast variance of experiences and education creating a diverse dedicated group of individuals that focus on the success and continued improvements to the services Chrysalis House provides.

  • Jo anne osborn

    Board president

    Jo Anne is a founding Board Member, carrying forward the holistic vision of creating and supporting families throughout the Adoption experience. She is employed as the Director of Application Development, Test and Release Management at CalSAWS. Her 40 years of experience includes Management, Administration of Public Assistance programs, Leadership and Technical Systems Operations. As a founding member she believes every Child deserves a loving and nurturing forever family environment to learn and grow into self-sufficient societal contributors and leaders.


  • dawn kennedy

    board vice president

    Dawn Kennedy had the privilege of working with founder, Jo Kuhlman, on the adoption of her daughter in 1995. As an attorney, Dawn has a great appreciation of the agency's ethics, efficiency, and devotion to children in need of a forever home. It is her way of honoring Jo's memory and the agency she built with love and dedication by serving on the Board. Jo's vision lives on in the goals we strive to maintain. Dawn has been a member of the Board since 2002

  • Mark pearce

    Board Treasurer

    Mark Pearce is a Senior Vice President with Umpqua Bank. He has over 30 years of experience in banking and finance. throughout California. Mark is a graduate of Cal Poly SLO and of the University of Washington Pacific Coast Banking School. As Board Treasurer, he serves as the chair on the Finance sub-committee as well as serving on the Quality Assurance and IT sub-committee. Mark has been a member of the Board since 2008. Mark and his wife are proud adoptive parents and are grateful to Chrysalis House for their forever family.

  • Nicole Searcy

    Board Secretary

    Nicole Searcy has been in service with Chrysalis House since 2014. She currently is a small business owner. Previously, she worked in a High School District office alongside the District Superintendent as a Receptionist/Administrative Assistant to the Superintendent, Administrators, and the Board. She offers her prior managerial experience to the Board. Nicole has also served as a team captain for a Relay for Life team for multiple years. Nicole believes in the work that Chrysalis House does and desires to help impact the lives of those in the adoption world in a positive way.

  • Ron Davey

    Board member

    Ron Davey has served on the Board since Chrysalis House's inception in 1985. He actively serves in the background of the Board and is on two sub-committees. Ron is a retired auto mechanic of the County of Fresno. His mother-in-law was the founder of Chrysalis House. He believes in helping children and families become ONE.

  • Carrie wade

    board MEMBER 

    Carrie Wade worked for Chrysalis House as an Office Assistant before becoming a Board member in 1998. The founder, Carrie's great-grandmother, believed that Carrie's aspirations in the field of education would lend a unique voice to the Board. Carrie currently lives and teaches in Wisconsin where she has two beautiful children who are her world and inspiration. Though she has moved to Wisconsin, she continues to believe in Chrysalis House's objectives and enjoys being involved in guiding the mission and vision of the Founder.

  • Lyle ens

    Board member

    Lyle Ens was born and raised in Fresno. He is a business owner with a background in finance. He is also an adoptive parent that understands both the needs of adoptive families and the goals of Chrysalis House. He leads the Audit sub-committee and is a member of the Quality Assurance and IT sub-committee as well. Lyle joined the Chrysalis House Board in 2006.

  • Christina toste

    Board member

    Christina Toste is very involved with the Make a Wish Foundation. She retired as a Pediatric Clinical Pharmacist at Children's Hospital Central California. She is an adoptive parent, serves on the Parent Advisory Committee at her child's elementary school, and has been a Board member at Chrysalis House since 2008.

  • Jenelle CRUZ

    board member

    A native of the Fresno and Clovis area, Jenelle Cruz joined the CHI board of directors in August of 2016 with the purpose of supporting Chrysalis House and the process of creating families. Jenelle currently works in Risk Management and Patient Safety at Community Medical Centers, transferring roles after 4 years as an Executive Secretary. In February 2022 she graduated with her BS in Business Administration and a Certificate in Human Resources. She is currently working on a Master of Healthcare Administration, with an expected graduation of January 2024. She brings to the board 8 years of experience working in not-for-profit, as well as secretarial experience from Community Medical Centers, Fresno County Superintendent of Schools, and UCSF Fresno Medical Education Program. 

  • KAITLYN GALANO

    BOARD MEMBER

    Since obtaining her Bachelors degree in Social Work from CSU Fresno in 2010, Kaitlyn Galano has been serving her community. Having worked with organizations such as ACES Education Inc, and CAPMC Victim Services while completing her undergraduate coursework, she maintained a career in finance and human resources administration. Kaitlyn is now employed in education administration with MUSD. An adoptive parent to three children and foster parent to many others, she is eager to continue to contribute to Chrysalis House in helping provide safe spaces and forever families for children.