Meet The Team
Olubunmi Akinkuowo
Executive Director - Crofton
Olubunmi oversees all Bethany’s programs in Maryland and Washington DC. As a Clinical Social Worker who has served children and families in Maryland for 15years, she firmly believes that “every child deserves a loving forever family”. She leads her team to walks side-by-side with individuals and families who desire to stand with vulnerable children from the United States and around the world. Her professional background in foster care makes her especially keen to see older children, and children with special needs, achieve permanency. Olubunmi is honored to lead and serve alongside caring Staff, supportive Board Members, and committed Donors.
Angela Solly
Lead Social Worker - Crofton
Angela has her masters of Social Work and has worked with children and immigrants since 2003. She has experience working abroad with Latin American populations and experience domestically working with children and families in need. Angela is bilingual in Spanish and English and has worked with Bethany since 2012 transitioning unaccompanied minors into the community to be reunified with their families. She enjoys meeting with the families and helping them connect with services and other resources in the community to help the children thrive in their new homes.
Hilda Marfizo
TFC Office Manager - Crofton
Hilda Marfizo is the office manager and medical coordinator in the transitional foster care program. Previously, she helped others for more than 20 years in customer service by serving as a Spanish translator.
Jennifer Smith
Foster Care Adoptions Social Worker - Crofton
Jennifer is committed to supporting and advocating for families as they embark on their unique adoption journeys. Jennifer comes to Bethany with over 14 years of experience supporting foster and adoptive parents on their journeys towards creating loving, forever families. She feels she was called to Bethany and looks forward to working side-by-side with families to provide loving homes for older children and children with special needs from the United States and around the world.
Jessica Hinton
Teacher's Assistant - Crofton
Jessica Hinton earned her bachelor’s degree in linguistics and Spanish from Cedarville University. Previously, she taught Spanish at the elementary, middle, and high school levels in Maryland and Michigan. Jessica also has five years of experience of living in Latin America.
Karen Salmeron
UAC Worker - Crofton
Karen Salmeron joined Bethany Christian Services in 2015. She currently works with the Family Reunification Program where she provides case management services to immigrant children and youth who reunify with their families after being separated for many years. Karen received her bachelors’ degree in social work from University of Maryland Baltimore County. Previously, she volunteered for non-profit organizations serving immigrant families.
Karina Velasco Lopez
UAC Worker - Crofton
Karina Velasco currently works in the Unaccompanied Minor Post Release Services Program. She provides case management services and assessment to children and youth who are in the care of the Office of Refugee and Resettlement. Additionally, she works with survivors of human trafficking. Karina earned her bachelor’s degree in social work from the University of Maryland, Baltimore County while simultaneously working with at-risk immigrant families.
Kelli Kinsey
UAC Supervisor - Crofton
Kelli graduated with her master’s degree from Liberty University’s Counseling Program. She has had the privilege to serve in various sectors of social services such as foster care and adoption, working with homeless woman and children, servicing the developmentally disabled population, and providing mental health services to adults. In her present role, Kelli oversees the UAC Family Reunification Program, which provides intensive, short term case management and reunification services to Unaccompanied Alien Children primarily from Central America. Kelli is enjoying the opportunity with Bethany to couple her experience with her passion to help change lives.
Veronica Lara
Site Supervisor for Transitional Foster Care - Crofton
Veronica Lara joined Bethany Christian Services in 2017 as the site supervisor for the newly opened transitional foster care center, which serves unaccompanied children from Central America. As a native Salvadorian, Veronica shares a deep passion and commitment towards this community. She hopes to not only ensure a prompt and safe family reunification but also serve as an extension of God's love while the children and their families are part of the program. She also has over 17 years of experience in teaching and working as a lead case manager for a non-profit organization in Washington DC.
Melissa Martin
Domestic Adoptions Social Worker, LGSW - Crofton
Melissa is a licensed social worker with over 14 years of experience working with vulnerable families and children. She has worked in a variety of settings including group homes, an independent living program, treatment foster care, and Safe Families for Children™ (SFFC). During her work with SFFC, Melissa had the opportunity to work with Bethany Christian Services of Maryland. After that interaction she had a desire to be a part of the Bethany family. In April 2013 Melissa joined the Bethany family as an adoption specialist in the domestic infant program. She is passionate about supporting families through their adoption journey and through her work within faith-based agencies she has been able to grow in her faith and witness firsthand the power of God’s love.
