Coaching Team
The Butler Institute for Families coaching collaborative team is a dedicated group of skilled and experienced coaches working together to empower individuals and organizations. With a focus on fostering positive change and growth, our team brings a wealth of expertise in coaching methodologies and a passion for helping others achieve their full potential. Through collaborative efforts, we aim to create a supportive environment where individuals can thrive personally and professionally.
Christa Doty (she/her)
Christa Doty is a white, straight, cisgender female and proud parent to a four-legged companion, is at the juncture of the latter part of her career. Having earned a master's degree in social work from the University of Denver, she officially embarked on her social work journey in 1997—a vocation her mother would affirm has been an inherent part of her lifelong identity. Initiating her career in child welfare, Christa provided direct support to families and children, progressing into supervisory roles and ultimately contributing to the training of the child welfare workforce.
In 2018, fueled by her commitment to continuous learning, Christa underwent training with the Coaching Training Institute, achieving her Certified Professional Co-Active Coaching certificate. Discovering a profound passion for coaching, she recognized its harmonious integration of her social work background with the skills and techniques to assist individuals and organizations in realizing their optimal and most fulfilled selves. Key tenets of coaching, such as addressing the whole person and allowing the client to lead, deeply resonate with Christa. In her coaching practice, she sees her role as crafting a space for meaningful conversations, guided by curiosity in framing questions and reflections. She invites others to join her in a collaborative exploration to uncover what unfolds.
Currently serving as a senior program associate at the Butler Institute for Families, Christa holds certifications as a professional co-active coach and a professional certified coach through the International Coaching Federation. Additionally, she is a qualified administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory and a certified neuro-transformational coach through BEabove Leadership.
Blog Articles from Christa:
Kavitha (Kavi) Kailasam (she/her)
Kavitha Kailasam (she/her) serves as a senior program associate at the Butler Institute for Families. Kavitha believes that individuals and communities are their own best experts, and this drives her passion to create inclusive environments and systems that provide the individuals and communities the resources and tools they need to thrive. Towards that vision, she has worked in community engagement, capacity building, and coaching in a variety of content areas across diverse settings, including the business, government, and non-profit sectors. She provides coaching, technical assistance, and training to help build individual, group, and organizational capacity. She has worked in youth prevention and intervention program design and management, educational resource and curriculum development, group and community learning facilitation, as well as program assessment and technical assistance for continuous quality improvement. She has provided staff supervision and training within youth development, behavioral health, financial services, and international development contexts.
Kavitha is a trained professional coach (TPC) through the Butler Institute for Families’ Academy for Professional Coaching and is currently pursuing accreditation as an associate certified coach through the International Coaching Federation. She is also a qualified administrator (QA) of the Intercultural Development Inventory® (IDI) and a certified prevention specialist (CPSII) through the Colorado Providers Association and the International Certification & Reciprocity Consortium. She holds a master’s degree (MA) in international administration, focusing on health and humanitarianism, from the University of Denver’s Josef Korbel School for International Studies.
Blog Articles from Kavitha:
The Season of Being: How Coaching Can Shed Light on Our Hopes and Dreams
Brenda Lockwood (sher/her)
Brenda Lockwood is a straight, white, cisgender woman hailing from the Midwest, possesses a deep-rooted passion for international travel and actively engages in endurance athletic pursuits such as triathlons and marathons. Drawing from personal experience as an Ironman triathlon finisher, Brenda intimately understands the blend of sacrifice and reward inherent in steadfastly pursuing the "WHY?" behind a dream or goal.
Her coaching philosophy centers on the holistic development of individuals. Brenda is committed to delving into the client's "WHY"—exploring the values, beliefs, attitudes, assumptions, and worldview that shape one's inner life. She recognizes the profound impact these elements have on how individuals present themselves to the world while striving for what matters most in their personal and professional spheres.
Brenda holds bachelor's degrees in Biology and English, complemented by a master's degree in counseling psychology. She is a certified neuro-transformational coach through BEabove Leadership and has earned professional certified coach accreditation from the International Coaching Federation.
Blog Articles from Brenda:
Sommer J. Purdom (she/her)
Sommer J. Purdom, MSW, is a senior program associate at the Butler Institute for Families, a trained professional coach through the Academy of Professional Coaching, and a Cherokee Nation Citizen. Sommer worked for nearly 20 years in child welfare at the state and tribal levels. She has worked and supervised all child welfare programs in Muskogee County, Oklahoma, and continues to be a forensic interviewer for Muskogee County. While working for Cherokee Nation, she was part of a team that developed and implemented the Direct Title IV-E program for Cherokee Nation Indian Child Welfare, and she worked a short time in the Grants Department within Cherokee Nation. Sommer has experience in professional coaching, policy development, Tribal Code research and development, data base development and implementation, training staff and other Tribal Nations and monitoring federal compliance for grant eligibility, and has also acted as a reviewer for state quality assurance reviews and federal Title IV-E reviews.
Blog Articles from Sommer:
Ann Baker (she/her)
Ann Baker, an adopted Korean American woman raised on the Fort Peck Assiniboine and Sioux reservation in northeastern Montana, finds herself in the midst of a unique upbringing in a remote location. With a background encompassing extensive involvement in public and tribal child welfare systems, Ann has traversed roles ranging from CPS direct line to regional child welfare management and project leadership.
Her enthusiasm for coaching stems from its ability to facilitate real-time growth and development, both for herself and the individuals with whom she fosters coaching relationships. Ann's core belief in the inherent wisdom within each individual propels her coaching approach. This conviction challenges her to excel in active listening, skillfully reflecting back what she hears, and posing insightful questions that pave the way for self-discovery. Ann derives genuine excitement when those she coaches experience the illuminating "aha" moment in their journey of self-discovery.
Kristin Clark (she/her)
Kristin Clark is a white, cisgender, queer woman residing in South Carolina, holds a profound belief in the interdependence of individuals and the essential role that connection and relationships play in fostering thriving lives. Her passion for coaching stems from its capacity to empower individuals to discover their creative solutions from within, while concurrently fostering opportunities to build connections, relationships, and support. Kristin aspires to approach coaching with a holistic, healing-centered, and culturally responsive mindset, co-creating coaching relationships tailored to the unique needs of each individual. Conscious of personal, systemic, and environmental factors, she navigates coaching with an awareness of both barriers and resources.
With 17 years of experience in social work, predominantly within community-based nonprofits and grassroots organizations, Kristin brings a wealth of lived and professional knowledge to her practice. Her journey in coaching, marked by transformative experiences for both herself and others, is characterized by a commitment to walking alongside individuals as they navigate their learning and growth. Kristin currently serves as a senior program associate at the Butler Institute for Families, holding a master's degree in social work. She is actively pursuing accreditation through the International Coaching Federation and is a qualified administrator of the Intercultural Development Inventory. Additionally, Kristin possesses certification in providing Moral Reconation Therapy.
Jennifer Turvey (she/her)
Jenn is a Certified Integral Coach though New Ventures West and an Associate Certified Coach (ACC) through the International Coaching Federation. She specializes in workplace coaching and focuses on employee wellbeing and role development. Before receiving her coaching certification, she worked as an organizational development practitioner for Colorado's Medicaid program. Jenn holds bachelor's and master's degrees in Religion from Barnard College and the University of Chicago.
Michael Holcombe (he/his)
Michael Holcombe is a gay, white, cisgender man hailing from rural Appalachia and navigating life with ADHD, shares his journey alongside a canine companion who mirrors his spirited personality. Throughout his career, Michael has dedicated himself to finding a role that maximizes impact and does the most good for people. In the process, he discovered the importance of aligning with a job that accommodates his authentic self while allowing him to make a meaningful impact—leading him to coaching.
Recognizing the power of storytelling in building connections, Michael emphasizes the significance of providing a space for individuals to show up authentically and share their unique narratives. In his coaching approach, he acts as a metaphorical mirror, reflecting back the strength, resiliency, and resourcefulness inherent in each person's story.
Armed with a bachelor's and a master's degree in social work, Michael serves as a qualified administrator of the Intercultural Developmental Inventory. For the past 5 years, he has been an integral part of the Butler Institute for Families, initially as a research assistant and, more recently, as a trained professional coach for the past year.