HINTON W.Va. (Hinton News) – Felisha Hartwell has been with REACHH since 2002 and on Jan. 1, she accepted the position of Executive Director of the organization. What an amazing way to start the new year.
Felishas’s career started at REACHH when she was only 19 in April 2002. She started out working at Dandy Lions and Lady Bugs Daycare Center where she worked her way up to Day Care Director.
In 2007, Felisha began working at Little Lambs Child Development Center where she once again made Daycare Director. From there Felisha went on to Safe and Sound Security where she learned office management and administrative duties. At the same time, Felisha was also attending Mountain State University to get her BSW. This led her back to REACHH in 2011 as an intern. In 2012 Felisha graduated from MSU and worked in the Birth to 3 and the Parents as Teachers programs at REACHH where she served families in Summers and Monroe Counties.
For the next step in her career, Felisha transferred to the Child Advocacy Center at REACHH and became a family advocate. After several years of advocating for children and their non–offending caregivers, Felisha went on to become a forensic interviewer in 2017 while she was also working on her master’s degree in social work. She obtained her degree in 2018 and quickly became the Director of the Child Advocacy Center (CAC). Here she worked with child survivors of abuse by listening to their stories. In this capacity, she worked alongside law enforcement and Child Protection Services, as well as the Prosecutor’s Office. All of this was to help ensure quality services were being offered to children and their families after a disclosure was made.
In addition to all this, Felisha works as a trainer for Concord University’s WVFACT Program where she trains on trauma with foster care parents.
Felisha Hartwell has always served the people in her community with a listening ear, a kind heart, a hug, a warm meal, words of wisdom, humor and love. All this has been done while being a full-time wife and mother.
Felisha lives with her husband Rodney, son Weston and two very spoiled dogs. Felisha was raised in Summers County by her Dad and Mom, Gary and Karen Richmond. Along with her siblings and cousins, she claims she got her grit from her beloved grandmother lovingly called Ninnie.
Felisha would also like to announce other big news at REACHH. Jennifer Meadows has been promoted to Assistant Director of REACHH. Jennifer has been with REACHH 16 years and will be wonderful in her new role. Elizabeth “Nikki” Gill has been promoted to Family Support Center Director and has already implemented several new ideas to move her program forward. Josie McNeely was promoted to Felisha’s old position of CAC director. She is already doing an amazing job. Everyone is so excited and can’t wait to dig in and serve the community in bigger and better ways.
Congratulations to Felisha Hartwell and everyone on their new titles.
