John Fisher-Klein lives in Wilmington, Delaware with his husband of nearly 13 years and their dog Cricket and cat Kipo. He is a proud lifelong Delawarean, having grown up and attended public schools in Sussex County. John earned his bachelor’s degree from the University of Delaware in Family Studies and his master’s degree from Wilmington University in the Administration of Human Services. He also has certificates in nonprofit management and finance from the University of Delaware.

For JFS Delaware, John oversees Human Resources, Risk Management, Quality Improvement, IT, and Facilities. His focus is on helping the agency become more internally efficient, developing more strategic systems and structure, and focus on forwarding the goals in our strategic plan.

While always focused on serving the community, John has had varied professional experiences. He began his career as an intern at AIDS Delaware, a statewide nonprofit HIV/AIDS service organization. After graduating from UD, John was offered a full time position as a program manager with the organization. He held other positions over the next few years, and eventually earned the role of executive director.

John left AIDS Delaware for Newark Day Nursery and Children’s Center (NDNCC), a similar-sized nonprofit (in terms of budget) with a very different mission. At NDNCC John found a passion for early childhood education as a multisolver. From NDNCC, he would go on to hold several positions in the Delaware Department of Education’s Office of Early Learning, eventually becoming the director of that office.

Most recently, John has been focused on advocacy and public policy at the United Way of Delaware. He also has experience as an adjunct instructor at Wilmington University, has played a key role in strategic planning for various nonprofits, and has served on several Boards of Directors.

Liberty is the Chief Advancement Officer and oversees Marketing and Communications at JFS Delaware, where she leads strategies to drive growth, strengthen donor relationships, and advance the organization’s mission. Known for her ability to build sustainable fundraising programs, she has a strong track record of increasing giving and ensuring long-term financial stability. Before joining JFS, Liberty served as Development Manager at Family Promise of Southern Chester County.

Liberty holds a Certification in Professional Fundraising from Boston University Metropolitan College and a Juris Doctorate from Elisabeth Haub School of Law at Pace University. She practiced law for nearly 10 years in both New York and New Jersey, developing skills in negotiation, strategy, and advocacy, which she now applies to her nonprofit work to craft high-impact development strategies and plans. She graduated with a B.A. from Rutgers University.

In addition to her development work, she has served as a Board Governor for an elementary school in London. Her work on the board demonstrated her ability to balance strategic oversight with operational effectiveness, ultimately leading to stronger outcomes for the school. Liberty also has a passion for community engagement and education, having worked with Delaware AmeriCorps for four years. She also was an entrepreneur, starting a business while living in London for almost 10 years. Her diverse background in law, governance, business, education, and nonprofit development allows her to bring a result-driven approach to her work, helping organizations achieve lasting impact.

Liberty is married with three children and two dogs, a pug and a chocolate lab. They all keep her very busy outside of work.

Karen “Renna” Van Oot is a dynamic and versatile professional with over 30 years of experience in the development, growth and leadership of government, non for profit and business organizations. She has expertise in nonprofit management with emphasis on strategic planning and organizational restructuring and is knowledgeable in a breadth of nonprofit related issues. She brings a talent for building and maintaining strong business and community relationships.

Renna graduated from the University of Delaware with a degree in Psychology, and went on to Bryn Mawr Graduate School of Social Work and Social Research for both a Master of Social Service and a Master of Law and Social Policy. Later in her career, she attended Widener Law School (now Delaware Law School) and obtained her Juris Doctor.  Renna has served on numerous boards, and currently is on the board of YWCA Delaware.

Renna is passionate about serving the community through nonprofit mission-based work.  She also enjoys traveling, music, and learning about other cultures.  Renna grew up and worked predominantly in northern Delaware and the metropolitan Philadelphia region, and now resides in Chester County, Pennsylvania.

Lisa Brooks is the Chief Financial Officer for JFS Delaware. She is responsible for financial reporting and presentation, budget preparation, grant monitoring, and recurring accounting responsibilities.

Lisa has over 25 years of experience in accounting and finance, most of which is in the financial services industry. She has a BS in Accounting and an MBA both from the University of Delaware. She’s also a Certified Public Accountant, Certified Management Accountant, and Certified in Financial Management.

In her free time, Lisa enjoys dabbling in the hair care industry and staying on top of the latest Marvel Cinematic Universe (MCU) and Star Wars projects with her son.

Wendell, Chief Program Officer for JFS Delaware, is responsible for providing clinical and administrative level support to JFS community-based programs and is the primary contact for the implementation of new community based clinical projects. In this role, Wendell focuses on agency-wide programming needs, community needs, internal and external trainings, therapist recruitment, and more. Prior to this, he was the Clinical Director of the JFS Fellowship Program. Wendell has been working with JFS for three years.

A Licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Wendell received his Master’s in Social Work (MSW) from Syracuse University in 2015.  His passion is families and he has shown this by spending most of his career in behavioral healthcare, providing therapy to families of high risk/gang-involved youth and families that have experienced the removal of a child by the Department of Children and Family Services. Early on at JFS, Wendell was the Director of Program Operations and Training and was an integral member of the COMPASS team, applying his expertise as a LCSW to assist individuals and families impacted by dementia.  In addition to his work with JFS, Wendell is also an International Consultant and Trainer for Functional Family Therapy, LLC (FFT) and provides ongoing clinical supervision, support, and training to FFT teams around the world. Previously, Wendell worked with the Salvation Army (NY) for 10 years as well as Family Promise of NCC (DE). 

In 2023, Wendell was recognized as one of Delaware Business Times 40 Under 40’s outstanding young professionals who are making a name for themselves through innovative ideas, business excellence, and community involvement.  Additionally, he has been chosen to be a part of the Leadership Delaware 2024 Fellowship class.  This is a yearlong educational program for adult professionals preparing them with the knowledge, vision, integrity, and networks to significantly impact and transform their communities and be leaders within Delaware.

Originally from NY state, Wendell and his family took a giant leap and moved to Delaware for a fresh start during the pandemic.  They have called Wilmington, DE home for almost three years. A dad of two boys, Wendell and his wife are busy. Weekends are often spent exploring the First State and all it has to offer. A favorite is camping down at the Delaware Beaches. Wendell is also a lifelong Eagles fan, a caffeine fanatic, and enjoys a 5 AM run before the day even begins. 

Lisa has extensive hands-on experience helping to empower underserved populations and assisting them in maximizing their potential. She has worked as a case manager for the last 8 years, helping at-risk clients reduce crisis situations and better manage life’s challenges; this involved conducting critical assessments of client needs, assisting with setting goals, providing emotional support, and linking clients with a variety of community-based resources. Through her learning and previous experiences, Lisa brings strong communication, organizational, and problem-solving skills to her current role as Director of Performance and Quality Improvement. She can quickly adapt to changing circumstances and provide the direction needed to manage projects start-to-finish.

Lisa is a mother of two sons, the oldest is traveling the world in the Navy and the youngest is a senior in high school, currently applying to colleges to study video production. Lisa shares that she is in recovery with 11 years clean and is certified as a peer specialist.

Lisa earned a BA in English and a BA in Communications from Ursinus College in Collegeville, PA.