April 20, 2022
Koinonia Family Services is pleased to announce that Dr. Tiffany Sickler has been selected by the Board of Directors as its new Executive Director. With extensive qualifications and 15 years of management experience in the field of children and family services, Dr. Sickler is well-equipped to lead Koinonia forward.
Dr. Sickler is preceded by Sam Golden, who served as Koinonia’s Executive
Director since 2007. “We would like to thank Sam for his 39 years of service to the agency. We wish him all the best,” says Board President, Cary Nosler. “The board understands all the things that make Koinonia so special, including our mission, history, values, relationship focus, and our great staff. We have kept all of this in mind through the process of selecting a new executive director who can lead us into a bright future. Please join me in congratulating Tiffany in her new position as Executive Director.”
Dr. Sickler is both humbled and hopeful as she steps into her new role. “I hope to serve as a model of competent servant leadership, continually reinforcing the agency’s values in actionable ways,” says Dr. Sickler. “I hope to foster a culture of respect, grace, encouragement, acknowledgement and accountability.”
The newly-appointed Executive Director earned her Bachelor’s degree in social work in 1995 (Whittier College), followed by a Master’s degree in psychology in 2001. She then earned a Ph.D. in clinical psychology from the Chicago School of Professional Psychology in 2010.
Dr. Sickler joined Koinonia in 2005 as a social worker and two years later was promoted to district administrator. In 2019, she became the program director for Koinonia’s Southern California region. Throughout her time at Koinonia, she has collaborated with county programs to more effectively serve youth and families. Additionally, Dr. Sickler is one of 32 professionals chosen by the California Health Care Foundation (CHCF) to represent the California medical/behavioral health field and prepare a California Health Improvement Plan (CHIP) to address the needs of youth and caregivers involved in child welfare.
This passion for serving families and youth is not limited to Dr. Sickler’s professional journey. Since 2005, she has fostered 13 youth between the ages of 9 months and 20 years old. In 2012, she adopted two teen sisters from foster care. Dr. Sickler’s heart for foster youth and families shines through all she does, and her hopes for the future are bright. “Koinonia has a workforce with a wide range of unique lived experience, volunteer and work experience, and education,” Dr. Sickler says. “I believe we are well-equipped to manage the shifting trends in our field of service, and we have teams of quality individuals willing to take those steps forward with us.”