Traci LaLiberte, PhD, MSW, LISW
Multidisciplinary Institute for Child Welfare Executive Director
Traci is the Executive Director of the Multidisciplinary Institute for Child Welfare, which houses and provides support and resources to the Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare, the Minnesota Linking Information for Kids Project and the Minnesota Child Welfare Training Academy. She oversees all aspects of Center programs and operations. Traci served as Executive Director of CASCW from 2007-2024.
Liz Snyder
Minnesota Child Welfare Training Academy Co-Director
Institute Leadership Team
Liz provides strategic leadership and management of the University units as part of our partnership with the Division of Children, Youth and Families (DCYF). Through this partnership the MNCWTA mission is to train, develop, and support the skills, expertise and well-being of Minnesota's child welfare workforce while nurturing a commitment to equitable child welfare practice.
Kristine Piescher, PhD
Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare Director
Institute Leadership Team
Kristy is the Director at CASCW. She oversees the professional education, outreach, and research and evaluation efforts of the Center, including the Minn-LInK project. Kristy’s research focuses on child well-being and educational success and stability for at-risk youth, child welfare workforce development and system change, housing and homelessness, interpersonal and sibling relationships, and utilizing cross-systems data for applied research and evaluation.
Eric Schnell, MEd
Director of Strategic Initiatives
Eric is the Director of Strategic Initiatives at the Multidisciplinary Institute for Child Welfare (MICW), where he advances the Institute’s mission through collaborative planning, inclusive leadership development, and organizational strategy. Eric began working with the Minnesota Child Welfare Training Academy (MNCWTA) as a strategic consultant in 2020, contributing to key leadership and operational initiatives. He officially joined MICW in May 2025, following his leadership of a major strategic planning initiative for the Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare (CASCW) throughout 2024. Eric is a nationally respected strategist and organizational leader with deep expertise in leadership development, conflict resolution, and fostering cultures of Diversity, Equity, Inclusion, and Belonging (DEIB). His career spans nonprofit and higher education sectors, where he is known for guiding teams through complex change and creating inclusive, mission-driven environments.
Nubia Esparza
Operations Manager
Nubia is the Operations Manager overseeing the day-to-day administrative operations for the Multidisciplinary Institute for Child Welfare, which includes the Minnesota Child Welfare Training Academy and the Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare. Her work supports leadership, finances and budgets, and human resource processes.
Nora Lee
Administrative and Operations Professional
Nora is the Administrative and Operations Professional at the Minnesota Child Welfare Training Academy. Nora has over 30 years of experience as an administrative assistant, including 10 years at the Center for Advanced Studies in Child Welfare (CASCW). Nora supports the Evaluation & Credentialing team and is also responsible for the facilities operations for the MNCWTA.
Paying Thao
Administrative Financial and Program Support
Paying assists with finances for the Multidisciplinary Institute for Child Welfare, including purchase requests, along with preparing, processing, and tracking various payments. Along with that, she also provides administrative and program support within the office environments and at Institute events throughout the year.
Crystal Fernandez
Executive Office and Administrative Support
Crystal works closely with the Multidisciplinary Institute for Child Welfare team to support areas of outreach, finance, administration, and events. Crystal also supports the Title IV-E students through their progression in the Title IV-E Fellowship Program and as they enter the workforce.