Our Staff

I have been so blessed to be able to volunteer, march, advocate and share my special needs parent perspective over the last decade. Currently, I serve as Chairman of the Board of Directors for the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation-Heart of America Chapter, am active as the State Advocacy Chair and National Advocacy Mentor and serve on the CFF National Volunteer Leadership Council. Last year, I was appointed by Governor Kelly to serve on the Kansas Council on Developmental Disabilities and participate on the Governance Sub-Committee. I have been a parent advocate on the KDHE Special Health Services Family Advisory Council and State Newborn Screening Advisory Council for the past seven years and currently participate in the KDHE Bureau of Family Health Screening and Surveillance Unit’s Education & Outreach Advisory Committee.

In my spare time, I like to take long walks to the laundry pile, clean house incessantly, run kids to numerous activities and feed the mass of neighborhood children that reside in our cul-de-sac. For fun, I enjoy watching football, shopping, bootcamp, spending time with my family and friends, going to the movies with my hubby and volunteering for causes near and dear to my heart.

Cristin Coats

Operations Manager

Cristin has a knack for making connections with everyone she meets. Her kind-hearted nature is balanced by her strong desire to make a true difference in the lives of the moms and babies we serve at The Treehouse. In addition to managing the day-to-day operations, Cristin assists the Executive Director and manages the marketing and publications materials. Her goal is simple, to give donors a little insight into the blessings of The Treehouse. Cristin graduated from Newman University with an MBA in Leadership, and from Wichita State University with a BA in Marketing. Her passion for serving moms and babies stems from her own experiences as a mother and wife to her children Eli, Enzo, and Eva and husband Todd.

Jaleen Claassen

Client Services Coordinator

Jaleen Claassen has a passion for Treehouse moms and babies. While teaching 4th grade in the Wichita Public Schools, her desire to reach struggling moms before children entered school led her to The Treehouse. Jaleen will use her own experience as a teacher and mother to help build relationships with women needing support, expand The Treehouse classroom programs and Earn While You Learn. As a wife to Brandon, and mother of four children, Brady, Elias, Juliet and Pepper, Jaleen relates to the challenges all new moms face regardless of their circumstances.

Nicolette Ellison

Development Director

Nicolette comes to the Tree House as the new Director of Development and is excited to work alongside the team, support groups, and volunteers to help continue growing the vision and legacy of serving mothers and children!  She has a passion for building relationships and a purpose for serving all of which led her to the Treehouse.

Because of those callings Nicolette completed her coursework and earned her BS in Early Childhood Education in 2017.  Shortly after completion she founded and opened Forever Learners Childcare Program.  Forever Learners was a licensed program that served families for 4-years with childcare needs, resources, and parental growth programs.  She was then recruited to join The Center, a newly constructed neighborhood community outreach center, as their Director and lead member of the strategic team.  During that time, she oversaw programming, marketing, fund raising, and growth initiatives that served over 8,000 in the community.  

Board of Directors

Darren Minks

DeeAnn Bragg

Tamara Woods

Leyanne Oller

Hayley Cheatham

Lee Ann Vandervort

Sara Ayesh