Meet Our Staff
Tommy Vance, President & CEO
Tommy Vance is the President of The Underprivileged Children Foundation, Inc. He has been
working with children and families for over 25 years and is also the President of Vance Family
Services, Corp. which is one of the largest Administrative Services Organizations in the state.
He obtained his BS in Health Services Administration from West Virginia University Institute of
Technology in 1994 and resides in South Charleston with his wife, Crystal, his daughter
Makenna and two sons, Caleb and Noah. Coming from an impoverished childhood, Tommy has
witnessed firsthand how so many West Virginia children and families are in need. His devotion
and excitement to help others is unmatched by most and his ability to develop strong
relationships is the foundation of everything he does, both professionally and personally.
Keri Maynard, Vice President
Keri Maynard, LSW, is the Vice President and charter member of the Underprivileged Children
Foundation, Inc. (UCF), a not-for-profit organization providing in home behavioral health and other services to children and families across West Virginia. Mrs. Maynard has been involved with UCF since it began in 2016, working to bring much needed services to the underserved population she has worked with for 12 years. Mrs. Maynard also holds the title of Staff Supervisor for Vance Family Services (VFS), a West Virginia based socially necessary services company currently serving 11 counties. Her duties for VFS include training and supervising approximately 70 staff members, ensuring compliance with state and federal regulations, and most importantly, assisting VFS staff in the social work field to provide the best services possible for our state’s families who are involved in the Child Welfare system. A former Child Protective Services Worker in Wyoming County, WV, she is often regarded as someone who doesn’t shy away from difficult situations and who always had her clients’ best interest in mind. Mrs. Maynard has a BS in Psychology from Mountain State University and has been a Licensed Social Worker
for almost 12 years. She resides outside of Beckley, WV with her husband, Timothy, their two sons,
Parker and Sawyer. Her professional and personal experiences bring a unique and necessary perspective to the children and families we serve. Her dedication to helping others and her community make Mrs. Maynard an irreplaceable asset to our mission to “enhance and advance the lives of underprivileged West Virginia children and families in need.”
Thomas Bailey, Executive Director & COO
Thomas Bailey is the Executive Director and Chief Operating Officer for the Underprivileged Children Foundation, Inc., a West Virginia-based not-for-profit organization, overseeing the Foundation’s day-to-day operations. In this role, Mr. Bailey directs the strategic and operational efforts of the Organization’s divisions including Aspire Family Wellness and The Food S.H.A.C.K.
Aspire Family Wellness is a licensed behavioral health agency providing outpatient therapeutic and counseling services in the southern West Virginia region. As a founding board member, Mr. Bailey helped in the creation of Aspire Family Wellness. The Food S.H.A.C.K (Stopping Hunger Among Community Kids) provides no-cost meals to children and families in need throughout the Kanawha Valley. With more than 100,000 meals served since June 2020, the Food S.H.A.C.K is an established fixture in the community and delivers food through a colorful mobile food capability – a first for the region.
Thomas also serves as Executive Director and founding board member of the Three Oranges Foundation, a music education not-for-profit organization highlighting the artistry of famed pianist Dr. Barbara Nissman. He led the Foundation in its successful pursuit of several high-profile grants and new performance opportunities for Barbara.
He is the former Executive Vice President of Strategic Initiatives for KVC Health Systems, a Kansas-based not-for-profit organization. In this role, he provided guidance to the organization’s senior leadership on a variety of local, state, and federal government issues related to key policy initiatives, public-private partnerships, business enhancement, and acquisition/partnership strategies.
Mr. Bailey also previously served in numerous public roles, most notably as the Deputy Director of Operations for the U.S. Department of Defense authoritative biometrics repository at the Defense Forensics and Biometrics Agency, with responsibility for implementation and interoperability of national biometric systems across the joint military, governmental, and multi-national partner spectrum.
Bailey is a military veteran with more than 25 years of honorable service and was appointed by West Virginia Governor Earl Ray Tomblin to the Archives and History Commission, where he currently serves as Vice Chair. He also serves on the Executive Committee of the West Virginia Symphony Orchestra as Development Chair and is the 2021 Chairman for the Buckskin Council Friends of Scouting Campaign. Bailey has a BA and MA from Marshall University in Huntington, WV, and a Master’s Certificate from the Naval Postgraduate School in Monterey, CA, in Digital Identity Management. He is a Lieutenant Colonel in the United States Army Reserve with more than 25 years of service.
Kim Hughes, Clinical Director
For the past 22 years Kimberly Hughes has been seeking to make a difference in the lives of her patients. As a clinical psychologist she specializes in encouraging her patients to find their purpose in life. Her motto is to treat through self help and support whenever possible. She was inspired to enter the field of psychology after witnessing the lack of mental health services in her state and the negative stigma that was attached to Mental health services. She made it her priority to ensure future generations would have access to counseling therapy and mental wellness options that would enable them to grow as a community.
Kimberly graduated from Marshall University with her masters in clinical psychology. As a clinical psychologist she can treat children, adolescents as well as the adult population. After graduating she took her West Virginia licensing exam and became a licensed clinical psychologist in 1996. Her first job as a clinical psychologist was at Shawnee Hills mental Health Center where she practiced as a psychologist working with developmental disabilities of patients that receive services through title 19 waiver program. In this position she became a developmental specialist, brain injury specialist and she served on the waiver selection committee to approve new waiver recipients that were qualified and met eligibility criteria to receive intense services within their home and community. In addition to working as a developmental specialist Kimberly worked as the clinical director of the outpatient crisis program at Shawnee Hills. In this position she worked with adults that had severe mental health issues that required intense intervention.
After working many years at Shawnee Hills the company closed due to bankruptcy and Kimberly then opened up her own private practice located in Charleston West Virginia to continue to provide intense services to her patients. Currently she is employed as a clinical psychologist through Psi med inc. Psi-Med provides clinical services to correctional facilities and community based programs for juveniles as well as adults. Kimberly currently provides services for juveniles that are involved in the court system in Boone Lincoln and Logan Counties. She works closely with the court system and the juvenile detention centers. She also provides clinical supervision to supervised psychologists to assist with their expanding their treatment and services in the field of psychology.
In the past 24 years Kim has seen over 800 patients and assisted them through a variety of situations including depression, mental illness addiction, legal issues, IQ testing and multi dimensional services to the whole family. She offers careful and compassionate therapy with focus on understanding and connecting with the patient in a non-judge mental approach. Kim possesses the ability to stay in close relationship with patients that were seen in the past to ensure they are recovering and continue to be healthy. Kim is motivated by the success of her patients and fosters bonds of her relationships to ensure that her practice is therapeutic as well as comprehended to all patients that she is serving. Her approach to meeting all these challenges is with a very positive attitude and in a non-judgmental environment for good problem-solving skills. She is sincere and personable with her approach and thrives on the relationships she develops. She will go the extra mile to make sure her patients succeed in a therapeutic environment.
Amber Dingess, Assistant Clinical Director
Amber Dingess has devoted her career to helping guide individuals through life’s difficulties. With a decade of experience in treatment, her passion to help others is certainly demonstrated through years of community service and outreach. Amber completed her master’s degree through the Harold Abel School of Psychology in which she focused her studies on Clinical Psychology with a specialization of Applied Research. She has experience across a variety of treatment settings, interventions, and approaches with juveniles, adults, and families. She has a compassionate approach that allows her to provide individuals with a sense of comfort throughout the therapeutic process, with knowledge for processing and managing life’s challenging situations.
With our staff, it's personal
My first memories of my life. I guess I would have been around 5 yr old learning how to tie my shoes and being punished when I make a mistake. 2nd memory is living in the same house and having neighbors of falling down the stairs over and over again. At the same time period being in the hospital wanting to commit suicide. I remember the police being there. I see now where I acted out a lot. Skipping school in first grade. Standing up and fighting like an adult with my fist. Fast forward to 6th grade. Absolutely terrified of my Dad. some nights being woke up out of bed. Being made to stand by his chair while he watched TV and eat a bowl of ice cream. Being slapped and degraded. He would jump and scare me. Always being put down, and told I would never make it. The first 14 years of my life was like that. I was always in trouble at school. Then the unthinkable. I was involved in a gun accident that killed my Aunt. We dared not even say her name around our house. That is the way it was dealt with.
That is when I found alcohol. My Uncle Dale just got out of prison. He showed me a lot of good attention. He took me to the bars with him and told the bartender I was his boy So they let me drink. I know now I was just a lost kid, trying to live. The next several years was in and out of jail. A lot of car and street fights. My jail time only ranged from 24hrs -60 days. I didn’t like jail. The last 10 day stent I did. I notice(d) it didn’t bother me so much. I told myself this ant(wasn’t) good. I would move around the streets for a short time. I didn’t know it at the time, I was trying to find Ethan. I never was much of a thief. I learned to work there. I had some good jobs. Considering I quit school in 10th grade. And would later score a 8th grade level for studying for my G.E.D. Fast forward to 1983. I moved from just outside Dallas Texas to Huntington WV. My Birthplace.
I met the woman that would become my wife. She was an attractive woman raising a 5yr old girl on her own. Working at Camden Park and going to a career school. Fast forward to 1989 we landed in Charleston WV. My wife (Ellie)started a new job with the Federal Gov. and myself a new job at a commercial landowner and developers in Downtown Charleston. Just 3 blocks away from my wife’s work. I would hold this job for almost 4 yrs. I didn’t know it at the time but there was a ticking time inside me about to go off. I ran into some easy money. Quit my job and all hell broke lose (loose). I started doing Meth and cocaine for almost the next 10 yrs. I forgot to mention my training in Taekwondo and Golden Glove that I won several awards in and was good at. I say this because between what I know now. What was child abuse and my training. The Meth and cocaine made one mixed up messed up crazy S.O.B.
I grew up with a childhood friend, that would later become the president of the Hell’s Angels in the Akron area. I was wearing leather, riding Harleys and packing a 15 shot colt 45. And just on the verge of looking him up, to join up with them. When what I would find out later to be called in recovery Hitting my Bottom. I was a mess and didn’t know it. I stayed with way for the next 4 yrs. Fast forward 1999. Back to going in and out of jail. I am on my way to jail again. On the the judge seen I was a mess and was ready for help. I came on my own free will into recovery, not knowing at all that I was about to be facing my whole life. Past, present and future and what it would take to find Ethan. The hardest thing I have ever done in my life was to attain true quality, sobriety and know what the happen to Ethan. Fast forward 2012 I decided to open a recovery house with the support of my wife.
I had no clue what I was getting into around two years into the house. I ended up in counseling over the house. I would walk out of the house at the end of the day with tears in my eyes trying like hell not to give up, or lose it. I was one of the sickest people to walk into the rooms of recovery. I new (know) how addiction works and I new (know) how true recovery work(s). It took 4 years to get the structure in a good place, where the house was a safe place to be, the guys were staying clean and sober and they didn’t feel like they were being punished for being in recovery. Our success rate is estimated to be in the low 70% rate. We have a lot of beautiful storys coming out of our program. The way I develop the structure of the A.H was a difficult and very dangerous way of doing it. Having said it has made us how (who) we are. We are real.
Our Passion
Aspire Family Wellness, a division of the Underprivileged Children Foundation, Inc., is a licensed behavioral healthcare organization providing outpatient counseling, therapy, and addiction-related services to the southern West Virginia region. Founded by individuals with more than 100 years of combined experience in behavioral healthcare, Aspire Family Wellness is passionate for helping the members of our community live happy, productive, full lives. We understand that the journey through life’s traumatic experiences can often be frightening and we strive to help each client find the right healing path. Our staff are fully credentialed with a variety of specialties and backgrounds to deliver evidence-based services to all who seek help.
Our Goals
The Underprivileged Children Foundation, Inc., (UCF) is a West Virginia-based not-for-profit organization formed to enhance the lives of children and families through the provision of basic needs, mental health services, and collaborative partnerships with like-minded organizations to improve the health and wellness of impoverished children and youth in West Virginia.
Our Vision and Mission Statements
Vision Statement: UCF will become a cornerstone and guiding light in every community it serves as a direct and collaborative provider of basic necessities, advocacy and thought-leader for trauma-informed care & adverse childhood experiences, and provider of community-based behavioral health services to improve the lives of West Virginia children & families.
Mission Statement: UCF will seek to advance and enhance the lives of West Virginia children & families in need. UCF will accomplish this through providing identified basic needs, raising awareness surrounding the impacts of adverse childhood experiences, building coalitions of support, influencing public policy, and offering community-based mental health & counseling services.
Our Values
To meet this mission, UCF is dedicated to the following core values:
– All people deserve dignity, respect, and an opportunity to experience a healthy, positive environment
– Reducing the stigma surrounding substance use disorder and helping those impacted through their journey in recovery
– Community-based organizations are often best-suited to meet individual and family needs; coalitions of like-minded organizations will have the greatest impact when acting together
– The effects of trauma/adverse childhood experiences create lasting negative impacts if left untreated; the ‘scars’ of trauma can be treated and healed over time.
– Influencing public policy and raising awareness to create a sense of cultural accountability to foster positive childhood experiences effective treatment solutions, and trauma-informed environments that is imperative for a lasting improvement of the lives for those in our community.