DELTA REGIONAL CHILD ADVOCACY CENTER BOARD OF DIRECTORS
Aaron Quinlan
Aaron is a dedicated law enforcement professional, graduating from LSSU with a Bachelor of Criminal Justice in 2008. He has devoted his entire career to serving in the Upper Peninsula, joining Gladstone Public Safety Department in 2015. Outside of work, he enjoys being in the outdoors and cherishes time with his daughters, Abby and Audra.
Casey Sager
Casey Sager, MD is a board-certified Obstetrician Gynecologist who has been practicing medicine in the Upper Peninsula for nearly 10 years. She is Michigan native who received her undergraduate degree from Northern Michigan University and completed medical school at Michigan State University. After her residency at St. Joseph Mercy Hospital in Ann Arbor, she moved to Escanaba and began practicing community-based care. Recently, she started a new position with the VA as the first gynecologist hired to provide dedicated womens healthcare to female Veterans of the Upper Peninsula and northeastern Wisconsin. Casey enjoys spending free time with her family and friends. She loves the water, so boating and fishing on the Great Lakes are some of her common pastimes. Casey can also be found experimenting with new recipes and trying her hand at creating a variety of ethnic dishes.
Karla Lehmann
Karla has spent her career dedicated to supporting victims of crime through investigation and advocacy. She spent twenty-five years as a Milwaukee Police Officer with half that time in the Sensitive Crimes Division. She is an expert victim interviewer and retired from MPD to conduct forensic interviews at the Milwaukee Child Advocacy Center. When Karla heard the Delta Regional Child Advocacy Center was opening as the first CAC in the UP, she was excited to be involved in the startup. She later transferred closer to home to the CAC in Iron Mountain. She most recently has left the CAC to continue her journey in advocacy as a Victim Advocate with the Michigan State Police at the Iron Mountain Post. She is excited to stay engaged in the important work of CAC operations as Co-Chair of the DRCAC board.
Lauren Wickman
Lauren Wickman is the Prosecuting Attorney for Delta County. She grew up in Oconomowoc, Wisconsin dreaming of becoming a Prosecuting Attorney. From the early age of 12 years old, Lauren wanted the thrill of being in a courtroom and advocating for victims.
Lauren attended the University of Wisconsin in Madison, Wisconsin, graduating in 2012 with a Bachelors in History and Political Science. While there, she spent a great deal of time playing trumpet in the Wisconsin Marching Band. After her time at Wisconsin, Lauren attended Michigan State University College of Law and got in the courtroom for the first time. Lauren worked in courtrooms with the Ionia County, Delta County, and Livingston County, and realized being a Prosecutor was truly her path.
Lauren has strong family ties to the Escanaba area, and spent time visiting family in the area when she was growing up. In 2014, Lauren worked in Delta County as an intern, she absolutely fell in in love with the area’s beauty and the amazing people. When she left to go back to law school, Lauren knew she would return to the Delta County area, in hopes becoming the Prosecutor. Lauren graduated law school and passed the bar to become a lawyer in 2015. She started with a private law firm in the Grand Rapids area, but kept in close contact with the area. In December 2016, received an offer to start in the Delta County Prosecutor’s Office 2016, was promoted to Chief Assistant in 2019, and was elected as Prosecutor in 2022. During her time in the Delta County Prosecutor’s Office, Lauren has advocated for victim rights in the Courtroom, developed strong relationships with local law enforcement, and sought to further the organizations, like the Delta Regional CAC by providing support.
When not in the courtroom, Lauren likes spending time with her 6-year-old Golden Retriever, Jack McCoy. They enjoy hiking and camping in the Upper Peninsula. Jack has also become Lauren’s favorite subject while practicing her photography skills. When they can’t be outside, Lauren and Jack enjoy watching movies and cooking.
Liza Plourde
Liza worked at the Delta County Jail for 23 years with her retiring in March of 2022. During her time as a corrections officer, she was known for her famous “Liza Lectures” that stuck with everyone who received one. As a corrections officer she aimed for a better life for those who wanted to do better. Her biggest accomplishment while working at Delta County Jail was creating the Liaison position. It is a grant funded position under Michigan's Indigent Defense Counsel. Her life’s passion has always been to help those in crisis due to difficult life circumstances. This position allowed her direct access to indigent defendants, court appointed attorneys & the courts. She was the advocate to ensure the defendant had legal counsel & access to the courts while being detained. She has been on the board of the CAC since it began in 2018. Right before the CAC was established, Liza went to training to become a forensic interviewer for the Delta County Sheriff’s Office as their child interviewer. She only had to do a few interviews before DRCAC was opened. Aside from the CAC board, she is also on the Board of Directors for Families Against Narcotics(FAN)- Delta County Chapter. She is also a volunteer for Delta County Victim Service Unit which is there to help families during crises such as fires, car accidents, death notifications, etc. She is also a local business owner and gives back to her community anyway she can. When she finds free time in her busy life, she spends time with her family and enjoys the outdoors.
Melissa Bonifas-Ness
Melissa Middaugh
Melissa has extensive work experience in program development and management roles. Melissa started their career in 2002 with the Peace Corps. Melissa's most recent role is with the Worldwide Orphans Foundation, where they serve as the Chief Program Officer. Melissa has served the Delta Regional Child Advocacy Center as the Forensic Interviewer, Director, and Board Chair. Melissa pursued their Master of Business Administration (M.B.A.) in Business Administration and Management, General from the University of Phoenix between 2008 and 2010.
Tabitha Turnacliff
Tabitha is with Escanaba Public Safety. She has been a law enforcement officer for 19 years. She began working with Vera (English Golden Retriever) about one year ago. Vera is used for victim interviews and community relations.
She has been on the board at the CAC since it started in 2018.
Whitney Maloney
Whitney is a small business owner who lives in Gladstone with her husband and three children. She was introduced to the Child Advocacy Center during a tour through the community leadership program, Delta Force, and knew that she wanted to support the organization much as possible. She has been a member of the Board of Directors from its creation, and recently assumed a role on the Executive Board as Secretary.
In her free time, you’ll find Whitney with her family wandering the woods, messing up the house with arts and crafts, feeding her sourdough starter, planning/planting/weeding/harvesting the garden, and enthusiastically attending the endless schedule of activities of her three active kids, hoping that in good time, they too will lend their hands to the network.