Melissa Carter is a Clinical Professor of Law at Emory Law School and the Executive Director of the Barton Child Law and Policy Center, a multidisciplinary child law program seeking to promote and protect the legal rights and interests of children involved with the juvenile court, child welfare, and youth justice systems. In that role, she is responsible for the administration of the Center’s four clinics and other programming, directing the public policy and legislative advocacy clinics, and teaching child welfare and family law courses. Melissa brings more than 20 years of experience leading system change work through policy development, professional education, and legislative advocacy, including efforts that resulted in a comprehensive revision of Georgia’s Juvenile Code and dozens of state child welfare laws. She consults with state child welfare executives, judges, attorneys, and advocates across the U.S. and is a frequent presenter at local and state trainings and national conferences. She has published multiple book chapters and articles on child and family law and policy advocacy topics. Melissa also holds an appointment as a Clinical Professor in the Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences at Morehouse School of Medicine.

Before joining Emory Law in 2010, Melissa served in various governmental roles and represented children, parents, and caregivers in adoption, fertility law, dependency, and delinquency matters while in private practice.

Jerry Bruce has been a parent attorney, guardian ad litem, prosecuting attorney, delinquency and adult defender, Special Assistant Attorney General representing DFCS, and a juvenile court judge – essentially every job an attorney can do in Georgia’s juvenile courts. He led the Georgia Supreme Court’s Court Improvement Program for five years. In June of 2021 he was appointed by Governor Brian Kemp to be Georgia’s Child Advocate, leading the Office of the Child Advocate for the Protection of Children. He is an adjunct faculty member at the Emory University School of Law, co-lead faculty for Georgia’s Multi-Disciplinary Child Abuse and Neglect Institute, and is co-author of Georgia’s The Guardian ad Litem in Dependency Proceedings: A Guide to Best Interest Advocacy. He regularly writes, speaks, and trains on child welfare issues in Georgia and nationally. 

Heather Rowles is the Executive Director of the Multi-Agency Alliance for Children (MAAC) and has held this role since 2004. Prior to being selected as the Executive Director, she served on the MAAC Clinical Team from 1998-2004, and has over 21 years of experience in Child Welfare. Since becoming the Executive Director of MAAC in 2004, the agency has grown from one full-time staff serving 60 youth to over 80 full-time staff serving over 1500 youth at any given time. MAAC is a statewide program and partner agencies located across the state and has been recognized through the state and nationally for its work in child welfare that includes increased graduation rates for students in foster care and a 42% permanency rate (compared to 8% nationally). MAAC has eleven programs innovatively addressing the needs of youth and families including parenting teens, life skills training for youth in foster care and educational support and coordination.

Heather has a master’s degree in Public Administration and a bachelor’s degree in Psychology. She is a 2011 graduate of the Stanford Graduate School of Business - Center for Innovation (CSI) Fellowship Executive Program for Nonprofit Leaders and 2018 graduate of the Harvard Business School Executive Strategic Perspectives in Nonprofit Management. She has served on numerous Boards and committees including appointment to the Child Welfare Reform Council, Teen Parent Connection, Embrace Operating Committee, and the Child Placement Conference Committee. She is a seasoned presenter and trainer at child welfare-related conferences around the United States. MAAC has won Top Workplace by the Atlanta Journal Constitution for 5 years in a row including the Meaningfulness Award two years and Heather won the Leadership Award for Small Business. Heather currently serves on the board of directors for the Atlanta Film Society as the Treasurer, is a member of The Episcopal Church of the Epiphany, and lives in Atlanta with her husband Matt and their son.  

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