Brittney Pearson, LMSW, LCPAA, is the Senior Vice President of Permanency for EMPOWER. In this role, she is solely dedicated to advancing permanency outcomes.
Brittney has more than 15 years of child welfare experience. She is a former Conservatorship Program Director for Child Protective Services in Dallas County. Additionally, she had a hand in launching Safe Babies in her program, served as the liaison for the Community Resource Coordination Group, as well as overseeing the drug court. Brittney also currently serves on Texas A&M University-Commerce Social Work Advisory Board.
She has her Bachelors and Master’s degree in Social Work. Additionally, Brittney is also a Licensed Master Social Worker and Licensed Child Placing Administrator.

Nora DeWitt is the Vice President of Permanency for EMPOWER, a program of TFI. In this role, she is responsible for serve the following counties in the Metroplex East Region: Dallas, Ellis, Navarro, Kaufman, and Rockwall.
Nora has worked in child welfare for the past 28 years. She retired from the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) where she served as Program Administrator for both Conservatorship and Family-Based Safety Services. She also served as a Permanency Practitioner, Risk Manager, Academy Trainer, Investigator, and Legal Liaison. While working as a Program Director for the Department of Family and Protective Services she and her team were able to move over six hundred youth, who had been lingering in care, to Permanency during the COVID-19 pandemic.
Nora received her Bachelor’s Degree from Texas Woman’s University. She obtained her Master’s Degree in Social Work from the University of Texas.

Johnson brings nearly two decades of Dallas area child welfare experience, including at the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS), where she helped children make informed decisions about their permanency. Johnson was most recently the Director of Strategic Initiatives & Outcomes at the Transition Resource Action Center (TRAC), where she oversaw fund allocation, financial documentation and compliance with grant requirements.

As Vice President of Permanency, Johnson will oversee permanency support services at EMPOWER. “Her experience in child welfare and housing support programs for at-risk youth is exactly what we want leading this team,” said Brittany Pearson, Sr. VP of Permanency, EMPOWER. “We are excited to be able to bring her passion for addressing social issues and creating a community impact to EMPOWER.”

Johnson holds her Doctorate in Human Services from Capella University. She also earned her Master of Science in Child & Adolescent Psychology from Northcentral University, and a Bachelor of Science in Sociology & Psychology from Dallas Baptist University.

Anika Jones brings more than a decade of experience in child welfare and permanency services to her role as Vice President of Permanency at EMPOWER. She is deeply committed to improving the lives of children and families, fostering stability and creating brighter futures for those in need.

Anika’s academic foundation in social work includes a Bachelor of Social Work from the University of Memphis and a Master of Social Work from Texas A&M Commerce. As a licensed child-placing agency administrator, she continues to prioritize quality and compassion in every aspect of her work.

Anika’s career in social services began in 2014, where she quickly earned a reputation for her dedication and leadership. She joined the Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS) in 2016 and served in a variety of impactful roles, including conservatorship caseworker, supervisor and program director. Anika transitioned to EMPOWER during the implementation of Community-Based Care Stage II and most recently served as Director of Permanency.

In her current position, Anika provides executive leadership for EMPOWER’s permanency programs, guiding strategic initiatives, supporting leadership teams, and ensuring compliance with state and federal regulations. Her focus remains on enhancing program performance and creating meaningful, lasting outcomes for children and families.

“I am honored to serve in this capacity and to continue supporting the mission of EMPOWER,” Anika shares. “Every child deserves a safe, loving place to call home, and I am dedicated to advancing permanency services that make that possible.”

With her vision, expertise and compassionate approach, Anika is an integral part of EMPOWER’s mission to serve children and families with care and integrity.

Vinson brings to the position more than two decades of experience in child welfare and behavioral health. Her career includes distinguished service with the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS), Region 3 East and most recently as Permanency Director for EMPOWER, where Vinson led programs focused on safety, stability and long-term permanency outcomes for children and youth in care.

As Vice President of Permanency, Vinson will lead permanency efforts for our Permanent Managing Conservatorship (PMC) and extended care youth with a strong focus on:

· Advancing safe, stable and timely permanency outcomes

· Ensuring high-quality case practice aligned with legal and policy requirements

· Elevating youth voice, well-being and successful transitions into adulthood

· Driving accountability through data-informed decision-making and team oversight

Vinson’s background also includes leadership and clinical roles with other community-based organizations, building a strong foundation in mental health services, case management and youth development.

“Her leadership style reflects a strong commitment to accountability, collaboration and outcomes-driven practice,” said Brittany Pearson, Sr. VP of Permanency, EMPOWER. “We are confident that this expertise and passion will further strengthen our permanency continuum.”

Vinson holds a Master of Social Work from Texas A&M University–Commerce and a Bachelor of Science in Social Work from Texas College.

Angela L. Nowell is the Texas Chief Quality Officer for Texas Family Initiative LLC. She oversees quality assurance, compliance, performance improvement, care coordination, provider engagement, utilization review, training and caseload compliance and other quality initiatives across Texas Family Initiative programs.

Before her current role, Angela held multiple roles at TFI, including Chief of Staff and Senior Administrator for Texas overseeing both executive functions and programmatic quality improvement. Angela joined the TFI Family of Companies in 2020 after having led a leading Child Placing Agency in the State of Texas for several years. In addition, she spent fifteen years working for the Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (DFPS), primarily in the Residential Child Care Licensing Division.

Angela has a Masters's Degree in Public Administration and a Graduate Certificate in Public Budgeting and Financial Management from the University of Texas at Arlington. Additionally, she received a Bachelors Degree in Social Science, a Bachelors Degree in History, and an Associates Degree in Applied Business from Shawnee State University. Since 2014, she has been a Licensed Child Placing Agency Administrator in the State of Texas.