Our Board
Taryn Cooper
Taryn is the founder & CEO of Embracing Smiles. Taryn’s experience is rooted in the financial world, having worked in financial planning and mortgage trading for many years. When the Covid pandemic hit, Taryn decided to pivot paths and help provide financial assistance in a new way. Her journey to start this non-profit stemmed from her husband Justin’s career in orthodontics. Taryn and Justin felt there was a major need to advocate for kids who could benefit from orthodontic treatment but could not afford the costly service on their own. As a result, Embracing Smiles was born, whose mission is to provide FREE Orthodontic services to children in Florida’s Foster Care system.
Maureen Brockman
Maureen Brockman has over 25 years of experience in corporate communications, PR, marketing and development. She represents Embrace Families, which is the Central Florida non-profit agency responsible for managing that region's child welfare system. As Executive Director of the Embrace Families Foundation, Maureen oversees internal and external communications and community relations, as well as leading the agency's development team. In 2017, as administrator of a joint initiative funded by Sunshine Health and CBC Integrated Health, Maureen led establishment of the My Healthy Child Grant Fund, which provides braces for children in foster care throughout the state of Florida. Her knowledge and background in social services provides the board with significant resources and tools to help as many clients as possible.
Kenia Allen
Kenia Allen is the Director of Children’s Well-being for Broward and Palm Beach Counties. She has over 25 years of experience working in case management and child welfare, as well as extensive experience in the non-profit sector, having worked for the Department of Children and Families for 7 years and ChildNet, Inc. for 18 years. ChildNet serves as the Community Based Care (CBC) lead agency in Broward and Palm Beach Counties and is the single private non-profit entity responsible for managing services for the community's most vulnerable children. Kenia joins the board as a key advocate for children and families, fusing her passion for serving the community with her belief in the importance of orthodontics.
Volunteers
Brooke Lukes
Community Outreach Advisor
Lisa Schultz
Community Outreach Advisor