Our Board
The board of the Louisiana Chapter of AFCC is composed of mental health and legal professionals who work across the state to improve outcomes for families.
Treasurer/ Past President: Hon. Maggie Simar
16th JDC
Lafayette, LA
Since 2003, Maggie has been the Hearing Officer for the 16th Judicial District’s Family Court docket. In that capacity, she hears and pre-tries all family filings, including custody, child support, domestic violence litigation, spousal support, use of property, community property and any other ancillary issue pending from divorce, custody or domestic violence litigation, including criminal non support. Prior to Maggie’s service at the Court, she worked at Acadiana Legal Service for 4 years, practicing exclusively family law. Before private practice, she worked for the Third Circuit Court of Appeals in the Criminal Central Staff.
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Maggie is highly engaged in her community; she is steadfastly committed to promoting Access to Justice and currently serves on the Lafayette Bar Foundation board, the Louisiana State Bar Association Editorial Board, the Louisiana State Bar Foundation board, Junior League of Lafayette Management Team and Board of Directors and Maddie’s Footprints boards.
When Maggie is asked: “why AFCC Louisiana”, she says that the multidisciplinary access that the organization provides is unparalleled and unmatched by any other organization. AFCC Louisiana provides a connected and committed organization working towards the same goal of better access to families in the communities in which we serve.
President: Keri Forbess-McCorquodale
President, Solutions Counseling & EAP
Lake Charles, LA
Keri has over 30 years of experience in the mental health arena and is a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist, a National Certified Counselor, Certified Employee Assistance Professional, a Parent Coordinator and a Qualified Substance Abuse Professional under the Department of Transportation guidelines. She specializes in the areas of couples, adolescents and their families, substance abuse, as well as business and industry.
Keri promotes volunteerism through membership in The Junior League of Lake Charles, Inc., for which she is a past president, as a past board member of the Calcasieu Women’s Shelter, and as a current board member of the
Southwest\Louisiana Law Center. Additionally, she is a past president of the Louisiana Marriage and Family Counselor’s Association.
When asked why Keri is so committed to AFCC-LA, she responded: “A s a Parent Coordinator, I find AFCC Louisiana to be invaluable. I have learned so much about the court system, and have formed relationships with others doing this incredible work to help Louisiana families. I also love having the latest research about families and children involved in the court system at my fingertips!”
Past President: Hon. Patti Oppenheim
22nd JDC
Covington, LA
Judge Patti Oppenheim is the Judge for Division K of the 22nd Judicial District Court, one of the two divisions of the Court which focuses on family law, including divorces, custody, child support, spousal support and community property. Her term began on January 1, 2021.
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Judge Oppenheim is a Board-Certified Family Law Specialist. She has been a part of the 22nd Judicial District Court’s Family Court since its inception in 2009. She is a long-time member of the Self-Represented Litigant Committee, a member of the international multi-disciplinary Association of Family and Conciliation Courts (AFCC) and serves on the Board of Directors for the state chapter of AFCC. Additionally, Judge Oppenheim has served as the Administrator and Counselor for the 22nd JDC Inns of Court since 2009, a group that promotes attorney civility and professionalism, and is currently serving as its acting President.
Member at Large: Kim Ngan Nguyen
Attorney
New Orleans, LA
Kim is a principal at Hoffman Nguyen & Kuehl. She is a top rated licensed Louisiana attorney with the distinct honor of being named Top 50: Louisiana Super Lawyers; Top 50: New Orleans Super Lawyers; and Top 25: Women Louisiana Super Lawyers and continues to maintain these distinctions. She devotes and maintains an active general civil litigation practice since 2004, with a concentration in Family and Domestic law. Kim brings a high level of expertise and experience to all of her cases. She practices in all areas of family law, including counseling clients considering pre- and postnuptial agreements, highly contentious child custody cases, support actions, complex property disputes, and dissolution of business entities related to divorce. Her experience and acumen in interpreting and applying the Uniform Child Custody Jurisdiction and Enforcement Act (UCCJEA) and the Hague Convention On the Civil Aspects of International Child Abduction (HCCAICA 1980) along with the relationships she has developed with attorneys in other states and countries provide her clients with a legal advantage in interstate and intrastate jurisdictional disputes, international child custody disputes, child abduction and relocation cases.
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In addition to her law practice, Kim is a frequent lecturer at Loyola University College of Law New Orleans, and she also lectures on family law topics at continuing professional education seminars. Kim also serves her community on various boards and participates in projects near and dear to her heart through a number of organizations, including, The Pro Bono Project, Juvenile Diabetes Research Foundation, Second Harvest Food Bank, and Junior League of New Orleans.
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When asked "why AFCC-LA", she says that the resolution of family conflict through an interdisciplinary approach is vital and AFCC provides not only a bridge between professionals, but also access to the most updated information and resources.
Member at Large: Lisa Williams
LCSW
St. Francisville, LA
Lisa LeBon Williams, LCSW-BACS is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in private practice. She currently works with individuals and families who are managing the effects of traumatic events including court related matters. Lisa graduated with degrees in Education and Social Work from Louisiana State University, and has two decades of experience providing compassionate care to individuals facing challenging interpersonal dynamics.
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When asked "why AFCC Louisiana", she says that court-involved families need professionals who can provide sympathetic and informed care. AFCC provides education about current research and best practices which lead to improved outcomes for families.
John Martin
Attorney
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John Martin, Esq., MBA, MSCM, is a successful commercial and family law attorney with 24+ years experience; is an active member of the LA State Bar as well as affiliate member of the State Bar of Georgia; and is a mediator, arbitrator, and conflict coach concentrating in all matters of commercial and family conflict resolution with practices in Georgia and Louisiana. John earned his BA in Political Science and MBA from LSU, his JD from Southern University Law Center, and MS in Conflict Management from Kennesaw State University, School of Conflict Management, Peacebuilding, and Development. Additionally, John serves as a course facilitator in business law, negotiation, and conflict management for Cornell University, is the primary trainer of Domestic Relations mediation at the Kennesaw State University, Conflict Management Center, is an adjunct professor at Johnson University teaching business law, negotiation, and ethics in both the BS and MBA programs, and is a CASA Happily married living in Atlanta, GA, with three teenage children, John splits his time between Louisiana and Georgia focusing on a thriving in-person and virtual mediation and conflict coaching practice.
Secretary: Heather T. Landry
LPC-S
Lafayette, LA
Heather T. Landry is a Licensed Professional Counselor Supervisor in good standing with the state of
Louisiana. She also maintains additional licensure in multiple states.
A University of Louisiana at Lafayette Ragin Cajun and McNeese State University Alumni, as well as a
former Secondary Mathematics Educator, Heather founded PBH Behavioral Consulting and Counseling
LLC to provide secure, HIPAA approved, Telehealth, private, licensed mental health services to Louisiana,
Texas, and Washington residents.
She proudly maintains merit as a Qualified Child Custody Evaluator, Qualified Parent Plan Evaluator,
Mediator, and Parent Coordinator.
Her personal stories define her priority for ensuring individuals receive qualified licensed mental health
professional services relating to Child Custody Evaluations, Parent Plans Evaluations, Mediation, Parent
Coordination, Reunification Therapy, Co-parenting, Parallel Parenting, Pre-surrendering Counseling for
Adoptions, Brief Focused Assessments, Risk Assessments, Independent Behavioral Health Consultations,
Pre-surgical Evaluations including Spinal Cord Stimulator, Bariatric, and Opioid Assessments, Behavioral
Health Depositions and Expert Witness Testimony for Plaintiffs’ and Defendants’, Psychological
Assessments, Behavioral Health Diagnosing, Individual Psychotherapy for Executive Professionals,
Accelerated Resolution Therapy, Provisional Licensed Professional Counselor Supervision, and Mental
Health Seminar/Professional Development Presentations.
When Heather is asked “why AFCC Louisiana”, she says, at the end of the day, my children are my
greatest accomplishment, and AFCC Louisiana gives me the opportunity as a LPC Supervisor and a
mother to utilize networking resources of multiple professional roles who effectively collaborate with
each other to ensure our greatest commodity, our children involved in the family law system have their
individual needs properly addressed, by providing encouragement, best practice based on research, and
a passion for inducing change to achieve the greatest possible outcome.
Member-at-Large: Angela Landry
Licensed Clinical Social Worker
St. Francisville, LA
Angela Landry, LCSW-BACS is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in private practice in St. Francisville, Louisiana. She specializes in addictions, domestic violence, parent coordination, family mediation, co-occurring disorders, court related matters, trauma, grief, couples counseling, and
behavioral difficulties. She is licensed in Louisiana and Mississippi and certified in Accelerated Resolution Therapy.
Angela graduated from Louisiana State University with degrees in Family, Child, and Consumer Sciences, Psychology, and a Masters in Social Work.
When asked why AFCC Louisiana, she believes mental health
professionals can play a crucial role by providing valuable insights and support in families in several ways.