Board Members

Kristen Truffa (Chair) has worked in the field of youth services for over 20 years. Kristen worked at a community-based youth service organization for 10 years, in both direct services and administrative capacities, and has spent the last 11 years providing training, technical assistance, and capacity-building support services to youth and family service organizations statewide, regionally, and nationally. Presently she works for Goodwill Industries International and supports efforts to increase the capacity of Goodwills to provide high-quality services in the communities in which they operate. She has been involved in national public policy for the past eight years and presently is Vice Chair of the National Council on Youth Policy (NCYP) for the National Network for Youth. The NCYP provides leadership for developing strategies and policy on youth-related issues on behalf of over 300 youth-service agencies, and the youth and families they serve.

Nancy Fastenau (Secretary) has been president of Fastenau and Associates since 2008. Before founding the company, she was Executive Director of the Western States Youth Services Network for 23 years. Nancy brings 30 years of experience in non-profit capacity-building with diverse youth organizations, mentoring programs, emergency and crisis services and intergenerational programs. She is a nationally trained facilitator in the Institute for Cultural Affairs, Technologies of Participation, Group Facilitation Methods and is an active trainer for these methods. Her specialty is to help non-profits work with and see youth as resources in improving their communities, and she specializes in designing programs that feature peer learning as a way to expand skills and validate the expertise of experienced workers.


Tammy L. Hopper (Treasurer) is the president and CEO of the Youth and Family Services Network. Tammy has been on staff of YFSN since 2002 and sees the mission of the organization, "strengthening organizations as they strengthen youth, families and communities," as the driving force in her professional efforts. Tammy is a licensed clinical social worker and is a member of the inaugural class of Grants Professionals Certified (designation by the Grant Professionals Association). Prior to coming to YFSN, Tammy served as a clinical supervisor and program director for Child and Family Tennessee in Knoxville. She has also worked as part of PASAAC (Project Against Sexual Abuse of Appalachian Children) and local mobile crisis units. Tammy is a professional trainer and consultant and has worked in 33 states to address the needs of organizations to partner with youth in effective, engaging and solution-focused ways. Tammy served on the National Council on Youth Policy for 13 years and is currently in her 19th year of service as a member of the National Safe Place Advisory Board.