Meet Our Team
Steve HeilshorN
Executive Director
Steve Heilshorn is an ordained minister of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. In over 30 years of ministry, he has served as a staff director with the Defiance Area Youth for Christ for 10 years and 13 years as a youth/associate pastor at Trinity Friends Church in Van Wert. More recently, Steve served as the Senior Pastor at Dupont Church of the Brethren for four years. In November of 2021, he became the Executive Director of Children’s Lantern. He brings to this ministry a heart for kids and families in foster, adoptive, and kinship care with the love of Christ. His experience of ministry over the years has helped him in areas of fundraising, counseling, leadership, networking, and telling others of the hope we have through Jesus Christ. His purpose in life is to help others and point them to the Kingdom of God.
Steve and his wife Leslie live in Paulding. They have two boys, Samuel married to Marissa (Westerville, OH) and Benjamin (Columbus, OH). Lastly, Steve and Leslie are the grandparents of the most perfect little girl, Lucia.
Chris SiLLIMAN
Chief Financial Officer
Chris has lived in Defiance all her life. She and her husband love to end each day with a card game such as their favorite 2-hand euchre. She has 3 children and 5 grandchildren. She values quality time with her family and loves that she gets to work for an organization that values family as well.
Chris worked at GM in HR for 45 years. She made her transition to Children’s Lantern after she retired. When she is not working, she likes to sew and volunteer at her church.
TONYA BRISENO
FAMILY CARE COORDINATOR
Tonya Briseno is our Family Care Coodinator, working with foster, adoptive, and kinship care families. She pours her heart into helping these families working diligently to provide resources to families we serve, as well as providing support by way of connecting with children and caregivers through activities, events, and emotional support on a continual basis.
Tonya has been married to her husband, Steve, for 31 years. They have two children, Boston and Layla, and have fostered many teenagers. Before joining our Children’s Lantern family, Tonya served the Defiance community for 19 years at Youth for Christ.
Email: familycare@childrenslantern.org
jessica Myers
Marketing/communications director
Jessica has always had a heart for serving others, and we are so pleased to have her on our team. Her background in non-profit work brings a vault of experience and creativity. A natural born leader and speaker, Jessica is also active on her church leadership team, teaches a weekly women’s Bible study, and serves on the leadership team of Defiance Christian Home Educators co-op.
Jessica and her husband, Dan, are junior high sweethearts and have three children, Lillian, Landon, and Lane, whom they home school and enjoy their many activities, including all their little “funny farm” animals: goats, chickens, turkey, lambs, cats, and a dog. In her spare time, you can find her reading a good book, working on a Sudoku puzzle, gardening, or canning.
Email: marketing@childrenslantern.org
Kirsten Vanisacker
Social Media Specialist
Kirsten joined the CL team as our marketing intern and transitioned to our social media specialist. Currently, a student at Defiance College, Kirsten brings a young and fresh perspective to the trends on social media and challenges our staff to think outside the box. Kirsten also plays volleyball for the Yellow Jackets.
We are so blessed to have Kirsten on our team! Her heart to share Christ and serve others is refreshing and admirable.