Our Team

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We are a team of passionate people bound by a belief that the mental health of young people and their families is momentous to their success.

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We work at the heart of education and mental health to help young people and families live happier, healthier lives.

Meet our leadership team

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Momentous Institute Team

Jessica Gomez, Psy.D, LP

Executive Director

Dr. Jessica Gomez is a Bilingual Licensed Psychologist and Executive Director of Momentous Institute. She has worked with children and families for over 15 years and is dedicated to building healthy communities where children have access to quality education and mental health services.

Dr. Gomez is an active thought leader in mental health through publications, presentations, and collaboration with community leaders. She also served as a clinical and assessment supervisor on the APA Training Committee that oversees doctoral and post-doctoral psychology fellows. Dr. Gomez received her doctorate in clinical psychology and master’s degree in counseling psychology from the Adler School of Professional Psychology in Chicago, Illinois. She specializes in community mental health, staff development/training, family therapy and the treatment of complex trauma.

She has presented at TPA (Texas Psychological Association), NLPA (National Latino Psychological Association), Texas Pediatric Association, Aspen Challenge, Telemundo, NBC, KERA and Univision. Dr. Gomez has been published in APA’s The Family Psychologist Journal: “The Accidental Family Therapist”, Parent Magazine: “5 ways to help children be more inclusive of other kids”.

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Momentous Institute Team

Laura Vogel, Ph.D., LP

Director of Mental Health Services

Laura Vogel joined Momentous Institute in 2007. Her previous experience includes over 25 years of working with children and their families. Laura is a licensed psychologist who received her Ph.D. in Counseling Psychology at The University of North Texas and a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Austin College.

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Momentous Institute Team

Tina L. Robertson, LCSW-S

Director of Innovation and Impact

Tina is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and joined Momentous Institute in January 2016. Her previous experience includes over two decades of work in the mental health field through various direct practice, community outreach and organizational leadership roles. She received her bachelor’s degree in English/Political Science from Jarvis Christian College and her master’s degree in social work from University of Texas-Arlington.

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Momentous School Staff

Andrew Hagman, M. Ed.

Principal, Momentous School

Andy joined the Momentous School in June 2023. He has over 27 years of experience in public education, including nine years as a high school principal, five years as a junior high principal, five years as an assistant principal, and eight years as a mathematics teacher. Mr. Hagman received a bachelor's degree in mathematics from the University of Texas at Austin and a master’s degree in Educational Policy and Leadership from the University of Texas at Arlington. Mr. Hagman has been married for over 28 years to Leah Hagman, and they have three children, Kendall, Brooks, and Carson.  

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Momentous Institute Team

Michiko Otsuki, Ph.D.

Director of Research and Evaluation

Michiko joined Momentous Institute in December 2019. She has over 15 years of experience in child and adolescent health behavior and outcomes research. She has previously worked for Children’s Health, University of Texas School of Public Health, and University of South Florida. Michiko completed a Bachelor’s degree from International Christian University, a PhD in Developmental Psychology from University of California Riverside, and a Postdoctoral Fellowship in Health Psychology at Johns Hopkins University.

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Momentous Institute Team

Robin Doeden

Director of Development and Strategic Partnerships

Robin joined Momentous Institute in July 2019. She brings with her more than 30 years of fundraising experience for a variety of organizations across the Chicagoland area, including The Community Foundation for McHenry County and the Chicagoland Lutheran Educational Foundation. Robin received a Bachelor of Arts degree in Journalism from Wartburg College in Waverly, Iowa.

Meet our board members

Tony Dona

Chairman

Michael Alcantar

Board Member

Sean Allen

Board Member

Jae Ellis

Board Member

Linda Evans

Board Member

Brian Ficke

Board Member

Mark Gehlbach

Board Member

Vance Gilmore

Board Member

Mike Goldman

Board Member

Larry Haynes

Board Member

Marcus Knight

Board Member

Payne Lancaster

Board Member

Andrew Louder

Board Member

Leonor Marquez

Board Member

Bill McClung

Board Member

Ryan Moss

Board Member

Will Mundinger II

Board Member

Connie O’Neill

Board Member

Hardin Ramey

Board Member

Robin Robinson

Board Member

Brad Selner

Board Member

Kurt Steves

Board Member

Gerry Storey

Board Member

David Tabor

Board Member

Bill Vanderstraaten

Board Member

Kelvin Walker

Board Member

Robin Wantland

Board Member

Scott Wood

Board Member

Jim Yoder

Board Member

Joe “Ivan” Young

Board Member
Work with us

Join our team.

We’re a collection of experts in the mental health and research space and we’re looking forward to meeting you.

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