Our Team
Toni Alderman - Founder/Executive Director/Treasurer
Toni Alderman is the Founder and Executive Director of Innovative Challenges. Since 1988 she has worked with IDD individuals. Volunteering and working with all individual needs from mild to severe. She has an Associate’s Degree in Mental Health and Substance Abuse, Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from Tarleton University and Master’s in Social Work from UT Arlington. She has devoted most of her life to helping those with IDD individuals which has been a passion of hers for many years.
Marie Calhoun - President
Marie Calhoun is a mother of 6 and a foster care provider for the past 10 years for a boy with Autism, who is now 22 years old and calls his foster parents Mom and Dad. Prior to Austin coming into their home, he was said to be aggressive, and was nonverbal. Today, Austin is caring, happy, humorous, socially adjusted and verbally energetic who loves to plan parties.
Marie believes every child deserves a chance at a fun happy worry-free life regardless of their physical and mental limitations, financial limits or any other hardships. She has worked as a special needs assistant which entailed taking special needs individuals into the community, i.e. shopping, church, playgrounds, playdates and providing hygienic needs. Marie states “I believe that if you treat a person like you’d want to be treated, the world will be a better place.”
Vice President
BIO AND PHOTO COMING SOON!
Dorean Morrow - Webmaster
Dorean is a 1991 Graduate of UNT in Denton, with a BBA in Business. She resides in North Richland Hills, TX, along with her husband, and two daughters.
Her oldest daughter was diagnosed with high functioning Autism over 15 years ago, and she has made it her passion to help not only her daughter, but others living with this diagnosis. While a diagnosis can be important, she firmly believes that the diagnosis should never define the child.
She has regularly attended Autism Conferences presented by Generation Rescue, Future Horizon (featuring Temple Grandin), and FEAT (Families for Effective Autism Treatment). She believes in staying up-to-date with the latest findings, and continues to educate herself in all areas of the special needs community. She is committed to helping other families that have kids on the spectrum.
Both daughters love the Renaissance Festival (her oldest knows all the Knight’s names) and loves Toni! Dorean believes in the tireless work of Innovative Challenges, and all it brings to the Special Needs community.
Shane Calhoun - Committee Chair
BIO AND PHOTO COMING SOON!