Advisory Council

The Advisory Council serves as a critical community champion of The Shaken Baby Alliance.  Members of the Advisory Council share their gifts in service to our mission by providing our organization with their personal and/or professional expertise; their diverse knowledge of constituent perspectives; their connections to local, national or international resources, colleagues or peers; their philanthropic support or other forms of needed assistance. In return, SBA supports the mission of their agency.

If you are interested in joining our Advisory Council, click here.

The Shaken Baby Alliance is proud to present the members of our Advisory Council:

Assistant Chief Steve Carpenter (Ret.) – Chair

Fort Worth Police Department (Retired)

Steve Carpenter retired from the Fort Worth Police Department as a Captain after thirty-three years of service.   As a Detective with the Fort Worth Police Department, Steve investigated domestic violence, sexual assault, and crimes against children cases.  After retiring from FWPD, he was the Assistant Chief of the Lake Worth Police Department, where he supervised the Criminal Investigation Division.

Because community is important to Steve, he served on various boards, including the Tarrant Council on Family Violence Alliance for Children, North TX. Human Trafficking Task Force, High-Intensity Drug Trafficking Areas (HIDA), Project Safe Neighborhoods, and TX. Anti-gang Task Force.

Steve holds a Bachelor of Arts and Science in Criminal Justice and a Master of Arts in Professional Development through Dallas Baptist University. Steve is a graduate of the FBI National Academy and completed an eighteen-month executive leadership training with the City of Fort Worth.

Today, Steve serves as the Chair of the Advisory Council, where he leads a diverse group of individuals to support the mission of SBA (SBA), and is on the Case Consultation Services Team, where he uses his years of experience and vast investigative knowledge to provide technical support for investigators and legal professionals. 

Susan Bragg, M.A. – Vice Chair

Arlington Police Department (Retired)

Susan Bragg has over 35 years of experience as an advocate working with victims of violence in North TX. Ms. Bragg specializes in law enforcement training (e.g., death notification, family violence, trauma, and victims’ rights), counseling special victim populations, and all areas of grant management. As an adjunct professor, she has taught classes in Criminal Justice and Psychology at university and community college levels. 

The TX. Governor’s Office, the TX. Attorney General’s Office and the MADD National organization have recognized her for exemplary victim programs. Susan created Lawyers Against Domestic Violence, an award-winning pro bono group of family attorneys who assist battered women with their legal needs. Ms. Bragg earned a master’s degree in psychology from TX. Woman’s University and a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Christopher Newport University in Virginia. She is also a Certified Law Enforcement Planner from the International Association of Law Enforcement Planners.

Susan is Vice-Chair of the Advisory Council for SBA, Co-Leads the Victim Family Peer Support Group, Adult Leader for the Youth Advisory Council, and Sponsor Committee Chair for the We Love Kids Telethon.

Alex C. Lewis, J.D.

Deputy Criminal Chief Assistant U.S. Attorney

Northern District of Texas

Alex Lewis, J.D. began his career as an Assistant County Prosecutor in Springfield, Missouri.  After a brief stint in civil practice, he joined the United States Department of Justice in 2003 and has been a criminal prosecutor for over twenty years.  Mr. Lewis has been an Assistant United States Attorney for the Northern District of TX. since 2007 and currently serves as the Deputy Criminal Chief of the Fort Worth Division.  He served as the Computer Hacking Intellectual Property (CHIP) point-person for the Fort Worth Division and Co-Project Safe Childhood coordinator for the Northern District of TX.  Mr. Lewis handles various criminal investigations and prosecutions, but his primary focus has been prosecuting child exploitation crimes.  He has played a vital role in over 50 jury trials throughout his 15-year career as a federal and state prosecutor. 

Alex passionately believes that all children, the elderly, and people with disabilities deserve safety, and justice should serve all innocent victims.  He is a tough prosecutor whom his peers respect well for his knowledge, compassion, and kindness.    

Alex serves on SBA Advisory Council, We Love Kids Telethon Committee, and the Case Consultation Services Team, where he uses his years of experience and vast legal knowledge to provide technical support for investigators and legal professionals who request assistance

Susan Spangler

Texas Department of Family and Protective Services (Retired)

Susan Spangler. LMSW is a retired social worker who spent over 30 years working for child welfare agencies in Nebraska, Indiana, Kansas, and most recently in TX. for the Department of Family and Protective Services. 

She worked as an investigator, a contract manager, a trainer, and a specialist in a grant-funded prevention program based on the Healthy Families model. She has also led a class for children with autism and worked as a Case Manager for Tarrant County Meals on Wheels. 

Susan’s husband, Bob, is an engineer and an Adjunct Professor at UTA. They are the proud parents of 5 adult children and eight grandchildren aged 5 to 20. When not involved with her very talented and busy children and grandchildren, Susan sings in the church choir and acts as prop mistress for Southwest Reprise Theater in Fort Worth. Susan is pleased to be able to share her experience with SBA.

Michelle Morgan

Executive VP & Director - One Safe Place

Michelle Morgan is the Executive Vice President and Director of the Family Justice Center for One Safe Place in Fort Worth, TX.  She has been an advocate for victims of crime for 22 years and led the planning and development effort to build one of the world’s largest and most comprehensive Family Justice Centers in the country. 

Michelle previously worked 12 years for the Fort Worth Police Department Victim Assistance Section, which included eight years as the Victim Assistance Director, supervising advocates, coordinating assistance to crime victims, protecting crime victims’ rights, developing new advocacy programs, and serving as the liaison to law enforcement.

Michelle Morgan has a bachelor’s degree in social science from Criminal Justice and a master’s in management in Public Administration from TX. Wesleyan University.  Additionally, Michelle teaches at the university level, is an expert and trainer in domestic violence, serves on multiple community councils, and is a court-certified mediator.

Fortunately, She has a retired law enforcement husband who cares for her and their two children.  Her oldest daughter is pursuing a career in real estate, and her youngest son is a freshman at TX. A&M University pursuing a degree in Forensic Investigations

Monique Lopez-Hinkley, J.D.

Managing Partner – Legal Aid of NW Texas

Monique Lopez-Hinkley is the Managing Attorney at the Fort Worth and Weatherford Offices of Legal Aid of Northwest TX. She has been with Legal Aid since May of 1994 and has enjoyed serving this community throughout her career. She attended the University of TX. of Austin for her undergraduate degree and the University of Houston Law Center for her law degree. She has been married for 29 years and has two wonderful daughters.

Virgina Loudermilk

Victim Family Member

Virginia spent 9 years working in corporate childcare. She started as a cook and became the center’s director, where she worked in San Antonio, TX. In 2003 she began Medical Assistant school and graduated in April 2004 as class Valedictorian.

She spent five years working with OB/GYN physicians for the next five years at Institute for Women’s Health in San Antonio.

In 2009, she made the move to Fort Worth and worked with a team of OB/GYN physicians for about seven months at Texas Health Care before starting a new adventure and career in clinical research,

She began working as pharmaceutical companies continue to provide effective and safe medications and vaccines. In 2016, she became a Certified Clinical Research Coordinator. She is currently an Associate Site Director for Benchmark Research.

Virginia has been a wife for over 30 years, a mother to a son and daughter, and a grandmother of two. She has a granddaughter who is 14 years old and a grandson who is five years old. Her family learned about The Shaken Baby Alliance through the shaken baby tragedy. Her grandson is a shaken baby survivor.

Tara Loper
Victim Family Member

Tara’s advocacy began when her son survived being assaulted and shaken at six months old. His resilience—and the lifelong challenges he continues to navigate at 27—shaped her commitment to protecting other children and supporting families facing similar trauma.

For more than two decades, she has worked with hospitals, state agencies, and community partners across Washington State to strengthen prevention efforts and expand education around Abusive Head Trauma.

A longtime member of the Washington State Abusive Head Trauma Coalition, Tara has shared her family’s story at events statewide, using her experience to drive awareness and inspire change.

After retiring from a 34‑year career as a Civilian Servant, she continues to serve others and devotes much of her time to prevention, advocacy, and family support, honoring her son’s strength by helping build safer communities.

We are currently updating our Advisory Council information. Updates will be provided soon.