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
COurtney Rittenhouse
Transitional Care Coordinator
Courtney grew up in Defiance. She and her husband (Hoshea) are high school sweethearts who just celebrated 15 years of marriage. She is a boy mom of three sons who keep her busy with their different activities. After her first son’s first birthday, her husband served 7 years in the Navy as a nuclear reactor operator. During that time, she served two terms as treasurer for her husband’s aircraft carrier’s family readiness group where she got to met and support the families of sailors. After her family’s time serving, they lived outside of Columbus for 4 years before making the decision to move back to the area 2 years ago to raise their kids surrounded by their families and the support of those at First Church of God where they attended prior to the military and currently attend and serve.