Kevin E. Nowlan is the residential services supervisor and Next Step Transitional Housing supervisor for The Center for Prevention of Abuse. He supervises the emergency shelter, a short-term housing arrangement for families in danger because of domestic violence, and the Next Step Transitional Housing for families needing up to two years of housing to allow for gaining education, establishing employment and building strong family relationships.

The direct supervisor of 16 full- and part-time staff members in a 24/7 environment, Nowlan has successfully helped many families and individuals in need in central Illinois. He created the Next Step Transitional Housing HUD-sponsored program for families needing time to be self-sufficient, and is responsible for all aspects of the facility and its programs, including case management, goal setting, employee supervision, meeting grant requirements, writing annual progress reports, and planning and maintaining the budget. Nowlan ensures clients’ needs are met through cooperation and collaboration with a number of local agencies, including the Department of Human Services, Housing and Urban Development, Heartland Clinic, Peoria County Health Department, Goodwill Industries, Fayette Companies, the Peoria Housing Authority and Prairie State Legal Services.

Nowlan is the former chair of the funding and resource committees for the Heart of Illinois Homeless Continuum of Care. He developed a body safety program that is now part of the Illinois Coalition Against Sexual Assault resource guide, which is distributed throughout the state. He has been recognized by the Department of Children and Family Services for excellence in violence prevention programming and was recognized with several leadership awards while working at the Children’s Home from 1998 to 2001.

Not only does Nowlan help advance The Center for Prevention of Abuse, he has also served on several committees throughout the community. He was the agency leader of the 2003-04 United Way pacesetter campaign, earning the agency a gold award. He is a regular blood donor to the American Red Cross, a volunteer for the St. Jude Children’s Research Hospital, and an active member of the First Baptist Church of Peoria. iBi