2019 Expositores

Tara Graham, MPH, is a Senior Program Director in JDI’s Washington, D.C. office. She provides training and technical assistance to corrections agencies on preventing and responding to sexual abuse in detention. She has been working on the development and implementation of the Prison Rape Elimination Act standards for more than 10 years, including at the National PREA Resource Center. Her research experience includes interviewing homeless and runaway youth and incarcerated women about issues including drug use, sexual behaviors, and experience with physical and sexual violence. Previously, Tara served as a Peace Corps Volunteer in Tanzania working on HIV/AIDS prevention with an emphasis on women and youth.

Vanessa Sapien, MA, is JDI’s Mental Health Program Director. As a member of JDI’s domestic programs team, she provides training and technical assistance for corrections staff, advocates, and service providers on how to keep prisoners safe from sexual violence. A mental health professional and trained domestic violence and rape crisis counselor, Vanessa has many years of experience helping survivors. She has received numerous awards for her clinical work, including a Presidential Service Award. Vanessa has also been recognized for her work in honoring diversity and social justice in mental health.

Julie educates hundreds of students about prevention of interpersonal violence and dating violence, as well as Bystander Intervention. She became passionate about empowering survivors and preventing violence while earning her bachelor’s and Master of Public Administration degrees at the University of Delaware.

Savannah Logsdon-Breakstone is a disability rights and sexuality peer educator, policy advocate, and curriculum developer for SAU1 and independently. Savannah has been doing public policy advocacy since the age of 12, starting in youth MH advocacy before embracing I/DD advocacy. Savannah is a survivor of abuse themself, using that experience in their work.

Rickey has been a group facilitator with MaineTransNet since 2015 and co-facilitated Maine’s first support group for trans and gender non-conforming survivors of sexual assault. They graduated from Smith College School of Social work in 2018 where their field placement included an internship at the Barbara Bush Children’s Hospital Gender Clinic. Rickey is committed to social change through the healing of trauma.

Currently the Senior Director of Impact & Education at EVERFI, Holly spearheads sexual and gender-based violence prevention efforts to support 1500 colleges nationally. Holly brings two decades of experience on campus and in the community to her role, including as a VAWA amendments rulemaker and former White House consultant.

Elizabeth is EVERFI’s expert on the prevention of harassment at work. She has served as General Counsel of the Society for Human Resource Management and legal/policy advisor to the Vice Chair of the U.S. EEOC. Elizabeth's work has been cited by NPR, the New York Times, and Fortune.

Raye Dooley (they/them) is a social worker and public health nerd. Raye is passionate about ending violence against all people and especially those with marginalized gender identities. Raye’s clinical interests include recovery from trauma and substance use disorders among trans* clients and supporting trans* health and wellness.

Kelly McGuire, MSW, is the outreach manager for Missoula City-County Relationship Violence Services. She is a co-founder of Make Your Move!: End Sexual Violence and the Missoula Healthy Sexuality Network, and serves on the board of directors for the Montana Human Rights Network.

Tatiana Masters is an evaluator with Evaluation Specialists, a lecturer at the UW Seattle School of Social Work, and a non-fiction author.  She worked with the Washington State Department of Health providing evaluation support to RPE-funded programs.  One of her current projects is a book about raising sexually ethical youth.

Tori VandeLinde is a Training & Technical Assistance Specialist for the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault and their national project PreventConnect. Tori received her master's degree in public health from Oregon State University, and her previous work focused on sexual violence prevention and sexual health promotion on college campuses.

Celeste Espinoza joined CALCASA in 2017 as their Online Media Coordinator. She had recently graduated from Sacramento State University with a Bachelor of Science in Graphic Design. Her commitment to social justice and women’s empowerment drew her to the field of ending gender-based violence.

Lisa Linda Natividad, Associate Professor of Social Work at the University of Guam, is also a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in private practice and President of the Guam chapter of the National Association of Social Workers. She currently serves as the Evaluator for GCASAFV’s Pacific Partner's Project.

John Rivera, PhD, HRMP, PHR, CM, is an executive coach, consultant and professor with over 15 years of diverse professional and academic experience, and expertise in leadership development and strategic capacity building. He is University of Guam’s Director of Regional Center for Public Policy and Assistant Professor of Public Administration.

Jill Davis is the Campus Prevention Coordinator at the Sexual Assault Response Network of Central Ohio. Jill received a Master’s in Gender, Policies and Inequalities from the London School of Economics in the UK and worked in gender justice as a Maternal and Child Health Peace Corps Volunteer in Morocco.

Ben Schwarz is the Associate Director of the Center for Student Involvement at Otterbein University. After 10 years in higher education serving residence life, campus activities, and Greek Life from large public to small private universities, he’s seen a lot and is hopeful we can make a difference

Adam is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor who has provided therapeutic support to children and families for more than 18 years. Upon earning his Master’s Degree in Counseling Psychology from Temple University, Adam has worked in community mental health centers as well as providing in-home therapeutic intervention to a variety of individuals and families. Since 2007, Adam has worked in sexual assault victim service agencies in a variety of roles. During that time Adam has also led multiple initiatives to engage male-identified youth and adults to become actively involved in efforts to end sexual violence by rethinking the ways in which people are socialized to perpetuate a culture of violence. Adam currently serves as the Executive Director at the Rape Victim Advocacy Program at the University of Iowa and chairs the Men & Masculinities Task Force on campus.

Adriana oversees the delivery of culturally sensitive and trauma-informed services and awareness for gender based violence at Tahirih’s Greater DC office. She previously served as a Co-leader of the Regional Center of Sexual Violence Prevention at the New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault. She holds an MSW from University of Michigan and an MSc in Gender, Development and Globalization from London School of Economics.

Aishah Shahidah Simmons is a Black feminist lesbian incest and rape survivor. An award-winning documentary filmmaker, writer, and international lecturer, she produced/directed NO! The Rape Documentary and created the #LoveWITHAccountability Project. Simmons is a Just Beginnings Collaborative Fellow, and a Visiting Scholar at the University of Pennsylvania where she is affiliated with the Ortner Center on Violence & Abuse in Relationships

Alan Heisterkamp, Ed.D., directs the Center for Violence Prevention at the University of Northern Iowa. He provides training, oversight and technical support for the implementation of Coaching Boys into Men and MVP Strategies in Iowa’s secondary schools and colleges. Dr. Heisterkamp serves on national, state and regional boards and task forces for victim services, women’s and children’s shelter, and social justice coalitions.

Alex graduated from the University of Florida with her PhD in Counseling Psychology in 2017 after completing her pre-doctoral internship at the University of Texas at Austin Counseling and Mental Health Center. Since that time she has been on the staff of the Dartmouth Counseling Center.

Alicia is currently a Postdoctoral Fellow at the Dartmouth Counseling Center. She earned her doctorate, with a focus in trauma, from Ball State University and dual masters degrees in crime and justice (with a focus on victim advocacy) and mental health counseling from Suffolk University.

Alison Price is the Community Engagement Program Manager at Rural Resources Victim Services, located in rural Northeastern Washington State. Her program is a recipient of the Rape Prevention Education grant from the CDC, and much of her work focuses on issues of rural advocacy and prevention, community organizing, and youth engagement.

Allison Hastings, of the Vera Institute of Justice, works to address sexual abuse in confinement and to improve access to healing services for formerly incarcerated survivors of violence. She is a technical assistance (TA) lead for OVC’s National Resource Center for Reaching Victims and a TA provider for the National PREA Resource Center.

Allison Little Sun is the Managing Attorney/Project Director for the Immigrant Survivors Project at PIRC. Allison has worked as an immigration attorney at non-profit organizations in Massachusetts, Oklahoma, and Pennsylvania. She is a graduate of the University of Maryland and the University of Connecticut School of Law.

Amanda E. Ruzicka, MA, is a research associate at the Moore Center for the Prevention of Child Sexual Abuse in the Department of Mental Health at Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health. Her work focuses on the development and testing of prevention interventions targeting child sexual abuse.

Amrith Fernandes Prabhu is a advocate for victims of crime, immigrants and refugees, women and children, and vulnerable and displaced communities. As a cisgender South Asian immigrant female with a lifelong physical disability, Amrith is committed to exploring her colonial roots and target identities, and the non-target spaces that she has the privilege to occupy. She is unwavering in her dedication to create inroads and experiential opportunities for those communities who historically have not been served.

Angela serves as the Associate Director of Vera House and is the Chair of the Survivors Network. She works diligently to promote leadership, diversity, and inclusion in all aspects of delivering programs and services of sexual and domestic violence. She champions efforts to eliminate poverty, school and community violence.

Ashleigh is a Project Manager with the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CALCASA) and oversees CALCASA’s national online prevention project, PreventConnect. She has previously worked in community-based prevention programs at the YWCA of Greater Los Angeles and the Sexual Assault Crisis Agency in Long Beach, California.

Barwaqo Aden is the assistant Director at Nisaa African Family Services, an organization serving victims/survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in African communities in Iowa. She graduated from university phoenix with Bachelors of Science in Business Human resource and concentration in Global Management at the University of Phoenix, in 2017.

Beatriz R. Menanteau, is a human rights and public health attorney. As Supervisor to the Minnesota Department of Health’s (MDH) Violence Prevention Programs Unit, she oversees efforts to change systems that perpetuate sexual violence, human trafficking, and exploitation, and ensure appropriate system-wide responses to victims of commercial sexual exploitation.

Ben Comeau is a Program Coordinator and Instructor at IMPACT Boston. He teaches self-defense to people with and without disabilities, and through the IMPACT:Ability program, teaches healthy relationship and sexuality to adults and teens with intellectual disabilities.

Brenna Merrill, MA, coordinates the Make Your Move! council in Missoula, Montana. Her work focuses on young adult and community-wide prevention. She leads anti-harassment trainings for bartenders and for workplace, and she orchestrates the newly launched “Make Consent Explicit” social marketing campaign.

Brian Pinero is the Project Coordinator for RALIANCE where he leads prevention efforts with sport to end sexual violence. He has spent two decades working in social services, with 16 years in the field of sexual and domestic violence. Brian has held leadership positions at the National Domestic Violence Hotline, RAINN and loveisrespect. Brian holds a BA from Texas A&M University and a master’s degree in social work from the University of Texas at Austin.

Brooke Noonan is an advocate with the MSU Sexual Assault Program. She has a degree in Computer Science Engineering. Brooke helps survivors of sexual assault navigate response systems including legal cases, police departments, and MSU’s Office of Institutional Equity. She uses a trauma-informed, inclusive, and compassionate approach to her work.

Calvin Hall (they/them) is a third year graduate student in a doctoral student in health psychology at Virginia Commonwealth University and a social activist. Hall has seven years of experience working with survivors and advocates of sexual and intimate partners on a local, state, and national level.

Captain Noah Coakley is an Air Force Judge Advocate and former military prosecutor. He currently serves as the Special Victims’ Counsel at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. In this capacity, Capt Coakley provides independent legal representation to and advocacy on behalf of sexual assault survivors during the investigation and prosecution process.

Dr. Chugani is a Counselor Educator and Licensed Professional Counselor whose research is focused on college student health and the intersection of mental health with higher education. She is interested in adaptations of Dialectical Behavior Therapy for campuses and intervention development that supports success of vulnerable and high-risk students.

Carol Schrader, Esq., is on the Victim Rights Law Center’s national privacy technical assistance and training team where she supports victim service providers with the privacy issues they face with their gender-based violence-related work. She also recently managed VRLC’s Prison Rape Elimination Act and community-based advocacy focus group project.

Carol Tracy has led advocacy efforts to reform law enforcement response to sexual violence in Philadelphia and nationally. She has reviewed thousands of police sex crime files in Philadelphia and other jurisdictions. Her work has led to major local and national policy changes on police response to sex crimes.

Caroline Palmer is the Safe Harbor Director at the Minnesota Department of Health where she promotes a multidisciplinary approach to human trafficking with a focus on sex trafficking and exploitation of youth. Prior to joining MDH she was the Public and Legal Affairs Manager at the Minnesota Coalition Against Sexual Assault.

Carrie Moylan, PhD is an Assistant Professor in the Michigan State University School of Social Work. She has over 18 years of experience in the gender-based violence field, both as a former advocate and as a researcher and educator. Her research focuses on campus sexual assault policy, prevention, and response.

Casey Swegman is a leading expert on forced marriage in the U.S. As Forced Marriage Initiative Project Manager, Casey provides national technical assistance, chairs the Forced Marriage Working Group, supports direct social services, and liaises with organizations across the U.S. to strengthen communities’ capacity to respond to forced marriage.

Cat Fribley is an advocate, a doula, and (previously) an apprenticing midwife. She directs the Resource Sharing Project (RSP) for the Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault and provides capacity building training and support to those working to end sexual violence across the country. Cat has worked to end sexual violence since 1994 and trains on a broad range of issues with special interest areas including survivors giving birth, healing sexuality, anti-racist organizing, organizational development, and ethical communication.

Chad Sniffen has been the Online Resource Coordinator for NSVRC since 2015. He has worked in the movements against sexual and domestic violence as a prevention educator, victim advocate, researcher, women’s self-defense instructor, and board member since 1999. He earned a Master of Public Health from the University of Arizona.

Chic Dabby brings 30+ years of advocacy, analysis and training experience on domestic violence against Asian/Pacific Islander immigrant and refugee women; lifecourse abuse and its effects on health, mental health, economic security, and help-seeking; sexual violence; trafficking; intimate homicide; child custody; forced marriage; trauma-informed care; and elder abuse.

Chimi is a successful entrepreneur, consultant, speaker and trainer. As a seasoned Higher Education professional for 18 years, Chimi has worked extensively on women’s and gender issues and topics relating to other marginalized populations. Chimi is a co-Principal Investigator of the only published study that exists on Sexual Assault at Historically Black Colleges and Universities (HBCUs) and has been a consultant for the Department of Justice’s Office on Violence Against Women, several state coalitions, and numerous colleges and non-profits all over the US.

Christina Presenti joined the International Association of Forensic Nurses in November 2018. Prior to that, she provided leadership on the SART Toolkit revision at the NSVRC. She also provided support for the Family Violence Prevention Program and the NH SANE Program.  Christina also has experience working in the sexual assault and domestic violence field.

Clara Porter MSW, has over 20 years of experience in the field of violence prevention. She is the founder of Prevention. Action. Change. in Portland, Maine, which works to counter harassment, assault, and abuse through safety strategies, verbal and physical skills, increased confidence and awareness, and promotion of healing and growth. Porter holds a Masters of Social Work, is certified in Empowerment Self-Defense with the National Women’s Martial Arts Federation and Center for Anti-violence Education, is a trained Sexual Assault Victim Advocate, and is certified in Advanced Trauma First Aide. Porter has trained therapists, advocates, and healers in the efficacy of Empowerment Self-Defense as a tool for healing and regularly conducts 8-week trainings for survivors of violence titled, Healing Through Empowerment.

Corey Ingram is currently lead trainer and former Health Educator with the Sexual Assault and Violence Intervention & Prevention at the University of South Carolina. Corey has experience as a mental health therapist at two all-male group homes as well as experience at a residential facility for sexually perpetrated males.

Cynthia Bittner is a Project Manager with the SAFE-T Center at Penn State. She obtained a Bachelor of Science in Nursing and a Bachelor of Business Administration from Penn State University

GCASAFV’s Executive Director Cynthia Cabot, with over 30 years’ experience in health and social services focusing on program development and community organizing. oversees the Pacific Partners Project addressing SA policy and prevention with Pacific region college campuses and the Sexual Violence Prevention Project with the Archdiocese’s Catholic Schools on Guam.

Cynthia Totten, one of JDI’s Deputy Executive Directors, leads the organization’s national training and technical assistance program, supporting the work of state and tribal sexual assault coalitions, victim advocates, corrections officials, and funding administrators to ensure that incarcerated survivors have access to crisis services.

Cynthia Totten, one of JDI’s Deputy Executive Directors, leads its national training and technical assistance program, supporting the work of state and tribal sexual assault coalitions, victim advocates, corrections officials, and funding administrators to ensure incarcerated survivors’ access to crisis services. Additionally, she works with corrections agencies on PREA implementation.

Darlene C. DeFour, Ph.D. is an Associate Professor of Psychology at Hunter College. She is a member of the American Psychological Association, the Association of Psychological Science, and a past member of the Board of Directors of the New York and National Associations of Black Psychologists.

Dave Rini is the Incarcerated Survivor Support Program manager for the Boston Area Rape Crisis Center (BARCC). His program is responsible for providing high-quality rape crisis services to survivors of sexual violence held by the Massachusetts Department of Correction, as well as several local sheriff's departments.

Dawn M. Simmons is a director, playwright and arts administrator working in Boston, MA. She is Artistic Director of the Front Porch Arts Collective, Co-Artistic Director of New Exhibition Room, and Executive Director of StageSource.

Deb brings 20+ years of experience as part of a pastoral team serving a dynamic independent congregation, Hosanna! A Fellowship of Christians in Lititz, PA that defines itself as an organic community with the motto of “Breaking rules, breaking barriers, and breaking chains.”Deb joined the Safe Church team in 2013 to serve as the primary facilitator of the our social movement building program for congregations in the Lancaster-York-Lebanon PA region. Deb skillfully guides core teams in each Safe Church congregation to build the necessary infrastructure with policy and best practices while also focusing on shifting congregational culture to empower adults to use their power to protect children, and hold those who harm them compassionately, but firmly, accountable.

Deborah (Di) O’Neill, DSW is a clinical social worker providing psychotherapy in the college counseling center at The University of Pennsylvania. After focusing her doctoral research on sexual violence within the college community Dr. O’Neill created a Sexual Trauma Treatment Outreach and Prevention (STTOP) team. The team is an identity-diverse, multidisciplinary team of mental health clinicians and providers invested in providing treatment specific to the needs of survivors of sexual trauma. In addition to running the STTOP team Dr. O’Neill is a member of a campus Sexual Assault Response Team (SART), is a member of a country wide Sexual Assault Program Coordinators (SAPC) association, has created a group prototype for supporting survivors of campus sexual and interpersonal violence, and is regularly engaged in community educative and outreach initiatives on the University of Pennsylvania campus.

Deborah Pembrook is Human Trafficking Outreach Manager for the Monterey County Rape Crisis Center and chairs the regional human trafficking coalition. Deborah serves on the California CSEC Action Team Advisory Board and previously was Consultant Chair for the National Survivor Network. She received the 2016 YWCA Silicon Valley Empowerment Award.

Deena Fulton, MPH is the Programs Director at the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCCADV). She leads NCCADV’s work to address social and structural determinants of violence, including primary prevention, housing, and economic justice programs. Deena previously worked at CALCASA, supporting California RPE programs and contributing to PreventConnect.

Dr. Deirdre D'Orazio is a clinical psychologist with over twenty years’ experience working in the field of sexual abuse. She is the CEO of Central Coast Clinical and Forensic Psychology Services where she provides a variety of expert forensic psychology services, treatment, consultation, program development, research, and training. She also holds a consultant position with the CA Department of State Hospitals. She has contributed scholarly written works, media interviews, and trainings on a wide variety of topics regarding the primary, secondary, and tertiary prevention of sexually abusive behavior. She is an expert in the areas of civil commitment and high-risk sexual offenders. Dr. D’Orazio is a magna cum laude graduate from Villanova University and received her Master of Arts and Doctoral degrees from the California School of Professional Psychology at Alliant University

Denise Loya has worked in a variety of fields, including the non-profit sector. She found herself at home in the anti-violence movement and currently works with the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault as the Multicultural Support Specialist. She supports folx in movement by incorporating an anti-oppression framework into her training.

As a Resilience Toolkit Facilitator, Desiree provides trauma-informed TTA to organizations about stress management, burnout prevention, and transformative resilience. As a sexual abuse advocate and national TTA provider, she has provided support to survivors of sexual abuse in detention and PREA implementation consultation for corrections officials and advocates.

Destie oversees MECASA’s programming, helping to set program goals, develop the tools to reach them, and to effectively measure success. She has coordinated Maine’s RPE for 10 years.

Devin Rojas supports NJCASA’s training and outreach initiatives, where she developed and implement statewide hotline audits. Devin has spent her career focused on strengthening systemic responses to survivors and developing capacity among allied professionals. Devin holds a Masters in Organizational Leadership and is pursuing her MSW from Boston University.

Diane Daiber is the Education Director for the International Association of Forensic Nurses.  She was headed the development of the U.S. Department of Justice’s National Protocol for Sexual Abuse Medical Forensic Examinations: Pediatric and provides technical assistance and training on the National SAFE Protocols across the country.

Dr. Gabriela López-Zerón is a Research Associate at Michigan State University (MSU). Gabriela serves as Associate Director of MSU’s Research Consortium of Gender Violence (RCGV) and Director of RCGV’s Linguistic Justice Division. She received her PhD in Human Development and Family Studies from Michigan State University. She is passionate about increasing the access and cultural relevance of evidence-based treatments and supportive services for survivors of intimate partner violence, particularly among ethnic minority and immigrant communities. Her current work is centered on the systematic evaluation of innovative housing models for IPV survivors and their families.

e nina jay is a Black, Lesbian, Womon, Writer who uses poetry as a tool to break silences around all forms of sexual violence, with particular focus on the intersections of race, sexuality & poverty. e nina jay’s book Body Of Rooms has received outstanding reviews. A recently released film centers the intimate reading of the book by the author.

Eb. Brown (he/him) is the founder and Chief Innovations Officer of Strategies4Freedom and the Interim Program Coordinator for Just Beginnings Collaborative. Eb. has spent over a decade as an educator, social worker and advocate working with survivors of sexual harm, LGBTQI youth and adults, and those interfacing with state. Eb.’s recently published chapters in The Gender Affirmative Model: A New Approach to Supporting Gender Non-Conforming and Transgender Children and Invisible No More: Police Violence Against Black Women and Women of Color Study Guide reflect their racial and healing justice approach embedded in all of their work.

Ebony Tucker, JD, is the Advocacy Director for RALIANCE. She has worked on state and federal sexual assault policy issues for more than a decade. Prior to coming to RALIANCE, Ebony was the Executive Director of the Louisiana Foundation Against Sexual Assault and the Associate Director of the Florida Council Against Sexual Violence.

Elise Delacruz is the training & technical assistance coordinator for Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence in East Hartford, CT. Through employment and volunteer opportunities, Elise has worked in a variety of positions providing services, and advocating for survivors of sexual violence, police violence, and anti-LGBTQ violence.

Beth Bouchard is the SEEN (Support to End Exploitation Now) Program Manager at the Children’s Advocacy Center of Suffolk County in Boston, MA. For 7 years, Beth has coordinated a collaborative, interagency response for more than 700 at-risk and commercially sexually exploited youth. Working daily with the Boston Police Department Human Trafficking Unit, the Office of the Suffolk County District Attorney, the MA Department of Children and Families, juvenile justice providers, and community partners, Beth navigates state and local systems, provides training and outreach, and ensures that each child referred to SEEN receives a comprehensive, coordinated response. Her professional background includes advocacy, case management, and providing victims services to adult and child survivors of sexual assault, domestic abuse, and human trafficking, as well as undocumented and refugee populations.

Dr. Miller is trained in medical anthropology as well as internal medicine and pediatrics. Her research has a focus on underserved youth populations including pregnant and parenting teens; and foster, homeless, and gang-affiliated youth. Her current research focuses on reducing gender-based violence, improving adolescent and young adult women’s reproductive health.

Liz has been a part of the Dartmouth Counseling Center since 2015. She has presented on topics from trauma-informed response to intersectionality and others. Liz has Master’s Degree in Social Work from Simmons College and completed a 1 year clinical fellowship in counseling at the University of California, Berkeley.

Elyse Szurgot is the Director of Violence Intervention & Prevention Services at the YWCA Greater Harrisburg. Szurgot manages the daily operations of the YWCA's trafficking and mentoring programs and is an expert in domestic violence, sexual assault and prevention education.

Eric Stiles, is the Associate Director of the Michigan Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence. Mr. Stiles brings experience working with those affected by sexual violence in underserved, unserved, and ignored populations for over 20 years. A recent effort was the launching of a statewide hotline for SV survivors.

Erin Casey is a Professor of Social Work at the University of Washington, Tacoma, and a member of the team led by Evaluation Specialists and supported by the Washington State Department of Health providing evaluation support to RPE-funded programs in Washington. Her research focuses on gender-based violence prevention.

Dr. Ethan Levine is the LGBTQ+ Outreach Advocate for Services Empowering Rights of Victims, Center for Family Services, in South Jersey. He has more than 10 years advocating for survivors, with an emphasis on queer and trans communities. He also works to address interpersonal violence through sociological research.

Ethan Linsky, the Youth Programs Specialist at EPIC (Empowering People for Inclusive Communities), passions for education, community health, disability advocacy. Ethan began his involvement with adaptive sports as a youth sled hockey player with the Massachusetts Hospital School Chariots, and later went on to play wheelchair basketball for both the University of Illinois and the University of Missouri. Ethan now coaches a youth wheelchair basketball team in hopes of developing athletes as future community leaders.

An expert on gender-based violence in African communities, Fatima has organized numerous trainings for both service providers and community members and served as an expert for numerous government agencies. In 2011 she founded Nerlow Afriki, Inc., a non-profit that addresses domestic violence in African immigrant communities.

Fiona Oliphant is an attorney with 20 years of experience developing, managing and implementing cross-cultural sexual/domestic violence programs. Prior to consulting, she was the DC Coalition to End Sexual Violence’s Director of Strategic Partnerships/Community Engagement; the Asian/Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Resource Project’s Director; and CONNECT’s Legal Advocacy Program Director.

Fiona Oliphant is an attorney with 20 years of experience developing, managing and implementing cross-cultural sexual/domestic violence programs. Prior to consulting, she was the DC Coalition to End Sexual Violence’s Director of Strategic Partnerships/Community Engagement; the Asian/Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Resource Project’s Director; and CONNECT’s Legal Advocacy Program Director.

Grace Frances has worked at FCASV combatting sexual violence and improving the response to survivors for 16 years. She manages certification of Florida’s sexual assault programs to ensure excellent services. Grace developed Florida’s helpline auditing system to enhance centers’ first line response. She is pursuing an MPA from UNC-Chapel Hill.

Heather Ulrich is the Outreach and Education Coordinator for Berks County District Attorney’s Office Victim/ Witness Unit. Heather combines her previous social services experience with a systems based approach to provide outreach about the available services for sexual assault victims to vulnerable and underserved populations and the professionals they encounter.

Heidi Notario, M.A. serves as the Vice President of Strategic Partnerships & Systems Change at the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence (NRCDV). Prior to joining the NRCDV team, Heidi was the Director of Implementation & Social Change at the National Latin@ Network for Healthy Families and Communities, a project of Casa de Esperanza. Heidi has advocated for the rights of gender based violence survivors, to include persons with disabilities and Deaf individuals, for more than a decade. She works closely at the intersections of disabilities and violence against people of color, LGBTQ+ individuals, and immigrant communities.

Hema Sarang-Sieminski is a queer Senior Attorney of color at the Victim Rights Law Center. She provides national training and technical assistance to enhance providers’ capacity to deliver civil legal services for sexual assault survivors in resistance to rape culture and oppression. Her practice include a focus on immigration law.

Hibo Jama is the Executive Director and founder of Nisaa African Family Services, an organization providing direct services to victims/survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault in the African immigrant and refugee population in Iowa. In 2017, Hibo graduated with an Associate Degree in Nursing from Mercy College of Health Science.

Prevent SH in DC*

A career prosecutor elected District Attorney in 2015, Steele leads an office of Assistant District Attorneys and County Detectives who investigate and prosecute approximately 10,000 adult and juvenile criminal cases annually. Steele’s priorities are seeking justice for victims, fighting the opioid-heroin-fentanyl epidemic, and implementing community prosecution efforts.

Ignacio G Hutiá Xeiti Rivera, M.A. who prefers the gender-neutral pronoun “they” is a Queer, Two-Spirit, Black Boricua Taíno. Ignacio is the founder of The HEAL Project. The projects platform: Holistic Sexuality Information is a major tool in preventing, interrupting and healing from child sexual abuse.

Ignacio G Hutiá Xeiti Rivera, M.A. who prefers the gender-neutral pronoun “they” is a Queer, Two-Spirit, Black Boricua Taíno. Ignacio is the founder of The HEAL Project. The projects platform: Holistic Sexuality Information is a major tool in preventing, interrupting and healing from child sexual abuse.

Gallegos is an Adjunct Assistant Professor at The University of Texas at Arlington and a doctoral student in the Health Studies program at Texas Woman’s University. Gallegos has over five years of community health experience in teen parenting and pregnancy services, health coaching, and health advocacy for interpersonal violence survivors.

Jacqueline Callari Robinson is a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, Clinician and Educator. In her capacity as a Forensic Nurse leader her goal is create healthcare environments that provide compassionate nursing care to patients who have experienced violence. Jacqueline has a BSN (Saint Peter's University) and is currently a doctoral student at The University of Binghamton, Decker School of Nursing, Doctor of Philosophy (PhD).

James Decoteau Zhoongode Inini (Strong Heart), is an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians.  As part of the Tribal First Responder community, he has been a Wild Land Fire Fighter and Emergency Medical Technician for nineteen years.  James is a traditional Sweat Lodge Keeper, Pipe Carrier, and a singer and drum carrier for the Fox Tail Drum Group.  James is currently training as an IMPACT Suit Instructor, he is dedicated to creating body-oriented healing and practical safety planning skills to Indigenous women, girls, and people with disabilities on the Turtle Mountain reservation.

Janine Zweig, Ph.D., is Associate Vice President and a Senior Research Fellow in the Justice Policy Center at Urban Institute. She conducts both theoretical research and program and policy evaluations related to sexual violence and victimization, intimate partner and dating violence, substance use, and criminal justice policies.

Jeff Matsushita is a believer in change. As a member of the Idaho Coalition, Jeff travels, listens, asks questions and is part of the movement to end violence against women, girls and gender nonconforming community members. Jeff honors individuals’ stories, connection and a solid pick-up game of basketball.

Jennifer Benner is the Resource Development Coordinator at the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) where she coordinates the development of resources on a range of sexual violence prevention and intervention topics including resources on bystander intervention and trauma informed-care.

Jennifer Henkle is a student affairs professional and social worker currently taking classes with the intent to pursue her Ph.D. Jennifer has worked in survivor and victim services, higher education case management, and in sexual assault and mental health prevention and outreach endeavors at the university level.

Jennifer joined the Idaho Coalition in November 2016 and works on various projects, include a cross movement collaborative in to build relationships and leverage power for an emergent world. She is a first-generation Idahoan who is active in the political arena and is deeply committed to creating social change.

Jennifer received her Master’s Degree in Nursing in 2006 and has been practicing as a nurse practitioner ever since. Her primary focus is pediatrics, however, she began working in Sexual Assault Services as a Nurse Examiner three years ago and is now the full-time Director of Nursing at the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay and certified by the International Association of Forensic Nursing.

Jessica Bender is a Psychology graduate of Concord University in southern West Virginia. With a background in education and community event planning, she has held the position of Community Coordinator at Family Refuge Center, a dual organization, for two years. In this role, Jessica conducts prevention programming in three service counties. She is a member of Rainbow Justice League, Allies Aspiring for Equity, and Men's Outreach. Jessica hopes to bring a rural voice to a national program upon completion of her Masters in Public Health.

Jessica Li is a social justice activist with 10+ years of experience working to end sexual violence in marginalized communities. She has been the Executive Director of San Francisco SafeHouse and the Asian/Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Resource Project, working with survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and sex trafficking.

Jessica Li is a social justice activist with 10+ years of experience working to end sexual violence in marginalized communities. She has been the Executive Director of San Francisco SafeHouse and the Asian/Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Resource Project, working with survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and sex trafficking.

Jessica Mindlin directs the Victim Rights Law Center’s national work advancing survivors’ legal rights, and the VRLC Oregon office. She’s trained all across the US (and overseas); she has a passion for protecting survivors’ privacy rights. A lawyer for 25+ years, Jessie first moved to Oregon to live on a women’s commune.

Jessica Moreno, LCSW, combines her clinical background, public speaking experience, and radical play approach to facilitate experiential learning environments to prevent gender-based violence at local, state, and national levels. She currently serves as the Community Initiatives Manager at Break the Cycle overseeing their national training and technical assistance projects. Her 14+ years in the movement are centered on partnerships with young people with former roles including: protective order advocate, adolescent counselor, prevention educator, and statewide youth organizer.

Jill Dunlap is the Director for Research at NASPA. Prior to NASPA, Jill provided direct support services to college student survivors for 14 years. Jill served on the VAWA negotiated rulemaking committee in 2014. Jill’s PhD dissertation work focused on the experiences of students impacted by sexual violence.

Jo Johnson is an experienced clinical social worker (CA) who is completing a three year fellowship with the Office for Victims of Crime. She has been talking with researchers and professionals across disciplines to identify gaps, needs and strengths in sexual assault response across the Nation.

Joan Tabachnick is a consultant and currently a fellow at the DOJ SMART Office. The focus of her work is preventing the perpetration of sexually harmful behaviors, particularly in children, adolescents and young adults. Over 25 years, she has developed prevention materials and programs for national, state, and local organizations.

Dr. Anderson is currently an Assistant Professor at Pennsylvania State University College of Nursing. Her research focuses on the impact of intimate partner violence and sexual violence on health, as well as health care provider and system responses to violence.

Johanna Rodriguez is a counselor at WOAR. Johanna serves both English and Spanish speaking clients of all ages. A child of Mexican immigrants, she uses her bicultural background to meet diverse needs of her clients. Prior to WOAR, Johanna worked with unaccompanied minors from Central America and undocumented trafficking survivors.

Josephine Feemster is a passion-filled human trafficking activist whose story of resilience has inspired many. She is currently serving her second term as Advisory Board member of the CSEC Action Team of California. She is also a Human Trafficking Case Manager for Weave Inc. in Sacramento, California.

Joyce Kyles is an award winning, national speaker, 2x Amazon best selling author, and survivor of domestic, sexual and financial abuse. She is the Executive Director of Walking Into A New Life, Inc. & the Co-Owner of Kyles Connections. Joyce is a wife, mother, grandmother, and community leader.

As training coordinator for the Nevada Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence, Judy develops, implements, and evaluates education strategies that support the Coalition’s mission. While working at NCEDSV, she facilitated over 250 presentations. She also served as an EMT for 8 years as a volunteer in rural PA.

Julie Germann, J.D., is a former sexual assault prosecutor with over a decade of experience. Julie is the founder and consultant at Finding the Right, LLC, where she provides training and technical assistance nationally to improve response to violence against women and children.

Julie Patrick represents the National Sexual Violence Resource Center in RALIANCE, a national initiative of leaders dedicated to ending sexual violence in one generation. Julie’s work focuses on changing the conversation about sexual violence through efforts with the news media as well as advocates, allies and survivors. Prior to RALIANCE, Julie served for over a decade as the Senior Special Projects Coordinator at the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children in Alexandria, VA and managed the National Coalition to Prevent Child Sexual Abuse & Exploitation.

Former Detective Justin Boardman was in Law Enforcement for 15 years, all with the West Valley City Police Department. He was assigned for seven years to the Special Victim’s Unit Justin presents Nationally and Internationally. Focusing on trauma-informed systems. Recently Justin left police work to focus on culture change.

Jyoti Venketraman is the Capacity Building Manager for NJCASA, where she supports a portfolio of diverse projects designed to expand services for all survivors. She has her master’s degree in public administration from NYU, concentrating on health policy and management. She is passionate about working towards social justice change.

For more than a decade, K. has been dedicated to creating spaces that foster genuine community around social differences. They have extensive experience facilitating workshops and working groups around LGBTQ education. Currently, K. serves as the Coordinator of Campus Engagement and Prevention at the New York City Anti-Violence Project.

Karel Amaranth, the Director of WestCOP/Victims Assistance Services, runs a victim impact program at a Westchester, NY jail. She also works with the New York State prison system to provide a PREA hotline for prisoners at four facilities, along with a trauma-focused therapist for incarcerated sexual assault victims.

Karla Vierthaler is Advocacy and Resources Director for National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC). She supports the provision of technical assistance to the nation on a wide range of sexual violence prevention and intervention topics. She has been an advocate in the in the movement to end sexual violence for over twenty years. Ms. Vierthaler previously worked for the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Rape, where she developed resources and provided training on the impact of sexual violence in various communities, including adults in later life, people with disabilities, and others.

Karla Vierthaler is Advocacy and Resources Director for National Sexual Violence Resource Center. She supports the provision of technical assistance on a range of prevention and intervention topics. She has provided training on the impact of sexual violence in various communities, including adults in later life and people with disabilities.

Kate McCord is Movement Strategy and Communications Director for the Virginia Sexual & Domestic Violence Action Alliance, Virginia’s dual coalition.

Kate Stank is an art therapist who has worked in victim services since 2000 and has been providing art therapy groups at the Chester County Prison for several years. She has presented on the use of art interventions for healing and coping to various audiences She is active in her own artistic process as a sculptor and mixed media artist.

Kathleen Kempke is the Senior Director of Corbett Trauma Center for the Crisis Center of Tampa Bay. Her career spans nearly forty years in sexual assault services and includes direct service and program development, implementation, and administration. She has presented at conferences, domestically and internationally, on sexual violence issues

Katie Down, (MT-BC, LCAT) is a licensed creative arts therapist, music psychotherapist, Reiki practitioner, deep listening practitioner and teacher. She has been facilitating sound bath meditations and deep listening workshops offering programs in music therapy and sound meditation/healing as well as clinical supervision for counselors, doctors and other creative arts therapists.

Katie Kondrat (she/her) is the Underserved Programs Coordinator at the Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault. She works with culturally and community-specific providers and sexual assault support centers to create accessible and equitable services for all survivors. Prior to MECASA, she worked at a local sexual assault support center.

Katie focuses on technical assistance and training to preventionists at Maine’s sexual assault support centers, including creating statewide prevention programming and evaluation. Destie oversees MECASA’s programming, helping to set program goals, develop the tools to reach them, and to effectively measure success. She has coordinated Maine’s RPE for 10 years.

Katryn nació, creció en Lima, Perú y luego migró a Iowa. Por más de una década, Katryn ha trabajado directamente como asesora de personas afectadas por la violencia, con experiencia en patrones del trauma complejo. Es una activista en el campo de la justicia social especialmente en áreas como equidad, inclusión, interseccionalidad, fragilidad blanca, vulnerabilidad y opresión. Trabaja para la organización Rape Victim Advocacy Program, en Iowa City, dirigiendo parte del programa de servicios directos para personas afectadas por la violencia. Katryn pertenece a ALAS (Alianza Latina en contra de la Agresión Sexual), a la mesa directiva de la Coalición de Iowa en contra del Asalto Sexual, y perteneció al Proyecto MAPA (Acceso Multilingüe) del NSVRC.

Katryn was born and raised in Lima, Perú, then migrated to Iowa during the height of the Peruvian 20 year civil war. For over a decade Katryn has worked directly with individuals harmed by violence by providing bilingual/bicultural advocacy and counseling services. Passionate about topics such as intersectionality, equity, inclusion, oppression, vulnerability, fragility, privilege and social justice. Katryn currently acts as the Assistant Director for SA services at the Rape Victim Advocacy Program (RVAP), and as the President of the Board of Directors for the Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault (IowaCASA). Katryn is a member of Alianza Latina en contra de la Agresión Sexual (ALAS, Anti-violence Latinx led cyber-activist group) and was member of the Multilingual Access Project (created and run by the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC)). Katryn has been featured as a speaker at local, state, and national conferences covering such topics as privilege, inclusion, historical trauma/oppression, prevention, self-care, and the intersections of sexual violence, identities, leadership, policies, processes, and movements.

As Outreach Coordinator, Kayla assists rape crisis centers and allied professionals in their responses to survivors of sexual violence from vulnerable groups and underserved communities — including incarcerated survivors. She serves as a content expert for the PA Department of Corrections and Board of Probation and Parole on PREA implementation.

Dr. Jones is a Research Scientist in the Division of Adolescent and Young Adult Medicine, UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. She serves as the primary data analyst for randomized controlled trials of sexual violence and intimate partner violence prevention interventions.

Kelli grew up with horses as a child and always new there was something special about the relationships she had with her horses. Having survived trauma at an early age she jumped on the opportunity she found at the Barnabas Horse Foundation to help others recover by using the nurturing character of the horse.

Kelly is currently the Executive Director of the Idaho Coalition Against Sexual & Domestic Violence and an alumni cohort member of Move to End Violence, a 10-year initiative of the NoVo Foundation. After thirty years in anti-violence work as an attorney, prosecutor, and activist, she has been on a transformational journey toward our collective liberation and a deep understanding that liberation has to begin with ourselves. She deeply believes that in order to move towards a world that is interdependent, resilient and regenerative, we have to live into that vision ourselves. We cannot become what we cannot imagine.

A former prosecutor for 12-years, Kelsey McKay exclusively prosecuted and developed policies related to strangulation for the last decade. She now consults nationally to implement protocols and strengthen how communities collaborate, investigate, treat and effectively prosecute strangulation in intimate partner crimes/sexual violence/trafficking and child abuse cases.

Kenosha Davenport is currently the Executive Director for the Sexual Violence Center in Minneapolis, Minnesota. She has worked in the movement to end sexual and domestic violence for over 15 years. She was awarded the Diane Reese Advocacy Award (state) in 2017. Davenport earned a Master’s Degree of Business Administration (MBA) from Marylhurst University and a dual Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and Sociology from the University of Alabama in Huntsville.

Kerri Hughes has been involved with 24HrPHL for over a year. As a party promoter, safer space practices are something she is passionate about and continues to educate herself in through promoter consent workshops and activism.

Kerri True-Funk spent a decade of anti-rape work with a rape crisis center in a college town, where she learned how hard it was for her to be both a survivor and advocate. Kerri earned her Master of Arts in Human Services Administration, focusing on supporting rape crisis center staff.

Kristen Houser is a leading expert on sexual violence. With decades of experience in the field, Houser is a go-to source for context and expert opinion to national, regional, and international media on sexual assault issues and cases. She is skilled in communicating both on-camera and off on a wide range of topics, including sexual violence prevention and response, victim behavior and trauma, offender dynamics, campus sexual assault and experiences within the criminal justice system. Houser provides expert opinion, context and facts about sexual assault to media covering high-profile cases, including those of Bill Cosby and Jerry Sandusky. She is regularly cited as an authority by major daily newspapers and industry publications--including the New York Times, Huffington Post, Forbes and others--and has appeared as a guest on numerous broadcast networks to offer expert perspective.

Kristen M. Gibbons Feden is a nationally acclaimed trial attorney representing clients in complex litigation matters, including sexual harassment, discrimination, and Title IX and corporate-regulatory compliance. Prior to joining Stradley, Feden regularly obtained convictions in matters involving physical/sexual violence, including Commonwealth v. Cosby, homicide, child pornography, financial exploitation, assault, and more often assisting children and survivors with intellectual disabilities.

Kristen Pritchard is the Healthy Relationships and Sexuality Coordinator at the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance. Kristen provides training and technical assistance to preventionists related to primary prevention, healthy sexuality, program evaluation, and more. Kristen is passionate about incorporating anti-oppression and social change work into prevention programming.

Dr. Kristy McCray is currently an Assistant Professor at Otterbein University and served as the Executive Director of the Sexual Assault Recovery & Prevention Center of San Luis Obispo County from 2010-2012. She earned her PhD at Ohio State, and her research focuses on sexual violence prevention in college sports.

As Tahirih Justice Center’s director of legal and social services, Kursten Phelps supports Tahirih’s legal and social services programs nationwide. A former journalist, she also previously worked as the Immigration Project attorney at the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence. She earned her JD from Washburn University in 2010.

Kwynn Gonzalez-Pons, MPH, CPH is pursuing a PhD in the College of Social Work at the University of Utah. Her research focuses on the intersections of health, technology, and gender-based violence.

LaQuisha S. Anthony is a big voice in a small package with an even bigger heart. She is an author, advocate, motivational speaker, sexual assault crisis counselor, education & training specialist and more. Her most precious line of work is serving as the CEO & founder of V.O.I.C.E Victory Over Inconceivable Cowardly Experiences, a nationwide Survivor's Network. She is also a education & training specialist for WOAR women organized against rape. LaQuisha has devoted her professional life to educating and empowering women and young people to reach their full potential, achieve their goals as well as empowering those who have been affected by all forms of violence to find their voice. The impact of the work itself supersedes her resume leaving a lasting affect on the lives across the country. She was recently named KYW 2018 Game changer. 2018 PCAR Black History Maker, 2017 KYW Women Achievement Awards Top 10 Rising Stars and in 2016 The United State of Women Nominated Change Maker by The White House amongst many other notable honors and awards. She is a phenomenal woman of courage with a burning passion to change the world in her generation.

Larisa Kingston Mann is a professor, organizer, activist, and DJ. Her music and scholarship explores how oppressed communities create spaces for cultural expression, healing and radical imagination. Cofounder of Heavy NYC, Surya Dub SF and part of Dutty Artz NYC, she is on Studio Rev’s board and member of 24HrPHL.

Laura Kay Collins, MSS, LSW is a social worker providing psychotherapy in the college counseling center at The University of Pennsylvania.  Prior to college counseling, she worked in various Community Mental Health Centers in Philadelphia, specializing in trauma recovery.  Her clinical work and personal interests are grounded in intersectional feminist principles and relational approaches to therapy.  She is a graduate of the Psychoanalytic Center of Philadelphia’s Psychodynamic therapy training program.  She is a member of an interdisciplinary working group with Student Health Services working to improve care for LGBT students on campus.  She is also a member of the Sexual Trauma Treatment Outreach and Prevention (STTOP) team at Penn where she works with victim-survivors of sexual assault and trauma.  She also supports various outreach efforts on the wider campus to promote a healthy culture of consent. 

Laura Luciano has worked for Rutgers University for 18 years. Her work focuses on addressing the prevention and Intervention of gender and power based violence. She is the Associate Director for the VPVA Office on the Camden Campus. Laura also teaches in the School of Social work.

Laura Martin is a graduate of West Virginia University. She holds a Bachelor's degree in Communications and Public Relations. Martin worked as a Prevention Educator for several years before transitioning to Director of Corporate Relations at Family Refuge Center, a dual program in rural West Virginia. She is a member of Rainbow Justice League and Allies Aspiring for Equity, both statewide groups, as well as a local men's outreach committee.

Lauren Martin PhD is the Director of Research at the University of Minnesota’s Urban Research Outreach-Engagement Center and she is affiliated faculty with the Humphrey School of Public Affairs. She has authored numerous community and scholarly publications and helped develop programs, prevention efforts, and policy related to sex trading and trafficking.

Dr. Patterson is currently a licensed psychologist at the Georgia Southern Counseling Center. She is a Co-Chair of the GS Sexual Assault Response Team (SART). Dr. Patterson’s clinical interests include sexual violence and trauma, rural mental health, Feminist Therapy, and trauma-informed approaches.

Lauren R. Taylor is founder-director of Defend Yourself, teaching skills for stopping harassment, abuse, and assault in Washington DC and nationally. Taylor directs Safe Bars, using bystander education to empower bar and restaurant staffs to stand up against sexual harassment and assault. She trains teams in cities nationwide to set up Safe Bars programs. Taylor has led workshops at Creating Change (National LGBTQ Task Force), National Conference of College Women Leaders (AAUW), National Center for Victims of Crime Institute, and the National Sexual Assault Conference, among others. Taylor publishes widely on interpersonal violence, including in The Washington Post, the Justice Department’s NIJ Journal, Ms. blog, and on Everyday Feminism.

Layla Ferjani is the Director of Marketing for Sexual Trauma Services. In her role, she leads the execution of strategic marketing and public relations programs to promote STSM’s brand within the community. She received a Bachelor of Arts in Public Relations from the University of South Carolina in 2016.

Leo Martinez is a Project Manager with Casa de Esperanza National Latin@ Network. He is a faculty member of the Georgia Victim Assistance Academy. With Casa de Esperanza, he coordinates Technical Assistance for the National Resource Center for Reaching Victims. He coordinates the “Enhancing Services for Male Survivors” project.

Lieutenant Colonel Deanna Daly is an Air Force Judge Advocate currently serving as the Senior Special Victims’ counsel for Appellate and Outreach, where she represents survivors of sexual assault throughout the appellate process. She is also involved in the development of law regarding adult and child sexual assault survivors’ rights.

Linda Crockett founded the Safe Church/Safe Places program, a national training platform for ending child sexual abuse. She provides conference keynotes, lectures at seminaries and colleges, community education workshops and professional training on preventing, recognizing and responding to child sexual abuse, trauma and recovery, and supporting adult survivors.

Lindsay Orchowski, Ph.D. is Associate Professor (Research) at the Alpert Medical School of Brown University, and an Associate Editor for Psychology of Women Quarterly. Her research focuses on the development and evaluation of sexual assault prevention approaches. She is the Co-Editor of"Sexual Assault Risk Reduction and Resistance: Theory, Research and Practice".

Lindsey Curtis is a sexual violence advocate for Services Empowering Rights of Victims, Center for Family Services, Cumberland County. She co-facilitates a support group for youth of all gender identities and sexualities. She has previously volunteered with AVANZAR (formerly the Atlantic County Women’s Center) and Women Organized Against Rape.

LINDY ALDRICH is the Deputy Director of the Victim Rights Law Center, and a national expert in Title IX and campus sexual assault. For over ten years, she has provided legal representation to campus sexual assault victims, as well as training and consultation on Title IX at hundreds of campuses.

Lisa Winchell-Caldwell has over twenty years of experience in domestic and sexual violence survivor services, violence prevention, public policy, and community engagement. She has led several national demonstration projects on the prevention of domestic and sexual violence and has collaborated on prevention and intervention projects serving survivors from pre-k to elders.

Lizz comes to the Safe Church team with 10 years of experience in the local church and overseas ministry setting, serving as licensed Children’s Pastor. She creates interactive content, and leads workshops for parents and children on healthy sexuality and sexual abuse prevention. Her two young children are her inspiration for this work!

L'Oréal McCollum, MSW, LSW, M.Ed, is a Widener University PhD Candidate in Human Sexuality Studies, Temple University adjunct instructor, and co-founder of Empathy at Work--a cultural empathy consulting firm. Inspired by her prior years working within the nightlife industry, she remains deeply committed to improving and innovating its culture.

Louie Marven is a Training Specialist at National Sexual Violence Resource Center, where he develops resources and provides technical assistance on serving male survivors. He has developed programs and provided training to meet the needs of LGBTQ communities, including youth and older adults.

Luz Marquez-Benbow, is an adult survivor of child sexual abuse, incest and rape. As a NoVo Foundation/ JBC Fellow her work is focused on Black Latinidad: a project of IamNegra: a transnational survivor-led network of Afrodescendantes to advance social movement building toward ending child sexual abuse and sexual violence.

351 Taylor Court

Luz Márquez Benbow, es sobreviviente de abuso sexual infantil, incesto y violación. Principalmente es JBC Fellow/ NoVo Foundation, enfocada en Black Latinidad: un proyecto de IamNegra: una red transnacional dirigida por sobrevivientes de Afrodescendencia avansando un movimiento social hacia la erradicación del abuso sexual infantil y la violación.

Lynn Berling-Manual is the CEO of United Soccer Coaches, the largest community for soccer coaches in the world. She previously served eight years as the Chief Marketing Officer of American Youth Soccer Organization, the largest youth soccer club in the world; and has held various roles at Soccer America.

LySaundra Campbell has worked in the anti-violence movement for nearly a decade with organizations at the local, state and national levels through training, education, and strategic communications. She is the Founder & CEO of Social Soundtrack, an organization dedicated to building resilient communities by sharing the history of Black music as it relates to social politics and justice through educational workshops.

Stewart Ryan is an experienced trial lawyer with Laffey, Bucci & Kent where he represents survivors of sexual assault and other crime in civil lawsuits. Stewart previously led the Family Protection Unit in the Montgomery County District Attorney’s Office where he prosecuted crimes of sexual violence and a number of high-profile cases including Commonwealth v. William H. Cosby Jr.

Maia Christopher is the Executive Director of the Association for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers (ATSA).  Focusing on preventing sexual abuse through understanding and interrupting the behaviors of people at risk of offending, ATSA specializes in disseminating research, defining and supporting effective treatment practices and promoting evidence base policies. Ms. Christopher started her work providing treatment services and developing treatment protocols for individuals who have offended sexually and non-sexually. 

Mandy Doyle is a certified Special Education Teacher and a trained sexuality educator. She is currently the IMPACT:Ability Manager at IMPACT Boston working with schools and adult disability service agencies on abuse prevention and training students and adults with disabilities in self-defense, healthy relationship skills, and sexuality education.

Since 2008, Marcella Maggio has led workshops and speaking engagements filtered with informative Tips & real Talks, engaging participants with her personal accounts, along with community-driven research findings, current events, and trauma-informed care. Her greatest strength lies in her ability to translate scientific prevention strategies into material relatable for anyone.

Maribeth Geaman has over 20 years of experience teaching high school English. She aims to engage her students in conversations about social issues, and is the co-developer of the Mockingbirds Sexual Violence Prevention Program

MARISSA KORBEL is a Staff Attorney at the Victim Rights Law Center who provides training and technical assistance on privacy issues and gender-based violence on campus. Marissa is also a former judicial clerk in the United States District Courts, and an award-winning essayist.

Marta began her journey in sexual violence advocacy and social justice as a Hotline and Medical Volunteer Advocate at The Center for Hope and Healing, Inc (CHH). She is currently the Communications and Volunteer Coordinator at CHH, where she is passionate about working with survivors of sexual violence as well as those who have historically been oppressed. Marta was born in Poland and has lived in Massachusetts for over 15 years. As a resident of Lowell, Marta enjoys all the coffee shops, live music, and art that Lowell has to offer.

Martha Hernandez-Martinez, MPA, is originally from Managua-Nicaragua, and holds a Master in Public Affairs from the University of Minnesota. She has developed a toolkit designed to engage Latino men in domestic violence prevention efforts and collaborated in the development of a toolkit designed to evaluate domestic violence programs.

Martha Hernandez-Martinez, MPA, es de Nicaragua, tiene maestría en asuntos públicos de la Universidad de Minnesota. Ella desarrollado un conjunto de herramientas diseñadas para involucrar hombres latinos sobre prevención de la violencia doméstica. Martha tambien desarrollo en el un conjunto de herramientas diseñadas para evaluar los programas de violencia doméstica.

Martha Thompson is a National Women’s Martial Arts Federation (NWMAF) Certified Self-Defense Instructor and an IMPACT Chicago Instructor and Director Emeritus. Thompson is active in NWMAF, IMPACT International, and the Empowerment Self-Defense Alliance. Thompson is also Professor Emeritus of Sociology and Women’s and Gender Studies at Northeastern Illinois University.

Mary Eldridge llegó a University Health Services de UW-Madison en Noviembre del 2016 como un Survivor Services Coordinator. Mary ofrece terapia, apoyo y acompañamientos a estudiantes que han sido afectados por violencia de pareja. Mary ha trabajado con personas afectadas por violencia por más de 6 años.

Mary Worthington, 2017 recipient of the PCAR’s Vision of Hope Award for sexual violence prevention and intervention, is NOVA’s Primary Prevention Coordinator. She trains for national conferences, authored “Building Body Boundaries” for Autism File Magazine, and developed “SHARE”, a healthy relationship and responsible sexual behavior program for youth with ASD.

Matthew serves as Program Coordinator for advocacy and therapy services for incarcerated sexual abuse survivors in a five county area of rural Eastern Kentucky. His program also supports PREA compliance and provides training to local correctional staff. Additionally, he is a certified Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE).

Matthew Houck, YWCA of Kauai Lead Prevention Educator, works with students on Kauai Island to facilitate lessons around sexual violence prevention. Utilizing different curriculums for various age ranges, Matthew works with Kauai’s youth to empower them to know how to stay safe and how to access help if needed.

Matty develops and manages internal and external communications for the Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault. He works with local media on issues of sexual violence and provided guidance and technical assistance to victim service programs regarding communication strategies, social media, and more.

Maya Pilgrim is the Evaluation Manager at the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault, supporting learning and evaluation efforts at TAASA and local rape crisis centers. She has been a part of collective efforts towards more equitable and just communities within the US and internationally for over twenty years related to youth development, health and forced migration. She has a BA in Psychology and a Master’s in International Development and Social Change.

Meg Stone is the Director of IMPACT Boston, an abuse prevention and empowerment self-defense program embedded in a disability advocacy organization. She leads prevention efforts in schools, disability service organizations, and the New England performing arts community. Meg’s work has received grants from Just Beginnings Collaborative, Raliance, Vera Institute of Justice, and Robert Wood Johnson Foundation.

Meg Stone is the Director of IMPACT Boston, an abuse prevention and empowerment self-defense program that is part of the disability service and advocacy organization Triangle. In addition to leading self-defense and abuse prevention programs for all populations, she serves as the Project Director of IMPACT:Ability, an abuse-prevention program focused on people with disabilities. In this capacity she leads the organizational abuse prevention efforts of Triangle, and three other Boston-area disability service and advocacy organizations. Meg is a member of the Massachusetts State Sexual Violence Prevention Team and the chair of the Team’s Developmental Disabilities subcommittee. Meg’s writing on child sexual abuse, sexual violence and self-defense have been published in the Washington Post, STIR Journal, The Establishment, Role Reboot, Ms., Cognoscenti, and several Boston-area regional newspapers.

Meg Stone is the Executive Director of IMPACT Boston, an abuse prevention and empowerment self-defense program that is embedded in the disability service agency Triangle. She is a Just Beginnings Collaborative grantee, and her work focuses on creating a child sexual abuse prevention plan for a network of disability-specific schools.

Megan Schroeder, LSW is the Supervisor of Victim Response at Pittsburgh Action Against Rape (PAAR), managing the delivery of crisis services to victims of sexual violence. Megan obtained a Master of Social Work degree at University of Pittsburgh and has a background in community organizing (BSW, Bowling Green State University).

Megan Zurasky is an advocate with the victim response team at Pittsburgh Action Against Rape, where she has worked for four years. She obtained her masters degree in Counseling Psychology from Chatham University and a bachelors degree in mental health psychology from Edinboro University.

Mel Phillips is a folk/street artist, writer and natural-born storyteller whose appetite for creativity and fierce love for humanity shapes the unique perspectives he brings to the work. He is a change agent, peacemaker, community activist, and Victim’s Advocate at Oregon Abuse Advocates and Survivors In Service (OAASIS), who speaks and educates about equity, interpersonal violence, and social justice.

Melanie Austin is the Director of Education at MOCSA and holds a Master’s Degree in Public Health and a B.A. in Spanish and Communication. She has extensive experience in coordinating community-level public health projects and has been involved in violence prevention for the past eight years.

is the Director of Education at MOCSA and holds a Master’s Degree in Public Health and a B.A. in Spanish and Communication. She has extensive experience in coordinating community-level public health projects and has been involved in violence prevention for the past eight years.

Melissa Morales is the Empowerment Self-Defense Program Manager for Peace Over Violence, a sexual and domestic violence prevention center in Los Angeles. She teaches trauma-informed self-defense throughout southern California. Melissa has previously worked as an advocate for survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence.

Merkeb Yohannes belongs to a community with one of the largest refugee and asylum seeking populations. As a senior program director at the Michigan Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence, Ms. Yohannes brings over 20 years of advocacy experience within diasporic communities, and in Sub Saharan Africa.

Michael Fleming Ph.D. is an Associate Professor in the School of Applied Human Sciences at the University of Northern Iowa, and currently serves as the Director of Research and Evaluation at the Center for Violence Prevention. He holds a MA degree in Marriage and Family therapy, a Ph.D. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison in Human Development and Family Studies.

Michelle has a Bachelor's degree in Gender, Women, and Sexuality from the University of Minnesota. She has been a volunteer advocate at the Sexual Violence Center for over a year, as well as doing work in the Sex Worker Outreach Program in Minneapolis. She is currently doing victim/survivor advocacy in Minneapolis schools, and prevention education in her work at Cornerstone Advocacy Services.

Nastia is a queer immigrant survivor and currently the Senior Coordinator of Systems and Training at the NYC Alliance Against Sexual Assault. They have worked and organized extensively on Title IX issues for many years and are now movement-building around alternative justice processes for survivors beyond the criminal legal system.

Nichole Mueller is a victim advocate at University of California, Irvine and is responsible for providing advocacy services to the campus community. Prior to UCI, Nichole provided advocacy and counseling services at Waymakers, Orange County’s Rape Crisis Center. Nichole has a Bachelor's in Psychobiology and Master’s in Mental Health Counseling.

Nicole is a Senior Program Officer at Just Detention International. Nicole assists with providing training and technical assistance to corrections agencies and victim advocates, supporting their implementation of the Prison Rape Elimination Act standards. Nicole is bilingual in English and Spanish and is a trained rape crisis counselor.

Nicole Lovato is from Kewa (Santo Domingo Pueblo), New Mexico. She graduated from Fort Lewis College in Colorado with a degree in Native American and Indigenous Studies. She currently works for two non-profit organizations. Nicole is the Program Manager for Flowering Tree Permaculture Institute located at Santa Clara Pueblo and an Instructor for Resolve a self-defense and violence prevention organization in New Mexico. She seeks out opportunities that allow her to participate in decolonizing processes, promote Indigenous knowledge and values through sustainability and culturally relevant philosophies.

Since 2007, Ms. Peña has served as the Training and Prevention Education Specialist at the Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault. She is a national consultant on the School Pushout epidemic and is a zealous juvenile defender for indigent youth in her community. Ms. Peña also has a decade of experience assisting survivors of violence as a law enforcement victim advocate.

Since 2007, Ms. Peña has served as the Training and Prevention Education Specialist at the Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault (UCASA). Ms. Pena is currently also a proud juvenile defense attorney working on behalf of indigent youth. In addition, she has a decade of experience assisting survivors of violent crimes as a Law Enforcement Victim Advocate.

Nwando Ofokansi graduated from Boston College with a degree in Sociology, Philosophy, and African & African Diaspora Studies. She is Program Coordinator at Katie Brown Educational Program, a relationship violence prevention program. She uses intersectionality and critical-race feminism to unravel the impact of culture, identity, and oppression on health outcomes.

Pamela Mejia is Head of Research at Berkeley Media Studies Group. She led BMSG’s 5-year project to identify messages and communication strategies that build support for sexual violence prevention policies. She holds master’s degrees in biochemistry and public health from the University of California at Berkeley.

Patricia (aka Patti) Giggans has been the Executive Director of Peace Over Violence, a sexual and domestic violence and youth violence prevention center since 1985. Giggans has held numerous statewide and national leadership positions including Board Vice-President of 1in6, appointed to serve on the California Domestic Violence Advisory Council, former President of The California Coalition Against Sexual Assault (CALCASA), and founding Board member of the California Partnership To End Domestic Violence (CPEDV). She is the founder of Denim Day in LA and USA. A black belt in Karate and master self-defense trainer, Giggans founded Karate Women, the first martial arts school in Southern California in 1976. She has co-created violence prevention programs and curricula including In Touch With Teens and Women’s Self Defense and Safety. She has co-authored several books including the most recent When Dating Becomes Dangerous; A Parents Guide To Preventing Relationship Abuse. Giggans is a recipient of The California Peace Prize, the Angel of Peace Award, the 2016 Visionary Voice Award from the National Sexual Violence Resource Center, and is a Durfee Foundation Stanton Fellow.

IMPACT:Ability's Peer Leaders are young men and women when intellectual and developmental disabilities who have taken IMPACT:Ability self-defense and sexuality education programs and are now co-teachers in a leadership development and bullying prevention program for younger students.

Peggy Jo Coll serves as the University of North Dakota Campus Prevention and Education Specialist. Peggy Jo has worked in violence prevention since 2006. Peggy Jo received her Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice Administration with an emphasis in Security and has her A.S. in Social Psychology from Park University.

Phyllis Miller, LCSW, Director for YWCA Metro St. Louis has 25+ years’ experience providing program management and services to high risk populations, including victims of sexual violence, domestic violence and child abuse/neglect.

Portia Gordon, LPC-S, RPT, is the Counseling Director for Sexual Trauma Awareness & Response (STAR), where she has worked since 2013, providing counseling services, free of cost to survivors of sexual trauma and working to develop programing to meet the unique needs of survivors. Portia graduated from Xavier University of Louisiana in 2010, with a BS in Psychology, and then again in 2013, with a MA in Clinical Mental Health Counseling.

Dr McCartan is an Associate Professor in Criminology at the University of the West of England and an Adjunct Associate Professor in Criminology at QUT, Brisbane. He has a track record of public, academic and professional engagement on criminological issues, including the origins and causes of sex offending, and societal responses to sex offenders. He has experience of qualitative, quantitative and mixed method research from funders including Ministry of Justice, Cabinet Office, Public Health England, ESRC, The Leverhulme Trust, Bristol City Council & various UK police forces.

Quinn Gormley (she/they) is the Executive Director of the Maine Transgender Network, the largest statewide transgender peer support organization in the United States. Prior to MTN Quinn worked with rural queer communities to develop new pride festivals and volunteered as a hotline advocate at her local sexual assault support center.

Quinn Pellerito is the LGBTQ Education Specialist at WOAR. Their work focuses on training providers on the intersection of LGBTQ+ affirming and trauma informed best practices.Their goal is to aid providers in serving LGBTQ+ community members who have experienced sexual violence in a welcoming and compassionate way.

When her lifelong best friend was murdered in a horrific act of sexual violence, Rachel was called to action to fight against the epidemic of sexual violence in the U.S. Rachel is responsible for day-to-day operations of the The Angel Band Project. She is committed to their mission of “using the power of music to provide healing, raise awareness, and create positive social change for survivors of sexual violence.”

Rachel Ebeling draws on her background in project management, marketing and the media in her role as executive director. She is committed to The Angel Band Project’s mission of “using the power of music to provide healing, raise awareness, and create positive social change for survivors of sexual violence.”

Radha Prabakaran holds the title of Education Outreach Specialist at Mazzoni Center, an LGBTQ health and wellness organization located in Philadelphia, PA. They are passionate about creating spaces where LGBTQ+ victims and survivors, particularly of color, are able to move towards healing without experiencing additional harm.

Randi serves as Executive Director of Vera House (serving victims and survivors of sexual and domestic violence). She is a sought-after leader in the Central New York Community. Randi is often requested as an Expert Witness. She champions the response to and prevention of sexual and domestic violence.

Rebecca Nickels, MSW helps nonprofits be their best; focusing on interim executive leadership, strategic planning, board governance, and equity. From 2006-2018, she lead Call to Safety (Portland, Oregon) as it expanded crisis line services, integrated equity and racial justice, and prioritized being survivor-led. Rebecca has worked alongside survivors since 1996.

Regan has been advocating for sexual assault clients at SafePlace since 2016, working boots-on-the-ground with underserved populations such as trafficked and houseless youth, and incarcerated survivors. Prior to SafePlace, they acted as a peer advocate in survivor spaces at The Evergreen State College from 2013 - 2015.

Rhonda Hendrickson, MSL is Vice President, YWCA Greater Harrisburg, providing management and expertise in domestic violence, sexual assault, prevention, and human trafficking. Hendrickson manages one of the first federal trafficking grants in PA that provides services for survivors, and manages the only trauma-informed mentoring program for child victims of trafficking.

In addition to pursuing her master’s degree in Psychology, Rhonda Moore, YWCA of Kauai Youth Specialist, has created a curriculum for teenage youth to address diversity, equality, equity, and gender violence to challenge their own thoughts and behaviors towards one another and how they interact in their community.

Rick Azzaro has 25 years of practice/administrative experience serving victims of family violence. Rick received his Doctorate in Clinical Social Work at the University of Pennsylvania under the tutelage of; Richard Gelles, Richard Gartner, Scott Easton and Sandy Bloom. Rick is currently the Executive Director for Family Design Resources Inc.

Rolanda McCall is a Licensed Professional Counselor in Washington, DC, and Trauma Therapist at the DC Rape Crisis Center. She provides trauma-informed, empowerment focused, therapeutic services and clinical consultation to a diverse range of clients in the greater Washington, DC area, and has done so for over four years.

Rose Hennessy is a PhD Candidate in Public Health at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. She brings over a decade of anti-violence experience, including campus sexual assault work, advocacy, research, and prevention/evaluation practice at the state-level domestic violence and sexual assault coalitions in Wisconsin. Her research focuses on sexual assault prevention.

Rubi Mancilla, LGPC, is the Crisis Services Coordinator at DC Rape Crisis Center (DCRCC). A bilingual trauma therapist, Rubi provides counseling to survivors of sexual violence and coordinates all of DCRCC’s clinical services. She has extensive experience providing trauma informed services to youth, adults and families through an anti-oppressive framework.

As CEO, Ms. Henriquez has helped to transform CALCASA’s culture and strategies by centering the experiences of the most marginalized survivors, amplifying their voices and focusing on creating systemic change. Under her leadership, CALCASA has embarked on efforts to create partnerships on behalf of incarcerated victims of sexual violence and detained immigrants.

Sara Rae Davis is an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians. She is the Co-founder and Co-Director of Turtle Mountain Empowerment self-defense. She has been working for the Turtle Mountain Public Schools for 10 years, most recently in classrooms for students with disabilities.

Sarah Diamond holds a Master of Education in Human Sexuality from Widener University. She teaches her classes through a sex-positive, feminist, culturally humble lens educating youth in San Diego about healthy relationships, gender norms/roles and their connection to violence, consent and boundaries, and how to be UPstanders in their communities.

Sarah Martin-Torres is the State Liaison for the Immigrant Survivors Project at PIRC. She holds a master’s degree in social work from Temple University and has been providing immigration legal services to survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence and human trafficking for nearly a decade as a DOJ Accredited Representative.

Sean Creech, LICSW, is an instructor in the Social Work and Sociology Department of Jacksonville State University.

Shanda Poitra is an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa Indians. As a domestic abuse survivor, it became her goal to offer Empowerment Self Defense to Indigenous women and girls in her community. Shanda is the founder and Co-Director of Turtle Mountain Empowerment Self-defense.

Shanese McGregor is originally from Indiana. She earned a B.A. of Psychology from the University of Indianapolis and an M.A. in Student Affairs Administration in Higher Education from Ball State University. Working at the Department of Child Services in Indiana is where she developed a passion to advocate for survivors.

Sharon has been facilitating workshops and events for people with disabilities for over 20 years. Topics she has covered include HIV/Aids awareness, self advocacy, sexual abuse awareness, healthy relationships, and more. Brought to this work as a parent of an extraordinary young man, Sharon brings a passion for the message and an engaging, down-to-earth manner that reaches each person in the audience.

Shenoa Williams is employed as a Pediatric Nurse Practitioner with the Child Advocacy Center at UPMC Children’s Hospital of Pittsburgh. She has become a nationally certified Pediatric Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE-P) in 2017 and completed the Adult SANE curriculum in 2018. Over the last year she has attended on-line and in-person training on Human Trafficking, including a train-the-trainer course through Shared Hope International called i:care A Health Care Provider’s Guide to Recognizing and Caring for Domestic Minor Sex Trafficking Victims. She is currently co-chairing the Training ACT Advocates Workgroup for the Alliance for Children in Trafficking (ACT), an important initiative of NAPNAP Partners for Vulnerable Youth.

Sheridan Miyamoto is an Assistant Professor in the College of Nursing and a Child Maltreatment Solutions Network faculty member at Penn State University. She is the Director of the Pennsylvania Sexual Assault Forensic Telehealth (SAFE-T) Center, supported by a grant from the Department of Justice- Office for Victims of Crime.

Sheryan M. Cancel, Latinx Services Coordinator for Connecticut Alliance to End Sexual Violence. Prior to joining The Alliance, she worked as a bilingual counselor advocate for survivors of sexual violence at the YWCA in New Britain. She is on the leadership committee for the Women of Color Caucus Against Sexual Assault.

Shundrea Trotty worked in community organizing and culturally specific program administration for more than 15 years before joining the anti-rape movement. Her work is focused on building trauma informed management to support advocates and survivors. Shundrea holds a Master’s of Public Administration.

Stephanie Smith Bowman, MSW, LISW serves as Founder/CEO of DeafPhoenix, unique Deaf statewide anti-violence multi-disciplinary team of eleven professionals specializing in advocacy, psycho-education, training/technical assistance, and interactive multi-media services to empower crime victims in Ohio’s Deaf communities. To enhance accessibility capacity building among first and secondary responders, DeafPhoenix created over 200 PSAs generating crime victimization awareness, intervention, compassionate response, and healing resources along with presentations for NSAC, NNEDV, NCVC, and OVC. Stephanie co-founded Ohio Alliance To End Sexual Violence (OAESV) and has been recognized as a recipient of 2015 Visionary Voice award by NSVRC.

Turing family tragedy into triumph, Sue founded the Barnabas Horse Foundation in 2011. As a horse person and a survivor herself, she knows first-hand how important horses were to her healing and survival. Utilizing the principles of Natural Lifemanship, Sue and her team of therapists, equine professionals and horses now work tirelessly to help others go from victim to survivor.

Tana Fedewa has a Master’s Degree in Social Work. She is the Director of the Michigan State University Sexual Assault Program. Tana advocates for trauma informed services, response, and interventions at MSU. Tana serves on the MSU Relationship Violence and Sexual Misconduct Expert Advisory Workgroup.

Technical Sergeant Jessica Whetstone is a Special Victims’ Paralegal with the Air Force Legal Operations Agency, assigned to Joint Base Andrews, Maryland. She is responsible for the management and administration of the Andrews Special Victims’ Counsel Office, and providing comprehensive sexual assault response and teamed client representation throughout the military judicial process.

Terri Poore has worked with the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence on federal policy and appropriations related to sexual assault for over 10 years, first as a board member and now as the Policy Director. Previously, she worked at the National Sexual Assault Coalition Resource Sharing Project and the Florida Council Against Sexual Violence for 13 years. In the 90’s, Terri worked at a rape crisis center in North Florida. Terri holds an MSW from Florida State University and a BA in Sociology from Loyola University, New Orleans. She works from her home in Tallahasee, Florida.

Terry Fromson has led advocacy efforts to reform law enforcement response to sexual violence in Philadelphia and nationally. She has reviewed thousands of police sex crime files in Philadelphia and other jurisdictions. Her work has led to major local and national policy changes on police response to sex crimes.

We would like to include a trans-identified local facilitator who actually provided support groups.

Tonjie is an advocate, preventionist and creative. With ten years of youth-serving work and seven years in the gender-based violence field, she is driven by the belief that everyone has a role in violence prevention. She holds a BS in Behavioral Science and a MA in Education, Leadership, & Change.

Trace Fleming-Trice is the Sexual Violence Program Director for 2nd Chance, Inc. in Northeast Alabama. She is reasonably friendly, mostly harmless, and is believes in the sustainability of the anti-sexual violence movement through creating vicarious trauma informed organizations and accountable spaces for advocates.

is the Coordinator of Education and Outreach at MOCSA. He has two Bachelor’s Degrees, both in Psychology and Human Ecology. He develops and maintains strong community partnerships with Kansas City metro schools and agencies in order to educate community members about sexual violence response and prevention strategies.

Valerie Slater, JD, is the Executive Director of RISE for Youth, working to dismantle the youth prison model by promoting the creation of community-based alternatives to youth incarceration and centering the voices of impacted youth.

Vanessa Reyna is a Program Director at Waymakers overseeing the Sexual Assault Victim Services and Prevention Education Programs. Vanessa has worked 11 years with Waymakers’ Rape Crisis Center in various roles, participating multiple times a year presenting in the State Rape Crisis Counselor training for Orange County and various trainings.

Victoria Dickman-Burnett has been studying sexual violence and engaged in activist work for over a decade. Her dissertation involves participatory action research to embed sexual violence in the high school English Classroom.

Virginia Rueda has over 20 years’ experience in human services. She is the Regional Support Specialist with the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault. She advocates for sexual assault survivors. She has provided numerous presentation and training both in Spanish and English on topics related to the dynamics of sexual assault.

Wes Davis is a member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa and of the Bear Clan. As the Facilities Manager of Turtle Mountain Community College, Wes brought Turtle Mountain College to an 80% sustainability rate using Wind Energy, Smart Controls and Geothermal Heating in the first 5 years. Wes organized and presented at the first Missing & Murdered Indigenous Women’s awareness and healing event in 2016, which is now an annual event. Chair of a community-based Warrior Club that protects wildlife habitat on reservations, Wes depends on traditional teachings of the Ojibwe Nation to lead.