Alia’s journey began as a Law Enforcement Detective, where she specialized in crimes against children, child death investigations, crisis intervention, and professional police communication. She has been an Anti-Human Trafficking Advocate Coordinator, where she coordinated training efforts across 17 counties and 3 tribes. Alia has also been a Crisis Counselor and a Medicolegal Investigator. Today, Alia serves as the Manager of Domestic Violence and Sexual Violence Support Services for a dual DV/SA agency, where she leads victim-centered strategies, coordinates community outreach, facilitates legal advocacy, and manages trauma-informed resources for survivors and underserved rural communities. Throughout her career she has consistently demonstrated unwavering commitment to those in need, advocating for justice and providing resources to those affected by trauma. Her work continues to make a significant impact, changing lives and creating a safer, more supportive world for all.

Antonella Pallozzi provides comprehensive court-related services in Spanish or English to adult and child victims and witnesses in an effort to ensure victims' rights and maximize victim/witness cooperation to aid in the successful prosecution of criminal cases. Her caseload includes domestic violence, child abuse, sexual assault, and homicide crimes. Antonella has developed trainings on victims’ rights laws for DA staff, Madison Police Department new recruits, and new advocates; topics include U-visa certification, working with Spanish-speaking victims, and a Case Manager’s role in trial. She created the Dane County Victim/Witness Unit Training Materials compendium, and the DA Protocol on U-visa certification she drafted has been adopted by local and state-wide agencies.

David began his legal career as a public defender, where he handled a variety of cases, including over 50 trial cases. He then became the Winnebago County Court Commissioner, where he presided over family law cases, including domestic violence and harassment restraining orders, for nearly a decade. Dave helped found a volunteer attorney program in 2007 and launch a Free Legal Assistance Clinic in 2008- both projects of which are still in practice today. He’s worked with OVW and as Director of the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence and Firearms, through BWJP, where he advocated for legislative improvements in firearm surrender protocols and trained professionals nationwide on the intersection of firearms and domestic violence. Since 2022, Dave has been with Legal Action of Wisconsin, representing survivors of DV in family law cases across 15 counties. Throughout his career, Dave has been a passionate advocate for the safety and rights of DV survivors, in policy and beyond.

Ms. LaSpisa was appointed District Attorney in May, 2021. Prior to this appointment, Ms. LaSpisa was an Assistant District Attorney in Green Lake County since 2019 where she focused on crimes of interpersonal violence. Prior to joining the Green County District Attorney’s Office, Ms. LaSpisa was an Assistant District Attorney in Dane County where she focused on child sexual assault prosecutions. From 1999 – 2005, Ms. LaSpisa served as an Assistant District Attorney in Milwaukee County. From 1994 – 1999, Ms. LaSpisa served as an Assistant State’s Attorney in Cook County, Illinois. Over her career, Ms. LaSpisa has developed experience in a wide array of criminal matters. However, her focus and passion has been to provide compassionate service and support to crime victims and witnesses. In addition to her prosecutorial experience, she also served as the executive director of a children’s charity, working to enrich the lives of children with physical disabilities.

Jim Walters is the Associate Vice President and Chief of Police for Southern Methodist University (SMU). As the Chief, he oversees all law enforcement and security operations for the urban campus of over 15000 located in Dallas, Texas. SMU Police provide law enforcement response and oversee the contract for security operations of the George W. Bush Presidential Center located on the SMU campus. Under his direction, the SMU Police Department has developed innovative programs to improve community engagement, crime victim services, preparedness and threat management. Mr. Walters is the past President of the Texas Association of College and University Police Administrators (TACUPA) and a member of the Texas Police Chiefs Association. Mr. Walters is the past Program Administrator for the AMBER Alert Training and Technical Assistance Program (AATTAP).

Julie Hart is the Human Trafficking Education and Outreach Coordinator for the Kansas Attorney General's Office and Chair of the Kansas Human Trafficking Advisory Board. With over 16 years in law enforcement, Julie specializes in Special Victims crimes, including human trafficking and domestic violence. She is trained in Advanced Forensic Interviewing, Trauma-Informed Interviewing, and Behavioral Threat Assessment, and is a Crisis and Hostage Negotiator. Julie holds a Bachelor's in Criminology and a Master's in Forensic Psychology. In her current role, she creates legislation and programs to combat human trafficking, provides training statewide, and helps trafficking victims find resources in Kansas and beyond.

Dr. Crouch has over twenty-five of experience in conducting research investigating various aspects of family violence, including intimate partner violence, child maltreatment, effects of trauma, and risk assessment. Dr Crouch’s research has been supported by the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, National Institute of Child Health and Human Development, Office of Violence Against Women, Illinois Department of Children and Family Services, and various local/regional partners, including the Winnebago County Domestic Violence Coordinated Court.

Kayla Brooks is honored to present on behalf of the Fox Cities Victim Crisis Response Team. With eight years of volunteer experience, she has responded to hundreds of crisis calls, working closely with law enforcement agencies in Outagamie and Winnebago Counties. In addition to her volunteer work, Kayla has dedicated the past decade to the field of education, serving as a Youth Advocate at an elementary school for the last five years. Drawing from her extensive experience and deep understanding of law enforcement, both personally and professionally, Kayla is passionate about providing trauma-informed care to children. She firmly believes that early intervention plays a crucial role in mitigating the long-term effects of trauma. As a mother, police wife, crisis responder, and youth advocate, she is committed to equipping participants with practical strategies to support adolescents in the immediate aftermath of trauma. Additionally, she aims to raise awareness about the mission and work of the Fox Cities Victim Crisis Response Team.

Laura Clary is a Registered Nurse, Forensic Nurse Examiner & Director of the Greater Baltimore Medical Center Sexual Assault Forensic Examination, Domestic Violence & Child Protection Program. She has been a Nurse for over 14 years. She is certified to care for patients across the lifespan that have been victims of sexual assault, child abuse, intimate partner violence and human trafficking. Mrs. Clary holds National professional certification as a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE-A / SANE-P) from the International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN). She is a Maryland Board of Nursing approved Forensic Nursing Instructor and has taught and precepted nurses, physicians, social workers, and law enforcement from all over the country. She is a member of the IAFN, as well as the Maryland Child Abuse Medical Providers Network, Chair of the Baltimore County SART, and partners with the Maryland Center for School Safety to train SRO's across the state on the victimization of youth.

Lynn Cook, MSW, CAPSW received her MSW and Certificate in Trauma Counseling at the University of Wisconsin, Milwaukee in 2008. Lynn is responsible for implementing statewide initiatives that improve the investigation, prosecution, and judicial handling of child abuse. Prior to this position, Lynn worked as a Forensic Interviewer at the Milwaukee Child Advocacy Center of Children’s Hospital of Wisconsin. She began her work in that capacity in July of 2015 and has conducted well over 2,300 forensic interviews of children and teens who have experienced or witnessed violence and child maltreatment. She continues to conduct forensic interviews at Safe Harbor Child Advocacy Center in Madison. Lynn conducts many other statewide and national trainings in areas specific to child abuse dynamics. She is often called to testify as an expert witness in criminal trials in Milwaukee County and across the state.

Mark Yarbrough was elected to five terms as the Lamb County & District Attorney and served for 20 years, prosecuting everything from death penalty cases to DWIs. During his tenure, in 2002, he was awarded the M.A.D.D. regional prosecutor of the year. He served on the board of directors for the Texas District & County Attorney’s Association, and is a member of the National District Attorney’s Association. He also is one of the founding fellows of the Texas Prosecutor’s Society. Mark is listed by the Lawyers of Distinction as one of the top 10% of lawyers in the United States, and by the American Institute of Criminal Law Attorneys as one of the “10 Best Attorneys” for Texas. At the end of 2012, Mark retired as District Attorney and travels the country giving motivational speeches regarding Burnout. He has also written and been published on the subject of Burnout.

Nicole Ticknor has a background in victim advocacy, offender supervision and behavioral health. Nikki has been responsible for the creation of several collaborative community projects focused on preventing and responding to gender-based violence. Nikki has served as faculty for various local and national trainings focused on court collaboration, engaging court stakeholders, and effective court response to survivors of domestic violence. Nikki received the Illinois Supreme Court's Jeffery D. Colman Access to Justice Award for outstanding contributions made to increasing access to the court system for victims of domestic violence and those with disabilities. She is a graduate of Northern Illinois University with B.S. in Sociology and M.S. Ed. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling. She is a Licensed Professional Counselor, Certified Domestic Violence Professional, and Certified Court Manager.

Olivia’s entire professional career has been dedicated to providing direct-client services for domestic abuse survivors. She has risen to the role of Senior Legal Advocate where she leads with passion, offering essential support, guidance, and empowerment to individuals, primarily those navigating the complexities of the legal system. Olivia’s work goes beyond just advocacy—she is deeply committed to preventing domestic violence-related homicides and improving responses to strangulation cases. She passionately trains law enforcement officers, GALs, and other advocates. Olivia’s career is driven by compassion, advocacy, and education. She is relentless in her mission to make a lasting, transformative impact on both the individuals she serves and within the broader community and movement of advocacy. Olivia believes survivors are the greatest teachers; looking always to them, she continually draws from their experiences to deepen her own understanding and passes on this knowledge to all!

Rachel Sines endured a harrowing ordeal 17 years ago when she became a survivor of sexual assault and kidnapping during an armed burglary at her home. Despite the trauma she faced, justice prevailed as her assailant was apprehended, tried, and convicted on 10 felony counts. Resulting in four life sentences and 62 consecutive years in prison due to the severity of the crime. Empowered by her journey, Rachel firmly believes in reclaiming power from the offender and the traumatic event by speaking out. She considers it an honor to share her story, recognizing the transformative impact it can have on others. Currently residing in Central Florida with her daughter, Rachel serves as a dedicated Project Manager. In both her personal and professional life, she actively advocates for victims and individuals seeking healing, aiming to turn the darkness of her past experience into a beacon of hope and positivity.

Rick Salcedo, a seasoned detective, currently serves with the University of Central Florida Police Department. With 26 years of dedicated service, he retired from the Orlando Police Department in November 2016. Notably, he spent over 17 years as a detective specializing in sex crimes investigations and was assigned to the Special Victims Unit. Salcedo holds the lead instructor position for the Advance Adult and Child Sex Crimes Investigations and Hostage/Crisis Negotiations Courses at three Law Enforcement Academies in Central Florida. Additionally, Detective Salcedo’s served as an on-call negotiator with the Orlando Police Department Crisis Negotiations Team for over 18 years, Notably, he was among the negotiators who responded to the tragic 2016 Pulse Massacre. Detective Salcedo has presented at several conferences across the United States and Canada. Before his career in law enforcement, Detective Salcedo proudly served as an 11-year veteran of the United State Air Force.

Detective Kilpatrick, with over 19 years of dedicated service at the Baltimore County Police Department, has a commendable 16-year tenure as a detective, showcasing his unwavering commitment to upholding the law and pursuing justice. Early in his career, he played a pivotal role in dismantling drug trafficking organizations as a member of the Vice Narcotics Unit. He innovatively used social media to unravel the intricate structures of these illicit networks, even exposing a rogue unit within the Baltimore Police Department, which was documented in the book and TV series "We Own This City." Later, Detective Kilpatrick joined the Special Victims Unit, where his dedication to justice continued to shine. Currently assigned to the Crimes Against Children Unit, he skillfully employs digital data to locate suspects involved in heinous crimes like sexual assault and rape, showcasing his proficiency in solving crimes utilizing digital data.

Sophia A. Strother Lewis is a dynamic entrepreneur, advocate, and survivor who boldly claims her past by authoring her future. As the founder of L2E Industries, LLC, she built a multi-million-dollar courier service and became one of Amazon’s top contracted partners. Her work has been featured in *Business Insider*, *Black Enterprise*, and *Cosmopolitan*. Holding an MBA in Marketing and a BSBA in Business Management from American International College, Sophia also founded Learning 2 Exhale Restoration Strategies and Trustworthy Consulting. Overcoming child sexual abuse, human trafficking, and sexual assault, Sophia draws on her experiences to shed light on resilience and the seven systems survivors navigate to seek justice. Her sexual assault case concluded with a guilty verdict, but justice remains incomplete as her perpetrator is still on the run. Despite this, Sophia is fiercely committed to raising awareness and improving systemic support for survivors of abuse and exploitation.

Suvarna Cumings-Menon, PhD, is a Research Associate at the Center for the Study of Family Violence and Sexual Assault, Northern Illinois University and a licensed clinical psychologist. She graduated with her PhD in Clinical/Community Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana Champaign. Her research focuses on intimate partner violence (IPV) and early childhood adversities like child maltreatment. More specifically, her research examines the mental health consequences of early childhood adversities and trauma, survivor help-seeking following IPV, and systems change in the response to IPV.