Closing Keynote Speaker, Richie Reseda, was freed from prison in 2018. Richie Reseda is an abolitionist-feminist, producer and organizer. He founded Question Culture, a social-impact record label, which co-executively produced the Defund The Sheriff Album in 2020 featuring Vic Mensa, Lauren Juaregui and many more.

Reseda also cofounded Success Stories, the transformational feminist program for incarcerated men. This program was chronicled in the CNN documentary “The Feminist on Cell Block Y.” He also cofounded Initiate Justice, which organizes people who are directly impacted by incarceration. He works closely with Black Lives Matter, Inspire Justice and to transform narratives and upend systems of oppression.

Mariesa Robinson is MNADV’s Prevention Coordinator and the project manager for MD-DVFRSIT. Her background includes an MA in Public Policy-WGSS from GWU, 6 years of research and direct services experience, and 8 years as an educator around power-based violence. She has been with MNADV since March 2021.

Reverend Sakima Romero-Chandler, is the Co-Chair of MD-DVFRSIT’s Survivor Advisory Board. Sakima began work in domestic violence prevention in 2008 on the Community Advisory Board to provide feedback, support for and implementation of Healthy Relationship Education Program through Howard University and other partnering entities. Beginning 2011 Sakima served as a Board member on the Engaging Men of Faith Against Domestic Violence which served as an opportunity to collaborate with organizations to educate men and young men about domestic violence. Sakima continues to support women and girls affected by violence with her Domestic Violence Awareness 365 which she launched in March 2012 as the founding Co- Pastor of Family Life Ministry AME Church. Sakima has an insightful ability to understand how to work on the ground with grass root communities and local organizations. As a consultant Sakima currently coordinates with Ujima The National Center on Domestic.

Asia Rodriquez is a Licensed Clinical Professional Counselor (LCPC) that specializes in working with domestic violence and sexual assault survivors. Her passion for supporting the needs of others led to her many roles supporting domestic violence survivors in a variety of settings including hotlines, shelters, emergency rooms, child protective services, abuser intervention programs and the therapy room. Her own experiences with compassion fatigue led to her interest to research the long term effects of compassion fatigue when working with IPV and culturally appropriate preventative measures to avoid burnout..

Alexis Rowland is a current PhD student at the University of California Irvine’s department of Criminology, Law and Society where she researches the impacts of penal policy on transgender prisoners. She also holds a masters degree in Counseling, which she has used to conduct research on new gender affirming treatments for gender dysphoria, and has formerly worked in corrections settings as a mental health clinician.

Charnell Covert is an educator, activist, community organizer, minister and healer. Charnell currently works as the community educator for the House of Ruth Maryland, one of the leading organizations against Intimate Partner Violence in families and communities. A seasoned educator, she is currently faculty in the Women and Gender Studies Department at Towson State University where she uses liberation and creative pedagogy that challenges her students to become servant leaders in their own spheres of influence.

Beverly A. Reddy is the Founder and Visionary of Ishshah’s Place, Inc., a refuge for survivors of Intimate Partner Violence (IPV) designed to promote holistic lifestyle transformations. She also holds a Bachelor of Science Degree in Business Management, a Master of Divinity degree, and is currently an MBA candidate at the University of Baltimore. Bi-vocational, Beverly is employed as the Director of Patient Financial Services and Insurance Contracting at the Kennedy Krieger Institute where for more than 30 years she has dedicated her service to helping children with special needs. Moreover, she is a licensed and ordained minister, called of God specifically to a ministry of helping women who suffer abuse to discover their joy and live the abundant life made possible through Christ. She is a member of the Mount Lebanon Baptist Church where she provides support to victims and survivors, and education to church, and community about the effects of domestic violence.

Reverend Sakima Romero-Chandler, is the Co-Chair of MD-DVFRSIT’s Survivor Advisory Board. Sakima began work in domestic violence prevention in 2008 on the Community Advisory Board to provide feedback, support for and implementation of Healthy Relationship Education Program through Howard University and other partnering entities. Beginning 2011 Sakima served as a Board member on the Engaging Men of Faith Against Domestic Violence which served as an opportunity to collaborate with organizations to educate men and young men about domestic violence. Sakima continues to support women and girls affected by violence with her Domestic Violence Awareness 365 which she launched in March 2012 as the founding Co- Pastor of Family Life Ministry AME Church. Sakima has an insightful ability to understand how to work on the ground with grass root communities and local organizations. As a consultant Sakima currently coordinates with Ujima The National Center on Domestic.

Fiona Oliphant’s personal mission is to create a world which centers those living in the margins of our society by valuing their lived experiences, amplifying their voices and realigning current systems of power. Fiona has extensive experience facilitating workshops pertaining to a variety of topics including, but not limited to, Cultural Humility, De-Constructing Oppression, Racial Equity, Radical Healing and Unpacking Bias. She has also worked with numerous organizations to move beyond superficial, check-box actions, towards substantive, enduring culture change.

Sydney Palinkas is the Community Outreach and Education Manager at the ElderSAFE Center, an award-winning program of Charles E. Smith Life Communities. Since joining the team 2018, she has worked to build awareness around the issue of elder abuse through outreach, interactive trainings and coalition building. In addition to training around the DCmetro area, Sydney has presented for the National Domestic Violence Hotline, the National Adult Protective Services Association, and AARP Maryland. Previously, she worked at the National Network to End Domestic Violence as the Transitional Housing / Positively Safe Coordinator. Along with her focus on violence prevention work, Sydney has been focused on serving and advocating for older adults through volunteer work. She has experience working and leading activities in senior centers, long-term care facilities, and independent living homes for older adults. She currently volunteers with Meals on Wheels of Central Maryland, and the Jewish Council on Aging.

Gena Castro Rodriguez is a psychologist and licensed marriage and family therapist in private practice, adjunct professor at the University of San Francisco and former Chief of the Victim Services Division for the San Francisco District Attorney’s Office. She has expertise in trauma, victims of crime, the juvenile and criminal justice system, and community mental health. Dr. Castro Rodriguez has held leadership roles in non-profit and government services for twenty years and has developed many successful programs, policies, and legislation to increase access and engagement in mental health and trauma recovery services nationally and internationally. She is currently a clinician and national consultant providing training and consolation in the areas of victim of crime cases, services and policy, trauma and mental health, violence prevention and criminal justice reform.

Dr. Kinaya Sokoya is a certified Social Work Manager who holds a doctorate degree in Higher Education Administration, a Master’s degree in Business and Public Administration, and an undergraduate degree in Social Work. She is a certified diversity trainer, a mediator, a parent educator, and a facilitator of discussion groups on bigotry. Dr. Sokoya has received numerous awards and citations for her work in innovative program development to combat domestic violence and is listed in Who’s Who in Executives & Professionals. Dr. Sokoya was executive director of the Family Crisis Center of Prince George’s County and president of MNADV. Through her position as Chair of the Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence’s Multi-Cultural Task Force, Dr. Sokoya provided leadership on the Task Force to offer cultural competency training for domestic violence service providers and court interpreters throughout Maryland.

Durryle Brooks, Ph.D, M.A is interdisciplinary research scholar-practitioner and a social justice educator from Baltimore, MD. He is the Founder and CEO of Love and Justice Consulting LLC, an organizational and leadership development firm that provides leaders with diversity and social justice learning opportunities to increase their capacity to effectively and authentically engage difference. In this work, he offers leaders executive coaching and thought partnership as they navigate embedding intersectional justice frameworks and values into everything they do. Dr. Brooks is the current Policy Chair for the Baltimore City School Board, where he advocates for educational justice for LGBTQ students, who are often marginalized and erased within formal educational settings. He is a WK Kellogg Foundation Community Leadership Network Fellow and supports racial justice and healing for all children and families.

Kate Mogulescu serves as the Director of the Survivors Justice Project. She is also an Associate Professor of Clinical Law at Brooklyn Law School where she directs the Criminal Defense & Advocacy Clinic. Her work and scholarship focus largely on gender, sentencing and reentry issues in the criminal legal system, with a focus on gender-based violence, intimate partner abuse, sex work and human trafficking. The clinic represents survivors of human trafficking and other forms of gender-based violence or family abuse seeking post-conviction relief. Prior to creating the clinic in 2017, Kate spent 14 years as a public defender with The Legal Aid Society’s Criminal Defense Practice. In 2011, she founded the Exploitation Intervention Project to specifically represent both sex workers and victims of exploitation facing prosecution. She also developed and continues to lead the Survivor Reentry Project and the Human Trafficking Clemency Initiative.

Monica Szlekovics is a graduate of Marymount Manhattan College, where she earned a bachelor’s degree in Sociology in 2009. In January of 2020, after serving 23 years of a life sentence, Monica was granted clemency by former New York Governor Andrew Cuomo, an extraordinary executive remedy that has rarely been applied in murder cases in the past 30 years. In granting clemency, Governor Cuomo recognized Monica’s conviction, stemming from a 1996capital murder case, was the direct result of extreme gender-based violence. Monica resides in Rochester, New York, where she continues to support prison education programs and criminalized victims of gender based violence.

Patrice Smith, is an Advisory Group Member of the Survivors Justice Project. Smith was one of the first women to be released from prison under the Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act. She had been incarcerated since she was 16 years old and was released in September 2020 after serving nearly 22 years in prison. While in prison, Patrice earned her Associate of Arts in Social Sciences and her Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Marymount Manhattan College. Patrice draws on her experience as a survivor of abuse, the traumatization of prison as someone who was given a potential life sentence as a teenager, and navigating the reentry process as a survivor in her advocacy efforts. Patrice is also invested in the education of returning women who were criminalized survivors; and them having access to the resources they need to negotiate a career in the tech industry.

Cortney Fisher, JD, PhD is Faculty at the University of Maryland (UMD) and an Independent Consultant in the fields of victimology, the intersection of trauma victims and systems, criminology, and organizational management for justice and victim services organizations. Dr. Fisher has over twenty years of experience working for community, campus, and government organizations providing victim services. Dr. Fisher teaches or has taught courses in Victimology, Criminal Law, Ethics in the Criminal Justice System, Violence Against Women, and Crime Prevention. Before moving back into academia, Dr. Fisher was the Deputy Director for Victim Services in the District of Columbia. Dr. Fisher’s resume includes tenures as the Director of the Maryland Criminal Injuries Compensation Board, Victim Advocate at the Office of the Victim Advocate at the University of Maryland, and Attorney Advisor for the Maryland Division of Parole and Probation. Dr. Fisher received her PhD in Criminology and Criminal Justice from UMD.

Jane E. Palmer, M.S.W., Ph.D., is an associate professor in justice, law & criminology at American University (AU) and is the founder and former director of the Community-Based Research Scholars program. At AU, she teaches courses on research methods, ending gender-based violence, child & family policy, and statistics. Before coming to AU for her Ph.D., Dr. Palmer was the executive director of a domestic violence and youth violence prevention organization in St. Louis. She previously worked in non-profit organizations in Chicago and St. Louis as an activist, organizer, advocate, youth program manager, and social worker with children, youth, and families, with an emphasis on eradicating violence.

Lucane LaFortune, M.Ed., is a Haitian-American intersectional womanist and fat activist who enjoys podcasts and playing chess. Currently, she is pursuing a Ph.D. in Education and Organi- zational Leadership. Lucane has served as a victim service expert for more than 20 years. Her work is informed by her lived experience as a survivor of sexual trauma, anti-fatness, and an- ti-Blackness. She is a full-time mom to a spunky daughter and Deputy Director at the Maryland Network against Domestic Violence.

Julia Birk earned degrees in International Studies and Spanish and then her J.D. at the University of Richmond and has dedicated her legal career to serving vulnerable populations and survivors of trauma. Julia first interned with Just Neighbors as a law student back in 2010 and then as a volunteer attorney in 2012. She served as Secretary on the Just Neighbors Board of Directors from 2015-2020 and is excited to be on staff as the DC/MD Staff Attorney. Julia’s legal career includes work s a Guardian ad litem while at Bushman Law Group, serving as the Family Law Staff Attorney at KARAMAH: Muslim Women Lawyers for Human Rights, providing legal representation to Muslim and immigrant survivors of Domestic Violence, and as an attorney in the Detained Children’s Program at Capital Area Immigrants’ Rights Coalition. Julia is fluent in Spanish and grew up in the DMV area where she is now proud to work alongside the dedicated staff and volunteers of Just Neighbors to provide hope through immigration legal services.

Sarah Milad went to law school with a desire to serve. After exploring various fields, she determined that immigration law would provide her the opportunity to engage in humanitarian work in a direct-services capacity. Sarah began her legal career at Justice For Our Neighbors in 2008, just after graduating from The American University, Washington College of Law. In Fall of 2009 she joined the Just Neighbors team. Sarah finds great fulfillment in supporting clients through their most difficult of times and celebrating with them when they reach the other side. She also enjoys helping legal interns and volunteer attorneys navigate the complexities of immigration law. As a Coptic Christian immigrant, she has a unique perspective on the discrimination that Christians face in the Middle East and why people seek safety and religious freedom in the United States.

Tova Zimm serves as JCADA’s Victim Advocacy Director. She graduated from Indiana University in the Spring of 2017 with a BA in Jewish Studies, American history, and Hebrew. As a college student, she became incredibly passionate for the movement against power-based violence, specifically the intersection of power-based violence and religion. After her sophomore year of college, she held a life changing internship for JCADA’s AWARE program and never left! She returned the following summer as an Outreach intern which eventually turned into a victim advocacy position. Tova is also the handler of JCADA’s facility therapy dog, Tahoe.

Rebecca Grbinich is the Victim Advocacy Manager at JCADA. Over the past two years, she has provided tireless support and resources to her clients so they feel empowered to make life decisions. Prior to working at JCADA, Rebecca served in social justice and advocacy roles in Michigan and Florida. Her passion for victim advocacy stems from the numerous hours she spent volunteering with multiple organizations while obtaining her degree in Criminology at Florida State University. When not advocating for the needs of survivors of domestic assault, Rebecca, originally from the USVI, enjoys spending time outside and snuggling with her cat, Petunia.

Dannette S. Johnson, LCSW, has devoted 12 years of her life serving her country while in the active duty Army. Dannette continues her service by working with Veterans and Veteran families. She obtained her master’s degree from the University of Washington Social Work Program in March 2013. Her work has included facilitating therapeutic groups with incarcerated women; individual, group and couples therapy; as well as working with justice involved Veterans.

Lindsay Wilson, LCSW-C, has been a social worker at the VA Maryland Health Care System for 7 years, beginning as a social work student intern. She has worked with veterans and their families in the Post 9/11 Military2VA program, primary care, Women’s Health, Caregiver Support Program, and the Intimate Partner Violence Assistance Program. In her current role, she supports veterans, their partners, and VA employees who have been impacted by intimate partner violence.

Ayo Magwood (Uprooting Inequity LLC) is an is an educational consultant specializing in in-depth, evidence-based education on historical and structural racism for both adults and students. These presentations include primary and secondary historical evidence, data, quantitative maps, research studies and original diagrams/images, and each session represents 300-400 hours of research, synthesis, and graphic design work. She breaks down grad-school-level social science research, data, and abstract concepts into engaging narratives and visuals. Ayo has a B.A. in economics and international relations from Brown University and a M.Sc. in applied economics from Cornell University.

Colleen Moore has been working in the field of violence intervention and violence against women since 1987, currently as the Program Manager of the Grace Medical Center Violence Response Team though Lifebridge Health’s Center for Hope. Previously, she was Coordinator of the SAFE Domestic Violence Program at Greater Baltimore Medical Center (GBMC) for 5 years and coordinated Mercy Medical Center’s Family Violence Response Program for 10 years. Ms. Moore has worked as crisis counselor, shelter counselor, and legal advocate. She has served as Chair of the Medical Subcommittee of the Baltimore City Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team, as President of the Maryland Health Care Coalition Against Domestic Violence, as well as serving on the Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence Board of Directors. She has led numerous workshops, support groups and trainings. Ms. Moore was featured in the film Domestic Violence and Health Care: Best Practices in Action.

Penny Green, LMSW is a licensed Social Worker currently working as the Program Manager of Sinai Hospital Violence Response Team through Lifebridge Health’s Center For Hope. She has worked in the field of Social Work for over 25 years in mental health, domestic violence and with those affected by HIV/AIDS. Ms. Green established and developed the Rapid HIV Testing Program for the Emergency Department of Sinai Hospital from 2008 to 2015. Ms. Green has worked at Sinai Hospital of Baltimore advocating for victims of domestic violence and community violence for 10 years. She is a current Steering Committee Member of Maryland Health Care Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

Isabel Zaragosa has a Bachelors of Science in Environmental Science Technology and Policy and a Masters of Arts in International Environmental Policy. Her focus areas have been centered developing solutions to climate change induced migration and developing tools to combat illicit trade operations in Latin America. She worked alongside the immigrant farmworker community in Salinas, CA in 2015 while developing tools to optimize water usage in California’s agriculture sector. Her work at Esperanza Center began in June 2021 as a Covid-19 Community Health Worker providing information and health services for the immigrant community of Baltimore. She has since moved on to being a Case Manager for immigrants who are survivors of crime.

Kate Jakuta has a Masters of Social Work from University of Maryland, Baltimore and she completed her advanced year field placement at Catholic Charities’ Esperanza Center. She also works at the Southeast Community Development Corporation as the Program Manager overseeing their Family Stability and Eviction Prevention programs, both of which support immigrant families in Southeast Baltimore City who are at risk of homelessness. Prior to this position, Kate worked at House of Ruth Maryland managing the Lethality Assessment Program (LAP) and Bilingual Outreach Program, which provided support and services to Spanish speaking victims of intimate partner violence in Baltimore City and County. She has also served as a board member of the Latino Providers Network, and still acts in a volunteer capacity for the Latino Racial Justice Circle.

Jeanne Yeager has been with MSCFV for 25 years and she has over 35 years of experience in the field of domestic violence, with extensive experience as an administrator, program developer, manager and Executive Director. Ms. Yeager has been recognized for her work on behalf of domestic violence victims with a “Governor’s Victim Assistance Award” and an “Outstanding Achievement Award” from the Lt. Governor’s/Attorney General’s Family Violence Council, the 2006 Henry Gleim Memorial Award from the State Board of Victim Services and was named one of Maryland’s Top 100 women by the Daily Record in 2006 and 2008. Since 2005, she has been appointed by the Governor to serve on the Maryland State Board of Victim Services and the Family Violence Council. In 2016, Governor Hogan appointed her Chair of the Family Violence Council.

Dr. Pamela Jordan is a community psychologist by training who has focused her career on research and program evaluation in a variety of contexts including poverty, child welfare, spirituality, and family violence. Dr. Jordan developed MSCFV’s Outcome Measurement System, surveys, tools and provided training to the staff. Dr. Jordan has worked with MSCFV for 25 years developing and managing its evaluation program for specific grants and programs and agency-wide. A frequent conference speaker, Pamela is the author of Managing Your Family’s High Tech Habits and Better Relationships, Better Life, in addition to dozens of academic journal articles and white papers.

Ayo Magwood (Uprooting Inequity LLC) is an is an educational consultant specializing in in-depth, evidence-based education on historical and structural racism for both adults and students. These presentations include primary and secondary historical evidence, data, quantitative maps, research studies and original diagrams/images, and each session represents 300-400 hours of research, synthesis, and graphic design work. She breaks down grad-school-level social science research, data, and abstract concepts into engaging narratives and visuals. Ayo has a B.A. in economics and international relations from Brown University and a M.Sc. in applied economics from Cornell University.

Vy Vu is a multidisciplinary artist, cultural worker and healer based in the DMV area with over 4 years of facilitating grassroots community advocacy and healing through the arts. Vy obtained their MFA in Community Art from Maryland Institute College of Art and their BA in English, BA in Studio Art from the College of Wooster, Ohio. After graduating from College of Wooster in 2018, Vy served in Washington D.C. as a youth developer and sex educator to continue their work to end power-based violence. Their creative work in the DMV area focuses on building power and manifesting a future of liberation. Some communities Vy has dedicated their organizing efforts towards include local mothers who were impacted by police brutality, QTBIPOC communities, A/PI communities, interfaith communities and incarcerated youth and adults.

Ramya Chunduri graduated Columbia University with her Master of Science degree in advanced clinical social work. She is a Social Worker with Ashiyanaa. She has 4+ years of non-profit and start-up experience, and is also a psychotherapist.

Reginald Dominic Goodall is a lifelong Marylander, born in Prince George’s County. He studied Criminology and Criminal Justice at the University of Maryland, with a focus on extremism, terrorism, and victimology. Passionate about helping his community, Dominic got his start serving other as a volunteer EMT-B and Firefighter with the Wheaton Volunteer Rescue Squad. Dominic now works at House of Ruth Maryland coordinating the Measuring Success Outcomes Project, helping IPV organizations use data tell the complex story of the important work they do. Dominic is a proud introvert, when he’s not working you can find him listening to music a bit too loud and caring for his two rescues snakes, River & Athena.

Jocelyn Broadwick is a Project Coordinator with House of Ruth Maryland’s Training Institute specializing in survivor-centered projects. She has 10+ years combined experience in communications, education, and nonprofits as a co-founder, communications director, social media manager, photojournalist, and college professor. Previously, Jocelyn ghostwrote the survivor stories of victims of abuse, trafficking, and gender-based violence for Hagar International. Jocelyn is trained in culturally responsive teaching and learning and frequently integrates contemplative practices into her work. She loves to travel and has done so extensively throughout Latin America, East Africa, and Southeast Asia. Jocelyn earned her MFA in Nonfiction Writing from Goucher College and regularly performs in Baltimore’s Highlandtown Arts District, where she lives with her partner, cat, and puppy.

Ayo Magwood (Uprooting Inequity LLC) is an is an educational consultant specializing in in-depth, evidence-based education on historical and structural racism for both adults and students. These presentations include primary and secondary historical evidence, data, quantitative maps, research studies and original diagrams/images, and each session represents 300-400 hours of research, synthesis, and graphic design work. She breaks down grad-school-level social science research, data, and abstract concepts into engaging narratives and visuals. Ayo has a B.A. in economics and international relations from Brown University and a M.Sc. in applied economics from Cornell University.