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    Profile
    Headshot of karen

    karen kaur, President

    karen kaur has dedicated her life to interrupt and dismantle gender-based violence since she was a young girl. She is passionate about community-led and multi-sector collaborative systems change for health equity, intersectional racial, gender, and economic justice, and violence prevention. She actively engages in uprooting the systemic causes of domestic violence to prevent trauma and violence and nurture safety and healing for all, especially the most vulnerable.

    Profile
    This is a headshot of Saara Ahmed.

    Saara Ahmed, Vice President
    Communications and Community Engagement Specialist, Asian Women's Shelter

    Saara is committed to transforming culture to eliminate inequality and violence. She holds an MA in International Affairs, earned in 2013, where her thesis examined global advocacy campaigns addressing gender-based violence. With over a decade of experience, Saara has been a passionate advocate for survivors, leveraging community-based approaches and prevention strategies across East Africa, the U.S., and her local communities in Seattle and the Bay Area.

    Profile
    Headshot of Jobi

    Jobi Wood, Secretary
    Program Manager, Family Assistance Program

    Jobi is a Program Manager and a former Domestic Violence Health Advocate for Family Assistance Program located in the San Bernardino County of Southern California. Jobi always aspired to work in the medical field, but soon found out her passion was in helping others transition from traumatic life experiences. The Domestic Violence field felt so natural to Jobi, and she was able to assist victims in their journey to becoming a survivor.

    Profile
    Headshot of Melissa Luke

    Melissa Luke, Treasurer
    Chief Program Officer, Healing & Justice, YWCA Golden Gate Silicon Valley

    Melissa has been part of the movement to end gender-based violence for 20 years.  Her core values are equity, liberation, and loving kindness, and she believes that transformation must be intersectional, intergenerational, and rooted in our diverse communities.  Melissa’s journey has been focused on building programs, and advocating for systems and policies, that promote equity for Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, immigrants, limited English speaking families, and communities of color.  She currently sits on the leadership teams of the Domestic Violence Advocacy Consort

    Profile
    headshot of Amanda Gould

    Amanda Gould, Member Elected At-Large Board Director
    Senior Program Manager of the National LGBTQ Institute on IPV Los Angeles LGBT Center

    Amanda Gould (she/they) is the Senior Program Manager of the National LGBTQ Institute on Intimate Partner Violence at the Los Angeles LGBT Center, a project with the core mission of improving our country’s response to the unique needs of LGBTQ survivors. Amanda has been supporting survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence for over a decade, working in the field as a survivor advocate, crisis responder, case manager, forensic exam accompanying advocate, violence prevention educator, and support group facilitator.

    Profile
    Headshot of Chelcee

    Chelcee Thomas, North Regional Representative
    Executive Director of Live Violence Free

    Chelcee has dedicated her career to supporting social and community issues, bringing her passion and leadership across 15 years of experience in both the nonprofit and public sectors. Her journey has taken her through many roles, from direct services to executive leadership. Both professionally and personally, she is committed to empowering individuals and communities, ensuring they have the opportunities and tools to thrive. Chelcee is honored to be in leadership with the staff, board and partners of Live Violence Free in her current role as the Executive Director.

    Profile
    headshot of Dachelle

    Dachelle Kendrick, Member Elected At-Large Board Director
    DV Program Manager, SCADP Inc, (Angel Step Inn),

    Dachelle is a dedicated leader serving as DV program manager for SCADP Inc, (Angel Step Inn), with over 7 years of frontline service in Domestic Violence and its various intersections including substance abuse and human trafficking. Her passion lies in helping survivors heal from the trauma they’ve endured, with a keen awareness and respect for the many intersections involved and in need of addressing. Advocating for holistic healing, she promotes sustainability to break the cycle of abuse.

    Profile
    headshot of Giovanna

    Giovanna Martinez, Los Angeles Regional Representative
    Executive Director, Women and Children's Crisis Center

    Giovanna (She/Ella) has dedicated her career to assisting victims of violence and abuse, focusing on helping survivors heal from trauma since 2001. She is the Executive Director of the Women and Children’s Crisis Center in Whittier. She previously worked as the Associate Director of Domestic Violence Programs at the YWCA of San Gabriel Valley and as a Victim Services Supervisor and Youth Services Coordinator. Gio was the founding manager for The LGBTQ+ Center of Long Beach’s Domestic Violence Services program and is passionate about empowering victims to become survivors.

    Profile
    headshot of Josephine Smedley

    Josephine Smedley, Member Elected At-Large Board Director
    Survivor

    Josephine Smedley is the founder of JAS & JOY2, a speaking and consulting practice focused on storytelling, communications, community engagement, and creating joy.

    With 35 years of leadership experience in nonprofits, public education, and government agencies, Josephine has worked across public health, education, and safety. She is known for dismantling stigma and addressing disparities in health and safety systems—reducing harm through prevention strategies and amplifying authentic voices to shape safer, healthier communities and systems.

    Profile
    headshot of Judith Lewis

    Judith Lewis, Bay Area Regional Representative
    Senior Managing Attorney - Family Violence Appellate Project

    Profile
    headshot of kenneth

    Ken Oplinger, Member Elected At-Large Board Director
    Executive Director, Domestic Violence Solutions for Santa Barbara County

    Ken Oplinger is the Executive Director of Domestic Violence Solutions for Santa Barbara County.  He has 32 years’ experience leading non-profit organizations across the Western US.  At DVS, he leads a countywide organization that has 75 DV shelter beds, clinical counseling, a job & life skill program and a large Housing First program.  Ken has built an expertise in government advocacy that has taken him to Washington DC, Ottawa, and to 16 states and 5 Canadian provinces lobbying on a host of issues.

    Profile
    Headshot of Leigh Ferrin

    Leigh Ferrin, Member Elected At-Large Board Director
    Program Director, OneJustice

    Leigh Ferrin is a Program Director at OneJustice, where she focuses on supporting legal services organizations by increasing pro bono involvement in the California legal services community, assisting organizations with strategic thinking and planning, and with their consumer law projects.

    Profile
    Headshot of Lisa

    Lisa Mantarro Moore, Central Valley Regional Representative
    Executive Director, Stanislaus Family Justice Center

    Lisa Mantarro Moore has served her community in a number of various roles which include parent, advocate, community leader, project manager and political professional.  She has over 30 years of experience in working with Members of Congress, the California State Assembly, local governments, community projects and non profits. Lisa Mantarro Moore has developed her skills in managing and organizing diverse socio-economic, ethnic, and geographic communities, agriculture-based communities, and Latino communities just to name a few.

    Profile
    headshot of wendy

    Wendy Blanco, LCSW, Member Elected At-Large Director
    Director of Counseling Services and Trauma Recovery, Peace Over Violence

    Wendy Blanco is a licensed clinical social worker with more than 21 years of experience in the field of trauma.  Wendy has had experience in multiple capacities within the field of intimate partner violence including being in roles as a peer counselor, advocate, case manager, shelter advocate, prevention specialist, trauma therapist, and a clinical supervisor. Wendy has been a licensed social worker for 10 years and has had an opportunity to train and mentor new clinicians joining the field.