We are thrilled to be joined by local, regional, and national experts for this year's Advocates' Retreat and Conference!
Originally from Fayetteville, North Carolina, Reverend Dr. Pamela Adams is the Principal and Owner of Faithful & Favored, Inc. a Lifestyle Management Firm. Faithful & Favored provides emotional and spiritual maintenance tools through Peace Together, LLC, a counseling practice, and The Servant Leader, LLC, focusing on church administration and ministry enhancement. A true Southern Belle at heart, she stands on the values of faith, family, friendship, and fried fish! She served proudly in the United States Air Force for 9 ½ years, while simultaneously matriculating through Seminary and obtaining undergraduate, graduate, and terminal degrees in Theology. An expert in the arena of spiritual rehabilitation with over 17 years of experience, she has received training in Clinical Pastoral Education and Family Advocacy at the Durham Veterans Affairs Medical Center and the world-renowned Johns Hopkins Hospital, as well as certification in Christian Counseling through the National Christian Counselors Association of Sarasota, Florida.
Dr. Adams also has strong ties to the State of Delaware, as she served for 12 years as the Director of Spiritual Life and University Chaplain at Delaware State University, the state’s only Historically Black University. Her empathetic demeanor and compassionate disposition make her a trusted advisor on all things related to spiritual and emotional maintenance. Her desire is for everyone to live a faithful and favored life!
Mr. Edward Bell is a Domestic Violence Counselor at People's Place Inc., facilitating psychoeducational groups for men utilizing the Duluth Curriculum of Violence Intervention. In 2015, Mr. Bell earned the credential of Domestic Violence Specialist from the Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence, becoming only the second man in the state of Delaware to achieve such a designation. Mr. Bell's professional experience also includes working for over 17 years as a Master Family Service Specialist in Delaware's Department of Services for Children, Youth and Their Families. Additionally, Mr. Bell is contracted by the Circuit Courts in Caroline and Talbot Counties in Maryland as a Parenting Plan Mediator and facilitator of Co-Parenting education seminars for divorcing and separating couples. Mr. Bell is a graduate of St. Mary's College of Maryland, and subsequently completed a certification program in Parenting Plan Mediation from the Center for Conflict Resolution at Salisbury University.
Nicole Crespi is a RAFT Workshop Facilitator and lifelong advocate for peace. She holds a Bachelors in Spanish and Masters in Higher Education from the University of Missouri-Columbia. Crespi has coordinated a campus sexual health education program and a community youth program on domestic violence prevention. After serving as Prevention Specialist at MOCADSV, Nicole joined the RAFT Team to support the advocates who connect with survivors and work to end violence every day.
Samantha Dooley is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and trained Sexual Violence Advocate. She has worked in the anti-violence field as a peer prevention advocate and as a clinician. Samantha graduated from Rutgers with the Violence Against Women and Children Certificate. Ms. Dooley is certified in Trauma Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT) and the Emotional Freedom Technique (EFT) and specializes in using art and body-based treatment to heal trauma. Throughout her career, Samantha has provided individual and group counseling, case management, and crisis advocacy to survivors of interpersonal violence. Samantha has worked in community-based violence prevention and as a board member of an organization that serves BIPOC &LGBTQ+ survivors of sex trafficking. Ms. Dooley is a dedicated professional who is passionate about empowering and uplifting survivors of trauma.
Shannon Fisch is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker in the state of Delaware and is the Director of Operations and Risk Management for Children & Families First. Shannon Fisch received her post graduate certification in trauma from Widener University and her non-profit management certification from University of Delaware. Shannon is an avid volunteer in her profession, previously serving as the treasurer, secretary and president for the National Association of Social Workers - Delaware Chapter. Shannon Fisch is also a clinical supervisor and co-director of the Brain Science Training Institute.
Diane Granberry has emerged as an expert within the healthcare and social services industry. For over 30 years, she has dedicated her passion to HIV/AIDS education and advocacy with a long-standing history of providing knowledge, resources, and safe spaces for the community. After graduating from Saint Louis University with her degree in Biology, Diane transferred her talent and skills to being an Education and Retention Specialist, Tester, and Counselor for HIV/AIDS at Washington University School of Medicine in Infectious Diseases for 25 years. Presently, Diane has invested her passion and service becoming a Positively Safe Specialist at the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV). In this role, she provides training and technical assistance to domestic violence and HIV organizations. As a specialist, Diane continually brings awareness to the intersection of domestic violence and HIV/AIDS and the solutions that help to alleviate barriers to care.
Elena Hampton-Stover, LMSW, serves as the Director of Housing at the National Network to End Domestic Violence. Elena began her career in gender-based violence movement work in college and has over a decade of professional experience in residential and housing programs serving survivors. Prior to joining NNEDV, she was the Director of Community Technical Assistance and Capacity Building at Collaborative Solutions, a national technical assistance provider and member of the Safe Housing Partnerships Technical Assistance Consortium. She gained much of her experience in housing work while administering and building a number of housing programs at a local direct service organization in the Baltimore area. Originally from the Arkansas Ozarks with stops in the Midwest along the way, she currently lives in Baltimore, Maryland.
A Dover, Delaware native, Ms. Rona Harris is a master's prepared in Human Services with a Marriage and Family Therapy emphasis. With over 20 years of professional experience Ms. Harris is an advocate for meeting her clients where they are through case management, psychiatric social work and assisting those in need as a housing specialist. As a community development manager, Ms. Harris understands the importance of revitalizing communities through addressing social determinants of health in the areas of financial empowerment, home ownership, youth programming, and coaching services. She is skilled in the areas of mindfulness practices, trauma, addiction, mental illness, and criminal addictive behaviors just to name a few.
Neisha Christine Himes is a nationally recognized, award-winning activist and motivational speaker. After surviving a five-year abusive relationship, she used spoken word poetry to raise awareness about domestic violence. In 2016, she founded G.R.O.W. (Girls Recognizing Our Worth) Foundation, a nonprofit that helps survivors rebuild their lives. Neisha has served as a Victim Advocate for the Norfolk Commonwealth Attorney’s Office and as Domestic Violence Outreach Liaison for the Newport News Police Department, where she played a pivotal role in creating their first Domestic Violence Unit. Building on her advocacy, Neisha now serves as a Trauma Liaison Educator, training healthcare providers on trauma-informed care for victims of intentional violence. Through her company, Neisha Christine Consulting, LLC, she provides domestic violence education, program development, and violence prevention services. A certified advanced-level advocate, Neisha’s unwavering commitment to justice is embodied in her motto: “I will NOT shut up!”
Joy Ingram is a love superhero fighting the forces of heartache and hatred. Invoking the power of the pen to create verses of victory, she helps those in anguish diminish their suffering and discover delight. Currently crusading to help people plant love and grow joy in all aspects of their lives, when not working hard, she's probably on a beach somewhere sipping coffee or wine and reading a good book.
Jenn Kutney-Soper has worked as a Victim Services Specialist at the Delaware Department of Justice since 2011. They spent 13 years with the Domestic Violence Unit in the Criminal Division before transferring to the Division of Civil Rights and Public Trust as the first victim services specialist in the division. She has spent almost 20 years working with victims of crime. Jenn is the current Chair of the Delaware Victims’ Rights Task Force, chair of the LGBTQ+ Victim Services Subcommittee of the VRTF, and an active member of the Joint Task Force Legislative Subcommittee. She has participated in presenting educational and training materials to other victim services providers and advocates, students, attorneys, and law enforcement. She participates as a faculty member for the Delaware Victim Assistance Academy and is a member of the DVCC Prevention and Education committee. Jenn was also the President of Delaware Pride in 2023.
Robbin Loonan is a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Certified Domestic Violence Specialist, and Certified in Child Maltreatment with a specialty in child sexual abuse. She has worked in the field of domestic violence for 30 years. Currently Ms. Loonan works at the College of NJ’s counseling center where she provides individual and group counseling to students who have experienced sexual assault, dating/domestic violence, and child abuse. Robbin also maintains a small private practice which includes providing Art & Journaling workshops for survivors. Ms. Loonan is known for her trainings on trauma-informed art therapy, Children Impacted by Domestic Violence, Creative Approaches to Heal the Wounds of DV & Child Abuse, Impact of Sexual Abuse, and others. Robbin loves hot air balloons, the beach, and spending time with family and friends. She is especially grateful for her amazing 15-year-old daughter, Maddie.
Zakiya Machado is a dedicated doula with specialized training in outreach for domestic violence victims and survivors. Her passion for supporting women and families is a testament to her lived experiences and advocacy for improving the conditions of DV safe houses in the Delaware tri-state area. Zakiya has committed herself to fostering better support systems and resources. She is CPR-certified, trauma-informed, and takes a practical approach to her work by integrating education about life insurance, ensuring her clients and community are equipped with tools for long-term safety and stability.
Kiera McGillivray is a Licensed Marriage and Family Therapist and the Chief Program Officer for School-Based Initiatives with Children & Families First. Kiera is trained in several trauma focused modalities including Eye Movement Desensitization Reprocessing (EMDR), Trauma-Focused Cognitive Behavioral Therapy (TF-CBT), Trauma-Informed Yoga, Trauma Focused Expressive Arts Therapy, and Child-Centered Play Therapy with Neurorelational Emphasis. She is published in internationally peer-reviewed journals on the topics of trauma and children, and has presented to military personnel, clinicians, educators, law enforcement, and victim service professionals on trauma, children, resilience and ethics. Kiera McGillivray is also a clinical supervisor and co-director of the Brain Science Training Institute.
Jeremie Miller is a Certified Professional Coach with over 20 years of experience in teaching, coaching, and counseling. With a bachelor’s in education and science, Jeremie’s passion for empowering advocates stems from his firsthand experience in corrections, crisis intervention, and suicide prevention. At RAFT, he focuses on visioning, strategy, budgeting, team leadership, and content development. Jeremie also instills lessons of gender equality in his young son, inspired by RAFT’s mission. He enjoys adventuring with his wife and son in Rossland, British Columbia, and beyond.
Katie Miller began her role as the DELTA Project Coordinator at Turning Point at People’s Place in 2022. She graduated from Kutztown University of Pennsylvania in 2020 with a BA in Communication Studies and a minor in Women, Gender, and Sexuality Studies. As a student, she interned with the National Sexual Violence Resource Center (NSVRC) where she discovered her passion for working in the gender-based violence field. After graduation, she worked as a Development Associate at the domestic violence and human trafficking nonprofit, My Sisters’ Place, in New York before joining the team at Turning Point in a more community-focused prevention role. Katie loves getting to work with youth and hearing their unique insight, as she believes adults can learn a lot from youth; we just have to give them the space to share first.
Kim Pentico is the Senior Director of Economic Justice at the National Network to End Domestic Violence. She has been working with and on behalf of survivors of sexual and domestic violence since 1990. She first spent over seven years working for a local domestic violence program in Kansas and another seven years at the Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence. She has also worked for the STOP Technical Assistance Project in Washington, DC. Kim works to ensure and enhance survivor access to economic justice and long-term safety.
Robin Pereira supports the general Positively Safe project at the National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV). As a Positively Safe Specialist, she provides technical assistance, hosts webinars for both domestic violence and HIV advocates, creates tools for NNEDV’s DV and HIV toolkit and curriculum, and presents at local, national and international conferences. She is currently pursuing her Masters of Public Health at George Washington University in Washington, D.C.
Tatiana Piper (she/her) is a Co-Founder of The SOAR Collective. Additionally, she is the Community Advocacy Coordinator at PCAR. Tatiana received the 2021 Governor’s Victim Service Pathfinder Individual Direct Service Award. It is her life mission to ensure traditionally under- and unserved communities always have a seat at the table.
Yolanda Pourciau is the owner of Yolanda Speaks LLC, a black queer woman owned professional speaking and human resource training business. For over twenty years Yolanda has been inspiring, uplifting, and challenging audiences. Her Southern, down-to-earth, humorous style creates a very engaging atmosphere that participants love. Yolanda’s areas of expertise include Diversity and Inclusion, Emotional Intelligence, Wellness at Work, The Hurt Series/Racial Healing. Yolanda began her professional career as an outreach coordinator at a shelter for domestic violence. Like many of her peers Yolanda grew up around domestic violence which made direct service, while extremely meaningful, very stressful. After years of direct service in domestic violence she created Yolanda Speaks to serve those who diligently serve others. Yolanda has been practicing meditation and yoga for over 30 years and they feature prominently in her training and speeches.
Kiera Pritchett is a Trauma Therapist & Child Advocate. With a deep passion for empowering children and families, Kiera has dedicated her career to fostering mental wellness and advocating for the needs of young individuals. As a licensed therapist, Kiera specializes in helping families cope with challenges such as anxiety, trauma, behavioral issues and family dynamics. Kiera is known for her compassionate approach and evidence-based techniques to build safe and trusting environments where children and families feel heard and supported. Kiera's mission is to assist children and their families to thrive after traumatic experiences. Outside of therapeutic services, Kiera leads workshops, speaks at conferences and contributes to outreach programs. Kiera believes that "Changing the way you think changes the way you live."
Juan Rodriguez has over 30 years of experience in the domestic violence field, specializing in group facilitation. Fluent in both English and Spanish, Juan has worked with men from diverse cultural backgrounds, helping them navigate the complexities of domestic violence and fostering healthier relationships with their partners and children.
Juan began his career in Buffalo, NY, where he was trained by domestic violence pioneers Ellen Pence and Michael Paymar. Over the years, he has worked with a wide range of individuals, from 16-year-old adolescents to men as old as 80, offering support and guidance on their journey toward nonviolent living.
In 1992, Juan moved back to Delaware and began working with People’s Place in the New Start program in Dover. By 1994, he became a key member of the Domestic Violence Unit as the program began to take shape, later helping to establish what is now known as Turning Point. As one of the first men to be recognized as a Domestic Violence Specialist by the Delaware Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Juan’s contributions have been significant in shaping the state's approach to domestic violence intervention.
In recognition of his dedication to the field, Juan received the Spirit of Advocacy Award from DCADV in 1993. He has also facilitated numerous workshops, been quoted in periodicals, and mentored new facilitators throughout his career. Passionate about his work, Juan continues to serve as a group facilitator, leading men toward a nonviolent, positive path for themselves and their families.
Jackie Strohm (she/her) is a Co-Founder of The SOAR Collective. She is a Licensed Social Worker, earning her BSW and MSW from Temple University. She has nearly a decade of experience in violence prevention, project management, and evaluation, where she works to create safe, healthy, and equitable communities.
Amber Twyne is a Certified Doula Trainer, Childbirth Educator, and Program Coordinator. Amber’s work is rooted in her personal experience with intimate partner violence, obstetrical trauma, and infant loss, which inspired her journey into birth work. She is passionate about empowering single mothers, Black families, teen parents, and survivors of domestic violence through empowerment, support and education. Amber recently received the 2024 BMIP Impact Award and is a member of Delaware’s Black Reproductive Justice Coalition, working to bridge gaps in access and advocacy for underserved communities.
Sierra Webb is the DELTA Prevention Specialist at Turning Point at People’s Place. In 2023, she graduated from the University of Delaware with a Bachelor’s Degree in Criminal Justice. During her time at UD, she pursued a minor in Domestic Violence Prevention Services (DVPS) to further her knowledge of pragmatic skills used to address and prevent domestic violence in Delaware communities. In addition to her undergraduate career, she had the opportunity to intern for Family Court in New Castle County where she found a passion for negotiation and conflict resolution skills. Sierra enjoys connecting with teens, hearing their perspectives, and creating safe spaces where youth can authentically be themselves.
