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Sarah M. Buel, JD, Director Emerita
Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University Tempe, Arizona Antonia A. Drew-Vann, CDVC Asha Family Services, Inc. Milwaukee, Wisconsin Rus Ervin Funk, MSW, Secretary Louisville, Kentucky Rhonda Gerson, Treasurer Houston, Texas Candace Mosley, JD National District Attorneys Association Alexandria, Virginia |
The Honorable Marshall B. Murray, JD
Milwaukee County Circuit Court Wauwatosa, Wisconsin Toby Myers, EdD, Vice President Houston, Texas S. Gail Parr, JD, Vice President Austin, Texas Michael Shaw, MSW Iowa City, Iowa Deborah D. Tucker, MPA, President Austin, Texas |
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Sarah M. Buel, JD, Director Emerita
Sarah Buel has spent 40 years as an advocate for survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, child abuse, and human trafficking, as well as juvenile justice, human rights, and poverty law matters. She has retired from her position as a clinical law professor at the Diane Halle Center for Family Justice at the Sandra Day O'Connor College of Law at Arizona State University.
She taught Ending the School-to-Prison Pipeline with Race, Criminal & Education Law, Domestic Violence and the Law, Criminal Law, Evidence, Human Trafficking and Professional Responsibility. Previously, Prof. Buel spent 14 years as a clinical law professor at The University of Texas, where she started and co-directed their Domestic Violence Clinic, and taught torts, criminal, and public education law. For seven years she was a prosecutor in Texas and Massachusetts, helping to establish award-winning domestic violence and juvenile programs. As a domestic violence survivor and single parent, Sarah worked full time in the day and went to school at night for seven years to obtain her undergraduate degree in 1987. She then graduated cum laude from Harvard Law School in 1990, where she founded the Harvard Battered Women's Advocacy Project, the Harvard Women in Prison Project, the Harvard Children's and Family Rights Project, was a member of the Harvard Women's Law Journal, and for two years was an active member of the Harvard Legal Aid Bureau. She is a member of the ABA's Commission on Domestic and Sexual Violence, the ABA Human Trafficking Task Force, and co-chaired the ABA Criminal Justice Section's Women in Criminal Justice Committee. Prof. Buel has published more than 35 articles and book chapters (view her papers), and written amicus briefs to the U.S. Supreme Court and the Inter-American Commission on Human Rights. She is writing a book for NYU Press, RETHINKING ABUSE: A POSITIVE RIGHTS APPROACH TO GENDER-BASED VIOLENCE. She narrated the Academy Award winning documentary, Defending Our Lives and has received over 35 awards, including the 2013 ASU Centennial Professor Award and the 2015 ABA 20 / 20 Vision Award. Sarah is most proud of her son, Jacey, an entrepreneur-lawyer who founded and directs BuyBackBoston, through which he teaches opportunity youth how to start and run their own consignment and donation e-bay businesses as a means of self-sufficiency, thereby increasing their high school and college graduation rates and success thereafter. |
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Antonia A. Drew-Vann, CDVC
Antonia, a nationally recognized activist and expert in the field of violence against women prevention and cultural competency, is a nationally Certified Domestic Violence Counselor and Chief Executive Officer and founder of Asha Family Services, Inc. (Asha). Established in 1989, Asha is a comprehensive domestic and sexual violence intervention and prevention agency located in Milwaukee, WI. Asha, the first and only recognized culturally specific domestic violence prevention agency in Wisconsin for African Americans, employs methods specific to groups among this population.
Asha (a Swahili and Indian word meaning “Life” and “Hope”) is a private, non-profit, spiritually-based agency that also works with incarcerated men and women since 1990. Antonia maintains an extensive social network following that disseminates information specific to victims and those who love them. Asha operates Sistah's Coffee Shop and Deli and Sistahs' Nails & Hair Salon ~ these micro-enterprises are both job training and job development sites for program participants to enhance employable skills and to create jobs. Asha’s transitional housing programs included up to 15 private living units for victims and their children. Asha’s approach is holistic also holding State license as an outpatient substance abuse treatment clinic that also includes STD and HIV/AIDS education, testing and counseling. Antonia, a formerly battered wife and survivor, began studying the impact of violence in her life and the lives of women and children in 1985. She began to research and develop Asha’s programming through her life experiences, studies and most importantly, listening to the authentic experiences of “like” women. Subsequently program development continued through her spiritual convictions, and training under the guidance of an academic Board of Directors while mentored by a host of nationally recognized experts in the field. Working directly with 1000’s of battered and abused women of all racial and socio-economic status, Asha has helped to save and change lives. She developed a comprehensive training manual specifically to train Asha personnel in the provision of culturally competent services. This manual was revised and is currently used to assist in training Healthy Start project personnel across the country to assess pregnant and post program participants for victimization. Since 1990, Antonia continues to work with female survivors of domestic and sexual violence in multiple prison systems as well as continues to provide education to groups of incarcerated men. She's received many honors, recognitions and awards throughout her career. Antonia is a involved in several local and state organizations and is a member of the National Steering Committee of the Institute on Domestic Violence In The African American Community and the Board Directors of the National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence. In addition, she has written numerous articles and papers, including Developing Culturally-Relevant Responses To Domestic Abuse: Asha Family Services, Inc.
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Rus Ervin Funk, MSW, CSE, SecretaryRus Ervin Funk is a consultant specializing in working with organizations and communities to promote healthy masculinities; equity, diversity and justice; and violence prevention.
Rus is a long-time activist and community organizer focusing on anti-racism, and gender justice. Among his organizing efforts, he is co-founder of DC Men Against Rape (now Men Can Stop Rape), Men for Gender Justice, the Baltimore Alliance to End Child Sexual Abuse, MensWork: eliminating violence against women, inc., the Own It Initiative (a project of The Center for Women and Families), the Ohio Men’s Action Network, White Folks Against Racism, the North America MenEngage Network, among others. Rus serves on several national and transnational boards. He is the secretary of the Board of the National Center on Sexual and Domestic Violence, serves as the Co-Chair of Male Engagement for World Without Exploitation (WorldWE, an international coalition to combat human trafficking and exploitation), is on the Steering committee of the North American Men Engage Network (NAMEN – a US and Canada network of efforts to engage and organize men to promote gender equality), and serves on the Global MenEngage Alliance Board. Rus has traveled extensively throughout the US and internationally, he is a sought-after trainer and speaker. He was part of the coalition that crafted and worked to pass the original Violence Against Women Act (focusing on the Safe Campuses and Civil Rights sections of that law). Rus has also written extensively. In 1993, Rus wrote the first book in the US, by a man, for men about stopping rape (Stopping Rape: A Challenge for Men, New Society Publishers). Some of his recent publications include:
Rus lives in Louisville, KY, with his partner, and their child. He enjoys writing, baking, tending his roses, bike-riding, hiking and photography. Learn more about Rus at: www.rusfunk.me. Contact Rus at [email protected] or through his Facebook page.
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Rus Funk presents in Ohio.
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Rhonda Gerson, TreasurerRhonda has been involved with the battered women’s movement since she began as a volunteer with Houston’s Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse in January 1981. She was the Executive Director of Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse for 20 years, until her retirement April 1, 2001. Rhonda served on the Board of the Texas Council on Family Violence from 1987 to 1994, chairing the Board from 1989 through 1994. She is the recipient of both TCFV’s Statewide Leadership Award and Local Achievement Award. She is a recipient of the Hannah G. Solomon Award from the National Council of Jewish Women, Greater Houston Section.
Rhonda chaired the Houston Police Department Task Force on Domestic Violence from 1988 to 1991, and in 1984, chaired a demonstration program in the Harris County District Attorney’s office, which resulted in today’s Family Criminal Law Division. She was a founding board member of WOMAN, Inc., a community housing development organization. She is a founding Board member of the National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence, served as the Chair of the Board from 1998-2015, and currently serves as Treasurer. She also serves on the Governor’s Planning Council on STOP Violence Against Women, the Board of the Texas Freedom Network, and the Board of the Harris County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council. Rhonda was appointed by the Texas Supreme Court to the Access to Justice Commission and is chairing the Commission’s Assisted Pro Se Committee. Rhonda has served on numerous other committees in the Houston area and statewide in Texas to address domestic violence, made presentations, participated in workshops, and provided training. |
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Candace Mosley, JD
Candace is the Director of Programs for the National District Attorneys Association and is responsible for the NDAA’s Annual National Conference on Domestic Violence. This is the premiere domestic violence conference for prosecutors and is attended by more than 1,000 every year. Prior to joining NDAA in 1993, she worked in the Family Criminal Law Division of the Harris County District Attorney’s Office (Houston, TX). She was a law clerk for United States Magistrate Calvin Botley, the Southern District of Texas and was Chief Counsel for Southern Methodist University, Criminal Justice Clinic.
She has extensive training and public speaking experience, including presentations for the National Center for State Courts/National Criminal Justice Association, the American Prosecutor’s Research Institute, National Black Prosecutors Association, Houston Police Department, Fort Bend Independent School District, and the Fort Bend County Women’s Center. She has served in various capacities for the International Association of Chiefs of Police and the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges. She has served on the National Advisory Board of the Battered Women’s Justice Project; the Advisory Committee of the American Bar Association Commission on Legal Problems of the Elderly; the Board of Directors of the Association of Government Attorneys in Capital Litigation; Domestic Violence Focus Group of the Cook County State’s Attorney’s Office; Criminal Justice Advisory Group, Houston Council on Alcoholism and Drug Abuse, Treatment Alternatives to Incarceration Program, and the Board of Directors of The Mary Byron Project. Candace received her Bachelor’s degree from the University of Houston and her law degree from Southern Methodist University School of Law in Dallas. |
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The Honorable Marshall B. Murray, J
Marshall B. Murray formerly served as the Presiding Judge in the Children's Court Division, Presiding Judge of the Milwaukee County Domestic Violence Courts and Family Court Division. He now serves as a Judge in the Probate / Civil Court Division. Appointed to the bench by Wisconsin Governor Tommy Thompson in November 1999 and elected to the Circuit Court in 2000. He previously served as a Milwaukee Court Judicial Court Commissioner from 1996-1999 and in the Milwaukee County District Attorney's Office as Head of the Domestic Violence Unit from 1992-1996.
Judge Murray has spoken extensively throughout the nation on the topic of Domestic Violence. He also served as a former member of the Wisconsin Sentencing Commission. Judge Murray has served as a former member of the Board of Trustees of the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFC) and member of the faculty of the NCJFCJ Institutes (National Judicial Institute on Domestic Violence, National Conference on Juvenile and family Law and Annual Conference of th NCJFCJ). He has presented on the issues of Domestic Violence, Teen Dating Violence and Child Abuse both nationally and internationally. He is a lecturer for Futures Without Violence's I-LED Program (Institute for Leadership in Eduction Development).
Judge Murray was a lead teacher and tutor for KAPLAN, Inc. for 14 years, where he instructed students on test-making skills for the LSAT, ACT, MCAT, and GMAT. He has recently returned to teaching for KAPLAN. Judge Murray has retired, after volunteering for 12 years, as the Program Administrator of the Region II Boys and Girls Soccer Olympic Development Program. Judge Murray graduated from Williams College in Williamstown, MA with a B.A. in Political Science and attained his J.D. in 1986 from the New England School of Law in Boston, MA. Judge Murray is a member in good standing with the Wisconsin and Massachusetts Bar Associations. |
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Toby Myers, EdD, Vice-President
A longtime worker in the Battered Women’s Movement, Toby Myers helped to found the first shelter in Houston, Texas. She was one of the original organizers of the Texas Council on Family Violence, the first board chair, and served 20 years on the Board. A founding member of the National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence, Toby is the Board Vice-President.
She was on the Jewish Advisory Committee of the FaithTrust Institute (formerly known as the Center for the Prevention of Sexual and Domestic Violence) in Seattle, WA. Serving on the Steering Committee of the National Coalition Against Domestic Violence and chairing the Family Violence Advisory Committee for the Texas Department of Human Services, Toby was one of 150 appointees by then Surgeon General C. Everett Koop to his policy making group on Violence and Public Health. Formerly on the editorial boards of Violence Against Women and Religion and Abuse, she also served on VAWnet's Applied Research Advisory Group. Toby, in 2018 retired her Professional Counselor (LPC) license and became Licensed Clinical Social Worker-Emerita. Myers has held a faculty post at Texas Women's University and adjunct positions at the University of Texas Health Science Center at Houston-School of Public Health and at the University of Houston Clear Lake. She developed and taught the first course in domestic violence in Texas. She is recognized as an Expert Witness in domestic violence cases. She founded and for many years, directed Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse's (AVDA) battering intervention and prevention program.
For having made a positive contribution to her community, Toby received the National Council of Jewish Women's Hannah G. Solomon Award. She received Special Commendation from the Texas Department of Human Services for her work on behalf of battered women. The Texas Council on Family Violence was first to call her the "Mother of the Texas Battered Women's Movement." The National Council on Crime Prevention and McGruff (who takes the bite out of crime) recognized her work with their Spotlight Houston Award. The Bridge Over Troubled Waters in Harris County named her their 2001 Woman of Distinction. Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse bestowed the DeeDee Ostfeld Award on her in 2010. The University of Houston Women's Archives maintains a collection of her papers. Toby participates on the Harris County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council-Death Review Team and serves on the board of the Harris County Domestic Violence Coordinating Council. Her newfound activity is mentoring a small cadre to serve as expert witnesses in domestic violence cases. Since 2008, Toby has co-chaired the Advisors to the Jewish Women International's National Alliance to End Domestic Abuse with NCDSV President Debby Tucker. Her vision is that people live in intimate relationships that are not only non-violent, but that are also mutually respectful, mutually satisfying, and growth promoting.
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S. Gail Parr, JD, Vice-PresidentFor over 30 years, Gail has been addressing violence against women issues through the law. From 1985-1991, she was the Staff Attorney for the Family Violence Project, a joint project of the Austin Center for Battered Women (now SafePlace) and Legal Aid Society of Central Texas (now Texas Rural Legal Aid). She was the Assistant Director for Public Policy for the Texas Council on Family Violence from 1991-1993. Until her retirement from the active practice of law, she was in private practice in Austin from 1993, with a focus on family law. Early in her career, she was also a Research Attorney for the Texas Court of Criminal Appeals and the Assistant Director and Staff Attorney, Staff Counsel for Inmates, Texas Department of Corrections (now the Texas Department of Criminal Justice).
She is a former member and Secretary of the Board of Directors of Texas Women Lawyers; a former member and Chair of the Board of Directors of the Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV); a former member of the Board of Directors of Texas Legal Services Center; and a former member of the Texas Supreme Court's Advisory Committee on Child Support and Visitation Guidelines.
Gail has trained for numerous organizations including, the Austin Center for Battered Women (now SafePlace); TCFV; the Texas Municipal Courts Association; Women & the Law Section, Travis County and State Bar of Texas; Volunteer Legal Services of Austin; Texas Lawyers Care; Texas Legal Services Center; and Austin Legal Secretaries Association. She has authored several articles for the Family Violence Section Newsletter, State Bar of Texas; The Alert, newsletter of the Texas Legal Services Center; The River, newsletter of TCFV; TCFV manuals; and the Volunteer Legal Services' Center Divorce Basics Training Manual. Gail graduated with High Honors in Sociology (with a concentration in Social Welfare Studies) from The University of Texas at Austin. She received her law degree from The University of Texas School of Law. |
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Michael Shaw, MSW
For more than 30 years, Michael has worked in a variety of capacities as an Advocate, social worker, and youth worker. Currently, he is President of the Iowa Men's Action Network. Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault Board of Directors and is employed by the Iowa City Community School District as a Student and Family Advocate. He has been a Co-Director, Prevention Specialist, Youth Services Director, and Advocate at domestic violence and sexual assault programs in Iowa City and Cedar Rapids, IA. Michael has coordinated a Safety and Accountability Audit for the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence and the Iowa Judicial Branch, served on the American Bar Association Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Commission, and Co-Founded Ending Men's Violence Iowa City / University of Iowa and the Iowa Men's Action Network.
Michael received his Bachelor and Master degrees in social work from the University of Iowa and lives in Iowa City, with his partner Alison and his four children.
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Deborah D. Tucker, MPA, President
Debby served as Executive Director of the National Center on Domestic and Sexual Violence (NCDSV), a position she held from the organization's beginning in 1998, until February 2015. After accepting the position of Domestic Violence Specialist at Child Protective Services, Texas Department of Family and Protective Services, NCDSV's Board of Directors elected her to the Board and the office of President.
To read Debby's complete bio, click here. |