Our New Staff and Board Members — January 2020
Please Join Us in Welcoming Our New Board Members
Carolyn Butler
Carolyn received a Bachelor’s degree in Communications and Media Management from Miami University. She is the Executive Director of Brand Marketing for Donatos Pizza, and has spent her career in restaurant marketing with Cameron Mitchell Restaurants, Wendy’s Company, and Max & Erma’s Restaurants. Carolyn also has non-profit and fundraising experience from her early career start with the Cystic Fibrosis Foundation. The mother of three daughters in their 20’s, Carolyn is motivated to provide her branding, marketing, and communication skills and leadership to OAESV and impact change after one of her daughters and several nieces were raped.
Lee Ann Cochran
Lee Ann Cochran is a well-versed professional with expertise across the aerospace, defense, start-up, and non-profit industries. She received her BS in Materials Science & Engineering from the Ohio State University and has advanced her career with experience in research, development, process scaling, manufacturing, proposal development, capture management, business development, sales, marketing, and licensing. A passionate volunteer, Lee Ann spends her free time supporting causes which champion human rights and equality.
Ms. Cochran advocates to give women and girls access to education, actively participates with the United Nations Commission on the Status of Women, is dedicated to advancing the cultures of diversity and inclusion in STEM, and volunteers in the community. Her unique background in engineering and sales allows for her to lead fundraising efforts for non-profits in a positive way. She values authenticity and a purpose-driven life.
Lee Ann received the Women in Engineering ProActive Network (WEPAN) Presidents award in 2018. She was recognized as a 2017 Smart Business Progressive Woman in Cleveland and in 2016 was selected for the Outstanding Soroptimist Award for Columbus and Franklin County. She was also named as one of the 2014 Women You Should Know by Women for Economic and Leadership Development (WELD) and acknowledged by Battelle as a Women’s History Month Honoree for bringing forward ideas to drive change and shape the future.
Andrew Hulse
Andrew Hulse holds an undergraduate degree in political science with a minor in business leadership and management from Capital University. Andrew has been a part of the local Columbus startup scene since graduation, and his current home is local data analytics and communications agency, Futurety. Having a passion for doing work through his father’s church and a personal connection to helping survivors of sexual violence, Andrew has been involved from a young age with local organizations that focus on aiding young men and women in need. Joining OAESV’s Board of Directors is his most recent endeavor on a continued quest towards helping to end sexual violence and providing support for survivors.
Amy LaGesse
Amy LaGesse has worked for the Lucas County Human Trafficking Coalition since 2014 and has held positions over the past 25 years at both the state and local levels fighting HIV/AIDs and other sexually transmitted diseases and ensuring that women receive the healthcare they need. She serves as the current Secretary for the Lucas County Human Trafficking Coalition and is a member of the Northwest Ohio Rescue and Restore Coalition and two of their local chapters. Amy is the Regional Grant Coordinator for the Look Beneath the Surface Grant funded through the Ohio Department of Public Safety and also served as the Coordinator for the Rescue & Restore Grant.
Through the Look Beneath the Surface Grant, she works with 21 counties to ensure that professionals are trained to identify and refer human trafficking victims to appropriate services, provide outreach to at-risk populations, and provide technical assistance as requested. Most recently, Amy is serving as one of the PATH Project Co-Coordinators through the University of Toledo Human Trafficking and Social Justice Institute. PATH stands for Partners Against Trafficking in Humans, and the main goal of the project is to improve access to services for human trafficking victims and survivors.
In September 2019, Amy served on an expert work group with the Department of Health & Human Services to incorporate identifying human trafficking victims into Title X clinics across the country.
Hannah Servidio
Hannah Servedio is dedicated activist in the world of progressive social change, most notably in the fields of reproductive rights and domestic and sexual violence prevention. Her primary expertise includes grassroots community mobilization, facilitating educational programming and training, and volunteer management.
Currently, she works for NARAL Pro-Choice Ohio, the state’s leading advocacy organization dedicated to advancing reproductive healthcare access through policy and legislation. Additionally, she is a lead coordinator of Cleveland’s clinic escort program.
Hannah comes to OAESV’s Board of Directors as a former advocate with Summit County’s domestic violence and sexual violence crisis center(s), where she spent her time doing direct service and working with students to develop their understanding of consent, healthy relationships, and being an active bystander. While in Summit County, she also served as a CASA/GAL through their Juvenile Court system. Hannah feels deeply that identifying gaps in service, providing advocates opportunities to significantly develop trauma-informed skills, and keeping programming adequately funded is critical to the compassionate care of survivors.
She is a proud graduate of Kent State University, resides in Lakewood, and is thrilled to be able to serve OAESV in this unique capacity.
To see the entire list of our Board of Directors, click here.
And Please Help Us Welcome Our Newest Staff Members
Keri Black, Training Specialist
Keri Black is from Swanton, OH–a small rural village about 45 minutes Southeast of Toledo. Keri attended Adrian College in Adrian, MI, where she obtained her Bachelor of Arts in English-Writing, with a minor in Women and Gender Studies. In 2013, she graduated from the University of Toledo with a Master of Liberal Studies Degree in Women and Gender Studies, with an emphasis on Domestic and Sexual Violence Intervention. Keri completed the 40 Hour Advocacy Training Program at the YWCA of Northwest Ohio in the Fall of 2011, and began paid work in the field in May of 2012, as a Shelter Advocate at AWARE, Inc., a dual-service DV and SA Intervention Program in Jackson, MI. In January 2013, Keri became the Transitional Housing Case Manager at AWARE. In May of 2013, she came to work full-time at the YWCA Rape Crisis Center of Northwest Ohio. In her 6.5 years at the YWCA RCC, Keri has held the positions of: Outreach Advocate, Volunteer Coordinator, Program Manager, and Department Director. Keri is very excited to join the OAESV team as the Training Specialist, and looks forward to serving Ohio’s RCC Programs in her new capacity!
Caitlin Burke, Prevention Specialist
Caitlin Burke grew up in Cincinnati, Ohio and has worked in the violence prevention field for almost a decade. She became interested in prevention while in college where she volunteered as a peer educator and was first introduced to the topic during her mom’s career as a SANE nurse. She is currently pursuing her Master’s Degree in Public Health and is an avid baker in her free time.
Chelsea Daniel, Campus & Legal Advocate
Chelsea Daniel (She/Her/Hers) is the new Campus & Legal Advocate at Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence. She earned a Bachelor’s Degree in English and Creative Writing from Cleveland State University in 2011. Chelsea began her career in community corrections, where she taught poetry workshops to women who were incarcerated. This work inspired her passion for ending gender-based violence in marginalized communities. Chelsea began her career as a victim advocate with the Cleveland Rape Crisis Center in 2016, where she gained expert knowledge and experience in Title IX advocacy, legal advocacy, and college campus-based violence and prevention programming. In her free time, Chelsea enjoys reading, painting, and playing with her dog, Cody.
Luisa Detres-Gomez, Membership & Resource Specialist
Luisa started as the Membership & Resource Specialist with OAESV in October 2019. Luisa has a passion for helping people, which is why she is currently pursuing her nursing degree in addition to supporting survivors and advocates in Ohio. She also loves doing missionary work, and works with the youth ministry at her church, in partnership with her husband. Luisa says that some of her favorite ways to pass time is to spend it with family, watch detective shows, and play volleyball. She also loves to spoil her Pomeranian pup, Cookie.
Jayvon Howard, Engaging Men Coordinator
Jayvon Howard is a passionate organizer and advocate for social justice serving as a member of the LGBTQ Taskforce with BRAVO and the Anti-Oppression Committee with OAESV. He has formerly worked as an LGBTQ Outreach Advocate for Women Helping Women providing direct service to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking. He has a background working with special populations doing advocacy, outreach, and programming. Jayvon has served on many teams to engage men in gender-based violence intervention and prevention, including working with different committees to assist in the organizing of the Ohio Consortium for Men’s Masculinities in Higher Education. Jayvon holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Family Science from Miami University. He loves being a plant dad and enjoys cooking, painting, reading, and doing yoga.
To see our entire list of staff members, click here.
We’re very excited to kick of this new year and new decade with not only our staff and board that have been with us, but with new members of our team as well!