Our Team
Amy Sanchez
Chief Executive Officer
Amy Sánchez has nearly thirty years in the gender-based violence (GBV) field. Her passion is mission-based organizational development, especially designing and implementing strategic plans, linking GBV theory with practice, and fund development. Outside of her work Amy enjoys reading mystery novels, travel, and spending time with her two adult children.
Sujata Warrier, PhD
Chief Strategy Officer
Sujata has been working in the field of gender-based violence in the US and internationally for over 40 years. As a community leader, Sujata has held various positions as both staff and a board member. When not volunteering in South Asian community-based organizations she loves to knit.
Christina Jones, Esq.
(she/her)Chief Executive External Relations
Christina has a Juris Doctor from the Howard University School of Law and a bachelor of arts in Communication Rhetoric from the University of Maryland. Her passion for women and young people is shown through her work educating young people about sexual assault and consent. She also serves on the Board of Trustees for Paul Public Charter School in DC. She is most comfortable on stage and has performed at the historic Lincoln Theater in DC in front of thousands on Valentine’s Day. Her favorite part of her day is chasing her toddler Xavier as he attempts to wrestle the family cat Zamunda. She lives in DC with her husband Jason, their son Xavier and their cat Zamunda.
Maritza Valdez Fagin, MPA
(she/her)Director of Operations
Maritza is passionate about organizational capacity building, grants management and compliance, and sustainability for nonprofits working to end gender-based violence. In addition to her work at BWJP, she enjoys spending time with family, chasing around her two kids, and catching up on pop culture.
Kristine Lizdas, Esq.
(she/her)Director, National Center on Legal Approaches to Prevent Family Violence
Kristine has been working in the gender-based violence field for over 25 years. As a graduate of Northwestern University and the University of Minnesota Law School, Kristine strives to reimagine legal and social systems that support all survivors of gender-based violence and that do no harm. In pursuit of this, she has worked as a community organizer and activist, and supported all aspects of BWJP’s legal policy work. Never at a loss for hobbies or interests, Kristine most recently picked up the bass guitar and introductory Japanese.
Rebecca Henry, J.D
(she/her)Chief Program Officer
Rebecca has been working to mitigate gender-based violence for 25 years, representing female inmates harassed by guards, litigating complex custody cases with survivors, developing training and technical assistance for victims’ attorneys, and providing expert consultation to legislative staff. She holds an MA (ABD) in philosophy and feminist theory from the University of Minnesota, and a JD from New York University. She inherited a love of household engineering puzzles - and a lot of tools - from her dad and grandfather, and currently spends her free time re-building a vintage camper, with the forbearance of her sweet wife.
Jennifer Waindle, MS
Deputy Director, National Center on Legal Approaches to Prevent Family Violence
Jennifer Waindle joins BWJP with extensive experience in domestic violence prevention and law enforcement. She has spent more than 17 years in various leadership roles in DeKalb County in metro Atlanta, helping protect victims and investigate and prosecute offenders while advancing lifesaving law enforcement programs throughout the state of Georgia. Most recently, she was a Senior Investigator in the DeKalb County District Attorney’s Office where she co-led a newly formed Firearm Violence Prevention Unit focused on firearm assaults and homicides by serial offenders with an extensive domestic violence or felony background. Prior to Jennifer’s work with the District Attorney’s Office, she was a Supervisor for DeKalb County State Court Probation. There she developed and implemented the policies and procedures for Intensive Supervision of Domestic Violence Probationers. Additionally, she mentored other probation and parole agencies in Georgia to develop specialized domestic violence units aimed at offender accountability while also assisting survivors and their families.
Maria Jose Fletcher, Esq.
(she/her)Director, National Center on Systems Change and Policy
Maria Jose, a migrant from Uruguay and then Peru, understands the struggles associated with leaving one’s home in search of safety. Witnessing firsthand the violence perpetrated against women and girls compelled her to dedicate her life to advance the rights of immigrant survivors of gender-based violence. As a nonprofit attorney for over 25 years and as committed community member, Maria Jose is actively involved in local, state, national and international victim’s rights organizations. When she is not working, she loves spending time with her husband, her three children, their partners, and her granddaughter Maya.
Kenneth E. Noyes, Esq.
(he/him)General Counsel
Ken has advocated for the rights of domestic violence survivors and abused and neglected children for more than 28 years. He represented survivors in family courts and in the DC child welfare system which inspired his pursuit for social justice. Ken has considerable non-profit leadership experience having served as the Executive Director of the DC Coalition Against Domestic Violence and as Chief Operations Officer of the National Domestic Violence Hotline. He worked for many years in the federal government where he was an Associate Director of Military Family Readiness Policy, Family Advocacy Program, in the Office of the Secretary of Defense. Ken is also a former Senior Program Officer of the Family Violence Prevention and Services Program, Administration for Children and Families, U.S. Department of Health and Human Services. He is a co-founder of the Children’s Law Center in Washington, DC and is a member of its Emeritus Board. He is also a proud veteran of the United States Air Force. Ken is married and lives in the Washington, DC metro area.
Amalfi Parker Elder, Esq.
(she/her)Director, National Center on Reimagining Coordinated Community Response
A graduate of George Washington University and Tulane Law School, Amalfi joined the gender-based violence movement as a survivor and a student attorney in Tulane’s Domestic Violence Law Clinic. She continued to represent survivors as a family law attorney before dedicating her legal advocacy to equitable system reform. For over the last 10 years, Amalfi has supported jurisdictions around the country implementing CCR, developing policies and conducting training for criminal legal system agencies, with an emphasis on culturally appropriate interventions for marginalized communities. She is most proud of working with advocates and survivors in New Orleans to create the Wheel of Intimate Partner Power & Control in the African American/Black Community. Amalfi loves to travel with her husband and kids. She’s an avid reader of fantasy novels and looks forward to writing books of her own.
Monica Player, Esq.
(she/her)Director, National Center on Protection Orders and Full Faith & Credit Director, Education Division
Prior to joining BWJP, Monica managed the Services * Training * Officers * Prosecutors (STOP TA) Project at the Pennsylvania Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Previously, Monica worked as a family law practitioner and for over 20 years has worked in the field to end violence. In her spare time she enjoys reading.
Sarah Hur, Esq.
(she/her)Deputy Director, National Center for Protection Orders and Full Faith & Credit
Sarah Hur, Attorney Advisor, provides training, legal analysis and policy review on local, state, tribal and national issues related to protection orders. She also conducts research and develops materials for allied professionals. Before assuming her current position, Sarah represented survivors of domestic and sexual violence. She was also a prosecutor for the New York City Law Department. She is a graduate of Georgetown University Law Center and is licensed in New Jersey and New York.
Jennifer Becker, Esq.
Director, National Center on Gun Violence and Relationships and Project Director, National Resource Center on Domestic Violence and Firearms
Jennifer Becker, Esq. will serve as the Director, National Center on Gun Violence in Relationships and the Project Director, National Resource Center on Domestic Violence and Firearms Jennifer has been using the law to address gender-based violence for 15 years. Her career began as a prosecutor in New York City where she specialized in cases involving sexual assault, domestic violence, and child abuse. She also served as the Title IX Coordinator for the largest K-12 school district in the nation, charged with ensuring effective prevention and response to gender-based violence among students and staff. Most recently, Jennifer served as Legal Director for Legal Momentum, the Women’s Legal Defense and Education Fund where she implemented innovative legal strategies combining impact litigation, policy advocacy, and education initiatives affecting a range of issues faced by survivors of gender-based violence.
Anadelle M. Martinez-Mullen, Esq.
(she/her/ella/la)Director, National Legal Center on Children and Domestic Violence
Ana has been working in the field of violence against women for more than 20 years. She began her work in this field as an advocate assisting victims of intimate partner violence. Upon graduating law school, Ana practiced family law. Before coming to BWJP, Ana represented victims of violence in civil protection order actions. During her spare time, you can find her reading, or binge-watching Netflix. Ana loves to spend time with her husband, John, and her son, Will. Ana es boricua y le encanta compartir su cultura y tradiciones con todo el mundo!
Tracy Shoberg, Esq.
(she/her)Deputy Director, National Legal Center on Children and Domestic Violence
Tracy has a Juris Doctor degree from the University of Minnesota, and previously represented victim-survivors of domestic violence in family law matters. When Tracy is not busy training legal professionals, she can be found at the dog park with her spouse and two Doodles.
Diana Griffin
Attorney Advisor, National Legal Center on Children and Domestic Violence
Diana earned her Juris Doctor from the University of Maryland. She spent her career, prior to joining BWJP, representing victim-survivors in family court and immigration matters. Diana is passionate about helping create systematic change to better help victim-survivors and their families.
Cindene Pezzell, Esq.
Director, National Defense Center for Criminalized Survivors
Cindene oversees the Defense Center and focuses on policies and practices that impact criminalized survivors. She develops programming and trainings for attorneys, advocates, experts, and other practitioners, and provides specialized technical assistance in cases involving criminalized survivors. Cindene is a former public defender, and has spent over twenty years working to advance defendants’ rights and legal system transformation. In her spare time, Cindene enjoys learning about folklore, taking weird road trips, and showing off her jukebox skills.
Quetita Cavero, Esq.
Deputy Director, National Defense Center for Criminalized Survivors
Quetita joined the Defense Center in 2008, and has had various roles in the 25 years she has been involved in the anti-violence movement including experience as an assistant district attorney, a victim advocate, and a staff attorney at a domestic violence organization. She provides direct technical assistance to defense teams, researches and develops legal materials, and conducts training programs.
Sophie Davis
Advocate and Administrative Specialist, National Defense Center for Criminalized Survivors
Sophie has been providing advocacy and information to criminalized survivors of gender-based violence since 2019. Previously, she worked as a birth doula to support underserved and marginalized individuals in advocating for themselves throughout pregnancy. Sophie believes that trauma lives in the body; she practices mind-body care through dance, Pilates, and plenty of good food.
Dale Grayson, Esq.
Senior Attorney Advisor, National Defense Center for Criminalized Survivors
Dale has been working on behalf of criminalized survivors since 1999. She is a former prosecutor who provides direct technical assistance to criminal defense teams throughout the country, and researches and develops legal materials. She also conducts training programs.
Jill M. Spector, Esq.
Senior Attorney Advisor, National Defense Center for Criminalized Survivors
For almost three decades, Jill has provided case-specific customized assistance to defense teams representing survivors charged with crimes. She has trained, written, and developed resources and amicus briefs on complex issues affecting survivor-defendants. Jill previously tried criminal and juvenile cases as a public defender and in her practice. Jill's expertise also includes disability rights and mental health law, including presiding as a mental health hearing officer.
Lacey Garner, Esq.
Director, The Learning Community
Prior to joining BWJP, Lacey was a Vice President at 13D Research & Strategy, where she was responsible for relationships with foundations, family offices, and other corporate and investor clients. Lacey was also a financial advisor to individuals and families in Charleston, SC, and worked for a data analytics startup, helping institutional investors use alternative data. Before that, Lacey spent five years in Equity Research Sales at Jefferies, in New York. Lacey earned her B.A. magna cum laude in Political Science from Seton Hall University. She earned her J.D. magna cum laude from New York Law School where she was a Law Review editor.
Zoë Barr
(she/her)Operations Manager
Zoë is a graduate of St. Catherine University in St. Paul, MN, an all-women college, with one of the most diverse student campuses in Minnesota. Zoë has a background in team leadership and project management. She is looking forward to using her unique skills and experiences to support the operations and project management of the organization. When she isn’t working, she enjoys spending quality time with friends and family as well as golfing and playing volleyball.
Vicky Norgren Lynes
(she/her)Administrative Manager & Accounting Specialist
Vicky joined BWJP in 1999 and brings a variety of skills in administrative support including accounting, IT Support, Access Database management, Microsoft, and Adobe as well as maintaining the office so it can run smoothly for both our local and virtual staff. She’s an enrolled member of the Red Lake Nation Band of Chippewa, a member of the Mending the Sacred Hoop Coalition and a foundation member of Roosevelt High School in Minneapolis, MN. During her spare time, she enjoys making memories with her close family and friends.
Victoria Taylor
(she/her)Senior Communications Manager, External Relations
Victoria has been a graphic designer and communications professional for non profit organizations for over a decade. She is passionate about supporting and advocating for all survivors through her work at BWJP and through personally-driven efforts. When she is not creating and communicating, she is painting, paddle boarding, traveling, and hiking in the PNW with her family.
Meghan Dunlap
(She/Her/Hers)Communications Associate
Meghan worked for the Pee Dee Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence as their Volunteer Coordinator for the domestic violence shelter after graduating college in 2021 with her degree in communications. Putting her passion for communications and gender-based violence together with BWJP. When she is not at work she loves spending her time with her husband and dog either traveling or relaxing with a good movie.
Patrice Tillery
(she/her)Development Manager
Patrice Tillery is a graduate of the University of Maryland, College Park with over 15 years of experience in relationship selling and development. She is excited to use her skill set to develop relationships that further the BWJP Mission. When she isn’t working, Patrice enjoys planning fun outings with her two daughters, and singing her heart out at concerts with friends.
Kesimy Medina
(she/her)Executive Assistant
Kesimy served four years in the U.S. Army as a Human Resources Specialist and went on to graduate magna cum laude from Methodist University with a bachelor’s in social work and a bachelor’s in Management. She is passionate about exploring the human dimensions of organizations and systems and is excited to apply her skill set to the GBV arena. In her free time, Kesimy enjoys supporting local businesses in Fayetteville, NC and watching ice hockey games (go Marksmen!).
Sharonna Lee
TA Support, Training, and TA Innovation
Sharonna joined the Battered Women’s Justice Project as a Resource Specialist in April 1997. She brings a variety of advocacy experiences to the organization. Ms. Lee has worked with battered women and sexual assault victims in many capacities: as a peer counselor, crisis intervention worker, volunteer coordinator, legal advocate (civil and criminal), and as a Victim Liaison in the City Attorney’s Office. In her off time, Sharonna enjoys reading mystery novels and female protagonist-centered sci-fi.
Lumarie Orozco, MA
(she/her/ella)Director of the Firearms Technical Assistance Project (FTAP)
Lumarie Orozco is a survivor, community psychologist and Director of the Firearms Technical Assistance Project (FTAP) at BWJP. She leads a team of BWJP colleagues and subject matter experts and works collaboratively with other national training and technical assistance partners to provide tailored technical assistance designed to help federal grantees implement effective responses to firearms and domestic violence while advocating for change in local policies to keep firearms out of the hands of domestic violence offenders. Ms. Orozco provides expert consultations and training on a multitude of topics through information sharing, peer-to-peer learning opportunities, resources, referrals, site visits, and yearly national convenings based on a jurisdiction’s specific challenges and identified priorities. Her areas of expertise include culturally affirming, human-centered, and community-informed project design, development, and implementation; curricula and tool development; engagement of non-culturally specific organizations/agencies in processes of organizational development, equitable collaborative practices, development of strategies for addressing and enhancing service access and provision to underserved communities, including language access, youth development, engagement and advocacy, community engagement and leadership development.
Irene Avina, LCSW MSW
Project Assistant of the Firearms Technical Assistance Project (FTAP)
Irene Avina is a licensed Clinical Social Worker (LCSW), Irene has spent the past several years working directly with survivors of sexual assault and domestic violence in crisis intervention, safety planning, education, and trauma processing. Her work in this capacity allowed her to engage in community outreach, emphasizing the importance of empowering survivors, fostering connections, and creating an environment of understanding and support around issues related to gender-based violence. Recognizing the intersection of mental health and collective well-being, Irene is committed to addressing the holistic needs of survivors. She brings a nuanced understanding of the impact of trauma on mental health and advocates for initiatives that contribute to the overall healing and resilience of individuals and communities affected by gender-based violence. When she is not working she is engaged in expressive arts such as painting, collaging, drawing, clay work, and writing. Above all spending time with her partner and cat.
Megan Belden, Esq.
Senior Attorney Advisor
Megan Belden is a Senior Attorney Advisor at the National Center for Protection Orders and Full Faith and Credit with Battered Women’s Justice Project, where she provides training and guidance to community allies on local, state, tribal, and nationwide protective order issues. Megan has been committed to combating gender-based violence since 2004 when she served as an advocate and crisis hotline worker. She spent over ten years litigating civil cases on behalf of domestic and sexual violence survivors in both Virginia and Washington, D.C. She received her Juris Doctorate, cum laude, from Western New England University, School of Law, and a Bachelor of Arts, cum laude, in political science from Eastern University.
Rachel Barkley
(They/She)Staff Attorney
Rachel Barkley (they/she) recently graduated from Benjamin N. Cardozo School of Law and took the New York Bar Exam. Prior to law school, Rachel received their Master of Business Administration in Music Business from Southern New Hampshire University and Berklee College of Music and their Bachelor of Arts in Screenwriting from Albright College. At Cardozo, Rachel was an active member of the campus community – they founded the Cardozo Alliance for Sexual Aggression Prevention and served as the Student Director of Diversity and Inclusion for the Student Bar Association. Rachel participated in Sanctuary for Families Uncontested Divorce Project, the Cardozo Civil Rights Clinic, and the Cardozo Criminal Defense Clinic; they interned with Safe Horizon’s Domestic Violence Law Project, the Bronx District Attorney’s Office’s Domestic Violence Unit, and Crumiller P.C., the feminist litigation firm. In their free time, they volunteered with the New York City Parks Department’s Stewardship Team, End Rape on Campus’ Student Survivor Caucus, and the New York City Alliance Against Sexual Assault’s Student Leadership Training Institute.
Jillian Young, MSW
SAVES Project Director
Jillian Young received her BA and MSW from the University of Wisconsin. She has spent over a decade supporting victim-survivors of domestic violence and leading system change within the legal and child welfare system. During her time as the Legal Program Coordinator for Domestic Abuse Intervention Services (DAIS) in Madison, WI, she led efforts to bring training on domestic violence and lethality risk factors to the Dane County Circuit Court judges. She chaired the Legal Issues Subcommittee to the Dane County Coordinated Community Response to Domestic Violence and piloted a court watch program for restraining order hearings. With the Wisconsin Department of Children and Families, she led initiatives to build services for youth impacted by human trafficking and served as the Wisconsin Adoption Manager, providing contract administration to the State Public Adoptions program. She has extensive experience in project management, policy and program analysis, curriculum design, and providing technical assistance and training. During her free time she enjoys spending time with her family on their small farm.
Our Board
Jason Engelhart, Esq
Board Chair
Melissa Jamaca, CPA
Board Treasurer
Hon. Susan M. Breall
Donna Bloom, Esq
Annika Gifford, MA
Zelda B. Harris, Esq
Tracy Tripp, Esq.
Julie Cousler, LSW
Laura Castellanos, JD
Kelly Poling, MBA
