Speakers
Christopher Armstrong is a specialist in the High-Tech Crime Training Services department of SEARCH, where he coordinates and provides training on high-tech crime investigations and forensics. Mr. Armstrong retired from the San Diego Police Department in 2006 after more than 27 years of service. When he retired, he was lead investigator for the ICAC grant in San Diego County. In this role, he was involved in proactive and reactive investigations, forensic investigations, computer maintenance, office network and networking hardware, and grant financial planning. Immediately prior to his ICAC assignment, he spent over six years as a child abuse investigator, investigating every type of child abuse, including child homicides.
Dr. Carolyn Edwards Basiliere is the Wellness Psychologist for the Vermont ICAC Task Force. She was selected in February 2011, and has been working with Task Force members to develop their wellness program, which is now in Phase 1. She is also Director of Psychological Health for the Vermont Air National Guard. Dr. Basiliere has been practicing psychology in Vermont for the last 15 years. In her private practice, she worked with adults experiencing a wide range of difficulties — including having been sexually abused as children and overcoming other traumatic events in their history. She has extensive experience in Workplace Psychology where she has provided clinical assessment, management consulting, conflict resolution, training and crisis debriefing. She also taught graduate-level Research and Developmental Psychology to Clinical Psychology graduate students.
Sergeant Chris Bray is a 32-year veteran of the Phoenix Police Department — 25 of those years as a sergeant, the last 17 years as an investigative supervisor in the Organized Crime and Drug Enforcement Bureaus. He is currently assigned to the Vice Enforcement Unit, where he supervises investigations into human trafficking, child prostitution, illegal enterprises and money laundering. He is a subject-matter expert on human trafficking for Arizona POST and California POST. He is a graduate of Northern Arizona University and is a contributing author on the topic of human trafficking.
Holly Bridenbaugh, LCSW began working at CARES Northwest in 1998. She became a child interviewer in 2001, and has assessed over 1,000 children for concerns of abuse and neglect. Over the years, Holly developed expertise in working with and interviewing children with disabilities. In 2008, she co-authored and coordinated the curriculum Project Ability: Demystifying Disability in Child Abuse Interviewing. Holly has co-presented this curriculum and provided other trainings on disabilities to local and national audiences. She participates with a national community of learners on a collaborative web-based project entitled “Bright Spots,” which focuses on increasing awareness and communication about protecting children with disabilities.
Captain Bill Carson has more than 32 years experience as a police officer in the St. Louis metropolitan area. He has served 16 years in criminal investigation units as a detective, a supervisor and eventually a commander. He has significant experience in juvenile, sex crimes, homicide, and undercover narcotics and vice investigations, and has been awarded a number of commendations for investigative work. In addition to this experience, he has received several hundred hours of specialized training related to the investigation of sex crimes.
Currently, Captain Carson is a commander with the Maryland Heights (MO) Police Department and serves as a Deputy Commander with the Major Case Squad of Greater St. Louis. He has investigated and commanded homicide investigations for the Major Case Squad in St. Louis, St. Charles, Lincoln and Warren Counties in Missouri.
Captain Carson has a Masters Degree in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Missouri - St. Louis. Upon completing his graduate studies, Captain Carson conducted interviews with incarcerated sex offenders as part of two separate research projects. These interviews took place over a three-year period (2003-2005) at seven different prisons throughout the state of Missouri. More than 70 convicted child molesters were studied in detail for these two projects, including a unique series of interviews with 18 women that had been convicted of molesting children.
Captain Carson sits on the Missouri State Child Fatality Review Panel, and is an active member of the International Homicide Investigators Association. He has written several articles and taught thousands of police officers, prosecutors and social service workers on the subject of understanding and interviewing sex offenders. He has consulted with schools, churches and youth organizations offering insight on ways to better protect children from sexual offenders.
Captain Carson is married, with two grown children, and lives in the St. Louis area.
Carol L. Chervenak, M.D. completed her medical education and family-practice residency at University of Arizona, following an undergraduate degree in Pharmacy from the University of Washington.
Following clinical education in child-abuse assessments at the Center for Child Protection in San Diego, California in 1997, she became the medical director of ABC House, the child victim assessment center for Linn and Benton counties.
Since that time, Dr. Chervenak has helped establish a medical protocol for assessing children found at methamphetamine lab sites; compiled and lectures on guidelines for substance abuse and breastfeeding; and directs appropriate assessments and testing of children exposed to various drug-endangered environments.
She is on the Advisory Council for Child Abuse and Neglect, the Oregon Governor’s Sexual Assault Task Force, and the Oregon SANE Commission, and has been a member of the Oregon Governor's Methamphetamine Task Force and a lecturer for the Oregon and National Alliances for Drug Endangered Children.
Dottie L. Davis, BS is a 30-year veteran of the Fort Wayne Police Department, where she serves as the Deputy Chief of the Southwest Division of patrol. During her career, she has received numerous commendations, including two Meritorious Service Citations. Dottie graduated from Purdue University with honors receiving a Bachelor of Science, and certifications in Substance Abuse Counseling and Social Service. In March 2003, she graduated from the National FBI Academy in Quantico, VA. Since 1992, she has been a family violence trainer, and has trained thousands of law-enforcement officers, prosecutors, advocates, and judges throughout the nation. The Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence (ICADV) named Dottie the 1998 Law Enforcement Officer of the Year, and in 2004 she was the recipient of the Harlene Bartlett award from the ICADV for her continued commitment to victims of family violence. She has spoken at numerous conferences throughout the country, including the National District Attorneys Association (NDAA) Conference on Domestic Violence from 1999 through 2011. In 2006, she received the Stephen L. VonRiesen Lecturer of Merit Award from the NDAA.
Davis has also lectured in Canada for the International Association of Women Police, The Ontario Provincial Police, and VCARS, a victim advocates group. In April 2000, she became involved in implementing the Crisis Intervention Team with the Fort Wayne Police Department to better serve individuals in a mental-health crisis with dignity and respect. Due to this work, she has received several awards from the National Alliance on Mental Illness. She is the 2007 recipient of the ATHENA Award given by the Fort Wayne Chamber of Commerce, which is awarded to individuals for “professional excellence, for providing valuable service to their community and for assisting women in their attainment of professional goals and leadership skills.” Davis serves as a Board member for several entities including the Indiana Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Mental Health America in Allen County, and the Women’s Bureau. She is also an advisory board member for two universities. In 2000, she formed Davis Corporate Training, Inc. — a private consulting agency that provides training and expert witness testimony in both civil and criminal trials.
Lisa F. is an adult survivor of chronic childhood exposure to domestic violence. When she was 6 years old, she called San Diego 911 because her boyfriend was beating her mother. Her 911 tape was released to the public, and has been used across the country to train advocates, social workers, police officers, judges, nurses, doctors, teachers and other allied professionals about the trauma of childhood exposure to domestic violence. Lisa is now 26 years old and is the mother to two little girls. They live in Southern California.
Marieka Farrenkopf, EdM, LCSW attended the Boston University Schools of Social Work and Education, and is a medical social worker in Portland, OR. She currently works as a Child Interviewer and Trainer at CARES NW, a pediatric clinic at Emanuel Hospital specializing in evaluating children for abuse and neglect. Ms. Farrenkopf has a private practice in Portland, where she sees teenagers and adults for individual mental-health counseling. She specializes in abuse and neglect, crisis, teenaged angst, interpersonal conflict, depression and anxiety.
Josh Findley is a Senior Special Agent with the Department of Homeland Security, Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE), who specializes in the investigation of child sexual exploitation crimes. He is a highly experienced and highly regarded interviewer and interrogator. Josh brings a wide array of law-enforcement experience to his current position — including war-crimes investigations in Kosovo, undercover narcotics investigations in Germany, and internal-affairs investigations for the Department of the Treasury Office of Inspector General. He is widely regarded as a tenacious investigator and a tireless advocate for the victims of child sexual exploitation.
Justin Fitzsimmons is a Senior Attorney with NDAA’s National Center for Prosecution of Child Abuse in Alexandria, Virginia. He organizes national conferences related to technology-facilitated crimes against children. Additionally, Mr. Fitzsimmons also trains at other national, state and local events pertaining to technology-facilitated crimes against children, as well as other sexual and physical abuse crimes against children. Training prosecutors around the country is just one area of Mr. Fitzsimmons’ profession. He also updates a comprehensive outline of cases involving online exploitation of children, and distributes a weekly case-law update to hundreds of prosecutors and child-abuse professionals both nationally and globally. Prior to coming to NDAA in June of 2009, Mr. Fitzsimmons was an Assistant State’s Attorney in Kane County, Illinois. While employed as an Assistant State’s Attorney, Mr. Fitzsimmons supervised the Special Prosecutions Unit; he also prosecuted cases of arson, elder abuse, complex financial crimes, Internet crimes, and public integrity. The unit was responsible for prosecuting all online crimes against children. Additionally, before supervising SPU, Mr. Fitzsimmons was assigned to the child advocacy center, where he prosecuted numerous cases involving sexual abuse and severe physical abuse to children, adults and disabled individuals. His background includes attending SANE/SART training.
Jake French became an inspirational speaker and author after becoming a quadriplegic — the consequence of reckless choices when he was 23. Today, he touches audiences with his a personal story. Because his message is so compelling, he brings a spark to every audience that ignites emotion, demands change, and earns standing ovations.
When Jake began his senior year of high school, so began a series of choices and a mentality that almost killed him, four times. Jake abused alcohol and became a victim of bullying. He lives in a rolling excuse, but refuses to accept it. Audience members will be thinking, “Me too,” as they listen to Jake’s story, relating to the anchors in their own lives. Jake’s humor and vulnerability are endearing, even on serious topics.
Robert Giles is a Senior Attorney for the National Center for Prosecution of Child Abuse at the National District Attorneys Association. As an Assistant Prosecuting Attorney in Oakland County, Michigan, Mr. Giles prosecuted child sexual assault cases for nine years. Mr. Giles also was Section Leader of the Child Sexual Assault Unit at the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office. Prior to joining the Oakland County Prosecutor's Office, he was a Law Clerk to the Honorable Damon J. Keith, Judge on the United States Court of Appeals for the 6th Circuit. Mr. Giles received his J.D. from the University of Detroit Mercy School of Law and his B.A. from DePauw University.
Chief Jim Holler served as Chief of Police for 16 years of the Liberty Township Police Department in Adams County, Pennsylvania; on Dec. 1, 2007, he retired as the Chief of Police to continue consulting in the areas of child abuse.
In his 16 years as police chief, his responsibilities included managing daily activities of the police department and also investigating homicides, unattended deaths, rapes, child abuse, child sexual assaults, and other major crimes.
Chief Holler became an Internet Crimes Against Children Investigator, starting the first task force in Adams County in 2005. He has conducted proactive Internet investigations — making multiple arrests for possession of child pornography and undercover chat-related arrests for soliciting sex from minors.
He also served as a fire marshal for Liberty Township for eight years, becoming the Township’s first fire/arson investigator. Prior to Chief Holler’s law-enforcement career, he retired as a paid firefighter from Montgomery County Maryland with of 23 years of service.
Chief Holler is a nationally known speaker specializing in child-abuse investigations and is also a consultant for the Fox Valley Technical College in Appleton, WI, the Pennsylvania Child Welfare Training Program, University of Pittsburgh, School of Social Work, and the National Children’s Advocacy Center in Huntsville, Alabama.
Chief Holler serves in various community roles — including the Board President of the Wetzel/Tyler County WV Children’s Advocacy Center board, the founder and past Board President of the Adams County Pennsylvania Children's Advocacy Center, Inc., Vice President of Survivors, Inc., a local domestic violence/rape crisis center, a member of the multi-disciplinary child abuse team, the child death review team and many other child abuse and domestic violence focused committees within his community.
Chief Holler has attended the University of Pittsburgh, Fox Valley Technical College, Harrisburg Area Community College, and the Jimmy Ryce Law Enforcement Training Center and has received training from several academies and centers, including the National Children's Advocacy Center.
Cory Jewell Jensen, M.S. is the Co-Director of the Center for Behavioral Intervention in Beaverton, Oregon. Jensen has worked with adult sex offenders for 28 years, provided training and/or consultation to The National Center for the Prosecution of Child Abuse, The United States Navy, The Mark Mc Gwire Foundation for Children, and a number of local and national law-enforcement, child advocacy and faith-based organizations. Jensen has served as the Executive Director for ATSA, President of the Oregon Chapter of ATSA, and chaired the Offender Management Committee attached to the Oregon Attorney General’s Sexual Assault Task Force. She has been awarded Oregon’s "Commercial Crime Prevention Award," the "Champions for Children Award," the OATSA "Significant Achievement Award," the Nunnenkamp "Award of Excellence," and the Jan Hindman Memorial Award. Jensen has also published a number of articles on the evaluation and treatment of sex offenders, testified as an expert witness in local and federal courts, and been a featured guest on radio talk shows and the Oprah Winfrey Show.
Leila Keltner, MD, PhD is the Medical Director of CARES Northwest, the medically-based child abuse assessment center serving the Portland metropolitan area. Since 1987, she has evaluated over 3,000 children, both outpatient and inpatient, for concerns of abuse and neglect. She is a member of two county Child Abuse Multidisciplinary Teams and the Oregon State Child Fatality Review Team. She serves on the Children's Trust Fund of Oregon Board of Trustees, and is a member of the Multnomah County Commission on Children, Families and Community.
Detective Rob Kemmet is a 14-year veteran of the Oklahoma City Police Department and a former United States Marine. He is currently assigned to the Predator Interdiction Team of the OCPD Criminal Intelligence Unit as well as the Innocent Images Task Force, and has previously served in Patrol, Assault Investigation, and the Homicide Unit. Detective Kemmet was named the 2006 Police Officer of the Year for his work on Predator Detection and has also received the American Red Cross Heroes Award and the OCPD Meritorious Service Award for his efforts. He currently serves on the advisory boards for both the Oklahoma State University Criminal Justice Program and the Innocent Justice Foundation. Detective Kemmet is a graduate of the University of Oklahoma and the married father of three.
Sueann Kenney-Noziska, MSW, LISW, LCSW, RPT-S, is a Licensed Independent Social Worker and Registered Play Therapist Supervisor specializing in using play therapy in clinical practice with abused and traumatized children, adolescents, and families. As part of her clinical work, she provides outpatient psychotherapy to those impacted by childhood sexual abuse and facilitates a sexual-abuse group therapy program. Additionally, she is founder and owner of Play Therapy Corner, Inc., a play therapy supervision, consultation, and training organization.
Sueann is author of “Techniques-Techniques-Techniques: Play-Based Activities for Children, Adolescents, & Families” — a manual that highlights the original play-based techniques and interventions she has created to advance the field of play therapy. She has been an active leader at the state and national levels in the Association for Play Therapy and presents regularly at the international play therapy conference.
Sueann is known as a dynamic, engaging speaker with a reputation for providing practical and clinically useful play therapy interventions. Her seminars are consistently rated as “outstanding” and highlight her practical, first-hand experience using play therapy in clinical practice, as well as her creativity, insight, and expertise.
Dr. Dan Leonhardt is a pediatrician/child abuse specialist at CARES Northwest and Randall Children’s Hospital at Legacy Emanuel. Dr. Leonhardt received his medical degree from the University of Chicago Pritzker School of Medicine and his pediatric training at Cincinnati Children’s Hospital and Medical Center. Dr. Leonhardt began his career in child abuse pediatrics as a member of the Protective Service Team at Children’s Memorial Hospital. He was an Assistant Professor of Pediatrics at Northwestern University Medical School and the Medical Director of the Safe Kids Clinic — a clinic that specialized in the management and diagnosis of child abuse and neglect with special emphasis on failure to thrive and children living in homes with parental substance abuse.
Sue Lewis has worked in the field of child abuse and neglect since the early 1990s and as a forensic interviewer since 1998. She works at the Children’s Center of Clackamas County, where she interviews children and adolescents on child abuse concerns. She has provided trainings both locally and nationally on a variety of topics related to forensic interviewing and child development. Ms. Lewis holds a Master’s in Social Work degree from the University of North Carolina in Chapel Hill, and she is licensed in the State of Oregon where she has lived since 1995.
Timothy Lott is a High-Tech Crime Training Specialist in the High-Tech Crime Training Services department of SEARCH, The National Consortium for Justice Information and Statistics — where he coordinates and provides training on high-tech crime investigations and forensics to local, state, and federal justice and public-safety agencies. A former deputy probation officer with the Sacramento County (California) Probation Department, Mr. Lott has advanced training in computer forensics investigations and data recovery. He was assigned to the Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force — where he conducted probation compliance checks on offenders who have been convicted and placed on probation for offenses involving the possession of child pornography, stalking through the use of social-networking sites or cellular devices, and identity theft. In addition to completing compliance checks, he led investigations of peer-to-peer networks used to trade child pornography.
Dr. Scott Modell is a Professor and Director of the Autism Center for Excellence at California State University, Sacramento. He is an expert in disability etiology, characteristics, interview techniques, and abuse. He has written several books and has over 100 published articles and abstracts presented at state, national and international conferences on disability related issues.
Dr. Modell’s current research focus is on children and adults with disabilities and their interactions with the criminal justice system. He has been an invited speaker for a number of conferences for law enforcement throughout the country. He currently consults with multiple law-enforcement agencies regarding disability abuse and as an expert witness. Dr. Modell has taught for the Office of Victims of Crime (OVC), California District Attorney's Association (CDAA), National Adult Protective Services Association (NAPSA), New Mexico Crime Victims Reparation Commission, National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA), and the Singapore National Council of Social Service. He has conducted workshops and trainings reaching thousands police officers, child protective service and adult protective service professionals across the country. He has received international recognition for his work in the area of disability abuse and interview techniques for individuals with developmental disabilities.
In addition to his scholarship, Dr. Modell is widely recognized at the local, state, and national level for the provision of community-based services for individuals with disabilities. Through his community-based programs and public school experience, Dr. Modell has worked with thousands of children and adults with disabilities. He is well-recognized in his community and throughout the country for his expertise, passion, and quality programs.
Lieutenant Josh Moulin began his public safety career in 1993 working as a Firefighter and Emergency Medical Technician. After working eight years of various assignments, Josh left the fire service with the rank of Lieutenant and was hired by the Ashland Police Department in 2001.
While with the Ashland Police Department Josh served as a Police Officer, Arson Investigator, Field Training Officer, and Officer in Charge. In 2003 he was recruited by the Central Point Police Department and has worked as a Patrol Officer, Field Training Officer, Arson Investigator, Detective, Forensic Computer Examiner, Sergeant, Lieutenant, and Task Force Commander.
Currently Lieutenant Moulin is responsible for the Southern Oregon High-Tech Crimes Task Force and the Central Point Police Department Crime Analysis Unit. The Southern Oregon High-Tech Crimes Task Force is a full FBI Cyber Crimes Task Force and includes personnel from the Central Point, Medford, Ashland, Grants Pass, and Klamath Falls Police Departments as well as the Jackson County Sheriff’s Office and District Attorney’s Office, the FBI, and Homeland Security.
As the Commander of the Southern Oregon High-Tech Crimes Task Force, Josh oversees cyber crime investigations and digital forensic examinations for approximately 53 federal, state, and local law enforcement agencies in Oregon. The Digital Evidence Forensic Laboratory within the Task Force received accreditation by the Legacy Program of the American Society of Crime Laboratory Directors / Laboratory Accreditation Program (ASCLD/LAB) in 2009. The Task Force is the only state or local standalone digital evidence forensics lab accreditation in the world.
Lieutenant Moulin has personally conducted over 1000 forensic examinations of digital evidence including computers, servers, cellular phones, GPS units, digital cameras, video evidence and more. He is a Certified Forensic Computer Examiner (CFCE) and Certified Electronic Evidence Collection Specialist (CEECS) from the International Association of Computer Investigative Specialists (IACIS), is a “founder” of the National Institute of Justice and National Center for Forensic Science Digital Certified Forensic Practitioner (DFCP) program, and holds his AccessData Certified Examiner (ACE) credentials among many others. Josh also is cross-deputized as a special federal deputy and holds a Secret level security clearance by the FBI.
Josh has been recognized as a national expert in the field of digital evidence and cyber crime and frequently speaks across the nation on various topics, mostly focusing on technology based crimes against children. He has been part of the faculty for the National District Attorney’s Association, National Center for the Prosecution of Child Abuse, and the National Association of Attorneys General. Lieutenant Moulin has been recognized as an expert witness in digital forensics and computer crime in both State and Federal court on several occasions.
Lieutenant Moulin has successfully completed the International Association of Chiefs of Police Leadership in Police Organizations program as well as the Oregon Executive Development Institute Leadership and Management program. He graduated with his Bachelors Degree Summa Cum Laude from Eastern Oregon University, and has his Basic, Intermediate, Advanced, Supervision, and Management Certifications from Oregon Department of Public Safety Standards and Training. Josh serves as the Western United States First Alternate Board of Director for the National White Collar Crime Center (NW3C), and is a board member for Crimestoppers of Southern Oregon.
Sarah Power, LCSW is the Manager of Social Work for the Department of Care Management at Oregon Health and Science University (OHSU). Prior to moving into management, Sarah spent 10 years working in the field of child abuse and neglect. Her experiences include serving as a child welfare worker for the State of Illinois prior to transitioning into medical social work, where she focused on the clinical assessment of suspected abuse and neglect victims in the hospital setting. She was the Clinical Coordinator of MPEEC (Multidisciplinary Pediatric and Evaluation and Education Program) where she led efforts to ensure a coordinated response to abuse allegations of serious injuries of children, ages 0-36 months, in the city of Chicago. She then worked as the Protective Services Team Coordinator at Children's Memorial Hospital, where she provided direct clinical assessment and follow-up to suspected victims of abuse and neglect. With physician partners, she co-authored a two-day child-welfare curriculum — emphasizing shared knowledge and interdisciplinary collaboration — that is mandated for all child welfare workers in the state of Illinois. Sarah has completed over 1,200 child-abuse evaluations in her career. She focuses her lectures on a collaborative model of child abuse and neglect evaluation, which serves to provide accurate diagnoses by medical personnel, provide a comprehensive understanding of the child and family's needs, lead to timely and efficient resolutions to investigations, and offer guidance on the most effective interventions moving forward.
Joseph Rampolla has been a law-enforcement officer for 17 years. In 1994, he received a Masters of Arts degree in Criminal Justice from John Jay College in New York City. Joseph holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Law & Society from Ramapo College of New Jersey. He became a police officer in 1995, and currently holds the rank of Captain for the Park Ridge Police Department. He has supervised numerous criminal investigations within the department and oversees the Detective Bureau. In 2003, he was assigned to a regional computer-crimes task force. He has successfully completed training offered by county, state and federal agencies as well as leading technology companies with a focus in the areas of computer forensics, Internet child exploitation, cyber-bullying, cyber counter-terrorism, human trafficking, and Peer-to-Peer file sharing investigations. He is a member of the HTCIA, HTCC, and IACIS, where he has earned the classification of Certified Forensic Computer Examiner (CFCE) and AccessData Certified Examiner (ACE). Joseph enjoys teaching the topics of cyber crimes, augmented reality / virtual worlds, cyber-bullying and advanced undercover Internet Relay Chat (IRC) investigations. He has taught International law enforcement at Microsoft in Redmond WA, in the Ontario Canadian Providence, and taught cybercrime topics to all levels of law enforcement for the National Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. Joseph consults for various organizations across the United States and presents for the National District Attorney's Association (NDAA). He continues to work with the New Jersey Office of Homeland Security and Preparedness (OHSP) to educate communities on various Cyber-safety topics. Joseph was the co-creator of the Internet-safety DVD series "Point of No Return" — which featured the cyber-bullying video “Sticks and Stones” and the predator video “The Web.”
Robin Rose is a renowned trainer, speaker and consultant with over 20 years' experience. With a background in counseling and education, she translates the latest developments in brain-based research into practical, learnable skills. Robin’s expertise is in teaching people how to stay calm, professional, and effective, especially during high-stress, high-pressure situations. She delivers information, training, and tools that help you understand how your brain works, how to think clearly, and how to communicate effectively. People leave her trainings with new skills and renewed energy.
Robin has an uncommon ability to make it safe for individuals and groups to learn new ways to work together, build trust, and move forward. She holds a Master's degree in Counseling Psychology from Lewis & Clark College. After 15 years as college faculty, she formed her own company and moved into the public, government-agency, non-profit, and business sectors. Robin is an accomplished consultant, trainer, and keynote speaker, and recently authored Shifting Gears: A Brain-Based Approach to Engaging Your Best Self.
Detective Erin Schweitzer is a 17-year veteran of the Clackamas County Sheriff's Office currently assigned to the Interagency Child Exploitation Prevention Team (INTERCEPT) task force. Det. Schweitzer has been investigating crimes against children for the past 13 years; she currently focuses on technology-based crimes against children. Det. Schweitzer is currently one of four instructors in Oregon certified to teach peer-to-peer child-pornography investigations.
Dr. Sue Skinner works at the Children’s Center of Clackamas County, and has been working in the field of child abuse and neglect for 17 years. She is board-certified in both general pediatrics and child-abuse pediatrics, and is a member of the American Academy of Pediatrics as well as APSAC. Dr. Skinner has lectured both locally and nationally on various issues related to child abuse, and she has assisted in the development of guidelines and training modules for the State of Oregon. She has a particular interest in physical abuse of school-aged children, physical and environmental neglect, drug-endangered children and the medical evaluation of adolescents.
Michael Slauson is a Senior Assistant Attorney General in the Criminal Justice Division of the Oregon Department of Justice, and is the prosecutor assigned to the Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. He joined the Department in 2001 through its honors attorney program. In his first year with the Department, Mr. Slauson worked in the Appellate Division, where he briefed and argued cases before Oregon’s appellate courts. Since 2002, he’s been assigned to the Criminal Justice Division, where he has provided assistance to district attorneys and their staff, been legal advisor to the Division’s criminal intelligence unit and prosecuted a broad array of criminal cases.
Ed Smart is a child-safety advocate and President of the Surviving Parents Coalition (SPC). He is an internationally recognized advocate for children’s safety — particularly focusing on protecting children from abduction, bullying, abuse and sexual assault. Ed, along with other advocates, lobbied for passage of the National Amber Alert plan, the Adam Walsh Act, and The Protect our Children Act of 2008; he is currently working on DNA arrestee legislation.
Christine Smith works as a Family Nurse Practitioner at the Children’s Center in Clackamas County. She has been working in the medical field for the past 18 years in the specialties of neurosurgery and child abuse. She is board-certified through the American Academy of Nurse Practitioners and is a member of APSAC and NAPNAP. Chris is a full-time medical examiner at the Children’s Center and has seen over 500 cases of child abuse and neglect in the past two years. She has a particular interest in physical abuse and neglect — specifically drug-endangered children.
Julie Stauffer is a Licensed Independent Clinical Social Worker with a Master of Social Work degree from St. Catherine University/ University of St. Thomas and a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Social Work from St. Catherine University. Prior to joining CornerHouse, Julie was a residential treatment therapist — engaging in therapy with children and their families and providing training and consultation to program staff. Other professional experiences include working with individuals from preschool through young adulthood in a range of social service and school- and community-based programs. Julie joined CornerHouse in April 2006. As a forensic interviewer and trainer with CornerHouse, she conducts forensic interviews with children and vulnerable adults regarding allegations of abuse or witnessing of violent crime; provides training for professionals in basic and advanced forensic interviewing skills and regarding other related topics, conducting training on a local, national, and international level; has co-authored an article on the CornerHouse RATAC protocol; and has been a co-developer of the MSRATAC process — a modification of the forensic interviewing process designed to meet the unique needs of very young children or children with other special needs or concerns.
Betty Ramirez Swinners is the author of Tortilla Soup for the Spirit and a motivational speaker who has dedicated her life to sharing her story of success and survival to encourage others to believe in themselves. A survivor of abuse raised as a homeless child, she ate out of garbage cans to survive. Education was not a priority to her family; she only attended the second and fifth grade of elementary school. But adversity did not stop Betty from becoming a success.
Betty has been recognized as "One of Texas' Most Influential Women" by Texas Hispanic Magazine, inducted into "The Hispanic Women's Hall of Fame" by Hispanic Women in Leadership, and recipient of the first U.S. Hispanic Chamber of Commerce Ana Maria Arias Hispanic Business Woman of the Year Award.
Betty’s volunteer history includes service as: Charter/Past President of Mujeres of LULAC, Texas LULAC Deputy Director for Women, President — Hispanic Women in Leadership, 2000 Chair — Hispanic Women’s Network of Texas, Dallas, and Treasurer — Hispanic Women’s Network of Texas State Board.
She is the owner of Diversity Speakers, a company established to promote minority public speakers and develop diversity initiatives for corporations and no-profits.
Elizabeth Tow is a High-Tech Crime Training Specialist in the High-Tech Crime Training Services department of SEARCH, where she coordinates and provides training on high-tech crime investigations. Before joining SEARCH in 2010, Ms. Tow spent five years in local law enforcement in two states, as a public-safety dispatcher for the Grass Valley (California) and Helena (Montana) Police Departments.
Emily Vacher joined Facebook in 2011 as the Law Enforcement Relations Lead for North and South America. She is responsible for managing law enforcement relations, including incoming requests and outgoing referrals, as well as law enforcement and security policy matters.
Prior to joining Facebook, Emily was a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for more than a decade, leading a broad range of federal investigations. Specializing in Crimes Against Children (CAC) matters, Emily was a member of the Child Abduction Rapid Deployment Team (CARD) and served as a supervisor in the Undercover and Sensitive Operations Unit at FBIHQ. Prior to the joining the FBI, Emily was an attorney in private practice in New York. Emily holds a Bachelor of Science degree from Cornell University, an MS degree from the Syracuse University School of Education, an MPA from the Maxwell School of Citizenship and Public Affairs, and a JD from the Syracuse University College of Law.
Valerie Van Brocklin had a teaching career before she earned her law degree at the University of Virginia and stalked high adventure in Alaska – joining the Anchorage District Attorney’s Office. She quickly became a senior trial attorney. Because of her notable work, Val was asked to join the state’s Office of Special Prosecution and Appeals, where she had state-wide responsibility for cases that were so complex they required specialized investigative and prosecution efforts. Val’s endeavors again caught attention. She was recruited by the U.S. Attorney’s Office to prosecute complex white-collar crime, for which she received the FBI’s commendation. Throughout her career as a prosecutor, Val’s dynamic presentation style made her a frequently invited speaker for law enforcement and other professional and community groups.
Described by Calibre Press as “the indisputable master of enter-train-ment,” Val Van Brocklin is an internationally sought speaker, trainer and noted author. She combines a dynamic presentation style with years of experience as a state and federal prosecutor where her trial work received national media attention on ABC’s "Primetime Live," the Discovery Channel’s "Justice Files," in USA Today, The National Enquirer and Redbook. She appears in television, radio, web casts, newspapers, magazines and books.
Ms. Lauren Wagner is a High Tech Crime Training Specialist in the Training Services Department of SEARCH — where she performs tasks related to training local, state and federal agencies on computer technology issues with criminal justice applications. She provides technical assistance to law-enforcement agencies in active cases, prepares training materials, teaches SEARCH investigative courses and speaks at conferences throughout the U.S. Ms. Wagner is an ICI-certified instructor, and received a 2009 “Excellence in Training” award from California POST.
Mark Wynn is a retired 20-year member of the Metropolitan Police Department of Nashville, where he served as Lieutenant to the Domestic Violence Division. He was a member of the Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) Team for 15 years and a recipient of 121 commendations and 51 awards and certificates, including the 1998 Nashvillian of the Year Award and the National Improvement of Justice Award. He was selected in 1995 as one of the top-ten police officers in the United States by the International Association of Chiefs of Police and Parade Magazine. He is a 1994 Graduate of the Federal Bureau of Investigation National Academy — Session 178. In October 1995, Lt. Wynn was invited to the White House by President Clinton to deliver a speech on strategies to prevent domestic violence in the United States. In April 1993, Lt. Wynn was called to testify before Congress for the Energy and Commerce Committee — Subcommittee on Health and Environment. He spoke on the public-health issue of violence in the family. In June 1994, he testified a second time before Congress, going before the House of Representatives' Committee on the Judiciary on the positive effects on mandatory arrest in incidents of family violence. Wynn's experience as a victim in his own home and a victim of a system that did not intervene has resulted in his passion to tirelessly address the need for a collaborative approach to domestic violence. Wynn is currently a much-sought-after trainer, advisor and consultant on effective domestic-violence intervention, both nationally and internationally.
Andrea Zaferes has taught dive teams around the world since 1987. She is the Vice President of Lifeguard Systems and a National Association of Underwater Instructors/Association of Canadian Underwater Councils course director, as well as a noted author and medicolegal death investigator. She has received such prestigious awards as the DAN-Rolex and Beneath the Sea Diver of the Year award. A regular speaker at rescue and forensic conferences, Zaferes also assists law enforcement in homicide drowning cases.