When a victim of sexual assault, domestic violence, or stalking comes forward, there are many steps on the road to justice and healing. We honor the dedicated professionals who work tirelessly to ensure survivors receive skillful and compassionate responses each step of the way.
CHAMPIONS OF CHANGE
Champions of Change work on a state or national level, to create system-level reforms in the way we respond to sexual assault, intimate partner violence, and other forms of gender-based violence.
NURSE FOR CHANGE
Tamara Jackson, MSN, RN, SANE-A, SANE-P, DM-AFN, has spent her career transforming how survivors of sexual assault and violence are cared for in Chicago: one exam, one nurse, and one hospital system at a time. As System SANE Program Manager at Sinai Chicago Health System, she has now built two comprehensive forensic nursing programs at two different health systems in the city.
LIEUTENANT
ALAMEDA COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Lieutenant Misty Carausu (Alameda County Sheriff’s Office) exemplifies survivor-centered, evidence-based investigation. Her instincts and persistence helped expose the truth in the Denise Huskins kidnapping and sexual assault case after it was wrongly dismissed as a hoax, advancing accountability and restoring credibility to those who were unfairly disbelieved.
GROUNDBREAKING FORENSIC NURSE TRAINER
Sarah Pederson has reshaped how Georgia delivers forensic medical care to survivors of sexual assault, domestic violence, and human trafficking. She created a first-of-its-kind training program that integrates clinical instruction with hands-on scenario-based education that includes law enforcement and advocates. She is deeply committed to expanding nurses’ expertise and ability to assess and treat injuries.
CHIEF STRATEGY OFFICER, BATTERED WOMENS JUSTICE PROJECT (BWJP)
Dr. Sujata Warrier is committed to empowering others and transforming systems. She has been instrumental in improving how judges and immigration officers engage with underserved communities, particularly immigrant survivors of gender-based violence.
TRAILBLAZER IN FORENSIC NURSING
Valerie Sievers is a trailblazer in forensic nursing, shaping the field in Colorado and across the nation for 30 years. As one of the first faculty in the forensic nursing program at the University of Colorado, she is responsible for decades of graduates entering the healthcare field of gender-based violence.
NOMINATE A CHAMPION OF CHANGE
We are looking for individuals whose heartfelt commitment and tireless dedication have improved system-level responses to gender-based violence. By challenging the status quo, they effect real change, and they inspire others to follow in their footsteps. Do you know someone who fits the bill?
A Champion of Change is someone who:
- Challenges the status quo to create system-level changes
- Helps to support survivors and hold offenders accountable
- Mentors the next generation of reformers and leaders
GAME CHANGERS
Game Changers spark a new way of doing things in their communities, so victims of gender-based violence receive compassionate and competent services, and perpetrators are held accountable.
INVESTIGATOR, RIVERSIDE COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Investigator Ruben Martinez’s relentless drive to protect the most vulnerable members of his community, combined with his skill in building rock solid cases for prosecution, sets him apart as a Game Changer in the field of child abuse investigations. He never shies away from the hardest cases.
SERGEANT, PALM BEACH COUNTY SHERIFF’S OFFICE
Sgt. Juliana Baker has transformed the law enforcement response to sexual assault in Palm Beach County, Florida. As supervisor for the sheriff’s office’s Special Victims Unit since 2019, Sgt. Baker sets the bar high for investigative excellence.
STRENGTHENING VICTIM SERVICES IN NORTHEAST TEXAS
Jewel West has spent more than 20 years strengthening victim services in Northeast Texas, but the true measure of her impact is found in the lives transformed by her work. For the last 15 years at the Crisis Center of Northeast Texas, Jewel has paired financial strategy and operational leadership with a deep commitment to trauma-informed care.
DIRECTOR OF SURVIVOR SERVICES
Megan Vermillion has a saying she lives by: “I cannot let people fall through the cracks of our systems.” As Director of Survivor Services at Hope and Healing Survivor Resource Center in Akron, Ohio, she has backed that conviction with eight years of relentless, solution-oriented work, opening doors to services for survivors whom systems have historically left behind.
NOMINATE A GAME CHANGER
Game Changers work to create positive change for victims of gender-based violence in their communities. They transform the way we respond to these crimes, so victims can begin the long path toward justice and healing. Do you know a Game Changer?
A Game Changer is someone who:
- Sparks a new way of doing things
- Makes a difference for victims and their loved ones
- Inspires others to join the movement