5 th Annual Texas Human Trafficking Summit
Innovations in Protection, Prosecution, Prevention, and Partnerships
Wednesday, October 16, 2013 9:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES (In order of appearance)
Jaime Hanks Meyers, Managing Director, North Texas, CHILDREN AT RISK
Jaime Hanks Meyers joined CHILDREN AT RISK in 2008 and is currently responsible for leading the organization’s expansion in North Texas. She has served in various capacities during her time at
CHILDREN AT RISK, including Director of Strategic Partnerships and Deputy Director. As Managing
Director of North Texas she focuses on increasing the organization’s impact in the North Texas area through research, community education, innovative partnerships, and advocacy. CHILDREN AT RISK’s
Center to End the Trafficking and Exploitation of Children (CETEC), the only center of its kind in Texas, combats domestic minor sex trafficking through education, the convening of nonprofits and community leaders, and non-partisan advocacy to curb demand and support victims. Before coming to CHILDREN AT RISK, Jaime worked for United Ways of Texas, Admission Control (through AmeriCorps
Vista), and St. Edward’s University – Advancement for several years. She graduated from St. Edward’s
University with a B.A. in International Relations focusing on Latin America and a minor in Spanish.
Dr. Robert Sanborn, President and CEO, CHILDREN AT RISK
Dr. Sanborn is a noted leader, advocate, and activist for education and children and the President and
CEO of CHILDREN AT RISK. Before entering the non-profit sector, he had a distinguished career in higher education at institutions such as Rice University and Hampshire College. In recognition of the significant impact Dr. Sanborn has had within the Greater Houston community, he recently received the Houston Area Association for the Education of Young Children “Advocate of the Year Award” and the “Seeds of Hope” award for his work to end poverty at a systematic level through advocacy with community organizations and an increased awareness among public officials and the media. Dr.
Sanborn earned his undergraduate degree at Florida State University and his doctorate at Columbia
University.
Dr. Jaya Davis, Assistant Professor, University of Texas at Arlington Department of Criminology
Dr. Davis is an assistant professor in the Department of Criminology and Criminal Justice. Her research interests are varied and include juvenile delinquency and the juvenile justice system, victimization, service learning, and program evaluation. She has published in areas related to juvenile disproportionate minority contact, criminal justice education, and institutional corrections.
Lieutenant Alfred Diorio, High Risk Victims and Trafficking Unit, Dallas Police Department
Lieutenant Diorio has been with the Dallas Police Department for over 30 years on a variety of investigative assignments. He is currently assigned as the Commander of the Crimes Against Children
Unit, which processes over 2,000 cases a year. Lt. Diorio serves on the Internet Crimes Against
Children Task Force, a network of 61 regional task forces that helps develop effective responses to cyber enticement and child pornography cases.
R. Keith Armwood, Superintendent, Letot Center, Dallas County Juvenile Department
R. Keith Armwood is currently the Superintendent at Dallas County Juvenile Department’s Letot Center for youth. He is a native of Fayetteville, North Carolina and has 21 years in the field of juvenile justice and an exhaustive background in working with juvenile youth in secure and non-secure institutional settings. Mr. Armwood brings core competencies, such as risk analysis, critical thinking, and leadership to the field.
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5 th Annual Texas Human Trafficking Summit
Innovations in Protection, Prosecution, Prevention, and Partnerships
Wednesday, October 16, 2013 9:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
Cathy Brock, Chair, Dallas Community High Risk Victims Task Force
Cathy Brock, LCCA is nationally recognized for her work on child and adolescent exploitation. She has worked in residential programs for runaway youth and their families for 31 years, most recently as the
Residential Supervisor for the Letot Center, where she was responsible for overseeing case management services and daily operations of the Residential Unit. Cathy retired from Letot in 2010, and is presently the Director of the Dallas High Risk Victims Task Force and chairperson of the Dallas
County Community Resource Coordination Group. She also serves on the “The Gender Specific
Services” committee at the Dallas County Juvenile Department to establish gender-specific programming for females.
Dawn Lew, Senior Staff Attorney, CHILDREN AT RISK
Dawn Lew received her undergraduate degree in Political Science from UC Berkeley in 2002, and she received her law degree from Boston College Law School in 2006. Through her course of study as well as her work and volunteer experiences in law school Dawn knew she wanted to dedicate her legal career to working on issues affecting the health, safety, and welfare of women and children. Dawn moved to Houston in 2007 and joined the staff of CHILDREN AT RISK in 2009. She is licensed to practice law in both California and Texas.
Mandi Sheridan Kimball, Director of Public Policy and Government Affairs, CHILDREN AT RISK
Mandi Sheridan Kimball has been advocating for Houston children since 2004. In January 2006 she became CHILDREN AT RISK’s Public Policy Analyst and now serves as the Director of Public Policy and
Government Affairs. She received her Master’s in Social Work from the University of Houston and received her Bachelor’s degree in Social Work from St. Edwards in Austin. Health and human services are a priority on Mandi’s advocacy agenda. Her experience and knowledge of the Texas Legislature has assisted her efforts in achieving quality care and services to Houston’s most vulnerable youth.
Dr. Vanessa Bouché, Assistant Professor, Texas Christian University Department of Political Science
Dr. Bouché teaches introductory courses in American politics, as well as advanced courses in identity politics, political psychology, research methods, and public policy, with a specific focus on human trafficking and women’s issues. Professor Bouché serves as Director of Policy for the National
Research Consortium on Commercial Sexual Exploitation (NRC-CSE.org). She also provides expert and methodological consultation to a number of anti-trafficking organizations. Professor Bouché has worked as an analyst for the Central Intelligence Agency, as a legislative aide for a Texas state representative, and spent a summer at the U.S. Embassy in Guatemala writing portions of the Human
Rights Report and the Trafficking in Persons Report for Congress. She received a Masters in Public
Affairs from the University of Texas, LBJ School of Public Affairs, and a B.A. from Columbia University.
Felicia Hyde, Trafficking Survivor
Felicia Hyde is a graduate of Dallas Baptist University with a Bachelor of Arts and Sciences in Sociology and minor in Biblical Studies. She is a survivor and activist with a mission of educating and bringing awareness to communities and churches on the issue of human trafficking. Felicia has overcome seemingly insurmountable odds, having been abused, objectified, and silenced as a child. Her experiences groomed her towards a path where her sexuality was used as a commodity, and Felicia learned to use her sexuality – her body, as a transaction to get her needs met. Eventually, Felicia plummeted into the world of the commercial sex trade, becoming a stripper, and prostituted by men she met in clubs. Felicia currently serves as Chairwoman of the Leadership Circle of New Friends New
Life, and is raising two boys to be leaders in the fight for creating a world where people are no longer bought and sold. Felicia describes herself as a Sur-thriver. She has more than survived. She is a survivor who is thriving.
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5 th Annual Texas Human Trafficking Summit
Innovations in Protection, Prosecution, Prevention, and Partnerships
Wednesday, October 16, 2013 9:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
Judge Laura Parker, 386th District Court, Bexar County
Judge Parker was appointed to the 386 th District Court in September of 1999. In addition to her regular juvenile docket, Judge Parker presides over three specialty courts, a juvenile drug court, a mental health court for girls, and a domestic minor sex trafficking court. In 2011, the Governor appointed Judge Parker to serve on the executive board of the Texas Juvenile Justice Department. She is also the Chair of the Bexar County Juvenile Board, and previously served as the Local Administrative
Judge for the Bexar County District Courts. Prior to her appointment to the 386 th District Court, Judge
Parker served as an assistant district attorney in Bexar County. In addition to her judicial duties, Judge
Parker serves on the board of directors for Communities in Schools, the ChildSafe Advisory Council, and is active with SA 100 and Impact San Antonio. She also served on the Juvenile Law Council of the
State Bar of Texas from 2003-2009 and is a Life Fellow of the Texas Bar Foundation. Judge Parker obtained her B.A. in Hispanic Studies from Vassar College in 1987 and graduated cum laude from St.
Mary’s University School of Law in 1992.
Genevieve Ford, Human Trafficking Outreach Specialist, ACH Child & Family Services
Genevieve Ford is a specialist in the trafficking of minors and young adults. In her role at ACH Child &
Family Services, she is responsible for collaborating with international, national, state, and local law enforcement and trafficking experts, educating the public on sex and labor trafficking of minors, as well as working to help trafficking victims escape. Previously, Ms. Ford worked for the Community
Resources Division of the North Richland Hills Police Department, helping abused and neglected children. Ms. Ford also served as the Executive Director of Court Nunez, a nonprofit organization in her home country of Peru. Ms. Ford is a longtime mentor and advocate for children’s rights.
Tasha McGhie, Human Trafficking Outreach Coordinator, Mosaic Family Services
Tasha McGhie is the Human Trafficking Outreach Coordinator with Mosaic Family Services. She promotes trafficking victim identification through public awareness and outreach, coordinates services to trafficked people, and spearheads the anti-trafficking volunteer team. She is a member of the North
Texas Coalition Against Human Trafficking, the North Texas Anti-Trafficking Team, the Freedom
Network, and the Coalition for Justice, Safety and Equality in the Workplace. In addition, Ms. McGhie has volunteered extensively with ACH Child and Family Services, providing resources to homeless youth in Tarrant County by means of their Street Outreach team. She also served as a mentor for refugees and survivors of violence through both the International Rescue Committee and Mosaic
Family Services.
Deena Graves, Executive Director, Traffick911
Deena Graves founded Traffick911 in 2009 to prevent, rescue, and restore victims of domestic minor sex trafficking. The organization has identified more than 60 victims of domestic minor sex trafficking and will soon be opening Triumph House, its safe home for American children. Traffick911 has trained more than 8,000 people this year alone, including first responders, youth and parents, and was named the 2013 Outstanding Organization of the Year by the Fort Worth Commission for Women with commendations by the Fort Worth City Council, mayor, and State Senator Wendy Davis.
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5 th Annual Texas Human Trafficking Summit
Innovations in Protection, Prosecution, Prevention, and Partnerships
Wednesday, October 16, 2013 9:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
Shawn McGraw, Supervisory Special Agent, Homeland Security Investigations
Immigration and Customs Enforcement (ICE) Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) Supervisory
Special Agent Shawn McGraw arrived in Dallas, Texas in 2012 after previously being assigned as the
Deputy Attaché for HSI in Beijing, China in 2010. Prior to China, Shawn was the Attaché Islamabad from 2008 to 2010. He also served as an ICE Representative in Moscow, Russia for the Office of
International Affairs. McGraw has 25 years of Federal Law Enforcement experience and has also served investigations for HSI in Washington, DC and the Office of Professional Responsibility in San
Antonio, Texas. He is responsible for conducting numerous successful international investigations which resulted in the indictments, arrests and prosecution of violators of a wide range of U.S. laws.
Alex Lewis, Deputy Criminal Chief, Violent Crime Section, Northern District of Texas
Alex Lewis is the Deputy Criminal Chief of the Violent Crime Section of the United States Attorney’s
Office, Northern District of Texas - Dallas Division, and a coordinator for Project Safe Childhood. He has been a federal prosecutor since 2003, with the Western District of Missouri, the Southern District of Texas, McAllen Division, and the Northern District of Texas, Fort Worth Division, where he was appointed as Computer Hacking Intellectual Property (CHIP) point-person and lead attorney for all cybercrime prosecutions, including child exploitation cases. Alex has played a key role in over 50 jury trials, with success in various types of felonies, including drug, white collar, firearm, immigration, human trafficking and child exploitation cases. Alex received his law degree from the University of
Missouri - Kansas City School of Law.
Suma Ananthaswamy, Staff Attorney, CHILDREN AT RISK
Suma Ananthaswamy is a Staff Attorney for CHILDREN AT RISK, where she focuses on establishing effective policies at both the state and local level in the areas of human trafficking and juvenile justice.
Previously, Suma practiced family and immigration law with Mosaic Family Services, where she successfully represented survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking. Suma is Co-Chair of the Dallas Association of Young Lawyers Equal Access to Justice Committee, serves on the Big Brothers
Big Sisters Junior Board, and is an adjunct professor at Strayer University, where she teaches courses on law and ethics. She received a B.A. from the University of Texas at Austin and her law degree from the University of Oklahoma College of Law. She is licensed to practice in both Texas and Oklahoma.
State Representative Cindy Burkett, District 113
Representative Cindy Burkett was elected in 2010 to represent House District 101 in the Texas House of Representatives. During her first term, she was selected to serve on the Criminal Jurisprudence
Committee, and during the interim, she was appointed to a special joint committee to investigate human trafficking. In 2012, Cindy Burkett was elected for a second term, representing House District
113. During the 83 rd Legislative Session, Representative Burkett authored several anti-trafficking bills, including HB 8, increasing punishments for offenses related to trafficking and providing important protections for victims of trafficking. Representative Burkett is the president and co-owner of Highline
Enterprises, a company that owns and operates several Subway sandwich shops. She has a Bachelor’s of Arts in Political Science from the University of Texas at Arlington.
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5 th Annual Texas Human Trafficking Summit
Innovations in Protection, Prosecution, Prevention, and Partnerships
Wednesday, October 16, 2013 9:30 a.m.–3:30 p.m.
Keith Thode, Chief Operating Officer and Chief Technology Officer, The Aidmatrix Foundation
Keith R. Thode leads the daily operations for this exciting, innovative foundation, after serving in consulting and leadership roles in major technology firms such as Accenture and i2 Technologies. He holds a Suma Cum Laude Master’s Degree in Industrial Distribution from Texas A&M University and a
Bachelor of Science in Economics and Organizational Development from Vanderbilt University. In addition to his work with Aidmatrix, he serves in Board/Officer capacities in several other private and nonprofit organizations including 121 Community Church, NPower Texas and The European
Committee of Young Life International. He is a speaker as well as an author featured in both academic and industry journals. Currently, he is serving as a contributing author to Managing Technology To
Meet Your Mission: A Strategic Guide for Nonprofit Leaders.
Dr. Sophia Grant, Cook Children’s Child Advocacy Resources and Evaluation (CARE) Team
Dr. Grant is a frequent lecturer on the importance of first responder identification of child abuse and human trafficking. As a result of her work, a number of trafficking survivors have been identified and provided with appropriate care. Dr. Grant received her bachelor’s from Pomona College and her
Doctorate of Medicine from Meharry Medical College. She completed her Residency at Georgetown
University and fellowship in child abuse at the University of Oklahoma. Dr. Grant is Board Certified in both pediatrics and child abuse.
Ryan Clements, President, Red Thread Movement, Abilene Christian University
Ryan Clements is a junior at Abilene Christian University majoring in Biblical Text. He hopes to continue studying religion after graduating and plans on teaching religious ethics one day in a university setting.
Ryan is the current student President of the Red Thread Movement at ACU, an organization that began at ACU and has since spread to universities and churches across the nation. The Movement seeks to bring about a world free of slavery, through advocacy, helping to fund safe houses in Nepal, and working to create jobs and income for rescued girls and women. Ryan began working with the Red
Thread Movement his freshman year.
Jenni Collings, Secretary, Red Thread Movement, Abilene Christian University
Jenni Collings is a sophomore at Abilene Christian University and is majoring in International Studies.
After graduation, she hopes to study international human rights law and work for a social justice nonprofit. Jenni has been passionate about the movement to end human trafficking since high school and has been a supporter and coordinator for different organizations to help raise awareness, funds, and advocate for victims of human trafficking. She is the secretary of ACU's Red Thread Movement.
Abigail Moses, Team Mom, Red Thread Movement, Abilene Christian University
Abigail Moses is a sophomore at Abilene Christian University. She is majoring in Education,
International Studies, and Political Science, and after graduation, she hopes to attend law school and work on education reform for developing countries. Abigail’s dream is to see free primary and secondary school in every nation. Abigail has been involved in human rights issues for many years, and graduated early from high school to work towards ending the longest running armed conflict in
Africa's history with the nonprofit Invisible Children. She is the "team mom" of ACU's Red Thread
Movement.
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