Meet The Team

“In 2001, while finalizing the adoption of our daughter from China, a woman tried to sell her daughter to us. No one called what happened human trafficking, but 21 years later I see it. The definition would come to life for me again in 2008 when my good friend’s daughter was trafficked. It is a privilege to work each day knowing we have an opportunity to prevent the crime of human trafficking.”

“This work is deeply personal and yet connected to all of us as human beings. I have spent a large part of my adult life living and working around the world in close contact with victims and survivors of sexual exploitation and human trafficking. I carry the understanding and responsibility that my voice- our collective voices- can support, uplift, protect and transform. But it’s not enough to just know, we need to act.”

“Preventing harm in communities has a healing impact across generations and for generations to come. It’s crucial that all communities, especially communities who are at high risk for victimization of trafficking, have access to quality programming that protects and empowers. Increasing protective factors for youth saves lives .”

“As a public school educator for over 40 years, I have always been concerned about the needs of our most vulnerable students. Each and every day in our public schools, too many students start their school day after having endured one crisis after another at home or, perhaps, having missed another meal because of limited access to good and healthy food. In my early years as a high school teacher, if I knew then what I’ve now learned, I would have likely recognized that some of my students – those considered vulnerable and those not – were being trafficked. In addition, if I had access to a program like the San Diego Trafficking Prevention Collective, I could have played an instrumental role in a child’s life by teaching her or him how to protect themselves. Increasing understanding and awareness on the part of the adults on a school campus about human trafficking and child exploitation can prevent a child from experiencing these horrors. Prevention changes everything.”

“As a social worker early in my career, I witnessed the countless struggles of victims and survivors. Listening to their stories helped me understand the driving forces that led to their victimization. Equally important, I witnessed the enduring resiliency of those impacted by human trafficking. These stories of struggle and resiliency motivate me to do this work. Collectively, we can prevent human trafficking in the lives of our youth and young adults by learning from those who have survived.”

“For the last decade, I’ve been working with victims and survivors. But there is only so much you could do at that point. There is power in prevention, and I want to spend my time pouring into that. My favorite part of doing prevention trainings is when you share about possible red flags. Everytime I share people about them, eyes light up in recognition and everyone begins talking with their colleagues about students who may be trafficking victims. It’s at this moment where I know I’ve reached them.”

“As a prosecutor, I have seen the long lasting and devastating effects this crime has on it’s victims. It soon became clear that we were not going to arrest or prosecute our way out of this issue. The best solution is to prevent this crime and the damage it causes by educating our students on the reality of being in ‘the life’ and by equipping them with resilience to resist its siren song. One case I prosecuted involved a person who had been a victim of human trafficking years earlier. The person got out of the life for a while but fell victim to the false promises of another trafficker and was trafficked again. During my case, we were able to get this person the help needed and now this person is thriving.”

“The exploitation of people through human trafficking is a reality in all of our neighborhoods. Once I knew that, I also knew I had to act. We can do more and have a deeper impact when we work together. I am proud to be a part of a community that values each life, and is willing to put our resources on the line to prevent trafficking.”

“Having worked in public service for over 25-years, I am honored to be part of a first of a kind public-private partnership that is aimed to not only eradicate human trafficking through prevention education, but also build a safer and stronger community for our youth to strive and thrive..”

“As a former educator, I have worked with extremely vulnerable populations and dedicated my career to defending youth potential. Learning about the prevalence of human trafficking was eye opening for me and a call to action. I feel empowered to help build protective factors in youth and be an upstander in the fight against human trafficking. Knowing that education and awareness are key to prevention, I am determined more than ever to make sure that our youth and communities are protected.”