2026 Tennessee FJC Conference Speakers
Rachel Ashe
Rachel Ashe is the Deputy Chief Assistant District Attorney assigned to supervise the Domestic Violence Unit in the Office of the District Attorney for the Blue Ridge Judicial Circuit (Cherokee County, Georgia). In her current position, she prosecutes only felony cases involving intimate partner violence. In addition to prosecuting these cases, she works alongside her investigator and victim advocate to ensure victims are given a voice in the judicial process. Prior to joining the District Attorney’s Office, Rachel worked for the Solicitor-General’s Office in Cherokee County for over 5 years. She was a recipient of Cherokee County’s Top 10 in 10 Young Professionals Recognition in 2016 and is a member of the Cherokee County Chamber of Commerce’s Leadership Cherokee Class of 2018. In 2019, Rachel was named LiveSafe Resource’s Woman of the Year in recognition of her commitment to crime victims and her community involvement. In 2021, Rachel was named Assistant District Attorney of the Year by the District Attorneys Association of Georgia. Rachel is a Past President of the Blue Ridge Bar Association and served as the Co-Chair of the Cherokee County Domestic Violence Task Force for several years.
Amy Bonomi
Amy Bonomi, Ph.D., M.P.H. is dean of the College of Health and Human Services at San Diego State University and professor of public health, and consultant for the U.S. Department of Justice. An award-winning professor and researcher, Bonomi has published prolifically on domestic violence, sexual violence, and related health topics. Bonomi and her team published the field’s seminal study outlining a Five-Stage Model of how domestic abusers tamper with and coerce victims to recant. Bonomi’s Five-Stage Model has been extensively in expert testimony in federal and state trials and in training for professionals. In 2023, Bonomi and Martin published Recantation and Domestic Violence: The Untold Story, which extends the Five-Stage model by showing how abusers tamper with third parties to manipulate victims. As a result of her research contributions, Bonomi received the Distinguished Scholar Award at Ohio State University and was named Diversity Champion at Michigan State University.
Becky Owens Bullard
Becky Owens Bullard is the Deputy Director of Programs for the Nashville Office of Family Safety (OFS), where she oversees OFS’s programs, including client services at OFS’s two Family Justice Centers, national and statewide training and technical assistance, and a citywide multidisciplinary response to address interpersonal violence in Nashville. Her focus includes high-risk issues such as strangulation, firearms dispossession, and homicide prevention. Ms. Bullard is a national speaker on interpersonal violence and consults for DOJ’s Office for Victims of Crime, HHS’ National Human Trafficking Technical Assistance Center, and the Center for Justice Innovation’s DV RISC program, focusing on collaboration, leadership, high-risk interpersonal violence, and the intersections of human trafficking and domestic and sexual violence. Previously, she created and directed the Denver Anti-Trafficking Alliance, a multidisciplinary collaborative leading the response to human trafficking in Denver, CO. Her work extends nationally and internationally through her time at Polaris and the National Human Trafficking Hotline, where she trained audiences nationwide and internationally, and developed the Human Trafficking Power & Control Wheel. She has also authored articles published by NCADV and the Domestic Violence Report. Ms. Bullard holds an M.A. in International Affairs from GWU.
Amy Merritt Campbell
Amy Merritt Campbell, M.Ed., is the CEO and Co-Founder of Elevate Consulting, a Nashville-based firm dedicated to fostering vibrant communities through strategic support for nonprofits, government, and philanthropic clients. As CEO, Amy leads strategic development and operational management, building partnerships with community leaders and refining services to support impactful work. An experienced facilitator and systems thinker, Amy excels at guiding complex conversations and uniting stakeholders for principled action. A Nashville Emerging Leaders Class of 2020 member, she was also honored with the 2020 Nashville Emerging Leaders Award for Community and Nonprofits. Her journey as a first-generation college student from East Tennessee fuels her commitment to community development. Amy holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Tennessee and an M.Ed. in Community Development from Vanderbilt. She lives in Nashville with her husband and daughter, where she enjoys reading multiple books at a time and recovering from being the mom of a toddler.
Paul Greenwood
Retired Deputy District Attorney Paul Greenwood was a solicitor in England for 13 years. After relocating to San Diego in 1991 he passed the California Bar and joined the DA’s office in 1993. For twenty two years Paul headed up the Elder Abuse Prosecution Unit at the San Diego DA’s Office. In 1999 California Lawyer magazine named Paul as one of their top 20 lawyers of the year in recognition of his pioneering efforts to pursue justice on behalf of senior citizens.
He has prosecuted over 750 felony cases of both physical, sexual, emotional and financial elder abuse. He has also prosecuted ten murder cases, including one death penalty case.
In March 2018 Paul retired from the San Diego DA’s office to concentrate on sharing lessons learned from his elder abuse prosecutions with a wider audience. In October 2018 he was given a lifetime achievement award by his former office.
Paul now spends much of his post retirement time speaking on behalf of AARP nationally, consulting on elder abuse cases, testifying as an expert witness and providing trainings to law enforcement and Adult Protective Services agencies across the country and internationally. He is also involved as the criminal justice board member of National Adult Protective Services Association.
Christy Harness
Christy Harness is the Executive Director of the Scott County Family Justice Center located in Huntsville, TN. She has 28 years of experience working with and advocating for adult and child victims of abuse. Christy began her journey in 1998 with the Scott County Shelter Society where she was a shelter advocate and shelter coordinator. In 2001, she transitioned to CASA of the Tennessee Heartland as the County Coordinator for the Scott County program. The last 10 years she has had the honor of working with some amazing visionaries & partners in planning, implementing and operating Tennessee’s first family justice center to open in a rural county. Christy is married to her husband Rob of almost 30 years and the lucky mother of three. Christy is an active member of the First Baptist Church of Huntsville and follows Matthew 23:11 “But he that is greatest among you shall be your servant.”
Shana Hormann
Shana Hormann, MSW, PhD, is an author and consultant, whose practice encompasses leading during organizational trauma, uncovering organizational patterns, addressing family violence, and indigenous leadership. Building on her First Nations Blackfoot-Scottish-Welsh-German heritage, Shana is committed to building resilience strategies that are culturally appropriate with teams, tribes, organizations, and communities. Her co-authored book, Organizational Trauma and Healing, provides a framework for healing grounded in experience with hundreds of nonprofit organizations, law enforcement officials, mental health professionals, clergy and lay people, and school personnel.
Shana is Faculty Emerita from Antioch University’s Graduate School of Leadership and Change, and served as faculty for the Muckleshoot Tribal College, the University of Washington School of Social Work, and the University of Alaska Southeast-Juneau.
Catherine Johnson
Catherine Johnson is the President and CEO of Alliance for HOPE International, a national leader in creating hope-centered, trauma-informed responses for survivors of violence and abuse. A licensed marriage and family therapist, she previously founded and directed the Guilford County Family Justice Center in North Carolina, serving more than 100,000 individuals since 2015. Catherine is a nationally recognized leader in collaborative, trauma-informed services and a passionate advocate for building pathways to hope and healing.
Laura Lawrence
Laura Lawrence was named President and Chief Executive Officer of Safe Alliance in July 2023. Safe Alliance is one of the largest human services nonprofits in the Southeast, providing critical support to over 8,000 survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking annually throughout Charlotte-Mecklenburg.
Over the past 13 years, Laura has served in a variety of roles at Safe Alliance, including representing clients in the courtroom, overseeing program operations, providing frontline support during the COVID-19 pandemic, and leading the opening of Mecklenburg County’s precursor family justice center. She currently serves on both the Family Justice Center Steering Committee and The Umbrella Center Capital Campaign Committee, which are planning and raising $49 million for Mecklenburg County’s full-service family justice center, The Umbrella Center.
Laura is a frequent speaker at both the state and national levels, advocating for survivor-centered services and systems change. Her leadership is grounded in deep legal and administrative experience, including a distinguished career at the international insurance company Royal & SunAlliance, where she held roles such as General Counsel, Chief Administrative Officer, and Chief Managing Attorney.
Tonya Marshall
Tonya Marshall is a seasoned law enforcement professional with over 30 years of experience, specializing in domestic abuse investigations. She has served with the Lexington Police Department for 16 years, including the past eight years as a Domestic and Sexual Abuse Investigator. In this role, she has not only handled complex and sensitive cases but also trained fellow officers in the Lethality Assessment Program (LAP). Additionally, she oversees the documentation and submission of LAP reports to the Safe Hope Center, ensuring critical support services are activated for those in need.
Sargent Wallis Massey
Wallis Massey joined Metro Nashville Police Department in 2013 and worked as a patrol officer for five years on the night shift. In 2019, he became a Domestic Violence Detective and worked in investigations until promoted to Sergeant 2024. He served on the VAPIT team for a little over a year of my time as a detective. As a Sergeant, he worked in patrol on the night shift assigned to Hermitage Precinct. In late 2025, Wallis was transferred back to the Domestic Violence Division as the Sergeant over VAPIT.
Jennifer McCraw
Jennifer McCraw spent twelve years managing commercial real estate in Memphis, Jackson and Dyersburg Tennessee, Orlando and Tampa Florida, and Meridian Mississippi.
She has sixteen years of nonprofit management experience with agencies such as American Red Cross and United Way. She also developed a nonprofit called Rebuild East Mississippi after Katrina, which provided long-term recovery for low income families whose homes were damaged or destroyed.
Jennifer led a team who developed the Safe Hope Center, the Family Justice Center in Jackson, Tennessee. This work began in 2014, and she is now the Director of the Center.
Volunteerism and activism have been a meaningful component of Jennifer’s life and career. She has been an active member of the Madison County Community Advisory Board, Leadership Jackson Alumni Association, Mayor’s Council on Domestic and Sexual Violence, the Anti-Drug Coalition, United Way of West TN’s Read Team, Madison County Truancy Board, United Way of East Mississippi Women’s Leadership Council, Big Brothers Big Sisters Volunteer, Jimmie Rodgers Foundation Board Member, and the Memphis Building Owners & Managers Board Member.
She is a Building Strong Brains Trainer and the Lethality Assessment Program trainer and coordinator for West TN, training law enforcement agencies to use this homicide prevention tool.
Regina McDevitt
Regina McDevitt, M.Ed is the Executive Director of the Chattanooga-Hamilton County Family Justice Center, with over 30 years of leadership experience in victim services and nonprofit management. She holds degrees in Psychology and Education from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga and is an alumna of the Social Current Executive Leadership Institute and the FBI Citizens Academy. She is nationally recognized for advancing trauma-informed practices and coordinated community response teams.
Her honors include National Sexual Violence Resource Center National Visionary Award, Marsy’s Law Champion of Victims’ Rights Award, and the 2022 Victim Service Award. Under her leadership, the Family Justice Center has earned distinctions including the Alexander Hamilton Award, TN Coalition Community Partner of the Year, Nurture the Next Award, and Hamilton County Coalition Community Impact Award.
A respected trainer and speaker, Ms. McDevitt has educated professionals nationally and internationally. She consults with the Office for Victims of Crime and serves on multiple boards, including the Family Visitation Center of Greater Chattanooga and Parkridge Health Systems continuing her commitment to survivor-centered solutions and community-based safety.
Sarah McKinnis
Sarah McKinnis is the founder and CEO of WillowBend Farms, an NGO with a mission to restore survivors of human trafficking. She is a survivor who has worked in government, financial, and service industries, and is also an accomplished author, national speaker, and educator. She empowers true collaboration among all sectors of society with passionate calls to action. Since 2017, the impact of WillowBend Farms has been felt throughout the southeast region of Tennessee and beyond as Sarah imparts without borders everything she has learned. She has created a model any community can employ, with fierce attention to measurable impact. Sarah is an out of the box thinker who challengesthe norm to find true solutions, not by looking at silos of information, but with a width and depth that addresses human trafficking on all sides from supply to demand. She serves on the Human Trafficking Advisory Council for the State of Tennessee, Kairos Prison Ministry, and is the chairperson of the Mission Omega Advisory Council. A graduate of the first FBI Citizens Academy in Chattanooga, Sarah continues to be an advocate for victim services through a strong collaboration of community agencies working together to create pathways to hope, safety, and sustainable restoration.
Shannah Newman
Capt. Shannah Newman began her career with the Oak Ridge Police Department in 1997. She has a Bachelor of Science in Organizational Management from Tusculum University and a Master of Science in Criminal Justice from Bethel University. During her tenure, she has served in many roles while promoting through the ranks. Capt. Newman has served as a Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Awareness instructor for many years. She has served as a committee member with the YWCA Knoxville and the Tennessee Valley at the Oak Ridge location. Capt. Newman currently serves as a HRIT Advisory Committee Member and serves on the HRIT Review Team with the Anderson County Family Justice Center. She has assisted with the development and implementation of the Lethality Assessment Program for the Oak Ridge Police Department.
Paige Pfleger
Paige Pfleger is a senior criminal justice reporter at WPLN News, Nashville Public Radio. She investigated gun violence and juvenile justice as a fellow with ProPublica’s Local Reporting Network, and her investigation into domestic violence and firearms dispossession won an Edward R. Murrow Award and was a finalist for the Livingston Award and an Investigative Reporters and Editors Award. Her story about a rural domestic violence court was featured by Theater of War and helped spark changes for victims in courtrooms across Tennessee.
Carmen Pitre
Carmen M. Pitre is President and Chief Executive Officer of Sojourner Family Peace Center.
This organization stands as one of the nation’s most comprehensive models for coordinated services
supporting individuals and families affected by domestic violence. Guided by Pitre’s leadership, Sojourner
helps more than 10,000 survivors each year, offering emergency shelter, advocacy, and
a broad spectrum of integrated services that promote safety, healing, and long-term stability.
For nearly a quarter century, Pitre has been a pivotal force in establishing critical partnerships to support
people experiencing domestic violence in Milwaukee and surrounding communities. Her efforts have
united law enforcement, healthcare providers, courts, advocates, and local organizations to establish
systems designed to better support survivors and ensure accountability for those responsible for harm.
In 2016, Pitre led the creation of the Sojourner Family Peace Center, a nationally acclaimed facility
where survivors can access essential services—including shelter, legal advocacy, counseling, healthcare,
and law enforcement support—all in one location. The center embodies her belief that collaboration across
various sectors results in improved outcomes for survivors and fosters stronger, safer communities.
Pitre played a significant role in the 2009 merger of Sojourner Truth House and the
Task Force on Family Violence, which formed the current Sojourner Family Peace Center. Before this
merger, she was Executive Director of the Task Force on Family Violence and held leadership positions
with the Milwaukee Commission on Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault as well as the First Judicial
District Judicial Oversight Demonstration Initiative.
Her leadership has been acknowledged both locally and nationally. Among her many honors, Pitre
received the 2023 Titan 100 Award for top CEOs and C-level executives in Wisconsin, along with the
Doug Jansson Leadership Award from the Greater Milwaukee Foundation, celebrating her years of
service and influence in the Milwaukee community.
Carmen M. Pitre holds a Bachelor of Arts degree from the University of Southwestern Louisiana.
Pitre’s leadership is shaped not only by her extensive professional background but also by a personal
understanding of how domestic violence affects families and communities. She maintains that
communities thrive when survivors are treated with dignity, receive coordinated support, and benefit from a
shared commitment to ending violence
Christina Policastro
Christina Policastro is a UC Foundation Professor of Criminal Justice in the Department of Social, Cultural, and Justice Studies at the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga. She is also the Assistant Dean of UTC’s Graduate School. Her primary research interests are in victimization with a specific focus on elder abuse and intimate partner violence. Her primary teaching interests are in the area of Victimology, Family Violence, Gender and Crime, and Research Methods. She has also taught courses in Ethics and Criminal Justice, as well as Introduction to Criminal Justice. She has published articles on diverse topics including perceptions of intimate partner violence victims, pre-professionals’ knowledge of elder abuse, and trajectories of recurring victimization among persons with serious mental illness. Her most recent work appears in Journal of Quantitative Criminology, Journal of Interpersonal Violence, and Journal of Elder Abuse & Neglect. Dr. Policastro has also served on the executive board for the Southern Criminal Justice Association (2016-2019) and as ACJS’s Victimology Section Chair (2019-2021).
Taryne Tillinghast
Taryne Tillinghast graduated magna cum laude with a bachelor’s degree in music Industry from the University of New Haven in New Haven, Connecticut. While there she was a brother of Alpha Phi Omega Service Fraternity where she served as Service Vice President and was responsible for the planning and execution of hundreds of hours of community service and an event that raised over $10,000 for childhood cancer research. This work created a passion for public interest and finding ways to incorporate service into her daily life.
Taryne moved to Nashville in 2019 and attended Belmont University College of Law. While there, she interned with the Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee and developed an interest in family law. After being admitted to the Tennessee Bar in 2021, she became a Family Law Staff Attorney at Legal Aid Society of Middle Tennessee in Nashville. In her free time, you can find Taryne taking walks with her hound dog, Todd; traveling with her husband; or curling up with a good book.
LaToya Townsend
LaToya is a Licensed Master Social Worker and the Deputy Director of Human Resources and Organizational Culture for the Metro Office of Family Safety. She leads people strategy with a focus on staff support, workplace well-being, and a culture rooted in equity and accountability. LaToya oversees all aspects of the employee lifecycle—from recruitment and onboarding to performance management, compensation, and workforce planning—while also directing Metro’s Domestic Violence in the Workplace program.
A trusted advisor to leadership, she uses data-driven insights to strengthen retention, engagement, and organizational sustainability. Known for her thoughtful and transparent approach, LaToya leads employee relations and workplace investigations with integrity, represents OFS across HR initiatives, and partners across systems to ensure a safe, supportive environment where both staff and mission can thrive.
**This project is funded under an agreement with the State of Tennessee.