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NSVRC offers the Visionary Voice Awards, in conjunction with Sexual Assault Awareness Month each April, to recognize the creativity and hard work of individuals around the country who have demonstrated outstanding work to end sexual violence. Each year, state, territory, and tribal coalitions select an outstanding individual to nominate for the awards. Nominees may be partners from a local community or other outstanding individuals that have worked to end sexual violence.
Majority Leader Monica Duran
Nominated by Colorado Coalition Against Sexual Assault
Colorado House Majority Leader Monica Duran (D-Wheat Ridge) is a champion for sexual assault services and survivors. She has led efforts to fund victim services for years and when the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) cuts continued and the state budget outlook was bleak, Duran developed an innovative approach to create stability in the field and ensure services remain available for sexual assault survivors. Duran was the architect behind HB24-1349/Proposition KK in Colorado, which created a funding source for victim services by taxing firearms and ammunition retailers and manufacturers. She not only fiercely advocated to move the measure through the legislature but also was key to the success of the ballot measure. Her leadership centered the needs of survivors and the necessity of programs, brought in essential resources to ensure voters heard our message, and gracefully took heat from opponents. Her vision, power, and tenacity built something never seen before in our state—hope for the stability of services and opportunity for our field to innovate and be flexible in meeting the diverse needs of survivors.
Erin Pollitt
Nominated by DC Coalition to End Sexual Violence
Erin Pollitt is the Executive Director of District of Columbia Forensic Nurse Examiners (DCFNE), a nonprofit that is the sole provider of trauma-informed forensic care to adult survivors of violence in Washington, DC. Pollitt is a certified Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) and has practiced as a forensic nurse since 2011. Throughout her career, she has cared for patients who experienced sexual assault, domestic and interpersonal violence, human trafficking, elder abuse/maltreatment, strangulation, and attempted homicide.
Pollitt has held several leadership positions within the International Association of Forensic Nurses. She has instructed at both local and international conferences on topics related to forensic nursing and provided expert consultation and testimony in the Baltimore-Washington Metropolitan area. Her work has been published in the Journal of Forensic Nursing, the Journal of American College Health, and JMIR Formative Research. She holds a Bachelor’s Degree in Nursing and a Master’s Degree in Healthcare Administration.
Chris Copelin
Nominated by Delaware Alliance Against Sexual Violence
Christine Copelin, LCSW, has dedicated her career to ending sexual violence and supporting survivors with unwavering compassion and advocacy. At Baylor Correctional Facility, Christine works tirelessly with survivors of human trafficking and sexual abuse, providing trauma-informed care to help them heal and reclaim their lives. Her commitment extends beyond the prison's confines; she ensures that survivors have access to essential resources upon their release, including food, accommodation, and connections to ongoing support services.
As an outpatient licensed therapist, Christine remains a cornerstone in the field, offering specialized care to survivors of sexual violence. Her work is characterized by a deep understanding of trauma and an ability to meet survivors where they are, fostering resilience and empowerment. Christine consistently goes above and beyond, not only addressing the immediate needs of survivors but also advocating for systemic changes to prevent further violence. Her dedication has made a profound impact, offering countless individuals hope and a path to recovery.
Jennifer L. Dritt
Nominated by Florida Council Against Sexual Violence
Jennifer L. Dritt, LCSW, has been involved in the movement to end sexual violence for over forty years. Initially an advocate and trauma therapist, her work more recently has been as an administrator and policy maker. Since 2003, she has served as the Executive Director for the Florida Council Against Sexual Violence (FCASV). She embodies FCASV’s vision of a world free of sexual violence and does what she can every day to ensure every person she reaches is treated with dignity and respect. During her 20-year tenure with FCASV, Dritt has spearheaded several legislative initiatives including, but not limited to, legislation ensuring the testing of sexual assault kits, eliminating the statute of limitations for minors who’ve experienced sexual assault, and relocation assistance for sexual assault survivors.
However, Dritt’s strength shines in her dedication to survivors of sexual violence, the staff of FCASV, and the member programs that serve survivors. Whether dealing with challenging legislation or rough hurricane seasons, Dritt’s focus remains on ensuring survivors’ needs are met. She is quick to provide a listening ear, which allows staff to show up fully as themselves. When programs need support, their first call is often to Dritt, where she’ll use her experience and wisdom to help them find the solutions they need. Through her leadership, member programs in Florida work together in collaboration, quick to help each other when needed. It’s through Dritt’s leadership that FCASV has continued to thrive and grow over the last twenty years.
Victim Advocates Reaching Out (VARO)
Nominated by Guam Coalition Against Sexual Assault & Family Violence
Victim Advocates Reaching Out (VARO), initially known as the Counseling Advocates Reaching Out (CARO) in 1981, was key to providing critical services missing on-island for both civilian and military communities. The founders recognized the need for an organized response to the serious problem of sexual assault and abuse, and laid the foundation for protocols and procedures with hospitals, the court system, and law enforcement. CARO trained volunteers and evolved into VARO in 1982.
In its 43rd year as a non-profit volunteer corporation, VARO serves as the lifeline for those experiencing sexual assault and abuse. With six staff and 26 volunteer advocates, VARO provides a first-response 24-hour confidential hotline daily and can provide emotional support, safety planning, emergency shelter, transportation, personal supplies, and referrals and accompaniment to other services. Through VARO's Serenity Arts Wellness Program, classes focus on fostering holistic healing, empowerment, and emotional well-being for sexual assault survivors. VARO aims to provide essential services to meet the diverse needs of survivors and their families, as well as the resources they need to rebuild their lives with confidence, empowerment, and peace.
Kishana Osei
Nominated by Jane Doe Inc., The Massachusetts Coalition Against Sexual Assault and Domestic Violence
Kishana Osei is the Executive Director of the Massachusetts Women of Color Network (MAWOCN), and the Overnight Residential Counselor at REACH Beyond Domestic Violence. She brings over 13 years of experience in anti-violence and housing advocacy, direct service, and program development, along with a bachelor’s degree in business management. Osei found her way to this work as a survivor of domestic violence and other injustices. In her TEDx talk, “Good, better, best,” Osei shared lessons and words of wisdom from her grandparents that pulled her through her season of incarceration. At MAWOCN, Osei has spearheaded initiatives that have statewide impact. She leads the Keeping Black Survivors Alive (KBSA) cohort, a powerful collaboration of five BIPOC-led, community-based organizations from across Massachusetts. Together, this dedicated team has co-created the groundbreaking “KBSA Multimedia 40-Hour Culturally Specific Training Toolkit,” designed to equip service providers with the tools and knowledge to better support and uplift Black survivors. Osei brings compassion, humanity, and joy to her leadership, sparking authentic and accountable relationships that energize this movement, and ultimately advancing justice and support for marginalized communities.
Midwest Native Coalition for Justice & Peace
Nominated by Kansas Coalition Against Sexual and Domestic Violence
Created in 2019, the Midwest Native Coalition for Justice and Peace (MNCJP) is a nonprofit organization in North East Kansas. The goal of this coalition is to empower current Tribal Advocacy services for tribal communities across Kansas.
Jacqueline M. Sugerman, MD
Nominated by Kentucky Association of Sexual Assault Programs
Dr. Sugarman is the Medical Director of the Children's Advocacy Center of the Bluegrass, which cares for minor victims of child physical and sexual abuse in the central Kentucky area. Her specialty and leadership in pediatric forensic medicine have shaped Kentucky’s medical response to sexual violence and child abuse for decades. She carries a host of credentials, including board certification in both pediatrics and child abuse pediatrics, unique to medical care in the aftermath of sexual violence. In addition to her time as a practicing physician and professor of medicine, Dr. Sugarman serves as an advisor to victim service providers and medical professionals throughout Kentucky. In her appointment to the Kentucky Multidisciplinary Commission on Child Sexual Abuse, she contributes to the supervision of how Kentucky communities work together to protect children from sexual violence. As the physician representative to Kentucky’s statewide sexual assault response team, she adds invaluable wisdom to the multidisciplinary response to sexual violence. She is the resident advisor for the University of Kentucky’s Pediatric Residency Program and has been instrumental in shaping Kentucky’s model protocols for medical treatment of sexual violence.
Julia Russell
Nominated by Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault
Julia Russell is a queer woman, restaurateur, and survivor whose philanthropy has long prioritized social justice. A Mainer from birth, she spent many years in Washington D.C. after completing her education at the University of Maryland. She has supported work on varied but interconnected social issues, including racial justice, education, youth development, local economic empowerment, environmental stewardship, and reproductive freedom.
Russell’s courageous public disclosure of her experiences of childhood abuse and the subsequent federal court case holding her abuser to account offer a path for justice and healing for others who have gone through similar experiences. Her incredible gift in donating the entirety of her monetary judgment to the Maine Coalition Against Sexual Assault is both an inspiration and a validation that survivors are invariably generous and forward-thinking. It shows that when survivors have the opportunity to find healing, they then work to enable those opportunities for the next survivor who needs them.
Russell’s story is one that shows the remarkable resiliency of survivors and serves as an antidote to the silencing effect of shame on survivors in our culture. When survivors rise, they pave paths for others to follow – and Russell is a resounding testament to this.
Melissa Hoppmeyer
Nominated by Maryland Coalition Against Sexual Assault
Melissa Hoppmeyer is the current Legal Advisor to the Lead Special Trial Counsel Brigadier General Christopher Kennebeck, the Officer who leads the US Army’s Office of Special Trial Counsel. Prior to that role, she worked as a Special Attorney Advisor to the US Army’s Judge Advocate General, was part of a 3-person team tasked with the standup of the Army’s Office of Special Trial Counsel, and was the Chief of the Special Victims and Family Violence Unit in Prince George’s County, Maryland. She is an experienced prosecutor who has spent her career advocating for victims of domestic violence, child abuse, and sexual assault. Hoppmeyer has served on several councils and boards, including the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Committee; the Domestic Violence Coordinating Council; the Sexual Assault Response Team; and the Executive Board of the Child Advocacy Center. She was also the Chair of the Criminal section of the Prince George’s County Human Trafficking Task Force. She currently serves as a Board Member for the One Love Foundation, an organization that teaches consent and healthy relationships to young adults.
Abra S. Poindexter, LICSW, LIMHP
Nominated by Nebraska Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence
Abra Poindexter (she/her, LICSW, LIMHP) is a psychotherapist, consultant, leadership coach, and clinical social work supervisor in private practice. She specializes in trauma recovery and well-being, and hopes to help others find what they seek through new meaning and liberation. Poindexter is trained in Feminist Psychoanalytic Psychotherapy, EMDR, Brainspotting, Mindfulness, and Resmaa Menakem's Somatic Abolitionism and additional Anti-racism focus areas. Poindexter has been a Huespring Mentor for two LGBTQIA+ Leadership Cohorts.
Over the past 25 years, Poindexter has advocated for marginalized, oppressed, and underserved communities. Poindexter’s exceptional work in the gender-based violence movement has not only brought hope to countless survivors but has also profoundly transformed the field through her visionary leadership, resilience, and dedication to healing.
In her early career, Poindexter was Director of Well Spring, the only program at that time in Nebraska serving survivors of trafficking. She continued her work within anti-trafficking efforts through both direct services and community-based programs. Poindexter has provided leadership and trauma healing consultation to the Women’s Fund of Omaha, Completely Kids, Big Brothers Big Sisters of Central Nebraska, and to LGBTQIA+ leaders across Nebraska and in other states. She has partnered with the Nebraska Coalition on multiple projects, including the “Complexities and Hope: Serving Survivors of Trafficking Project,” which featured a guidebook and training for sexual violence advocates to effectively and collaboratively work with survivors of trafficking. In addition, Poindexter has courageously used her lived experience to instill hope and recovery with other survivors. Poindexter served as a Survivor Leader in the Hope and Healing Project, which provided survivor-centered resources and meditations.
Poindexter’s guidance has fostered deeper understanding, ensuring that survivor pathways to recovery are not only effective but also grounded in equity, dignity, and compassion.
Lachell Jordan
Nominated by Nevada Coalition to End Domestic and Sexual Violence
Lachell Jordan joined the Signs of HOPE (SOH) team in November 2021. Her devotion to people and her eagerness to support her community were the inspiration behind her transition from for-profit to nonprofit. As a small business owner for over 15 years, Jordan brings skills such as decisive problem solving, creativity, as well as business development and management to the SOH team. As a holder of a Business Management degree, she brings the knowledge needed to assist with creating sustainability for funding and programs within Signs of HOPE.
Born and raised in Southern California, Jordan has been a Las Vegas local for over 20 years. She has made Southern Nevada her home and is committed to doing purpose-driven work in the communities of Clark County. Even though Jordan is new to the nonprofit world, she is well equipped with the necessary passion and credentials needed to be an asset to the SOH Leadership team.
Arissa Shupe (posthumously)
Nominated by Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence
Arissa Shupe, then McClasky, stepped up as a volunteer Victim Advocate at Townhall II in the fall of 2017. For seven years, Shupe’s innate generosity and unwavering passion shone brightly as she dedicated her time not just to advocacy but also to all available volunteer opportunities within the agency providing sexual assault services and prevention education in Portage County. Shupe worked as the Lead Victim Advocate, Victim Outreach Department Manager, and Volunteer Coordinator. One of the highlights of her career was training others in the vital work of victim advocacy—a commitment she embraced wholeheartedly, insisting this essential aspect of her work remained a priority for her as long as she was able.
In August of 2021, Shupe’s long-held dream of establishing a Sexual Assault Team in Portage County began to take shape with the formation of the Portage County Direct Service Collaborative, and by September of 2022, this collaborative had transformed into the Portage Sexual Assault Response Team. One of the joys of her role was organizing the Annual Sexual Assault Response Team Holiday Luncheon each December, a cherished event that will carry on in her honor, preserving the legacy of her dedication and compassion for years to come.
Nathan Manning
Nominated by Ohio Alliance to End Sexual Violence
State Senator Nathan Manning (R-North Ridgeville) has been a champion for survivors of sexual violence for many years, working on multiple pieces of legislation, including, most recently Senate Bill 237, Ohio's Anti-SLAPP legislation, and House Bill 161, closing the marital loophole in Ohio.
LeToy R. Lunderman
Nominated by South Dakota Coalition Ending Domestic and Sexual Violence
LeToy Lunderman has tirelessly worked to end sexual violence in her community for many years. She has dedicated her time and effort to this cause. She does a lot of work with program members, as well as in surrounding states, and has been such a supportive ally for communities in South Dakota.
Amy Carlton
Nominated by Tennessee Coalition To End Domestic & Sexual Violence
Amy Carlton revitalized the Rape Crisis Center in Chattanooga, ensuring trauma-informed care, rebuilding SART, strengthening SANE services, and expanding support for survivors. Her visionary leadership and dedication make her a deserving candidate.
Alejandra Valles
Nominated by ValorUS (California)
Alejandra Valles is the Secretary-Treasurer of SEIU United Service Workers West (USWW), which represents over 45,000 janitors, security officers, airport workers, stadium and amusement park workers, and other property service workers throughout California.
Valles’ fight for social justice began growing up in El Paso, watching her father, a construction worker, and her mother, a garment worker, work long hours under difficult conditions. Their struggles inspired Valles to dedicate herself to improving the lives of working families.
Before the #MeToo movement changed the conversation about sexual harassment, Valles was one of the architects of the inspiring “YA BASTA”: campaign that allowed immigrant women janitors to come forward and speak out publicly about the rape and sexual harassment that was rampant in the janitorial industry.
Throughout the YA BASTA campaign, Valles and many janitors from USWW were taking trauma-informed, peer-counseling training. Valles’ deep dive with janitor survivors led to her and the YA BASTA janitors realizing that changing culture is the most effective way to end sexual assault and that peer counseling was the best approach to changing culture. Her vision led to the passage of the bill AB1978, then AB547, which requires that the training mandated by AB1978 be this type of peer-to-peer counseling. Since the passage of AB547, Valles worked with several janitors who are also peer counselors to open The Ya Basta Center, which is currently training thousands of janitors up and down California.
Janet G. Kowalski
Nominated by West Virginia Foundation for Rape Information and Services
For 12 years, Janet Kowalski served as the Child Victim Specialist at the Upper Ohio Valley Sexual Assault Help Center, working to support children and families affected by sexual violence. Her career is a testament to her steadfast belief in the resilience of survivors and her commitment to creating a brighter future for them.
Kowalski provided compassionate guidance to children and their families, helping them navigate the challenges of trauma with care and understanding. During a rocky period when her agency underwent major transitions, Kowalski was a steady presence, ensuring that young survivors felt safe, empowered, and supported throughout their healing journeys.
Kowalski also played a pivotal role in strengthening community partnerships and raising awareness about sexual violence. She collaborated with schools, social services, prosecutors, and law enforcement to create more supportive child-centered responses. Her advocacy extended beyond individual cases, aiming to improve the systems designed to protect and uplift vulnerable children.
Upon Kowalski’s retirement in 2024, her legacy as a compassionate Child Victim Specialist remains a cornerstone and inspiration for those who continued her work to end sexual violence.