Casey Gwinn, Esq
President, Co-Founder
Casey Gwinn Bio
Casey is the visionary behind the Family Justice Center Movement, first proposing the concept of the Family Justice Center model in 1989. He is a national expert on domestic violence dynamics, including investigation and prosecution, the handling of non-fatal strangulation cases, and is one of the leading thinkers in the country on the science of hope. Casey was the elected San Diego City Attorney from 1996-2004 and founded Camp HOPE America in 2003.
Gael Strack, Esq
Chief Executive Officer
Gael Strack Bio
Gael Strack is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of the Alliance. Gael is a national expert on domestic violence and strangulation. Prior to this position, Gael was the founding director of the San Diego Family Justice Center, former prosecutor with the San Diego City Attorney’s Office, defense attorney, and deputy county counsel.
Yesenia Aceves
Director of Culture and Creative Services
Yesenia is the Alliance’s Director of Culture, and is responsible for measurably increasing employee Hope, engagement, and well-being while managing employee development and retention. Also serving as the Alliance’s Director of Creative Services, Yesenia oversees the branding and design for all of the Alliance’s programs. Yesenia is also the Founding Director of the Pathways to HOPE Project, the year-round mentoring component of Camp HOPE America.
Joe Bianco
Law Enforcement Support Coordinator
Joe has a BA in Criminal Justice (CS) from John Jay College of CS in NYC and an MS in CS from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. Before joining the Alliance, Joe was a police officer for 16 years with the NYCPD and SDPD, assigned as a detective to the DV and Child Abuse Unit for 6 years. Joe is a recognized court expert in non-fatal strangulation cases and DV dynamics. In addition, he spent a year working for child welfare services for the State of NH. Joe is passionate for helping survivors on family violence and education other professionals in the dangers of intimate partner violence and strangulation.
Jill Bring
Program Assistant
Jill has over 6 years of advocacy experience and has worked directly with survivors in a variety of settings including the Guilford County FJC, the City of Alexandria DV Program Safe House, and the Alexandria PD. Jill was part of a multidisciplinary team from the Guilford County FJC that attended the Adanced Course on Strangulation Prevention in 2017. She earned her BSW from NCSU and worked with refugees and immigrants before venturing into anti violence work.
Fernanda España
Program Manager, Training Institute on Strangulation Prevention
Fernanda graduated from Universidad Anáhuac México Norte with a major in Social Responsibility and Sustainability, and a minor in Non-Profit Management and became certified in Human Rights and Development from SciencesPo Paris. She has volunteered and worked in the non-profit community in both Mexico and the United States. Fernanda is passionate about social change and is an invaluable member of the Alliance team.
Alek Gastelum
Intern, Camp HOPE America
Alek is an Intern for the Alliance and provides administrative and programmatic support to Camp HOPE America. Alek attended Camp HOPE America as a camper from 2014 to 2016 and has served as a Camp HOPE America Counselor since 2017. Today, Alek is an undergraduate student at San Diego State University pursuing a B.S. in Psychology.
Catherine Johnson
Interim National Director, Camp HOPE America
Catherine is the Interim Director for Camp Hope America. Catherine earned her M.S./Ed.S. in Marriage and Family Therapy from the University of North Carolina at Greensboro. She is the founding director of the Guilford County Family Justice Center, with locations in Greensboro and High Point, NC. In 2017, Catherine and her team successfully launched Camp Hope America- North Carolina.
Jessica Kimsey
Events Manager
Jessica Kimsey is the Event Manager for the Alliance. She is responsible for coordinating all aspects of the Alliance’s annual conference and provides administrative and organizational support for the Alliance’s training programs, workshops, and events. Jessica received her Bachelor of Science degree from Champlain College in Hospitality Management and has had extensive experience in all aspects of the hospitality industry.
Nicole McKibben
Director of Finance
Nicole is the Alliance’s Director of Finance. She has 10+ years of non-profit experience working for organizations that provide therapeutic and preschool services to special needs children from birth to age twenty-one and an afterschool/summer youth intervention and development program. Nicole graduated Cum Laude from Lycoming College with a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Accounting and Business Administration. She is working on her Master’s in Business Administration concentrating in Accounting and her CPA. Nicole volunteers her time throughout the year to the local high school.
Ken Shetter
National Director, Family Justice Center Alliance
Ken Shetter is the National Director of the Family Justice Center Alliance. Ken earned a BS in Education from Baylor University; an MA in Applied Sociology from The American University where he was a Dean’s Scholar and a Sociology Department Fellow; as well as a JD from Baylor Law School. In addition to his role as Mayor of Burleson, TX, Ken became the first Executive Director of the Safe City Commission in Tarrant County, which collaborated with dozens of other agencies to build and operate One Safe Place, Forth Worth, the largest Family Justice Center in Texas.
Brynne Spain
Program Manager, Polyvictimization Initiative
Brynne manages the Polyvictimization Initiative, which focuses on the development and implementation of a Polyvictimization Assessment Tool aimed at transforming service delivery in Family Justice Centers while providing polyvictimization prevalence data to the field at large. Brynne graduated UC Davis with a BS in Political Science and a minor in Human Rights. Prior to the Alliance, Brynne as a crisis counselor and support group co-facilitator at crisis centers in Sacramento and San Francisco.
Amy Stobbe
Finance Coordinator
Amy is the Finance Coordinator at Alliance for HOPE International. In addition to Finance, she enjoys providing office support to all areas of the organization. Amy is honored to be part of the team and continuously grows in her role.
Jamal Stroud
Mentor and Outreach Manager, Camp HOPE America
Jamal provides oversight of all mentoring and outreach components of Camp HOPE America. He has a BA in Social Science from Allen University and an M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling from Lenoir-Rhyne University. In 2017, Jamal founded Big Homie Lil Homie (BHLH), a nonprofit mentoring program for young boys growing up without father figures. Jamal is also a motivational speaker who prioritizes children and overall improvement of character.
Montgomery Turner-Little
Program Coordinator, Family Justice Center Alliance
Montgomery Turner-Little is the Program Coordinator for the Family Justice Center Alliance. He earned a BS in Health Science Studies from Baylor University and an MPH in Health Promotion and Behavioral Sciences from the University of Texas Health Science Center of Houston where he assisted in research on childhood obesity. Prior to the Alliance, Montgomery was a Population Health Specialist for a mental health organization in Tarrant County.
Susan Williams
Director of Technical Assistance, Family Justice Center Alliance
Susan Williams is the Director of Technical Assistance for the Family Justice Center Alliance. Previously, Susan served as a Deputy Director in the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), an Associate Director in the DOJ’s Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), and Grant Advisor in the DOJ’s Office on Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS). Susan brings 24 years of experience working at the federal level to enhance the nation’s response to violence against women and all forms of crime victimization.
Erica Yamaguchi
Training and Education Manager, Camp HOPE America
Erica is the Training and Education Manger for Camp HOPE America. She has a Master of Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, along with 20+ years of experience working with youth in a variety of settings such as residential, community and government-based agencies. Before joining the Alliance for HOPE International, she was employed by the Guilford County Family Justice Center and assisted in launching Camp HOPE America – NC. Energized by relationships & community, she provides trauma-informed care and healing centered engagement.
