MNADV Staff
Alicia Bickoff, Project Director
Amber Guthrie, Project Director
Amber Guthrie is Project Director at the Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence. She provides training and technical assistance to domestic violence, health care service providers, and allied professionals around the state on a variety of topics related to intimate partner violence. Ms. Guthrie serves on the Board for the Maryland Health Care Coalition Against Domestic Violence and facilitates the Maryland Domestic Violence Shelter Directors’ Group. She also participates on the Maryland Human Trafficking Task Force’s Victims Services Committee and the Maryland Abuse Intervention Collaborative (MAIC). Ms. Guthrie holds a Master’s in Women’s Studies with a concentration in anti-violence studies and gerontology. Ms. Guthrie previously worked in Virginia, California, and Maryland at domestic violence shelters, crisis helplines, Family Justice Centers, and college campuses working towards ending domestic and sexual violence and stalking. She finds happiness in her three pups (Diego, Waldo, and Neva), her partner, all things glitter, and delicious vegan food!
Ayana Wallace, Project Manager
Ayana is a MNADV’s new Project Manager. She has recently transitioned from her position as a one of MNADV’s national Lethality Assessment Program Managers into working on the Maryland side, being responsible for building and expanding the response and quality of services to survivors of domestic violence with a focus on culturally specific populations. These populations include but are not limited to racial or ethnic minorities, faith communities, immigrants, and LGBTQ survivors. Ayana graduated in 2012 from Dickinson College with her Bachelor’s degree in Women’s and Gender Studies and minors in English, History, and Creative Writing. She went on to obtain her Master’s degree in Women’s and Gender Studies from Towson University in 2014. While completing her Master’s program, she interned at the House of Ruth Maryland, and upon graduation began working as a Client Case Coordinator at the Betty Ann Krahnke Center. Ayana considers herself to be a womanist and has a passion for animal rights.
Kristine Chapman, Project Manager, LAP
Kristine supports the day-to-day operations of the LAP program, providing training and technical assistance to sites interested in and already implementing the LAP, and coordinating logistics with jurisdictions approved for training. Kristine was previously the Director of Community Engagement for The Willow Domestic Violence Center in Lawrence, Kansas, the Director of Volunteers at Headquarters Counseling Center (the suicide prevention lifeline center for Kansas), and a 911 dispatcher for seven years. She has a Bachelor’s in Emergency Management with a minor in Public Safety Telecommunications. Kristine loves to travel with her partner, grow veggies and flowers, and have adventures with her niece and nephew.
Jess Staskal, Project Manager
Jess Staskal is the Project Manager for Communications and Training, assisting with the development of publications, coordinating branding and messaging, maintaining MNADV’s social and digital media presence, and helping to educate the public about domestic violence. She also trains service providers and allied professionals on best practices for working with intimate partner violence survivors. Jess graduated from Drake University in Des Moines, IA with a Bachelor’s degree in Public Relations and minors in Women’s Studies and Anthropology. She was previously the Program Coordinator at the National Stalking Resource Center, and the Communications Specialist at the Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault and the National Sexual Assault Coalition Resource Sharing Project. Jess lives with her partner and cat and is obsessed with carbs, politics, reading, bad reality tv, feminism and funny cat gifs.
Renee Wells, Office Manager
Renee is responsible for managing MNADV’s day-to-day office operations, working collaboratively with staff to develop, implement, and improve administrative functions related to the organization’s projects and activities. Renee earned her Bachelor’s of Science degree in Sociology/Criminal Justice from Bowie State University. She has several years of experience working in the non-profit sector in administration, case management, volunteer coordination, field implementation and development. Renee loves to explore new adventures with her partner, family and friends that incorporate travel, music, wine, and food. Renee lives with her cat Hendrix, is obsessed with coffee, loves stand-up comedy and coloring as therapy, is a certified bartender, a certified ServSafe food safety manager and enjoys voice-acting with over 10 years’ experience as an on-air radio personality.
Hiba Ahmed, Project Specialist
Hiba is MNADV’s Project Specialist and is responsible for coordinating domestic violence training activities for professional audiences, and various other administrative tasks that aim towards the elimination of domestic violence in Maryland. Always driven by the conviction that every human warrants the right to love, health, and security, she graduated from the University of Maryland, College Park in 2015 with bachelor’s degrees in English Language & Literature, as well as Family Science. She has previously worked in organizations aimed to fight for vulnerable populations including refugees and victims of human trafficking. However, domestic violence initiatives hold a special role in her heart and she is absolutely excited to learn on this journey with her new team! Hiba is obsessed with all animals, traveling, snowboarding, reading, watching Korean dramas, and long naps with the people she loves.
Jessica Harris, Project Specialist, LAP
Jessica is MNADV’s Project Specialist and will be responsible for supporting the LAP in various capacities through administrative and organizational responsibilities. Jessica graduated from the University of Arizona with a degree in Cultural Anthropology and a minor in Africana Studies. Throughout college, Jessica has been involved in community activism, critical race theory education and research and various environmental justice and sustainability initiatives. Jessica enjoys traveling, painting, gardening, reading, going to museums and galleries, and binge watching shows on Netflix.
Lauren Dougherty, Project Coordinator, LAP
Lauren Dougherty is the new Project Coordinator at the Maryland Network Against Domestic Violence, working on the Lethality Assessment Program – Maryland Model (LAP). Her role consists of working on Maryland-based LAP, including LAP Regional Meetings, Homicide Tracking, Domestic Violence Fatality Review Team work, and LAP Structural work. Lauren started her professional career managing a traditional Alternative Living Unit that served adults with physical and intellectual disabilities. She then shifted to a career in Domestic Violence through Family and Children’s Services of Central Maryland (FCS) where she provided crisis intervention and case management services to victims of intimate partner violence, coordinated the LAP, and supervised a team of domestic violence case managers. Lauren holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Social Work and a Master of Science degree in Human Services Management.
MNADV Board of Directors
- PRESIDENT
Inga James
Heartly House - VICE PRESIDENT
Shirley Schreffler
Prince George’s County Department of Social Services
- SECRETARY
Kelley Rainey
Family and Children’s Services of Central MD - TREASURER
Joan Stine
Family Tree - Tovah Kasdin
ElderSAFE Center, Charles E. Smith Life Communities, Montgomery County - Eliane Lakam
Student - Jennifer Morton
Calvert County State’s Attorney’s Office - Karalyn Mulligan
Domestic Violence/Sexual Assault Center at Dimensions Healthcare, Prince George’s County - Fiona Oliphant
Pacific Islander Domestic Violence Resource Project (DVRP) - Laure Ruth
Women’s Law Center of Maryland - Lauren Shaivitz
CHANA, Baltimore City & County - Jeff Spaulding
Westminster Police Department, Carroll County