“Thirty Years of Building a Safer Texas: Past, Present and Future”

The 25th Texas Council on Family Violence (TCFV) Statewide Conference will be held on September 25 and 26 at the Westin Park Central in Dallas, Texas. The conference is a meaningful opportunity for advocates, law enforcement personnel, judicial representatives and professionals to obtain valuable information and training on enhancing quality services to survivors of family violence, best practice initiatives, innovative strategies for addressing family violence in their respective communities, and exchanging ideas on new domestic violence public policy trends.

With its theme of, “Thirty Years of Building a Safer Texas: Past, Present and Future”, the 2008 conference will offer workshops on the following topics: Working with Men and Boys, Healthy Marriage Initiatives, Domestic Violence Policy Trends, Batterer Intervention Prevention Programs, Engaging Communities in Prevention, Economic Advocacy, and Cultural Competency, Complex Protective Orders for Survivors of Family Violence, Sexual Assault, Media Relations, Housing Options, Confidentiality and Documentation. The TCFV Conference will be an occasion to reflect on the many creative initiatives undertaken by the Council in its 30-year history and utilize the open exchange of ideas by attendees to develop imaginative solutions which empower survivors.

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• Discounted rate is available for TCFV members.
• Those who are not members may become members during the online registration and receive the discounted rate.
• Those who plan to attend the TCFV 30th Anniversary Gala and Statewide Conference may register online for both.

TCFV will “kick off” the Conference by hosting the 2008 General Membership Meeting on Thursday, September 25, at 8:30 a.m. Open to all members, the Membership Meeting will provide members with a rich opportunity to interact with TCFV staff, the senior leadership Team, and members of the Board of Directors. Additionally, TCFV Policy Committee members will present and discuss the Board adopted 2008 Texas Legislative Agenda. Members are strongly encouraged to attend and participate in the 2008 Membership Meeting. For information on membership benefits and joining TCFV, please click here.

The 25th Statewide Conference will provide conference attendees an exceptional opportunity to hear from several nationally acclaimed domestic violence experts including:

• Mr. Don McPherson is the founder and former Executive Director of the Sports Leadership Institute at Adelphi University located in Garden City, New York. A former professional football player, recently inducted into the College Football Hall of Fame, McPherson is one of the nation’s foremost educators and a passionate advocate for the prevention of violence against women. Don previously directed the Mentors in Violence Prevention Program at Boston’s Northeastern University and currently serves on the Board of Directors for various national anti-violence organizations including, the Ms. Foundation for Women.
• Ms. Donna Garske serves as the Executive Director of Marin Abused Women’s Services in San Rafael, California, a full-service domestic violence program and home to the innovative Transforming Communities, a nationally-recognized community based domestic violence prevention project. Donna has been a part of the international movement to end violence against women for over 28 years, provided leadership at the national, state and local levels, and offered training and consulting services to numerous state domestic violence coalitions across the country.
• Cindy Dyer, serves as Director of the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), at the United States Department of Justice. She is an experienced prosecutor, recognized authority on the topic of family violence and sexual assault, the first prosecutor to join the Dallas County Family Violence Division during its inception in 1994 and became the Chief Prosecutor of that division in 1998.
• Ms. Lisalyn Jacobs is the Vice President of Government Relations for Legal Momentum, a leader in establishing litigation and public policy strategies to secure equality and justice for women, headquartered in New York City. In her previous role at the Office of Policy Development in the U. S. Department of Justice, Ms. Jacobs worked on several issues including implementation of the Violence against Women Act, the Welfare Reform Act, judicial nominations and affirmative action issues. Lisalyn also served as Special Counsel to the Director of the Office on Violence against Women.

The 2008 conference promises to be an educational, informative, enjoyable meeting of individuals dedicated to ending domestic violence in Texas. Individuals interested in attending the conference but who are not TCFV members may join by utilizing the Membership Link referenced previously in this article. Take advantage of this vital benefit and connect with colleagues from across the state in celebrating 30 years of service to Texas women, children and families.