Naumi Feldman, (secretary) is a candidate for a Doctor of Public Health degree at Columbia University's Mailman School of Public Health. Prior to her entering Columbia's Dr.P.H. program she was the Director of Community Relations and Advocacy at the William F. Ryan Community Health Center, overseeing the health center's external relations with government agencies and community groups and its participation in local, state and federal policy and advocacy activities. Naumi brings strong government relations, policy writing, and grant application review experience to the Board. From 2000-2005, she served as Manhattan Borough President C. Virginia Fields' policy analyst for domestic violence, health and disability issues. As part of her duties, Naumi coordinated and chaired meetings of the Manhattan Borough President's Domestic Violence Task Force and related policy committees. She authored the 2002 report "We Must Do More: The Manhattan Borough President's Report on Domestic Violence" and organized the conference entitled "Mandatory Arrest: Original Intentions, Outcomes in Our Communities, and Future Directions". Naumi received her Master of Public Health Degree from Columbia University in 2002.
Regina Jacobs is a marketing manager at Smith Barney/Citigroup. She brings her considerable skills in marketing, written communication, brochures and newsletter production. Regina is a survivor of domestic violence and is passionate about VOW's work.
Johanna Markson, (Chair person) is the Pro Bono Administrator at Weil, Gotshal & Manges LLP. Johanna coordinates the firm's pro bono work on a variety of matters and develops new pro bono client relationships. Before joining Weil, Johanna spent seven years in nonprofit development, most recently as Director of Major Gifts, Corporate Outreach and Events at the Women's Housing and Economic Development Corporation in the South Bronx. Johanna also served as Director of Major Gifts at the March of Dimes Greater New York Chapter, and Senior Development Associate at the New York Women Foundation. Johanna holds a J.D. from the National Law Center at George Washington University and practiced law as an Assistant District Attorney in Manhattan, where she specialized in child abuse cases.
Maria Santiago, (VOW member representative) is a domestic violence advocate and educator with over 15 years of experience. She currently works at CONNECT, where she trains community residents, staff at preventive agencies and staff of other community based agencies on domestic violence. Her workshops for staff at ACS contract agencies help to prevent the removal of children due to domestic violence. Maria has also run groups for men who batter as well as groups for substance abusing women who are battered. She became a member of VOW because of her personal experience with domestic violence and her strong belief that women are re-victimized by the systems that were set up to protect them. In 2003, Maria received the Governor's Courage Award. She has been a member of VOW since it first began in 2000, and has served on the VOW steering committee for two years. She is fluent in Spanish.
Laurie Woods, (Treasurer) a lawyer and pioneer in the battered women's movement, was the lead counsel in Bruno v. Codd - the first class action lawsuit against the police department on behalf of battered women. She was the founder and director of the National Center on Women and Family Law. Laurie is currently a Senior Administrative Law Judge at the Traffic Violations Bureau.
Susan Lob, (Director) has 25 years of experience working with survivors of domestic violence in shelters, non-residential programs and child welfare agencies. She has extensive experience training staff of domestic violence and child welfare agencies and writing curriculums on how to work with battered women and teen victims of relationship abuse. She authored a report based on extensive study of the need for nonresidential services for battered women that served as the basis for the City's RFP for these services. She also has expertise in organizing and leadership development and training with women community leaders and the staff and volunteers of community and social service agencies. Ms. Lob has served as the chair of the Child Welfare Committee of the NYC Interagency Task Force Against Domestic Violence, and on the Boards of the NY Asian Women's Center and the Center for Anti-violence Education.
Kalima DeSuze, (Lead Community Organizer) has a diverse background of work and life experience and has developed many skills and strengths which she brings to her position as lead organizer at V.O.W. She is a veteran of the United States Army having served over six years as a Battalion Paralegal. She holds a BSW in general practice social work from Hood College and has experience in direct services, and in 2007 received her MSW from Hunter College School of Social Work with a concentration in organizing and planning. She was the primary organizer on the Undoing Racism Project while getting her MSW. She currently sits as a member on the Undoing Racism Steering Committee and a member of the New Professional Taskforce of NASW-NYC. Her past work experience includes an internship at ADAPT House, a refuge for women and children survivors of domestic violence in Limerick, Ireland.
Elinor Dei Tos Pironti, (Administrative Assistant) has worked for many years as an Administrative Assistant in the non-profit world before joining VOW; for five years at the Maine Women's Fund in Portland, Maine and for three years at the Academy of American Poets in New York City. She is an artist working primarily in painting and drawing and currently shares a studio with three other artists in the Park Slope area of Brooklyn.
Tanya McLeod, (p/t Organizer/VOW member) is a domestic violence survivor and advocate. She currently works at VOW as the part time Organizer where she is overseeing and coordinating VOW's campaign to stop malicious child abuse reports. In addition, Tanya coordinates VOW's public speaking training and presentations. She has been a member of VOW since 2002 and has served on the VOW steering committee for three years Most recently she participated in VOW's organizing apprentice training program. Tanya is an accomplished speaker and has spoken at rallies, conferences, on the radio and on cable television. Her other experiences include: coordinating an annual candlelight march and vigil on domestic violence during October for New Settlement Apartments; recording VOW's song, “Take a Walk in my Shoes”; being featured in CONNECT and the Alliance for the Safety of Animals and People (ASAP) video project. It is her goal to turn her pain into power and to put an end to domestic violence.
< Return to the top of this page :: Return to "About Us"