AVA Board of Directors

Pictured above (from October 2022) are Amy Baynes (Secretary), Moriah Pease, Mark Hertweck (Treasurer), Shautaun Hailey (Vice President), Barry Bryant (Executive Director); Julia Fuller-Wilson (Immediate Past-President); Stephanie Lowery (President), Laura Quasney and Gene Nelson.  Not pictured is Debbie Bousquet.

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Leana Liska

Leeana Liska is a Program and Policy Analyst for the Wisconsin Department of Justice, Office of Crime Victim Services. In this role, she is responsible for the coordination and administration of the VAWA STOP grant program for Wisconsin. This includes oversight of grant funding cycles, facilitation of implementation planning, subrecipient grant monitoring, training and technical assistance, and making program and policy recommendations.

Prior to her role as the VAWA STOP administrator, Leeana was a victim service specialist at the Wisconsin Department of Justice in the Division of Criminal Investigation and Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force. She provided law enforcement-based victim service support to victims of technology facilitated child abuse and exploitation. She also has experience working with victims and survivors in a number of capacities including non-profit advocacy, medical social work, and as a first responder. Leeana earned her Master Degree in Criminal Justice from Michigan State University.

Lori Miller

Lori Miller is the grant administrator for the victim assistance section of the Iowa Attorney General’s Office. Lori oversees funding from four federal formula grant programs: VOCA, VAWA, SASP and FVPSA, as well as discretionary victim services grants, and state of Iowa appropriations. She also supervisors a staff of five awesome women and helps to support nearly 100 victim service organizations in Iowa. Lori has been with the AG’s Office since 2017, prior to her current position, Lori worked for the University of Northern Iowa as a grant administrator and for a nonprofit community action agency. Lori earned both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees at UNI. Lori is married with grown children. In her free time, she volunteers at church and for community events, travels and hangs out with the many community cats at her lake house.

Laura Quasney

Laura Quasney, is a Program Specialist with the South Dakota Department of Public Safety Victims’ Services Program.  She began her work in state government in 2015 working for the Department of Social Services Division of Child Support managing cases pertaining to tribal jurisdiction. She began with the Victims’ Services Program in 2018 and works on the administration of Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), Family Violence Prevention and Services Program (FVPSA), STOP, Sexual Assault Services Program (SASP), and Access & Visitation Grant Program.  Within this role, she is responsible for subrecipient management, on-going technical assistance, and federal grant compliance.  Laura also serves on the Board of Directors for the National Association of VOCA Assistance Administrators.   She is married with two young children and two dogs.  In her spare time, she enjoys watching her kids’ activities and spending time outdoors fishing.

Tierra Williams

Since her first introduction to victim service work in 2008, as a student volunteer in a domestic violence shelter, Tierra Williams has had a desire to promote large scale change in the lives of those impacted by violence. Tierra commenced her career within the Virginia state government in March 2016. She came to the Virginia Department of Criminal Justice Services (DCJS) in April 2018 as a Victims Services Program Specialist (Grant Monitor) and in September 2020, she transitioned to the role of VSTOP and VSDVVF Grant Program Coordinator.

Her primary role is to provide oversight and management of state and federal grant programs and projects under the Virginia Services, Training, Officers, and Prosecutors (VSTOP) and Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Victim Fund (VSDVVF) funding opportunities. She does this by engaging in grant program coordination, providing technical assistance, training, data collection and federal performance reporting.  She also provides insight to stakeholders and policy makers within the Virginia state government as it relates to domestic violence, sexual assault, and stalking services and resource development. Through her professional and academic careers, Tierra has had the opportunity to intern within the federal government, volunteer within local community action organizations, and gain insight on working with diverse populations through professional experiences in the education, government, healthcare, research, and local victim service sectors. Tierra enjoys committing herself to her physical wellness, shopping, and scary movies. She also serves as a mentor to undergraduate students and Board member for a local non-profit. Tierra holds a Bachelor of Social Work from Mary Baldwin University (College) and a Master of Social Work from Temple University.

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Barry Bryant – Executive Director

Barry began working with the NC Governor’s Crime Commission in 1993 and worked first as a VOCA administrator.  When VAWA became part of the Crime Bill of 1994 and subsequently in 1995 when VAWA funding was first allocated to states and territories, Barry also begin distributing VAWA funding and helping programs all across NC understand more clearly how VOCA and VAWA funding could be used to improve services to crime victims.  Barry served on the National Association of VOCA Assistance Administrators (NAVAA) Board from 2003-2008 and was President of NAVAA in 2006 and 2007.  Barry was the first Board President of AVA in 2007 and served until 2009.  Barry retired from State government in 2015 and began working at HopeLine, a crisis intervention and suicide prevention hotline, after his 25-year old nephew died by suicide.  In March 2017, Barry began serving as the Executive Director of AVA.  Barry has remained active in NC serving on his local domestic violence task force since 1993 and currently chairs Wake County’s Domestic Violence Fatality Review Task Force.  He has served as Chair since the inception of the fatality review task force in 2013.  Barry is married and has two adult children and three grandchildren.