AVA Board of Directors
Executive Committee
Amy Baynes, President
Email: Amy Baynes
Phone: 615-532-2988
Tierra Williams, Vice President
Email: Tierra Williams
Phone: 804-239-8850
Emily Burnett, Secretary
Email: Emily Burnett
Phone: 860-418-6365
Jackie Hoover, Treasurer
Email: Jackie Hoover
Phone: 406-444-4763
Mark Hertweck, Immediate Past President
Email: Mark Hertweck
Phone: 502-564-8210
Pictured above (from the AVA Strategic Planning Meeting in November 2024) are Mark Hertweck (KY), Laura Quasney (SD), Moriah Pease (UT), Arlene Vassell (AVA ED), Amy Baynes (TN), Gene Nelson (VT), and Tierra Williams (VA). Not pictured is Leeana Liska WI), Jackie Hoover (MT), and Lori Miller (IA).
Board Members at Large
Leeana Liska
Email: Leeana Liska
Phone: 608-243-2100
Laura Quasney
Email: Laura Quasney
Phone: 605-773-4317
Brionna Talbot
Email: Brionna Talbot
Phone: 435-590-2649
Executive Director
Committees
Current Board Member Bios and Photos
Amy Baynes – President (Tennessee)
Amy Baynes is a Senior Program Manager and the STOP Administrator for the Tennessee Office of Criminal Justice Programs (OCJP). OCJP administers funding for 11 different federal and state fund sources to approximately 250 grantees. Amy is responsible for supervising a team of program managers, as well as providing grant monitoring, training and technical assistance to grantees. As the STOP Administrator, Amy provides STOP specific training and technical assistance to OCJP Program Managers and grantees, and coordinates the STOP Implementation Plan. She has served in her role at OCJP since 201
Amy has over 20 years of experience in the field of victim services and criminal justice. The majority of that time was spent as the Program Director of a Child Advocacy Center, and also includes working for the Department of Children’s Services and the Office of the District Attorney General. Amy is passionate about advocating on behalf of crime victims and ensuring access for all to comprehensive, quality services.
Amy is married with two children and loves spending time with her family – especially attending her kid’s sporting events. She also loves spending time with friends, watching football (Go, Tennessee Titans!) and traveling.
Tierra Williams – Vice President (Virginia)
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.
Emily Burnett – Secretary (Connecticut)
Emily Burnett is a Grants and Contracts Specialist at the State of Connecticut at the Office of Policy and Management in the Criminal Justice Policy and Planning Division. Her role includes administration of the STOP VAWA and SASP awards for. Emily is responsible for the lifecycle of the grant including federal application and closeout, grantee applications, monitoring and technical assistance with subgrantees, and coordinating the STOP Implementation Plan. Within this role she serves on the VOCA advisory council as VOCA is administered by the Judicial Branch. Emily has been in this role since 2022 after earning her Master’s Degree in Public Administration and Bachelor’s in Human Rights and Political Science from the University of Connecticut (Go Huskies!).
Jackie Hoover – Treasurer (Montana)
Jackie Hoover is a Program Manager with the Montana Department of Justice Board of Crime Control. She began her career with state government in 2021 at the Department of Health and Human Services, where she assisted in forming the Housing Stability Services Program. Utilizing COVID funds and collaborating with the Montana Department of Commerce’s (MTDOC) Rental Assistance Program, she helped Montanan’s find and keep their housing. Her work was recognized in 2023 when she received the MTDOC’s “Montana Housing Award”. Gaining years of experience in federal grant management, Jackie moved to the Montana Board of Crime Control in the summer of 2023. In this role she networks, monitors and provides technical assistance of subgrantees, authors implementation plans and oversees grant funding cycles for four grants: the Victims of Crime Act (VOCA), the Family Violence Prevention and Services Program (FVPSA), the Violence Against Women Act (STOP/ VAWA), and the Sexual Assault Services Program (SASP). Jackie received her Bachelor of Arts in Health Sciences from Carroll College. True to her degree, she enjoys supporting her son in all things sports, rock hounding, crafting, and spending time with friends and family.
Mark Hertweck – Immediate Past President (Kentucky)
Mark Hertweck is the Violence Against Women Act (VAWA) and Sexual Assault Services Program (SASP) Financial Administrator for the Commonwealth of Kentucky. Mark also currently helps to administer several other federal grant awards including VOCA, JAG, Coverdell, and NCHIP. He began his service as a Kentucky state government employee in 2006 and serves in his current role as a Federal Program Specialist with the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet since February 2016.
Mark earned a Bachelor of Arts degree from Baylor University (’93) in Waco, TX and a Master of Arts in Christian Education from Southwestern Seminary (’99) in Ft. Worth, TX. He is married with three children and one grandchild. In his spare time, he enjoys playing golf, watching baseball (he’s a diehard Red Sox fan), reading, and spending time with family.
Leeana Liska (Wisconsin)
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.
Laura Quasney (South Dakota)
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.
Brionna Talbot (Utah)
Bri Talbot is the Violence Against Women Act and Sexual Assault Services Program Coordinator for the Utah Office for Victims of Crime (UOVC). Bri began serving at UOVC as a Subrecipient Monitor prior to moving to her current position. Before that, she ran a law enforcement based victim services program. Bri received her Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology and Master’s Degree in Public Administration from Southern Utah University. She is married with two kids, a silver lab, and a guinea pig. When Bri isn’t working she loves spending time on the lake or in the mountains with her family.
Arlene Vassell (she/her) is a dedicated advocate with over 25 years of experience in the movement to end gender-based violence (GBV). As a nationally recognized leader, she has devoted her entire career to preventing GBV, disrupting systems of inequality and oppression, advancing the leadership of people of color, and creating equity-centered, trauma-informed, and culturally relevant policies and programs.
Her “formal” advocacy journey began as a direct service provider with the YWCA Women’s Advocacy Program in Virginia. She later held significant leadership roles with the Virginia Sexual and Domestic Violence Action Alliance, the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence, and the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence. During her tenure with these organizations, Arlene led, coordinated, developed, implemented, and evaluated numerous programs and initiatives funded by the U.S. Department of Justice, the Office of Violence Against Women, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention, and the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of Family Violence Prevention and Services Program.
Throughout her career, Arlene has served on numerous boards, task forces, committees, and workgroups aimed at ensuring that all survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault have access to inclusive, survivor-centered, culturally responsive, and trauma-informed services that promote safety, justice, wellness, and healing. Notably, for the past eight years, she has been an active member of the National Organization of Victim Advocacy (NOVA), Department of Defense Sexual Violence Certification Review Committee. Additionally, she served as a member of NOVA’s Office for Advocacy Ethics Committee for several years.
Currently, Arlene serves as a trainer and facilitator for the Office for Victims of Crime Training and Technical Assistance Center.
She is a proud immigrant from Jamaica, the mother of two amazing humans, an Auntie and mentor to many, a published author, and the Founding Director of the TooREL Institute for Social Change.