District 4 & 5 Take Action
“Celebrating the Human Spirit”
Soroptimist of the America, Sierra Nevada Region
District IV/V Meeting
March 1, 2008
STOP Human Trafficking
Speaker Information
Mary Jennings, Representative
Ms. Jennings has worked for international organizations, including Heifer International, for more than 15 years and has a special interest in issues affecting women. She is currently the international development manager at Lift the Children, an organization dedicated to ending child abuse and neglect on a global basis. Mary is also collaborating with Maurine Huang of Opening Doors, Inc. to develop the Sacramento Rescue & Restore coalition.
In addition to earning an M.A. from the Monterey Institute for International Studies, Mary recently completed a certificate in Global and Gender Issues at UC Davis. She is a board member of the San Francisco-based organization, Educate Girls Globally. [Picture top: Speaker Debra Kreck-Harnish with Janice Labadie, District 5 Director]
Nancy Matson, Director, Crime and Violence Prevention Center
California Attorney General’s Office; Sacramento CA
Ms. Matson has dedicated her professional career to state-level efforts, policies and practices that prevent crime and violence and Improve quality of life for local communities. Her career has spanned over 30 years in public service, the last 23 of which have been with the California Attorney General’s Office. She has been the Director of the Crime and Violence Prevention Center since 2006. Nancy also chaired the California Alliance to Combat Trafficking and Slavery Task Force, which produced the report “Human Trafficking in California.” Nancy also represents the A.G.’s Office on the National Crime Prevention Council and the Crime Prevention Coalition of America’s Executive Committee. She received her bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from California State University, Sacramento. [Pictured with Barbara Smiliey of Placerville Soroptimist]
John Vincent, Chief of the Criminal Division
U.S. Attorney’s Office, Sacramento, CA
Mr. Vincent is a graduate of the University of Notre Dame and the Notre Dame Law School. He joined the U.S. Attorney’s office in 1986 after four years in private practice and two clerkships with federal Judges. He has specialized in public corruption cases, including the prosecution of members of the State Assembly and Senate, lobbyists, and staffers, as well as local officials and developers in the Fresno-Clovis area. He is presently coordinating the U.S. Attorney’s Office’s efforts in the area of human trafficking. He has held a number of positions within that office, and has been division chief since 2003. [Pictured with Sherri Lum-Alarcon, District 4 Director]
Special Thanks to the Soroptimist of Greater Sacramento, Host Club.