Amanda Watson
Program Director
Amanda (kanaka maoli) has nearly a decade of experience as an advocate, organizer, and technical assistance provider in the movement to end gender-based violence. [Read more]
Staff
Bree Adams Bill
Program Director
Bree began her advocacy in the movement to end gender-based violence in 1997. Since then, she has worked as an advocate, trainer, coordinator, supervisor and program director for community-based, domestic and sexual violence organizations. [Read more]
Diane Docis
Senior Program & Training Specialist
Diane has been an educator, advocate, and activist in the movement to end gender-based violence for thirty years. She previously directed a campus advocacy and prevention program, worked at battered women’s shelters in Ohio and Washington, D.C., and has been active in community-based social change efforts addressing violence, reproductive justice, and racial justice. [Read more]
Elena Anderson
Program & Training Specialist
Elena has been involved in the movement to end gender-based violence as an advocate, activist, organizer, and researcher. She has a Bachelor of Arts in Social Justice (concentration on Incarcerated Women), as well as a Bachelor of Fine Arts in Creative Writing. [Read more]
Kata Issari
Executive Director
Kata has worked to end gender-based violence for over thirty-five years as an advocate, therapist, trainer and manager for grassroots, campus, local and national sexual assault and domestic violence organizations. She joined the Praxis staff in 2017 and holds a Masters in Social Work. [Read more]
Kue Chang
Program Support Coordinator
Kue is new to the gender-based violence field but brings experience from the realm of higher education access and equity. For four years, he organized retreats and programs to inform first-generation, low-income students of color about how to access higher education. [Read more]
Maren Woods
Program Director
Maren’s work in the movement to end violence against women began in northern Minnesota in 2000 when she served as the coordinator of an extensive community-based analysis of the U.S. criminal justice system’s response to violence against Indigenous women. [Read more]
Noushin Shafiee
Finance & Administration Director
Noushin came to Praxis in 2007 with over thirty years of accounting and financial experience in all aspects of accounting and finance. She holds a Master Degree in Accounting and Financial Management from Keller Graduate School, a Bachelor's Degree in Accounting from Azad University in Iran, and has completed extensive training in Government Financial Management. [Read more]
Patrice Anthony
Communications Specialist
Patrice joined Praxis in December 2018 as Office Manager supporting and guiding the smooth operation of all Praxis programs, processes, and procedures. In January 2022, she moved into a brand new role[Read more]
Renee Torian
Accountant
Renee brought over twenty years of accounting experience to Praxis when she joined the staff in 2019. Renee is also a trained Sexual Assault Advocate.
[Read more]
Shelly Stoffel-Blanck
Training Manager
Shelly has worked to end gender-based violence since 1994, working previously with the Duluth Domestic Abuse Intervention Programs, including their Battered Women’s Justice Project, U. S. Marine Corps Training Project, and the National Training Project. [Read more]
Sue Katt
Operations Coordinator
Board of Directors
Alice Johnson
Alice Johnson served as the Chief Financial Officer of Opportunity Partners and brings more than 20 years of experience as a financial executive in nonprofit and health-related industries, most recently as CFO of Courage Center. [read more]
Bonnie Watkins
Bonnie Watkins has been active in women's issues for 45 years. She was an architect of Minnesota's landmark pay equity laws improving women's pay, and served for nine years as Executive Director of the Minnesota Women's Consortium. [read more]
Lori Jump
Lori Jump, a member of the Sault Ste. Marie Tribe of Chippewa Indians, is the Assistant Director of the StrongHearts Native Helpline. [read more]
Priya Suman
Priya Suman has been working with survivors of violence for 10+ years They have worked with immigrant survivors of violence at Manavi - they first South Asian organization work on violence against women in the US. [read more]