Staff and Board | Praxis International

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Staff

Amalfi Parker Elder

Amalfi joined Praxis in January 2016. Based in New Orleans, Amalfi works with communities around the country who are implementing the model Blueprint for Safety, a comprehensive approach, policy, and protocol to coordinate criminal justice system agencies.

Denise Eng

Denise joined Praxis International in 2008, bringing more than 3 decades experience in advocacy for battered women. She coordinated the development of the Blueprint for Safety, a ground-breaking intervention model that links criminal justice agencies in Saint Paul, Minnesota, together to promote a coherent, philosophically sound response to domestic violence.

Diane Docis

Diane joined the Advocacy Learning Center team in December 2012, after more than 20 years in the movement to end violence against women. She has been an advocate, activist and educator working and volunteering for battered women.

Elena Anderson

Elena began working with Praxis in March of 2018 and has been involved in the movement to end power-based violence for eight years in roles as advocate, activist, organizer, and researcher.

Janice Wick

At Praxis International since 1998, Janice manages our Duluth, Minnesota, office and also works with Rural Technical Assistance on Violence Against Women, a program that helps rural communities develop effective intervention strategies.

Julie “Tilly” Tilley

Tilly joined Praxis International in 1998. While at Praxis, she has managed national training and technical assistance projects, redesigned supervised visitation center policies and practices used across the nation, and co-developed the Advocacy Learning Center.

Kata Issari

Kata Issari has been an advocate and community activist in the work to end violence gender-based violence for 35 years. She has worked as an advocate, therapist, fundraiser, clinical supervisor and administrator for grassroots, campus and national sexual assault and domestic violence organizations. She is also an organizational consultant, lecturer and anti-oppression trainer.

Kue Chang

Kue joined the Praxis staff in March 2018 as the Institutional Analysis and Blueprint for Safety Program Associate, providing administrative support to the programs. He brings experience in social justice work in the realm of higher education access and equity.

Liz Carlson

Liz joined Praxis International in 2003. Based in Duluth, Minnesota, she first worked on the Rural Technical Assistance Program. In 9 years, she planned and facilitated more than 500 audio conferences for technical assistance providers who train rural agencies across the nation to respond effectively to violence against women.

Maren Woods

Maren joined Praxis International in 2000. She is the lead manager of both the Rural Technical Assistance on Violence Against Women Program, which provides training and education for local agencies that serve battered women in rural areas across the nation, and for the Institutional Analysis Program, which offers a community assessment process to help communities evaluate and strengthen their responses to violence against women and children.

Noushin Shafiee

Noushin joined Praxis International as finance director in 2007 to ensure that each program team and the leadership team understand the complex legal regulations that determine how program budgets must be spent and accounted for.

Sandy Davidson

Sandy began managing technical assistance projects for Praxis International in 2003. She currently manages the Advocacy Learning Center (ALC), a unique national program funded by the Office on Violence Against Women. A member of the White Earth tribe of Anishinabe, Sandy is a founding mother of the Minnesota Indian Women’s Sexual Assault Coalition. She served as a Circle Keeper for 4 years and remains active in the coalition.

Shelly Stoffel-Blanck

Shelly joined Praxis International as training manager and videoconference specialist in 1998.

Sue Katt

Sue returned to Praxis in May of 2015 as the Office and HR Manager in the St. Paul office. She worked for us previously from 2002-2007 supporting our Praxis Safety & Accountability Audit project.

Board of Directors

Alice Johnson

Alice Johnson is 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. She received an MBA from the University of Minnesota. She served on the Board of Directors of the National Parkinson Foundation Minnesota and is past Treasurer and Finance Chair of the Friends School of Minnesota. Alice was recognized as one of the Finance & Commerce Top Women in Finance – 2016.

Amanda Watson

Amanda Watson is kanaka maoli (Native Hawaiian) and has been working with the Minnesota Indian Women’s Sexual Assault Coalition (MIWSAC) since 2015. She previously worked as a sexual assault advocate with university, county, and nation-wide advocacy organizations supporting survivors of sexual violence. Amanda also has experience training and facilitating on how sexual violence uniquely impacts Two Spirit and LGBTQ folks, and has keynoted and spoken at several conferences on the topic.

Amy Sanchez

Amy Sánchez is the CEO of Break the Cycle, an organization that inspires and supports young people to build healthy relationships and create a culture without abuse. She has over 25+ years of experience supporting community based solutions to ending intimate partner violence. A nationally recognized expert in mission-based organizational development, Amy also has years of program experience beginning her career as an advocate for women and children living with domestic violence.

Sandra Pilgrim Lewis

Sandra Pilgrim Lewis has been a social change advocate across multiple systems and geographical areas for forty years. She marched in the South speaking out against racial discrimination during the civil rights movement and started as a volunteer to end violence against women in the early 70’s. She has worked for social equality for disabled people with an emphasis on women with chronic mental illness. She is former director of Shelter, Inc., a comprehensive domestic violence and sexual assault program in Northeast Michigan.

Board of Directors Emerita