Our Team
Casey Gwinn, Esq.
President
Casey Gwinn Bio
Casey Gwinn is the President and Co-Founder of the Alliance. He is the visionary behind the Family Justice Center Movement, first proposing the concept of the Family Justice Center model in 1989. Casey founded Camp HOPE America in 2003. He is a national expert on domestic violence dynamics, including investigation and prosecution, the handling of non-fatal strangulation cases, and is one of the leading thinkers in the country on the science of hope. Prior to this position, Casey was the elected San Diego City Attorney.
Gael Strack, Esq.
Chief Executive Officer
Gael Strack Bio
Gael Strack is the Chief Executive Officer and Co-Founder of the Alliance. Gael is a national expert on domestic violence and strangulation. Prior to this position, Gael was the founding director of the San Diego Family Justice Center, former prosecutor with the San Diego City Attorney’s Office, defense attorney and deputy county counsel.
Raeanne Passantino
Director of Technical Assistance – Family Justice Center Alliance
Raeanne Passantino is the Director of Technical Assistance for The Family Justice Center Alliance, providing support and technical assistance to Family Justice Centers across the country, including those funded by Office of Violence Against Women (OVW). Raeanne has been in the domestic violence field for over 25 years as a volunteer, counselor, grants manager, domestic violence program coordinator and in program development. She has extensive experience with Family Justice Centers in the capacity of development and operations.
Yesenia Aceves
Director of Culture and Creative Services
Yesenia Aceves is the Alliance’s Director of Culture, and is responsible for measurably increasing employee Hope, engagement, and well-being while managing employee development and retention. In addition, as Director of Creative Services, Yesenia oversees branding and design for all of the agency’s programs and leads Art Heals, a creative initiative within the Alliance. Yesenia first joined the Alliance in 2015 as the Founding Director of the Pathways to HOPE Project, Camp HOPE America’s year-round mentorship program.
William Ackerman
Development Coordinator
William assists with delivering virtual courses and engagement for the professionals and survivors the Alliance serves, helping to launch the HOPEhub Online Learning Academy. Additionally, he assists with fund development and grant acquisition at the Alliance. William acquired his master’s degree in International Administration from the University of Denver, and studied International Affairs and Political Science as part of his bachelor’s degree from the University of Colorado, Boulder.
Jackie Anderson
Director of Finance
Jackie Anderson is the Bookkeeper for the Alliance. She is responsible for supporting the Director of Finance in all accounting functions, including grant management. Jackie assists in the preparation and maintenance of financial data and reporting for internal analysis and external audits. She also helps out with other day-to-day administrative functions of the agency.
Priya Bhat-Patel
Director of California Family Justice Center Network
As a health professional, Priya has worked with leading healthcare agencies, biotech companies, universities, the County of San Diego, the State of California, and the United Nations. Priya has her BS in physiology and neuroscience from University of California, San Diego, her master’s degree in public health from University of Southern California, and her doctoral degree in public health from Loma Linda University. Priya is dedicated to being an advocate for human rights and is glad to be part of a passionate team.
Joe Bianco
Law Enforcement Support Coordinator
Joe has a BA is in Criminal Justice from John Jay College of Criminal Justice in New York City and an MS in Criminal Justice from Saint Joseph’s University in Philadelphia. Before joining the Alliance, Joe was a police officer for 16 years with the New York City Police Department and San Diego Police Department. He was assigned as a detective to the Domestic Violence and Child Abuse Unit for a total of 6 years. Joe is recognized as a court expert in non-fatal strangulation cases and domestic violence dynamics. In additional to his experience in law enforcement, he spent a year working for child welfare services for the State of New Hampshire. Joe has a passion for helping survivors on family violence and education other professionals in the dangers of intimate partner violence and strangulation.
Isabella De Silva
Program Assistant – Family Justice Center Alliance
Isabella graduated Cum Laude from the University of California, San Diego with a Bachelor’s Degree in International Studies – Political Science. During her undergraduate career she received department honors for her research on human trafficking in Tenancingo, Mexico. Her extensive experience working with several non-profit organizations throughout San Diego has furthered her passion for human rights.
Jessica Kimsey
Events Coordinator
Jessica Kimsey is the Events Coordinator for the Alliance. She is responsible for coordinating all aspects of the Alliance’s annual conference and provides administrative and organizational support for the Alliance’s training programs, workshops, and events. Jessica received her Bachelor of Science degree from Champlain College in Hospitality Management and has had extensive experience in all aspects of the hospitality industry. She is excited to bring her experience and management skills to a non-profit organization.
Sarah Pike
Program Manager, OVC Vision 21 Technology Initiative
Sarah is the Program Manager for the OVC Vision 21 Technology Initiative. In collaboration with OVC, a National Advisory Board, and participation from three pilot sites, this project developed an updated centralized intake system tool for the Family Justice Center network. Her role requires leading the collaborative efforts to design, implement, adopt, and provide training around the centralized intake tool. Prior to working at Alliance, Sarah spent seven years serving the chronically homeless and supporting academic institutions. She comes to the Alliance with a Bachelor’s of Social Work and Master of Arts Degree in Economic and Social Development.
Maryann Postiglione
Program Assistant – Family Justice Center Alliance
Maryann holds a B.A. in English from CSU Sacramento and a M.S. in Human Nutrition from Kansas State University with a focus on a multisystemic approach to food insecurity in the United States. Prior to working at the Alliance, Maryann worked as a behavioral therapist for children and adults on the autism spectrum, a sexual assault response team member for Sacramento County, and a nutrition consultant for a PTSD rehabilitation program for veterans. She is passionate about eliminating the stigma associated with physical and mental disabilities.
Holly Duffy Regan
Program Research Specialist for the Polyvictimization Initiative – Family Justice Center Alliance
Holly Duffy Regan is a Program Research Specialist for the OVC Polyvictimization Initiative. She provides planning and support services to participating demonstration sites. Holly received her bachelor’s degree in International Relations with an emphasis on Russian & Eurasian Studies from Mount Holyoke College and her master’s in Social Work at Arizona State University. Holly is dedicated to the research and development of hope-centered services for survivors of traumatic experiences.
Brynne Spain
Program Manager, Polyvictimization Initiative
Brynne is the Program Manager for the Polyvictimization Initiative. She graduated from the University of California, Davis with a Bachelor’s Degree in Political Science and a minor in Human Rights. Brynne worked with survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault as a crisis counselor and support group co-facilitator at crisis centers in Sacramento and San Francisco. She looks forward to learning from and contributing to the groundbreaking work achieved by the Alliance.
Amy Stobbe
Finance Coordinator
Amy is the Finance Coordinator at Alliance for HOPE International.
She enjoys providing office support to all areas of the organization with an emphasis on finance. Amy is honored to be part of the team and looks forward to growing in her role.
