OUR RESCUE ANNOUNCES NEW LEADERSHIP TEAM MEMBERS TO EXPAND ITS GLOBAL MISSION AND IMPACT

Former Leader of Homeland Security Investigations Derek Benner Joins as Chief Mission Officer   

MINNEAPOLIS, Dec. 19, 2024 /PRNewswire/ -- OUR RESCUE, a global non-governmental organization (NGO) that partners to rescue and support survivors of sex trafficking and child exploitation, today announced the appointments of seven new members to its leadership team. With plans to expand global operations and survivor support, Derek Benner, Mitch Abrahamsen, Renata Parras and John Trenary are positioned to lead OUR RESCUE's growth in 2025. Janeen Vogelaar, Kelly Puspoki and Jeff Bird fill key roles in marketing and advancement to elevate OUR RESCUE's awareness and prevention mission.

"With a full leadership team in place, we are creating a high-performing, high-impact organization at the forefront of the collective movement to end human trafficking and child exploitation around the world," said OUR RESCUE CEO Tammy Lee. "These heinous crimes are happening in broad daylight, and in every dark corner of the world, generating more than $236 billion a year in illicit money, according to the most recent reports from International Labor Organization."

Additionally, suspected child sexual exploitation reports rose more than 12 percent nationwide, surpassing 36.2 million reports as of 2023, according to the most recent data from the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children.

Lee added, "As sex traffickers and child predators become more sophisticated, OUR RESCUE is doubling down on our commitment to support our law enforcement and survivor care partners. We will stay in this fight together until every child is safe. I am pleased to announce this new team of leaders who exemplify our commitment to this mission."

New OUR RESCUE Leaders 
Derek Benner, Chief Mission Officer 
Benner is leaving OUR RESCUE's Board of Directors to accept the position of Chief Mission Officer. In this senior leadership role, Benner will oversee the Mission Operations and Survivor Care teams. Benner's 30-year federal law enforcement career includes leading Homeland Security Investigations within the Department of Homeland Security (DHS). There he oversaw 10,000 law enforcement personnel, including 7,000 special agents assigned to 30 Special Agent in Charge offices in major cities and over 182 additional field offices across the U.S. and 86 overseas locations.

"I'm excited to apply my experience leading Homeland Security Investigations to advance the mission of OUR RESCUE," said Benner. "Rescuing and supporting survivors of human trafficking and child exploitation require strong partnerships, and I'm committed to fostering global collaborations to expand the reach and effectiveness of OUR RESCUE's vital services."

Benner also led the creation of the DHS Center for Countering Human Trafficking, the first unified, inter-component coordination center for countering human trafficking. He also served as Managing Director of Federal Law Enforcement and Commercial at Thomson Reuters Special Services, LLC.

Mitch Abrahamsen, Ph.D., Chief of Mission Support 
Abrahamsen has been serving as Interim Chief Operating Officer at OUR RESCUE and now assumes the expanded role of Chief of Mission Support. Abrahamsen will be responsible for the Finance, Business Solutions, Education and Prevention, and E-commerce teams in his new role. Internationally recognized for his leadership in R&D, global operations and education delivery, Abrahamsen brings over 25 years of experience driving growth for Fortune 500 companies and start-ups while fostering strong investor and stakeholder relationships.

Renata Parras, General Counsel, Senior Vice President of Strategic Partnerships 
In addition to leading OUR RESCUE's legal team, Parras is creating strategic partnerships with other NGOs, technology companies, law enforcement groups and financial institutions. She brings over 15 years of expertise advising on human rights, human trafficking, social impact and strategic partnerships across the public and private sectors. Previously, she served as Environment, Social and Governance (ESG) and Pro Bono Counsel at Paul Hastings LLP, leading the global law firm's Modern Slavery and Human Rights Initiative. Parras also spent 12 years with the DHS as Deputy Chief Counsel, advising on immigration, human rights and national security law.

John Trenary, Vice President of Mission for Asia, Africa and Middle East 
With over 25 years of experience in law enforcement, including digital forensics and cybercrime investigation assistance in support of the FBI, Homeland Security Investigations, United States Secret Service and The Internet Crimes Against Children Taskforce, Trenary has left his appointment to OUR RESCUE's Board of Directors to serve as head of mission for Asia, Africa and the Middle East. He will be leading the expansion of the Asia Mission Operations program, which includes law enforcement relationships and support for survivor care. Previously, Trenary served as Director of Digital Forensics Services at SEARCH Group, Inc., worked at the Linn County Sheriff's Office in Oregon, and operated his own consultancy Carpe Veritas Digital Forensics, LLC.

Janeen Vogelaar, Senior Vice President, Marketing and Communications 
A seasoned marketing leader and brand storyteller with over 20 years of experience, Vogelaar drives measurable growth and optimizes brand impact across sectors and a variety of industries. Previously, Vogelaar served as Chief Marketing Officer at Salo, part of Korn Ferry's Interim Executives & Professional Practice. She also was the Head of Marketing for the NBC Minneapolis affiliate where she led major marketing initiatives, including serving as Executive Producer for the duPont-Columbia award-winning documentary Love Them First.

Kelly Puspoki, Vice President, Strategic Communications and PR 
Puspoki brings over 25 years of experience, previously serving as Vice President of Marketing at United Way and Senior Vice President at leading global marketing and communications firms, including FleishmanHillard and Weber Shandwick where she drove brand awareness, engagement, revenue and mission impact for Fortune 500 companies and foundations. Her work has been recognized with 35 industry awards. Puspoki's expertise also includes addressing complex challenges such as poverty, global malnutrition, trauma-informed early childhood education and housing instability through strategic communications and advocacy.

Jeff Bird, Vice President, Advancement 
Bird brings significant nonprofit and business experience to OUR RESCUE, previously serving as Executive Director at the Alzheimer's Association in Fort Worth and Colorado's Rocky Mountain Region. He also was the Executive Director at the American Diabetes Association for a five-state region (Utah, Colorado, Nevada, Wyoming and Montana), State Director for the March of Dimes and a leader at the Family Support Center in Salt Lake City.

Find more information on OUR RESCUE's leadership team here.

About OUR RESCUE: Headquartered in Minneapolis, with offices in Dallas-Fort Worth and Salt Lake City, OUR RESCUE is a global non-governmental organization on a mission to end sex trafficking and child exploitation by empowering survivors to reclaim their lives and thrive on their healing journey. Founded in 2013, the organization focuses on education and prevention, supports law enforcement in identifying and prosecuting perpetrators, and provides trauma-informed survivor care services.

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