The National Council on Family Violence Adds Three New Members of the Board of Directors

MEMPHIS, Tenn., Oct. 17, 2012 /PRNewswire/ -- The National Council on Family Violence (NCFV) announces that it is adding three new board members: Dorothy J. Pounders, of Memphis, Tenn.; Mary Susan Gallien Clinton of Naples, Fla.; and Shelia L. Casey of Washington, D.C.  In addition, the Council named Maury Lane, Chair; Catrina Wilson, Vice Chair; Marta Pelaez, Secretary; and MariBen Ramsey, Treasurer, as its elected officers to the board of directors for 2012-2013.

The National Council on Family Violence is the umbrella organization which operates the National Domestic Violence Hotline, the National Dating Abuse Helpline, and the Texas Council on Family Violence.

"The National Council on Family Violence is thrilled to have these four leading our board team.  They all have a proven track record of success on our board and we are grateful they are willing to serve," said Dyanne Purcell, CEO of the National Council on Family Violence. "It is critical that we have experienced, talented professionals who can help the Hotline and Helpline continue to provide life changing services nationally, support Texas domestic violence programs and raise critical funding that saves lives."

New board members
New board member Dorothy J. Pounders, of Memphis, Tenn., is a managing partner at Pounders Coleman and practices in the areas of family law, litigation, arbitration, and mediation. She is the past president of both the Memphis Bar Association and the Memphis Bar Foundation.

Mary Susan Gallien Clinton of Naples, Fla., also a new board member, founded GALLIEN GLOBAL VISION, a wildlife documentary company, and her own medical skin care line called Renaitre. In addition to her entrepreneurial drive, Clinton is also an active community volunteer. She was named the Gulfshore Life's Woman of the Year in 2002 and Community All Star in 2006.

Shelia L. Casey of Washington, D.C., the final new board member, is the chief operating officer for The Hill, a political publication which reports on congressional activities. She was previously the financial director for the Texas Council on Family Violence, which falls under the NCFV umbrella.

New Officers
Lane, the NCFV incoming board, is president of Burson Campaigns, a new corporate issues management unit of Burson-Marsteller, in June 2011. He has more than 24 years of communications and public affairs experience and expertise in business development, public relations, strategic messaging, government affairs, and world-wide media relations.

Wilson, Vice Chair, of Corpus Christi, Tex., is president and chief executive officer of United Way of the Coastal Bend. Since she took this top position in 2006, the annual fundraising development has set new records in individual and corporate gifts.

Palaez, Secretary, of San Antonio, Tex., is the president and chief executive officer of Family Violence Preventions Services, Inc., one of the largest providers of shelter and other services for victims of family violence and their children in the state of Texas. Palaez has led FVPS to grow to as many as 19 programs and $4.8 million in annual donations and government grants.

Ramsey, Treasurer, of Austin, Tex., is the vice present, chief operating officer, and general counsel for the Austin Community Foundation, which manages more than $100 million in charitable funds. The awards and recognitions Ramsey has received throughout her career include the Austin Business Journal's Women of Influence in 2011, and the Junior League of Austin's Community Service award.

Background
The Hotline is a vital link to safety for victims of domestic violence. It provides crisis intervention, safety planning, information, and referrals to over 200,000 victims of domestic violence, as well as friends and families of those affected each year.  NDVH is the only domestic violence hotline that links victims to more than 4,000 domestic violence programs and resources in the United States, Guam, Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands.

Created in 2007, the Helpline is a 24-hour resource for teens and young people ages 13 – 24, who are experiencing dating abuse and those seeking information about healthy dating relationships. Over 70,000 young people reach out annually via phone, online chat, and text to connect confidentially with trained peer advocates about how to build healthy dating structures, identify relationship red flags, and connect to help resources in their local community.

The Texas Council on Family Violence is the state domestic violence coalition. TCFV promotes safe and healthy relationships by working in three primary strategic focus areas: supporting more than 100 family violence service providers throughout Texas; creating an environment in Texas in which people, organizations, and communities work together to prevent domestic violence; and extensive public policy work to ensure a strong network of services and protections for domestic violence victims and their children.

CONTACT:
Dyanne Purcell, CEO
NCFV
512-794-1133
[email protected]

Kate Sinervo, Burson Campaigns
901-818-5295
[email protected]

SOURCE National Council on Family Violence