Leadership, Partners & Funders -

Jeri Moomaw

In 2016, Jeri was awarded by the U.S. Department of Justice Office of Justice Programs for her work in improving the lives of trafficking survivors. She is a human trafficking subject matter expert and consultant for many entities within the U.S. Department of Justice and Homeland Security. She has worked for the past 21 years with youth and adult high-risk individuals, developing and overseeing programs, curriculum and training content to combat CSE, human trafficking, gangs, and violence against youth and women.

Jeri is Shoshone/Cree and she is an expert on Native issues and human trafficking in Indian Country. As someone who has been personally impacted by this kind of violence, she knows first-hand the individual and the collective toll it can take. She has made it her mission to bring awareness, education, and tools to equip communities and front-line professionals to be able to recognize and respond to trafficking and violence, while empowering survivors to engage in anti-trafficking work.

Mary Williams

Mary Williams is a Seattle Native, a Mother, a Substance Use Disorders Prevention Specialist, a Peer Counselor, a Certified Recovery Coach, a person in long term recovery and an Organizer. She has recently launched the NW Black Women’s Consortium, a partnership of professional women of color who perform acts of service, connect and support each other. Her passion is sharing with women of color about the intersections of race/gender/poverty and the stress and barriers to our health and thriving. Mary fights to reduce the shame of getting help for mental health, substance abuse and violence.

Recently a community researcher with the Black Brilliance Project and King County Equity Now, she is a Policy Advocate on participatory budgeting. She believes that reinvesting in families, restorative justice and alternatives to our current system of policing can create big changes. She is a believer in prevention and problem solving, holistically examining conflicts and communicating clearly with all affected parties. She strives to be at the forefront of organizations who are dedicated to recognizing the worth of every person. Everyone means everyone.

Carolyn DeFord

Carolyn DeFord is a member of the Puyallup Tribe, a survivor, and missing and murdered Indigenous women family member. She is a national advocate for missing and murdered Indigenous women and people (MMIWP), and founder of Missing and Murdered Native Americans (MMNA), a survivor-led, volunteer organization focused on supporting families of MMIWP, and prevention through domestic violence and human trafficking advocacy.

Her journey began in 1999 when her mother, Leona LeClair Kinsey went missing. Carolyn understands, and strives to alleviate the stress families experience when a loved one is missing. Through collaboration with service providers, MMNA leverages resources to broaden search efforts, reunite families with their missing loved ones, and coordinate services needed when survivors and families are reunited. Working through her tragedy, Carolyn believes that domestic violence and human trafficking advocacy are steps in MMIWP prevention, and everyone has a role to play in becoming a part of the solution.

Noel Gomez

Noel is the co-founder of Organization for Prostitution Survivors (OPS), a 501c3 non-profit organization in Seattle, WA; and is a survivor of commercial sexual exploitation. Since her time being sexually exploited, Noel went to school and became a state-certified chemical dependency counselor, while earning her BA in Social Justice. As a CD counselor in 2005, she worked with high-risk, justice impacted youth in juvenile detention facilities. Noel quickly developed rapport with the young girls she was meeting and soon became aware that these girls were being sexually exploited. Even worse, Noel later realized there were no services for these victimized girls being held in detention facilities. Noel began working for Youth Care in 2008 as the first CSEC advocate and the only anti-trafficking advocate in the city of Seattle. She was also contracted by the city of Seattle to facilitate the John School, as well as the Sex Industry Worker’s class – a diversion program; that if completed, pending charges were dismissed.

During her time serving victimized youth, Noel began hearing from adult women who needed services too. At that time, there were no available services or programs in Washington state. Prior to these engagements, Noel was thinking about starting an anti-trafficking organization. She finally made the decision (along with Peter Qualliotine) to start a non-profit organization that is focused on social change for adults and youth survivors of commercial sexual exploitation. Noel has trained the FBI, social workers, advocates, teachers, doctors, nurses, and most people currently involved in anti-human trafficking work in Washington state.

Robin Miller

Robin Miller, an esteemed advocate with a decade of experience in survivor-led initiatives and human trafficking awareness, is recognized nationally for her innovation and collaboration. Her commitment to empowering survivors and catalyzing change has defined her career. Robin is a co-founder of the Sex Trade Survivor Caucus (formerly the Northwest Survivor Alliance) and works as the Pacific Northwest Advocate with Empowered Network, where she supports adult survivors of human trafficking in reaching their goals relating to housing, education and employment.

Notably, Robin’s dynamic impact extends through her presentations to diverse audiences on commercial sexual exploitation, seamlessly blending survivor insights with professional expertise. As a former Case Manager and Mentor at the New Options for Women Program with LifeWorks NW, she specialized in aiding adult women affected by commercial sexual exploitation. With a bachelor’s in social science from Portland State University, Robin continues her resolute advocacy, focusing on empowering survivors and instigating systemic transformation.

Partners

WASE Forward has a robust network of partners across Washington State working to reduce sex trafficking and sexual exploitation

Atlas Free in Kirkland, WA
Businesses Ending Slavery and Trafficking in Seattle, WA
Byond Meazurez in Renton, WA
Cowlitz Indian Tribe in WA
ECPAT-USA in Washington, DC
Engedi Refuge in Lynden, WA
Firefly MDT in Thurston, Lewis, and Mason Counties, WA
Health and Justice Recovery Alliance in Spokane, WA
Human Trafficking Task Force of Clark County, WA
Inland Northwest Task Force on Human Trafficking in Spokane, WA
Innovations Human Trafficking Collaborative in Olympia, WA
Intercommunity Peace and Justice Center in Seattle, WA
Janus Youth Programs in Vancouver, WA
King County Prosecuting Attorney’s Office in King County, WA
Mirror Ministries in Richland, WA
Organization for Prostitution Survivors in Seattle, WA
Peace by Piece Counseling in Kent, WA
Polaris Project in Washington DC
Rebuilding Hope in Tacoma, WA
Rotary Club of the Pacific Northwest Ending Sex Trafficking
Shared Hope International in Vancouver, WA
Strategic Alliance to Fight Exploitation in Washington State in Kirkland, WA
StolenYouth in Seattle, WA
Tahoma Indian Center in Tacoma, WA
Thurston County Human Trafficking Task Force in Thurston County, WA
Truckers Against Trafficking in Englewood, CO
World Without Exploitation