Staff & Board

Since joining the Nebraska Coalition in 2022, Alicia has provided essential administrative support and coordination across office operations, including managing communications, maintaining listservs, fulfilling resource orders, and assisting with grant reporting. She offers technical assistance with office logistics, printed materials, referrals, and the lending library. Alicia maintains a consistent presence throughout the week, balancing in-office and remote work to support the team’s operations.

Christon joined the Nebraska Coalition in 2022 after over 25 years in the domestic and sexual violence movement. She oversees operations of the agency, supervises staff, and is responsible for funding and donor relations in addition to working closely with grant managers and state and federal administrators. Christon has a background in systems improvement and public policy work. She is happy to provide technical assistance in these areas as well as supervision, grants, community-based collaborations, and other related areas.

David manages the financial aspects of the Nebraska Coalition, including grant tracking, payroll and human resources, payment of Nebraska Coalition obligations, budgeting, and cash management. He prepares the payroll tax returns, grant reports, and financial reports for the board meetings. He is usually in the office to assist with any issues that may arise.

Kristen manages all aspects of the grants cycle for the Nebraska Coalition, including research, applications, and reporting. She also creates and oversees the Nebraska Coalition’s contracts. She offers technical assistance with grants, contracts, and all types of fundraising. She holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in Musicology from Penn State University, a Master’s degree in Mental Health Counseling from the University of Nebraska-Kearney, and a Certificate in Fund Raising Management from the Fund Raising School/Lilly Family School of Philanthropy.

As a Policy Fellow, Zoe assists the Nebraska Coalition and network service providers with understanding and providing organization to our state policy agenda. She approaches policy work from an organizing lens to make sure people at all levels are comfortable and feel ready to engage, whether it’s testifying, contacting their elected officials, or lobbying. Zoe has experience in campaigns, direct democracy initiatives, student organizing, and interacting with the Nebraska Legislature. She graduated from the University of Nebraska Omaha in 2024 with a Bachelor’s in Public Health.

Heidi Martinez Reyes is the Bilingual Legal Advocate at the Nebraska Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence and provides legal support to vulnerable populations. As a legal professional, Heidi’s role is assisting Spanish-speaking undocumented survivors of crime and domestic violence to navigate the complex immigration system, providing legal assistance for U Visa, T Visa, and VAWA self-petitions. Heidi also offers crucial language support, interpreting and translating documents to ensure their voices are heard throughout the process. Heidi’s work is influenced by five years of experience at a domestic violence shelter, where she served as both an advocate and case manager. This hands-on experience has given her a deep understanding of the challenges survivors face, from seeking protection orders to finding safe housing. She is available to provide training and technical assistance on topics related to immigration, domestic violence, and the unique challenges of immigration abuse within domestic violence situations.

Melanie Kirk is the Legal Director of the Nebraska Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence. She is an attorney with extensive experience in survivor-centered advocacy, legislative policy, and legal training. Melanie is also a licensed family law and Specialized Alternative Dispute Resolution (SADR) mediator. She earned her J.D. from the University of Nebraska College of Law and her B.A. in Mass Communications from Doane University.

Therese provides legal representation to survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking, focusing on humanitarian-based immigration remedies. She also provides training, technical assistance, and support to network organizations across Nebraska. She earned her J.D. from the University of Nebraska College of Law and a Bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln.

Alex supports the Nebraska Coalition’s Rape Prevention and Education (RPE) grant and work. Integral to this is building primary prevention knowledge and capacity across the state. Alex holds a Master of Arts in Conflict Resolution and International Studies and a Master of Science in Conflict Analysis and Resolution and has worked in direct service, prevention, and advocacy across the Midwest and South. She grounds her work in anti-oppression, community, and collaboration because addressing violence is a collective issue tied to historical structures of power. She believes that to build cultures rooted in consent, we must work across movements and causes to address deep-rooted inequities to build a safe future for everyone.

Danielle manages the Nebraska Coalition’s brand, messaging, and digital presence to strengthen awareness and prevention of sexual, domestic, and similar types of violence issues across Nebraska. She leads the development of campaigns, resources, and publications that support member organizations and engage communities in prevention and advocacy. Danielle holds a Master of Arts in Integrated Media Communications, along with graduate certificates in Strategic Marketing and Public Relations & Social Media from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln, and brings a strong background in graphic design and mission-driven communications to her work.

Rachel leads the Nebraska Coalition’s efforts to help programs across Nebraska build capacity for preventing violence before it happens. She works to make sure prevention is included in all areas of the Nebraska Coalition’s work – including training, support, advocacy, and partnerships. She started in this field as an advocate at a local domestic violence shelter, providing direct support to survivors. Later, she studied gender-based violence in graduate school and worked at a national resource center on sex offender management at the Center for Effective Public Policy in Maryland. Rachel has a Master of Arts degree in Sociology from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln.

Amber Harper is the Network Services Coordinator at the Nebraska Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence. There she contributes her talents and lived experience to support network organizations in their work around sexual violence, multisectoral partnerships, and more. As a survivor of violence, she draws on her experience to foster deeper understanding across systems. Amber is deeply committed to addressing the root causes of oppression, with a passion for addressing exploitation and uplifting the voices of those most affected. Amber’s work goes beyond awareness; it’s about transforming communities, one relationship at a time.

Kim Carpenter is part of the service enhancement team, which provides support to network organizations across the state. Kim responds to information and training requests from the network organizations, allied organizations, and community partners regarding providing supportive services to survivors of sexual abuse, domestic violence, and human trafficking. Kim has expertise in survivor inclusion, mental health/substance use disorder, trauma-informed care, incarceration/trauma, and Prison Rape Elimination Act (PREA).

Lee Heflebower leads initiatives to strengthen economic justice and housing opportunities for survivors across the state. She brings extensive experience in domestic violence, poverty, and homelessness to her position at the Nebraska Coalition and provides technical assistance and program development support to network agencies and community partners. Lee serves as a Commissioner on the Nebraska Commission on Housing and Homelessness and as an Executive Board member of the Lincoln Homeless Coalition. She earned a Master of Public Administration degree from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and is currently pursuing a doctoral degree in education and leadership at Rockhurst University.

Maddie Walker is the Human Trafficking Program Coordinator with the Nebraska Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence. She works with Nebraska’s domestic violence and sexual assault crisis programs to increase their capacity to serve survivors of human trafficking. She also serves on the organizing team for the Nebraska Partnership Against the Trafficking of Humans (NE PATH), a network of those involved in Nebraska’s anti-trafficking efforts that provides opportunity for connection and shared learning. Maddie has been involved in domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking prevention and crisis intervention for 11 years. She lives in Lincoln with her husband, three kids, two cats, and 25 house plants.

Amber Jurgens is the Director of Survivor Leadership at the Nebraska Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence. She leads the Survivor Leadership Project, a statewide initiative that elevates survivors as leaders whose lived experience shapes policy and advances community change across Nebraska. Amber also collaborates with organizations by providing training and technical assistance to strengthen their approaches to survivor leadership and engagement. She brings system-level knowledge and lived experience to her work, drawing on her expertise in childhood domestic violence, post-separation abuse, criminal/legal systems, and trauma-informed care. She holds B.S. in Education and Human Sciences from the University of Nebraska–Lincoln and an M.A. in Human Services. Amber believes survivors should not just be included in the movement but lead it.

Kendra Bryant is the Survivor Leadership Project Coordinator, where she leads the development and implementation of a statewide peer-to-peer mentorship program for survivors of power-based violence. In this role, she works closely with survivor leaders, community partners, and advisory councils to create meaningful opportunities for connection, healing, and leadership development. Kendra has over eight years of experience supporting survivors and system-impacted youth, with expertise in trauma-informed care, child development, and survivor inclusion. She is passionate about centering lived experience, fostering community, and building survivor-led initiatives that promote empowerment and systems change.