Governor forms Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention and Treatment Board

An executive order signed Tuesday by Gov. Rick Snyder establishes within the state Department of Human Services the Michigan Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention and Treatment Board to help better protect victims and prevent future crimes. Executive Order 2012-17 abolishes the Michigan Domestic Violence Prevention and Treatment Board and replaces it with the new board to address the shifting focus and duties. Concurrently, the governor appointed members to the new board. Snyder addressed the need for expanded attention to sexual assault in Michigan in his special message on public safety last March. The governor said a collaborative effort will ensure that the best tools are available to hold offenders accountable as well as in the equally important effort to help in the recovery and health and wellness of sexual assault victims. A comprehensive approach is also needed in solving domestic violence and sexual assault crimes. "Domestic and sexual violence are serious crimes that threaten victims and impact both their physical and mental health and well-being," Snyder said. "We must take a comprehensive approach to protect domestic violence and sexual abuse victims today and prevent victimizations tomorrow and I am confident the new board will be effective in those efforts." Under EO 2012-17, the board will be comprised of seven members appointed by the governor with the advice and consent of the state Senate. It coordinates and monitors programs and services for the prevention of domestic and sexual violence and the treatment of victims of domestic and sexual violence. Appointed to the new board are Jeffrey Sauter, Elizabeth Pollard Hines, Yvonne Brantley, Kathryn Hoover, Jeffrie Cape, James Fink, and Cris Mary Sullivan. Sauter, of Grand Ledge, is the Eaton County prosecuting attorney. He has served in various capacities with the Eaton County Prosecuting Attorney's office and the Hubbard Law Firm. He serves on the State Drug Court Advisory Committee, the board of directors of the Michigan Association of Drug Court Professionals and the board of directors of the Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan. Sauter earned a bachelor's degree from Central Michigan University and a degree from Thomas M. Cooley Law School. He will serve a three-year term expiring Dec. 4, 2015. Pollard Hines, of Ann Arbor, is the chief district court judge of the 15th District Court. Previously she served as the assistant prosecuting attorney of Washtenaw County and has more than 30 years of handling cases involving family violence. Hines earned a bachelor's degree from the University of Michigan and a law degree from the University of Michigan Law School. She will serve a three-year term expiring Dec. 4, 2015. Brantley, of Bay City, is a Michigan State Police community service trooper based at the Tri-City Post. She has been active in the Bay County Women's Shelter and Domestic Violence Response Team and has trained in various aspects of domestic violence. Brantley earned an associate degree in applied arts in criminal justice from Delta College and a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Ferris State University. She will serve a three-year term expiring Dec. 4, 2015. Hoover, of Fenton, is a guidance counselor at Richfield Public School Academy in Flint. She implemented the comprehensive guidance program, established a girls leadership club and developed a student leadership and mentoring model. Hoover previously served as a guidance counselor at West Catholic High School, as an educational consultant at Kent Intermediate School District and as a middle/high school prevention instructor and crisis counselor for the Pregnancy Resource Center in Grand Rapids. She is a national delegate for VISION 2020 representing Michigan women and the field of education and was nominated as "Teacher of the Year" by the Michigan Association of Public School Academies in 2010. Hoover earned a bachelor's degree in communications from Oakland University and a master's degree in school counseling from Grand Valley State University. She will serve a two-year term expiring Dec. 4, 2014. Cape, of West Bloomfield, is the director of Charron Services. She is a licensed master social worker and is a member of the Batterer Intervention Coalition of Michigan. She earned a bachelor's degree in communication from the University of Illinois and master's degree in social administration with a concentration in direct service, family and child specialization from Case Western Reserve University. She will serve a one-year term expiring Dec. 4, 2013. Fink, of Ypsilanti, is an attorney with Fink & Valvo. He served more than 20 years in the Washtenaw County Sheriff's Department, where he worked his way up through the ranks to become commander. He also served as an officer in the Eastern Michigan University Police Department. Fink earned a bachelor's degree in criminal justice from Eastern Michigan University and a degree from Detroit College of Law. He will serve a one-year term expiring Dec. 4, 2013. Sullivan, of Potterville, will serve as chair of the board. She is the associate chair of the Psychology Department at Michigan State University and also serves as the director of the MSU Violence Against Women Research & Outreach Initiative. Sullivan earned a bachelor's degree in psychology and a master's and doctorate degree in ecological community psychology, all from Michigan State University. She will serve a one-year term expiring Dec. 4, 2013. All appointments to the board are subject to the advice and consent of the state Senate. The full text of Executive Order 2012-17 may be read on the governor's website. Published: Thu, Dec 6, 2012

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