Opening Plenary and Ceremonies
August 18th | 10:30 am - 12:15 pm
Telling My Story: The Unexpected Gift of Post-Traumatic Growth
Kris Pedretti
Kris Pedretti is the 10th known survivor of the Golden State Killer, Joseph James DeAngelo. After remaining silent for 42 years, she now courageously shares her journey of post-traumatic growth. Kris is a powerful voice for survivors, participating in national podcasts, documentaries, and public speaking engagements to raise awareness and promote healing.
She speaks across the country at conferences focused on trauma-informed care, law enforcement training, and survivor advocacy. As the founder and CEO of Phyllis's Garden, a nonprofit organization dedicated to supporting sexual assault survivors, Kris leads transformative initiatives, including the creation of soft interview rooms in police stations and the facilitation of survivor support groups.
Through her work, Kris empowers others to break their silence, reclaim their voice, and find strength in healing.
Closing Plenary & Ceremonies
August 21st | 11:00 am - 1:00 pm
Lauren Book, M.S. Ed.
How Parkland Students Turned Trauma into Change
Lauren Book, M.S. Ed., Former State Senator
Lauren Book, M.S. Ed., former State Senator, is an internationally respected and renowned child advocate, former classroom teacher, best-selling author, and one of 42 million survivors of child sexual abuse living in the US today. Book founded Lauren's kids, a 501(c)(3) nonprofit foundation, more than 15 years ago. Under Senator Book's leadership, the organization works to create a world where the exploitation of children is not tolerated. Over her years of service to victims of abuse, Lauren has successfully advocated for the passage of more than 2 dozen state and national laws to protect victims and keep predators at bay - including the nation's toughest mandatory reporting laws, child safety zones and ending the Statute of Limitations for prosecution of sexual crimes committed against children. She has walked more than 10,000 miles across the state of FL, trekking 1,500 miles from Key West to Tallahassee annually from 2000 to 2018, to raise awareness about sexual abuse and to allow survivors an outlet to speak out about their experiences. In addition to her advocacy work, Book is committed to empowering children to protect themselves against abuse. A former classroom teacher, Book developed the first of its kind Pre-K through Grade 12 abuse prevention and personal safety curriculum program, Safer, Smarter Schools, to provide children with the necessary tools to recognize safe and unsafe situations, avoid traps set by predators, and speak up if they feel unsafe or are being victimized. The curriculum program is currently being used across the state of FL, the country, and the world to arm 5 million children with safety education each year.
Reflecting on our Past, Present, and Future: Bold Strategies for Anti-Violence Professionals
Carolyn West, Ph.D., University of Washington
Dr. Carolyn West is Professor of Clinical Psychology at the University of Washington, expert witness, author, and consultant who has investigated gender-based violence in the lives of Black women for more than three decades. Dr. West has authored more than 100 publications, including the 4-part Technical Assistance Guidance Series: Serving Black Women Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence. She has been a featured expert on Red Table Talk with Jada Pinkett Smith and documentaries, including Chris Brown: A History of Violence and Diddy: The Making of a Bad Boy.
Dr. Carolyn West will share her 30-year journey as the granddaughter of sharecroppers, to a student activist who successfully filed a sexual harassment lawsuit, to an award-winning professor, author, domestic violence researcher, expert witness, and documentary filmmaker. She will discuss strategies for becoming a survivor centered, culturally responsive, trauma informed, strengths-based service provider as we face the challenges of doing anti-violence work in the coming decades.