Meet Willow's New Executive Director
After serving as Interim Executive Director, the Willow Domestic Violence Center's board has named Jessica Beeson Executive Director.
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The Willow Domestic Violence Center builds safer communities through shelter, services, and support to survivors of domestic violence and human trafficking in Douglas, Franklin, and Jefferson counties.
All services are free, confidential, and available to all.
The Willow was the first domestic violence center in the state of Kansas, opening in 1976. Today, we answer 3,900 crisis and referral calls per year, house 300-450 adults and children annually in our two shelters and multiple trans, and serve over 3,500 of our neighbors and friends throughout Douglas, Franklin, and Jefferson counties.
The Willow empowers survivors to rebuild and restart.
Our agency began as the Women's Transitional Care Center, but in 2010 changed its name to The Willow. The willow tree is one of the few trees that, if a branch is broken from it and then replanted, will grow into a new tree itself.
Principles
Our Guiding Principles
Equity
The Willow promotes equity in our services and community by working to support the needs of a diverse population while being inclusive to people of all identities.
Community
The Willow is committed to healthy partnerships, prevention work, outreach, collaboration, and education.
Advocacy
The Willow is committed to advocacy that is confidential, trauma-informed, low-barrier, and individualized.
Empowerment
The Willow works to empower survivors through peer support and respect, while honoring the dignity of those we serve.
Support
The Willow supports the well-being of survivors and advocates via self-care, education, innovation, and research-based practices.
Team
Our Team
JESSICA BEESON
Executive Director
Jessica spent nearly ten years as the Director of Alumni and External Relations for KU's College of Liberal Arts and Sciences before joining The Willow in 2018. She is the president of the USD 497 school board and teaches Leadership Studies at KU. She is a lifelong resident of Lawrence and a parent to two awesome kids.
DELANO THOMAS
Director of Community Services
Delano Thomas is originally from Salina, Kansas. Delano graduated from Washburn University in 2001 and 2007 with a BA in Human Services and an MSW in Clinical Social Work. Delano has held positions at the local, city, state, and federal levels, and has spent 10 years as an adjunct instructor/professor at Washburn in the school for applied studies and leadership institute departments.
AMANDA MARTINEZ
Director of Housing
Amanda Martinez has been serving survivors at the Willow since August 2012. In her current role as the Director of Shelter Services, she oversees the various programs offered to survivors needing emergency shelter in Douglas, Franklin, and Jefferson counties. In her spare time she enjoys late night coffee and game nights with friends.
CHRISTY IMEL
Director of Development & External Affairs
Christy is a lifelong Lawrence resident. She graduated from KU with a degree in Ecology and spent 7.5 years working for KDHE in Topeka. She returned to KU and completed her MBA, and worked as Development Director for Douglas County CASA, and most recently, for Kansas Public Radio in Corporate Support. She loves to garden, travel (hopefully again!!), and run after her two boys.
ADRIANNE NUÑEZ
Associate Director of External Affairs
Adrianne Nuñez joined the Willow in 2017 as the Human Trafficking Program Coordinator, eventually moving to the Community Services Team and finally the Outreach team as the Youth Prevention Coordinator. She is a lifelong Lawrence resident as well as KU graduate. When not connecting with community partners, Adrianne enjoys hanging out on her tiny homestead with her husband, kiddo, and sweet pup.
adea@willowdvcenter.org | (785)331-2034 ext. 105
FELIX RODRIGUEZ
Director of Equitable Practices & Recruitment
Felix Rodriguez has been at the Willow as the Director of Survivor Access since 2017, and a number of roles, including Survivor Access Advocate, SAFE Program Coordinator, and HOPEworks Engagement Coordinator at the Willow since 2015. In his spare time, Felix enjoys music engineering and production.
frodriguez@willowdvcenter.org | (785)331-2034 ext. 109
JOHN ROBISON
Director of Finance
John Robison has been with The Willow since June of 2022. John has lived in Lawrence for ten years with their two kiddos and has an MBA from the University of Missouri and a journalism degree from the University of Kansas. They love being on stage in their free time - they have run their own theater groups since the late 20th century.
Board
Our Board
Torrez Dawson
President
ANGELA MOTSINGER
Vice President
CHRISTY BLANCHARD
Secretary
KEITH JONES
Treasurer
SIERRA TWO BULLS
Board Member
JACQLENE NANCE-MENGLER
Board Member, Former Board President
BETH O'NEILL
Board Member
JENNY LAMB
Board Member
STACI WEINGARTNER
Board Member
The Willow prides itself on community transparency regarding our finances as well as policies and procedures. In order to be as transparent as possible and to comply with best accounting principles, we've formally written checks and balances into the governing by-laws of the organization.
Our Finance Committee meets monthly to review The Willow's financials and provides a report at the Board of Directors meetings. Additionally, we employ an independent auditor commissioned by the finance committee. This committee conducts a full audit at the end of each fiscal year,. The auditor then presents his/her results to the Board of Directors, prepares our annual 990 filing (signed by both the auditor and Executive Director), and submits it to the IRS.
We welcome any questions you may have regarding our financials, policies and procedures, or any other area in which you have an interest or concern.
Interested in serving on The Willow board? Find out more.
Reports
Annual Reports
2022 - 2023
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The Willow Blog
Blog
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