The Board of Directors and Staff of Avalon Sexual Assault Centre are pleased to announce the appointment of Jackie Stevens to the position of Executive Director. Jackie assumes this role after being in an acting capacity since April 2014.

Jackie is a highly dedicated professional with a Masters degree in Sociology and over 25 years of experience working in women’s organizations and the non-profit sector. She possesses extensive experience working with organizations specializing in trauma-informed and trauma specific approaches to sexualized violence, as well as client and community-centred approaches to violence against women and other forms of oppression. Jackie’s work reflects her strong commitment to feminism, the intersectionality of violence and oppression, social justice issues, advocacy, education, and community development.

Prior to assuming the role of Acting Executive Director, Jackie was Associate Director, and coordinated Avalon Centre’s Community/Legal Education and Professional Training Program for over 16 years.  In her new role as Executive Director of Avalon Sexual Assault Centre, Jackie is committed to advancing Avalon in the areas of sustainable funding and programming, and building organizational capacity to more effectively and strategically address and respond to sexualized violence and other forms of oppression. Jackie looks forward to fostering community partnerships and public engagement to promote awareness and prevention of sexualized violence and address systemic barriers of access to justice and support services.

The Avalon Sexual Assault Centre is a feminist organization working to eliminate sexual assault/abuse and to change the current socio-political culture that fosters sexism, social injustice and other forms of oppression. We aspire to a world in which individuals are empowered and mobilized to share responsibility in creating communities free from sexualized violence and abuse. We provide a leadership role in raising awareness, supporting those who have experienced sexualized violence, holding sexual perpetrators accountable, and influencing social and systemic change.

Please join the Board of Directors in congratulating Jackie on her new role.  We look forward to working with Jackie and are confident in her leadership to guide Avalon towards achieving its vision and mission.