HealthWise: Domestic Violence
Panelists

Lisa Angel
Attorney, Rosen Law Firm
Chair, North Carolina Domestic Violence Commission

Lisa M. Angel is a North Carolina Board Certified Family Law Specialist with Rosen Law Firm who has written and spoken extensively on family law issues. Ms. Angel is a frequent lecturer at continuing legal education programs for attorneys, including as guest lecturer at Duke University School of Law and Campbell Law School. In 2005, she was appointed by Governor Easley to serve as chair for the North Carolina Domestic Violence Commission.

Ms. Angel is past president of the Women's Center of Wake County Board of Directors and the current Co-Chair of Wake County Family Lawyers. She is a member of the Wake County Volunteer Lawyers Program Advisory Board and Co-Chair and founding board member of Project Together, a Wake County domestic violence pro bono project. She is the North Carolina Bar Association Liaison to North Carolina Medical Society Task Force on Domestic Violence, is a member of the UNC Hospitals Domestic Violence Intervention Advisory Board, and serves on Interact's Speakers' Bureau. In 2004, Ms. Angel was honored as one of Triangle Business Journal's Top 25 Women In Business In The Triangle. Ms. Angel received her undergraduate degree, cum laude, from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill and her J.D. degree from Wake Forest University.

Tanisha Bagley
Survivor & Author, The Price of Love

Tanisha Bagley is an author, public speaker, entrepreneur and advocate for victims and survivors of domestic violence. She is also the founder of E.N.S.H.R.I.N.E. (Everyone Needs Support, Help Respect, Inspiration, Nourishment and Empowerment), a non-profit organization that provides safe housing, financial support, job training, mentoring and counseling for women and children who have been victimized by domestic abuse and violence.

Ms. Bagley's personal testimony (as a survivor of domestic violence) has inspired audiences across the country. Her real life story of tragedy and triumph is featured in a documentary entitled Something So Beautiful, which is available from Interact, a safety support and awareness agency for individuals impacted by domestic violence. Her first book, The Price of Love is a story of survival based on one young woman's real life experiences as a victim and survivor of domestic violence. Ms. Bagely is a mother of three and currently resides in Apex, NC. Her second book, Broken Pieces is scheduled for release December 2005.

Ivonne Ortiz
Immigration Outreach Specialist
North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence (NCCADV)

Ivonne Ortiz served as the Director of the Domestic Violence Program for the Wesley Shelter, one of the largest women’s centers in North Carolina for a period of seven years. Under her leadership, services evolved from emergency response to comprehensive programming. Ms. Ortiz was the guiding force behind the Shelter’s implementation of the Hispanic Outreach Program, which increased awareness of domestic violence, sexual assault and homeless services offered to this population in Wilson County. She served as the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence Region IV Board representative for a period of two years, has facilitated statewide training programs, and has been providing technical support across the state regarding immigrant issues. In 2003 Ms. Ortiz was selected to represent the Latino community in Wilson’s successful quest for All-American City Status. Ms. Ortiz was appointed in 2004 as North Carolina’s Team Leader for the Southern Regional 7-State Summit in Miami, Florida. Legal Momentum, formerly known as The National Network to End Violence Against Immigrants, sponsored this event.

A native of Rio Piedras, Puerto Rico, Ms. Ortiz attended the University of Puerto Rico were she majored in Sociology with a minor in Communications. Ivonne was certified as a Victim’s Services Practitioner through NCVAN in 2001 and was a nominee for the Peace Award for the NCCADV in 2004. Recently Ivonne Ortiz joined the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence as their Immigrant Outreach Specialist. Through this position, NCCADV hopes to strengthen the voices of battered immigrants and organizations that serve this population.

William Polk
Director
N.C. Attorney General's Office
Victims and Citizens Services Section

William Polk is the director of the Victims and Citizens Services Section of the Attorney General's Office. Victims and Citizens Services provides direct assistance to the people of North Carolina through a variety of innovative programs. The Section develops policy and legislation, provides crime prevention programs, connects citizen citizens with community resources, and works with other agencies to coordinate Department of Justice services for citizens. Victims and Citizens Services can provide assistance in the following areas: Child Victim, Assistance, Child Identification Kits, Domestic Violence, Hate Crimes, Victims Rights, among others.

Mr. Polk is a native of Harrisburg, N.C., and received a BA in Political Science/Criminal Justice Concentration from North Carolina State University in 1996, and his J.D. from N.C. Central University School of Law, in 1999. He is admitted to the N.C. Bar and U.S. District Court for the Eastern District of North Carolina. Before joining the Attorney General's Office, Mr. Polk's previous experiences include working for the Office of the Governor as a policy analyst. Currently, he is the chair of the Workplace Committee of the Council for Women/Domestic Violence Commission. He is the Attorney General's Designee to the Council for Women/Domestic Violence Commission. He has served on the N.C. Child-Well Being and Domestic Violence Task Force. He has been recognized for his legislative efforts, by being awarded the Legislative Advocacy award by the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

Karen Parker Thompson
Director, Domestic Violence Service
United Family Services

Karen Parker Thompson, a resident of Charlotte, NC is the Director of Domestic Violence Services at United Family Services. Ms. Thompson's responsibilities include development, promotion and oversight of the shelter, court, hospital and jail-based programs that serve over 7,000 domestic violence survivors annually. She provides training and technical assistance to staff, other organizations and the public on domestic violence issues. Ms. Thompson also serves on a number of state and local committees and workgroups focusing on policy development and advocacy around domestic violence issues.

Ms. Thompson has worked in the domestic violence field over 15 years and prior to her current position, she served with a variety of nonprofit organizations and government agencies including the Texas Department of Human Services Family Violence Program, the Georgia Department of Human Resources Family Violence Program, the Council on Battered Women, the Davison School and Elon Homes for Children. Ms. Thompson graduated with honors from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill with a Bachelors degree in Psychology and a certificate in Women's Studies. She then completed her Masters degree in Urban Studies with a concentration in Nonprofit Administration at Georgia State University, Atlanta.