Gov. Rick Snyder recently signed an executive order establishing the Michigan Domestic and Sexual Violence Prevention and Treatment Board to help better protect victims and prevent future crimes.
The order abolishes the Michigan Domestic Violence Prevention and Treatment Board and replaces it with the new panel to address the shifting focus and duties.
The board will operate under the auspices of the state Department of Human Services.
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, he said, 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.”
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 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 and serves on the State Drug Court Advisory Committee.
Pollard Hines 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.
Brantley 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.
Hoover 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.
Cape is the director of Charron Services. She is a licensed master social worker and is a member of the Batterer Intervention Coalition of Michigan.
Fink 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.
Sullivan 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.
All appointments to the board are subject to the advice and consent of the state Senate.
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