Host Committee Members and Speakers

Jeanne L. Allert – The Samaritan Women

Jeanne Allert founded and currently directs The Samaritan Women, a national faith-based organization providing restorative and graduate care for survivors of domestic sex trafficking.  Jeanne is chief architect behind The Samaritan Women’s care model and spends a great deal of time educating medical, social work and mental health professionals about the unique needs of trafficking victims.  She is a graduate of the FBI Citizen Academy, a member of the American Association of Christian Counselors, on the National Advisory Board for Crimes Against Women, and her work has been featured in numerous articles and in the 2015 documentary “In Plain Sight.” Committed to raising up a network of qualified shelter programs across the nation, she is currently working on the second iteration of a national study of trafficking shelter programs and pursuing a Masters in Church Ministries.

Dr. AR Bernard – Christian Cultural Center

Rev. Bernard is a visionary whose teachings have lifted his church, the Christian Cultural Center, to become New York’s largest house of worship. With more than 45,000 actively engaged members, it is one of America’s fastest growing churches. Rev. Bernard’s initiatives extend beyond the pulpit. Outreach programs under A.R. Bernard’s leadership include a food pantry serving the Brooklyn community, a prison ministry and working with various city organizations, including training orientation sessions for the New York City Police Department. Dr. Bernard and his wife Karen have been married for 45 years and been serving in ministry together for 39 years.

Dr. Joel C. Hunter – Faith Community Organizer

Dr. Hunter served as senior pastor of Northland Church in Longwood, FL for 32 years. In 2017 he transitioned from that role on a mission to “go from my best interpretation of what the Bible says, to my best imitation of how Jesus lived.” Now, Dr. Hunter, a full-time volunteer, serves as the Chairman of the Community Resource Network, a non-profit organization that he founded, focusing on helping the marginalized – specifically homeless families. Additionally, Dr. Hunter is the immediate past Chair of the Central Florida Commission on Homelessness, a Florida-based nonprofit organization comprised of government officials, corporations, faith communities, and other non-profit organizations working together to end homelessness. Dr. Hunter is on the Board of Influencers for Florida Abolitionists and is the new co-chair for the Faith Alliance. He is active in some global and national leadership roles, but is focusing his efforts as a Community Faith Organizer for Central Florida and was voted by Orlando Magazine as the #1 most powerful person for philanthropy and community engagement.

Byron R. Johnson, PhD.,  Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion

Byron Johnson is Distinguished Professor of the Social Sciences at Baylor University. He is the founding director of the Baylor Institute for Studies of Religion (ISR).  He is a Faculty Scholar in the Center for Spirituality, Theology, and Health at Duke University, Senior Advisor in the Religious Freedom Research Project at Georgetown University, Senior Fellow with the Witherspoon Institute (Princeton), Senior Fellow at the Sagamore Institute (Indianapolis), and is a Senior Advisor at the Religious Freedom Institute (Washington, DC).   He is recognized as a leading authority on the scientific study of religion, the efficacy of faith-based organizations, and criminal justice.  HIs books include More God, Less Crime (2011), The Angola Prison Seminary (2016), and The Quest for Purpose (2017).

Dr. Diane Langberg – Global Trauma Institute

Dr. Diane Langberg is a practicing psychologist whose clinical expertise includes 45 years of working with trauma survivors and clergy.  She speaks internationally on topics related to trauma, ministry and Christian life.  She is the director of Diane Langberg, Ph.D. & Associates, a group practice in suburban Philadelphia, PA.  Dr. Langberg is clinical faculty at Biblical Theological Seminary where she co-leads the Global Trauma Recovery Institute with Dr. Phil Monroe.  Author of numerous books and articles, she is former Chair of the Executive Board of the American Association of Christian Counselors, serves on the boards of GRACE (Godly Response to Abuse in a Christian Environment) and is Co-Chair of American Bible Society’s Trauma Advisory Council.

Dr. Mary Leary – Columbus School of Law

Dr. Leary is a professor of law at The Catholic University of America where her scholarship examines the intersection of criminal law, constitutional criminal procedure, technology and contemporary victimization. She focuses on the exploitation and abuse of women, children, and “vulnerable peoples.” She is a recognized expert in the areas of criminal law, victimization, exploitation, human trafficking, missing persons, technology and the Fourth Amendment.

Laura J. Lederer, J.D. – Global Centurion

Laura J. Lederer founded and directed The Protection Project at Harvard University’s John F. Kennedy School of Government in 1997.  From 2001 to 2009 she served as Senior Advisor on Trafficking in Persons, and from 2001 to 2009 she was the Executive Director of the Senior Policy Operating Group on Trafficking in Persons.  In 2010, Ms. Lederer founded Global Centurion, a non-profit organization dedicated to eradicating exploitation by focusing on the demand side of the problem, the perpetrators, exploiters, buyers, and end-users of human beings, seeking to prevent exploitation at its source.

Sister Michelle Loisel D.C, – U.S. Catholic Sisters Against Human Trafficking

Sr. Loisel was a nurse for many years, serving in the Middle East, Africa, India, and Haiti, as well as in other war-torn countries. For the past seven years, she has served as Executive Director of Dawn’s Place, a safe, residential, and holistic program for American and International women who have been victims of sex trafficking. Even before working at Dawn’s Place, she was an advocate for issues affecting the safety and wellbeing of women and children. Sr. Loisel currently also serves as the coordinator for the department of Migration and Modern Slavery for the Daughters of Charity, Province of St. Louise, and is a serving member of U.S. Catholic Sisters Against Human Trafficking.

Dan O’Bryant – National Center on Sexual Exploitation

Dan O’Bryant serves as a Board Member for the National Center on Sexual Exploitation and is an advocate against human sex trafficking.  He was a 2015-16 Fellow at the Weatherhead Center for International Affairs at Harvard University, where he gave presentations and did research on the topic, with publication pending.  He served as Chairman of the Board of Directors of Shared Hope International from 2013 – 2016 and remains on the Board.  Holding a Juris Doctor degree from Drake University, he served as a Judge Advocate General (JAG) in the U.S. Air Force, serving as a prosecutor and then later as an Area Defense Counsel.  He was also a Law Professor at the U.S. Air Force Academy in Colorado Springs.  He has served on numerous not-for-profit boards throughout his career.

John Cotton Richmond – Human Trafficking Institute

John Cotton Richmond is founding director of the Human Trafficking Institute, that exists to decimate modern slavery at its source by empowering police and prosecutors to stop traffickers.  Working inside criminal justice systems, the Institute provides embedded experts, world-class training, investigative resources, and evidence-based research necessary to free victims.  On October 11, 2018 John Cotton Richmond was  confirmed as Ambassador for Trafficking in Persons and the Director of the U.S Department of State’s Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons.  This office leads the United States’ global engagement against human trafficking and is responsible for bilateral and multilateral diplomacy, targeted foreign assistance, and public engagement on trafficking in persons.

Pastor Dave Stone – Southeast Christian Church

Dave Stone serves as Senior Pastor of Southeast Christian Church in Louisville, Kentucky, where he preaches Truth to more than 22,000 people each weekend.  Whether Dave is speaking or writing, he has the unique ability to touch both your heart and your funny bone through his practical life lessons.  Southeast currently has six campuses serving the specific needs of the areas in which they are located, while receiving centralized leadership and teaching from the Blankenbaker Campus in Louisville.  Southeast’s mission is to connect people to Jesus and to one another.

Autumn Hanna VandeHei – Advisory Council on Child Trafficking

Autumn Hanna VandeHei is co-founder of the Advisory Council on Child Trafficking (ACCT) and a human services policy expert and advocacy consultant focused on solutions-based social justice advocacy and reform.  Her expertise in communications and messaging on women’s issues and her access to the faith and conservative communities have enabled her to bridge the partisan divide in Washington, DC on issues like federal funding for AIDS and drug treatment for incarcerated women and girls.  She was formerly the Deputy Assistant Secretary for the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services in the George W. Bush administration, as well as a Capitol Hill policy advisor, and a child protective services physical and sexual abuse investigator and case manager.  Autumn continues to be a leader in community outreach efforts and is currently a Master of Divinity Candidate at Wesley Theological Seminary in Washington, DC.

Michael Wear – Public Square Strategies LLC

Michael is the founder of Public Square Strategies LLC and a leading expert and strategist at the intersection of faith, politics and American public life.  As one of President Obama’s “ambassadors to America’s believers,” Michael directed faith outreach for President Obama’s historic 2012 re-election campaign.  He served in the White House faith-based initiative during President Obama’s first term, where he led evangelical outreach and helped manage The White House’s engagement on religious and value issues including adoption and anti-human trafficking efforts.  Michael is also the author of the book Reclaiming Hope: Lessons Learned in the Obama White House About the Future of Faith in America.

William Wubbenhorst – Family and Youth Services Bureau, US Dept of Health and Human Services

William Wubbenhorst, Associate Commissioner for the Family and Youth Services Bureau (FYSB) has worked in state government and consulted for the federal government on youth issues.  Over the years, Mr. Wubbenhorst has collaborated with professors from several prestigious universities, most recently co-authoring a national study published through Baylor University’s Institute for Studies of Religion entitled Assessing the Faith-Based Response to Homelessness in America:  Findings from Eleven Cities.  Mr. Wubbenhorst has co-authored over 20 journal articles and evaluation case studies on subjects ranging from prisoner re-entry, faith and health initiatives, sexual risk avoidance program, high-risk youth mentoring and marriage and family strengthening.