PRESENTER BIOS

Marisa Bava Ugarte, M.A., Executive Director of the Bilateral Safety Corridor Coalition, San Diego, CA

Marisa Bava Ugarte is presently the Executive Director of the Bilateral Safety Corridor Coalition. She has been the intellectual driving force in the creation of this bi-national project, a first of its kind that includes a crisis line, a crisis center, and a domestic violence shelter and program.

She has worked at The EYE Counseling and Crisis Services as The Program Manager for “Pueblo de la Paz “Homeless and Runaway Youth Program for high risk youth.

Additionally, Ms. Ugarte has provided trainings in suicide prevention for San Diego County’s Choice Program Clairbon Academy and Oceanside School District.

Marisa also taught the Crisis Intervention module at the masters degree level for the University of Xochicalco in Mexico. She also gave several trainings
to University personnel and students in domestic violence, cultural issues and prevention techniques.

Ms. Ugarte also lectured at the International Gender Conference held at UCSD and the University Ibero Americana on the topic, “Crisis Intervention and the Domestic Violence Victim.”

Nicolas Carrasco, Ph.D., Rio Grande Counseling Center, Austin, TX

Nicolas Carrasco was born in San Juan, Texas; he was  raised in the Rio Grande Valley of Texas. His family were migrant farm workers, and he spent his early years working along side his parents and siblings harvesting crops. After completing high school, he worked as a carpenter for three years before deciding to pursue higher education. He enrolled at St. Edward’s University in 1975, and received his Bachelor’s degree 1979; he majored in Psychology with a minor in History and English and he obtained a teaching certificate. He worked as a resource teacher with the AISD Migrant Program three years, before enrolling in a doctoral program in clinical psychology at the University of Texas at Austin. He obtained his Ph.D. in 1990 and opened his private practice in 1992. Since 1975, when he enrolled at St. Edward’s University, his interests  have been culture and mental health and working with  populations from diverse cultures. That continues to be  his interest today; he is particularly interested in  and has many years of experience working with Latinos.

Lynette Eilers, M.A, Hays-Caldwell Women's Center, San Marcos, TX

Lynette Eilers is the Sexual Assault Counseling Coordinator at the Hays-Caldwell Women’s Center and has been working in the field of physical abuse, sexual abuse, and trauma for the last nine years. Lynette has been providing individual counseling to male survivors of sexual assault/abuse for the last five years and has been facilitating a group for male survivor’s who were sexually abused as children for the last two years. Lynette received a Master of Arts degree in Professional Counseling from Southwest Texas State University. Lynette has presented at numerous conferences including the Texas Association Against Sexual Assault Conference and the Prevent Child Abuse Conference.

Diana Garza-Louis, LPC, LMFT, Rio Grande Counseling Center, Austin, TX

Diana Garza-Louis is a Licensed Professional Counselor, a Licensed Marriage and Family therapist, a national Certified Counselor and a Registered Sex Offender
Treatment Provider. She received her master's degree in education at Southwest Texas State University in San Marcos, TX and established her private practice in Austin. She provides Spanish language services to offenders, victims, and families. Ms. Garza-Louis is co-author of "Ventura," and "Paso a Paso," treatment manuals for sex offenders. She has also had numerous articles on sexual abuse issues and play therapy published. She has presented various workshops on incest families, sexual abuse treatment, and play therapy both nationally and internationally.

Felipe Gutiérrez, Psicologo y Terapueta Familiar, Director General de C.E.F.A.P.

Felipe Gutiérrez nació y se crió en Puebla, Mexico. Se recibió de Benemérita Universidad Autonoma de Puebla con licenciatura en psicologia. Se especializa en terapía breve, terapía familiar sistémica y de pareja y terapía infantil. Tambien cuenta con especialidad en terapía Gestalt e hipnosis Ericksoniana. El doctor Gutiérrez ha laborado en el campo de salud mental por más de 20 años.

Grace Poore, International video activist and producer of "Voices Heard Sisters Unseen" and "The Children We Sacrifice," - Silver Spring, Maryland

Grace Poore has 15 years experience in presenting workshops on domestic violence, 4 years on incestuous sexual abuse in South Asian communities. She has worked for the United Nations Special Rapporteur on Violence Against Women in Sri Lanka and the US-based National Coalition Against Domestic Violence. Her award-winning documentaries are used internationally as educational and organizing tools to end violence against women and girls. Born and raised in Malaysia, she has lived in the US for over 20 years.

UNA Project Representatives:

Concepcion Cardona, B.A., was born in Reynosa, Tamaulipas and her family moved to the United States when she was about 12 years old. Ms. Cardona was placed in a school and graduated from Pan American Univesity in Edinburg in 1988 with a Bachelor's degree in Social Work. She has worked with the Department of Human Services for 19 years, as well as the Texas Tropical Mental Health and Mental Retardation. She has been working with Mujeres Unidas/Women Together since March of this year.

Myrna G. Palacios has been working as a mentor-promotora for the past two years. She attended school in Mexico and completed high school where she studied cosmetology. Myrna has worked as a childcare provider and has been taking classes to learn English.

Dalila Kanarek, B.A., has been a mentor-promotora for 2 years. Dalila graduated from a University in Mexico and worked as a teacher for 30 years. She is currently taking classes to learn English.

Lisa Y. Maling, Sexual Assault Prevention & Crisis Services, Office of the Attorney General, Austin, TX

Lisa Y. Maling formerly Zapata joined the Sexual Assault Prevention & Crisis Services team of the Office of the Attorney General in October 2002 as the Sexual Assault Program Specialist. She will be monitoring the Texas programs providing services to victims of sexual assault funded by the OAG’s office. She brings 13 years of experience coordinating direct services for communities that have rape crisis centers. She is an Advocate for the programs across the state. You can call her direct line 512.936.1272 to get assistance or support on issues effecting survivors and / or programs. Her email address is lisa.maling@oag.state.tx.us.