Atlanta Daily World

Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence Announces New Executive Director

The Georgia Coalition Against Domestic Violence (GCADV) announced today the appointment of Jan Christiansen as its next Executive Director. GCADV provides quality support, comprehensive training, and legislative advocacy for domestic violence agencies, advocates, and communities statewide.

Christiansen has extensive experience in the field of domestic violence and knows GCADV and the Georgia community well. She has served as the Associate Director for GCADV since 2009 and filled the Interim Executive Director role since December 2012.

"I am delighted to be joining GCADV as its next Executive Director," Christiansen said. "I have enjoyed serving as both the Associate Director and the Interim Executive Director, and fully understand the challenges that lie before us. With those challenges we also have unique opportunities over the next few years to work with our wonderful members and allies to increase capacity on best practices for serving domestic violence survivors and to advocate for legislation that increases safety for survivors and sustainability of domestic violence programs that provide vital services in their local communities. I feel privileged to have the chance to work for an organization and with people who are passionate about making a difference for domestic violence survivors and their communities."

"We are very grateful to former Executive Director Nicole Lesser for GCADV's achievements during her tenure. We are thus fortunate, and greatly pleased, to have recruited an exceptional leader and manager as her successor. Moreover, by turning to an invested staff member who has already held a leadership role, we will ensure consistency and a smooth transition," said Amy Weaver, current President of the GCADV Board of Directors.

GCADV is the federally recognized source for expertise and training on the issue of domestic violence in Georgia. GCADV's intent and constant focus is on recognizing the correlation between domestic violence, poverty, race, mental health, disability, immigration status and more. As the clearinghouse for domestic violence organizations throughout Georgia, GCADV looks for solutions that acknowledge the dynamic, complex, and interconnected nature of the work that we do.

Christiansen spent the first part of her career at local domestic violence organizations in Florida and Vermont, holding senior leadership positions before moving to Georgia to work with GCADV. Ms. Christiansen has previously held two Executive Director positions: Executive Director of Micah's Place in Nassau County Florida from 2003-2007 and Executive Director of Women Helping Battered Women in Burlington, Vermont from 2008-2009. Christiansen began her career in the Domestic Violence Movement in 1995 at Shelter House in Fort Walton Beach, Florida where she worked in various roles helping battered women until 2003.

Nicole Lesser, former Executive Director, welcomed the appointment.

"Jan Christiansen has been a dedicated and highly effective staff leader, and it is a great pleasure to know the board has chosen someone who is highly committed and experienced. She is the ideal person to take the organization into the next stage of its development."

Christiansen brings a wealth of senior management and domestic violence movement experience to this role. Jan Christiansen will fill the position immediately.

Ryan Cameron Foundation to Host 4th Annual Youth Anti-Violence Forum

The Ryan Cameron Foundation has teamed up with the Allstate Foundation for its 4th Annual Youth Anti-Violence Forum. The forum will be held on Saturday, March 23 from 10am-2pm and will take place at The Salvation Army Kroc Center located at 967 Dewey Street, Atlanta, GA 30313.

“Ryan has always been a person with his ear to the ground as far as the youth,” said Tracye Bryant, CEO of RCF. “He wanted to give the youth an outlet to express themselves and the things going on around them.”

Although the forum is not open to the public, students who are invited to the forum are participants of the RCF Youth Anti-Violence Contest which began in December. The contest boasts more than 200 youth participants ranging from grades 3 to 12. All students who are invited to the forum submitted original works such as poetry, artwork or public service announcements with the topic of teen safe driving or bullying.

“I think it is essential that teens are given an opportunity to discuss the things that are going on with and around them,” said D’Janae Bolton, a sociology major at Clark Atlanta University who volunteers with the Tupac Shakur Foundation. “Times have changed and teens now are able to engage in a lot more things than their parents could have, like cyber bullying, so we definitely need more programs like this where teens can talk things out.”

Participants of the contest will have the opportunity to engage in workshops and panel discussions pertaining to teen safe driving, bullying/cyber bullying, domestic violence, gang violence, child sex trafficking and teen dating violence. Among those invited include agents from the FBI who will host a segment on cyber bullying. The Fulton County Sheriff and members of the Atlanta Police Homicide Department are also expected to discuss gang violence.

The winners of the contest will be recognized and awarded during the forum. Awards for the 3rd-5th grade winners include $100 cash and a pizza party for their class. The 6th -12th grade winners will receive the following in the form of cash and gift cards: 1st place-$1,500, 2nd place-$1,000, 3rd place-500.

RCF hopes to spark conversation about things that concern the youth and their parents while also looking for resources to better help the youth.

“These are our future leaders,” said Semaj Andrews, who works with non-profit youth organizations in the Atlanta area. “Events and opportunities like this are actually helping our youth to become better leaders. I appreciate Ryan Cameron for doing this and for being so hands on. This event just might change someone’s life or spark the interests of someone who may change the lives of others.”

Although this is an exclusive event, members of the Ryan Cameron Foundation encourage the public to visit the foundation’s website at http://www.ryancameron.org.

UPDATE: Previous version of the story incorrectly said that this was the 5th anti-violence forum. The contest is in its fifth year, but this is the fourth year of the forum.

Fulton County Maintains Ranking in Health Study

The newly released 2013 County Health Rankings for Georgia confirm the critical role that factors such as education, jobs, income, environment and access to health care play in how healthy people are and how long they live.

Once again, the Rankings place Fulton County in the top quarter of Georgia counties on health outcomes and health factors according to the report released by the University of Wisconsin and the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation Project.

"We know that much of what influences our health happens outside of the doctor's office – in our schools, workplaces and neighborhoods," states Patrice A. Harris, MD, Director of Fulton County Health Services. "We have to keep looking at the multiple factors that contribute to good health and ensure that our communities are positioned to address those factors."

County Health Rankings are categorized in two areas, health outcomes and health factors. Health outcomes represent how healthy the county is whereas health factors measure what influences the health of the county.

Out of 156 Georgia counties in the study, Fulton County's overall health outcome ranking for 2013 is 29 while its health factor ranking is 19.

The health factors examined in the County Health Rankings go beyond medical care and include health behaviors, social and economic conditions and the physical environment-the Social Determinants of Health.

The Rankings emphasize what happens outside the doctor's office.

"Fulton County must continue to address health disparities that affect some of our communities more than others," adds Dr. Harris. "Everyone has a stake in community health; we have to work together to find solutions."

Since 2009, Fulton County Health and Human Services Departments have been providing integrated services and enhanced our health promotion efforts to address health disparities and assist residents with living healthier lifestyles.

In this approach, traditional public health services have been integrated with primary care, behavioral health, oral health and human services such as employment and housing assistance and quality of life services to help with literacy and nutritional issues.

Fulton County, through service, outreach, education and policy, is addressing health conditions affecting many residents. Health Services has successfully established coalitions to address health issues such as diabetes, smoking, asthma, heart disease and breast cancer.

The County Health Rankings report the overall health of every county in the United States. The report findings provide public health and community leaders, policy-makers, consumers and advocates with an overview of how healthy a county is in comparison to others within the state.

For more information about Fulton County Health Services and the Division of Health Promotion, log on to www.fultoncountygahealth.org.

For more information about the County Health Rankings report, visit www.countyhealthrankings.org.

Morris Brown College to Hosts 132nd Founders’ Day Celebration

Morris Brown College will celebrate the institution’s 132nd Founders’ Day on Friday. The celebration will be held in the school’s Hickman Student Center in Cunningham Auditorium at 11 a.m. Reverend Dr. Preston Warren Williams II, Presiding Prelate of the Sixth Episcopal District AME Church, and Chairman of the Morris Brown College Board of Trustees, is slated to speak at the event.

The institution will commemorate all of its achievements at this year’s celebration with the theme “No Turning Back: The Journey of Morris Brown College—Our Legacy and Our Future.” At this time, Dr. Stanley Pritchett, president of the institution, will give an update on the school’s progress and its plans for the future.

“We are looking forward to a new and better Morris Brown College with innovative programs,” said Dr. Pritchett.

This year’s Founders’ Day weekend will feature the annual meeting of the Morris Brown College National Alumni Association on Thursday at 6:30 p.m. The meeting will be held in Cunningham Auditorium.

The institution will also host a Founders’ Day Jazz Concert and Soul Food Buffett featuring The Che Trio, Avis Ledbetter and the Bill Odom Trip, and jazz violinist Delores Majors. Tickets for the jazz concert are available at the school’s Office of Institutional Advancement for $30 per person.

The institution encourages all alumni and members of the community to attend.