Gareth Hedges is President of The Redwoods Group. Prior to this position, Gareth has served as Chief Claims Officer, General Counsel, Director of Consulting, and as a Risk Management Specialist focused on Aquatic and Child Safety.
Gareth has presented at the National Drowning Prevention Symposium, Association of Aquatics Professionals Annual Conference, the World Conference on Drowning Prevention, World Aquatic Health Conference, and the American Camp Association National Conference, among others. He was on the CDC’s drowning prevention expert panel in 2011 and sits on the advisory committee for the National Drowning Prevention Alliance. In 2012, Aquatics International named Gareth as one of the “Power 25” leaders in the aquatics community.
Gareth received a BS in Public Policy from Georgia Tech in 2003, and a JD from Albany Law School in 2009. He lives in Durham, North Carolina with his wife, Nicole, and daughter, Eleanor.
Board Chair
Lyndon Haviland, MPH, DRPH
Connecticut Domestic and International Public Health Consulting CUNY School of Public Health, Distinguished Scholar and Chair of the Advisory Council
Lyndon Haviland, MPH, DrPH, is a former member of the Executive Board of APHA and recipient of two of its highest honors, Friend of the Student Assembly and the Director’s Citation. With more than 25 years of experience in domestic and international public health, Dr. Haviland has led various public health campaigns, initiatives, and organizations.
She has advised global leaders, presidents, and agency heads on maternal and child health, access to vaccines, vaccine hesitancy, sexual and reproductive health, tobacco control, and health promotion/disease prevention. She was the Senior Project Leader for the UN Secretary-General’s Global Strategy for Women’s and Children’s Health, an initiative which helped to align all member states of the United Nations around a common strategy for saving more than 16 million lives and raised more than $40 billion in new resources for women and children.
Dr. Haviland has worked in a broad range of professional environments spanning domestic, academic, multinational, and multilateral organizations, including the Earth Echo International, GAVI, UN Women, Policy Wisdom, Rabin Martin, the Aspen Institute, UNAIDS, the United Nations Department of Public Information, the UN Foundation, HRSA/SPNS projects, UNDP, WHO, the International Medical Corps, the American Legacy Foundation, The International Catholic Migration Commission, and the International Organization for Migration. She holds a masters and doctorate degrees in public health, and has completed Advanced Management & Leadership training at the Harvard Business School.
Board Member
Anton J. Gunn, MSW, CDM, CSP
South Carolina CEO, 937 Strategy Group
Anton Gunn is a former senior advisor to President Barack Obama and the world’s leading authority on Socially Conscious Leadership. He has a master’s degree in Social Work from USC and was a Resident Fellow at Harvard. He is the bestselling author of The Presidential Principles and has been featured in TIME magazine, the Wall St Journal, INC Magazine, BBC, NPR and on Good Morning America. Recently, Anton was named as one of the Ten Most Influential Minority Executives in Healthcare by Fierce Healthcare.
As the CEO of 937 Strategy Group, he has worked with organizations like Mercedes-Benz, KPMG, Rock Ventures, Sodexo, Tanger Outlets, Verizon Wireless, Aetna, T-Mobile, American College of Surgeons, University of Vermont Health Network, Blue Shield ofCalifornia, and the Boeing Company.
From playing SEC Football and being the first African American in history elected to the South Carolina legislature from his district early in his career, to now working as a business and management consultant and serving on multiple boards, he has spent his life helping people build diverse, high-performing teams, and world class leadership culture.
Treasurer
Herb Jansen
Connecticut & South Carolina Partner and Global Director of Human Capital (retired), Ernst & Young
Herb Jansen retired from Ernst & Young as Partner and Global Director of Human Capital. Prior to Ernst & Young, Herb was a leader at Arthur Andersen for over 20 years, responsible for the Northeast area tax practice and member of the US Tax Leadership Team and Chairman’s Advisory Committee. Jansen is a CPA with an extensive background in executive management, including strategy development and operations management, as well as taxation, compensation, and benefits.
Herb holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a major in accounting from the University of Tennessee. He has served other nonprofit organizations such as Montessori schools and Junior Achievement. He was a Sergeant in the United States Army and is a highly decorated Vietnam veteran. He splits his time between Kiawah Island, South Carolina, and Newtown, Connecticut.
Board Member
Regina Benjamin, MD, MBA
Alabama Founder and CEO of BayouClinic, Inc. 18th United States Surgeon General
Regina Benjamin, MD, MBA served as the 18th United States Surgeon General and is the Founder and CEO of BayouClinic, Inc. She is currently the NOLA.com/Times Picayune Endowed Chair of Public Health Sciences at Xavier University of Louisiana. Dr. Benjamin specializes in prevention policies and health promotion among individuals as well as large populations, especially concerning obesity, childhood obesity, and children’s health. She has special interest in rural health care, health disparities among socio-economic groups, suicide, violence, and mental health.
From her early days as the Founder of a rural health clinic in Alabama to her leadership role in the worldwide advancement of preventive health, Dr. Regina Benjamin has forged a career that has been recognized by a broad spectrum of organizations and publications. In 1995, she was the first physician under the age of 40 and the first African-American woman to be elected to the American Medical Association Board of Trustees. Other past Board memberships included the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Kaiser Family Foundation Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, Catholic Health Association, and Morehouse School of Medicine.
Dr. Benjamin is a member of the Institute of Medicine and a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians. She has been chosen as a Kellogg National Fellow and Rockefeller Next Generation Leader.
In 1998, Dr. Benjamin was the United States recipient of the Nelson Mandela Award for Health and Human Rights. She received the 2000 National Caring Award, which was inspired by Mother Teresa and was recognized with the Papal honor Pro Ecclesia et Ponticifice from Pope Benedict XVI. In 2008, she was honored with a MacArthur Genius Award Fellowship. In 2011, Dr. Benjamin became the recipient of the Chairman’s Award at the 42nd NAACP Image Awards.
In May 2013, Reader’s Digest, ranked her #22 of the “100 Most Trusted People in America.”
Benjamin has a B.S. in chemistry from Xavier University, New Orleans, attended Morehouse School of Medicine, earned an MD degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and an MBA from Tulane University. She is the recipient of 23 honorary degrees.
Board Member
Rochel Leah Bernstein
Los Angeles, CA Founder, Child Safety Pledge
Rochel Leah Bernstein is the founder of Child Safety Pledge, an organization committed to prevent and combat child sexual abuse in the United States. A parent, mother of four and survivor herself, she has worked for the past eight years with youth-serving organizations, funders and parents to ensure strong policies and best practices to prevent, detect, and respond to child sexual abuse.
Together with her team she is focused on collaborating with purpose-driven companies, foundations and empowering a national grassroots movement dedicated on keeping all children safe from sexual abuse in YSOs and physical environments. She has a passion for philanthropy, travel and street art.
Board Member
Ricardo DeLeon, MBA
Los Angeles, CA Chief Financial Officer, The Los Angeles LGBT Center
Ricardo retired from The Procter & Gamble Company in 2016, after 25 years in financial roles, and specializing in Supply Chain and Mergers and Acquisitions. Post-retirement, Ricardo served as VP/Corporate Controller for the Duracell Company and Chief Operating Officer for The Hispanic Scholarship Fund. Ricardo is currently living in Los Angeles and serves as CFO of the Los Angeles LGBT Center.
Ricardo holds a Bachelor’s Degree from Princeton University and an MBA from Washington University, St. Louis. He has served on other nonprofit organizations including Catholic Charities of Southwest Ohio, National Society of Hispanic MBA’s, Princeton University’s Alumni Council, and Su Casa Hispanic Center – Cincinnati.
Board Member
Andrea Harner
California Forensic Interviewer & Children’s Advocate
Andrea Harner is an advocate for children, women and justice and a true believer in the transformative power of people’s stories. As a Forensic Interview Specialist at a Child Advocacy Center in Los Angeles, she is part of the investigative team consisting of detectives, social workers and prosecutors where she interviews children who are suspected to have been victims of sexual abuse, severe physical abuse or to have witnessed violence. She also regularly trains police officers on a Minimal Facts Interviewing protocol she co-developed in order to minimize trauma to the child and improve investigative outcomes.
In 2018, Andrea co-executive produced the documentary series Lorena, featured on Amazon Prime. The documentary enabled Lorena Bobbit to reclaim her voice and tell her story while reigniting the national dialogue on domestic violence. Previously Andrea worked at the Safe Horizon Staten Island Child Advocacy Center where she provided short-term therapy to child victims and their non-offending caregivers.
Andrea is a proud board member of Darkness to Light and is an Authorized Facilitator for the organization’s child sexual abuse prevention training program Stewards of Children® and holds regular trainings to teach parents and organizations best practices for protecting children. She holds a B.A. in History from Wesleyan University and a M.A. in Forensic Psychology from John Jay College. Andrea lives in Los Angeles and loves hiking and trail running in Griffith Park with her husband, twin boys and mini goldendoodles.
Vice Chair
Cathy Huber
Washington Children’s Advocate and Philanthropist
Cathy Huber comes to Darkness to Light with a goal of working to expand child sexual abuse prevention education and awareness efforts in the Pacific-Northwest. A devoted children’s advocate, Huber embodies the grassroots activism responsible for much of Darkness to Light’s growth to date. She and her husband, George Huber, Chairman/Founder of Equity Investment Group, Inc and Managing Partner/Co-Founder Finback Partners, have served on a variety of charitable organizations and are known throughout the Midwest and Washington State for their philanthropic work.
Cathy’s passion for children’s causes and hands-on experience as a mother gives her valuable perspective.
Secretary
Bob Boston
Tennessee
Partner, Waller Law Firm
Described in Chambers USA as “quite possibly Nashville’s best litigator,” Bob Boston is widely recognized for his experience and analytical insight in high-value matters ranging from labor and employment disputes to complex commercial litigation. Respected by opposing counsel and members of the judiciary, clients rely on Bob for both his courtroom prowess and his ability to solve problems in day-to-day matters.
Companies seeking strategic advice or hands-on representation in business, commercial, labor or employment litigation matters rely on Bob for his depth of knowledge and extensive trial experience. A litigation strategist and tactician, Bob helps clients look beyond the reactive way of thinking to develop solutions to their litigation and employment issues. During his career as a commercial, employment litigator and JD at Waller, Bob has over 30 federal and state reported and published appellate opinions from multiple jurisdictions. He has handled litigated matters in 28 states.
Board Member
Raj Pannu, Ph.D., MS
New York, NY Founder & CEO, Emergence Creative
Raj is the founder and CEO of Emergence Creative, a creative communications agency in New York City dedicated to social impact. He has, throughout his career, worked across sectors with diverse clients including the ACLU, Sutter Health, and the Rockefeller Foundation. In his previous role as Director of Global Health at McCann Health, Raj facilitated collaboration between McCann, multinational companies, and not-for-profits, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, USAID, and UNICEF. A former member of the UN Essential Medicines Working Group, Raj has been an invited speaker to numerous institutions, including the Kennedy School of Public Policy at Harvard University, The Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, the Imperial College School of Business, and the Qatar Foundation. He holds an MS of Immunology and a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Alberta.
Board Member
Nancy Millett
Georgia,
EVP & CFO, Engineered Floors LLC
Nancy Millett is the EVP & CFO for Engineered Floors LLC, is one of the largest and fastest-growing carpet mills in the world. The company is a privately owned manufacturer of residential and commercial flooring operating in 15 locations primarily in Georgia.
Prior to joining Engineered Floors LLC, she was a Partner with Deloitte Tax for 17 years serving primarily Consumer Products, Automotive, Retail, Industrial & Energy Companies. She also worked with the families who owned her privately held clients. She held various leadership roles during her time at Deloitte including Global Tax Industry Leader- Consumer & Industrial Products Industry, U.S. Inbound Services Leader (Responsible for Leading the US Tax Strategy for serving the U.S. Operations of companies headquartered outside U.S.), Tax Leader for Cross Business Teaming & Collaboration, U.S. Tax Industry Leader and Women’s Initiative Leader.
Prior to Deloitte, she was a Tax Partner with Arthur Andersen LLP Tax Partner serving primarily Consumer Products, Automotive, Industrial Products, Energy, Telecom, & Transportation Clients. Also served executives of corporate clients and families owning privately held clients. She held various leadership roles including Atlanta Office and Regional Manufacturing Industry Leadership for Tax & Leadership of Atlanta Private Wealth Practice.
Nancy is a CPA and Certified Financial Planner. She hold a Bachelor of Science of Business Administration with an accounting emphasis from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She is on the UNC-Kenan Flagler Business School Board of Advisors, the Dalton Georgia Chamber of Commerce Executive Board, the Board & Executive Committee for Junior Achievement of Georgia, and is a past Member of the UNC Chapel Hill Parent’s Council.
Board Member
Kirk Soderquist
Kirk Soderquist is a partner in the Technology Transactions & Privacy practice in the Seattle office of Perkins Coie and a co-chair of the firm’s Interactive Entertainment practice. His practice is focused on intellectual property and technology licensing, mobile (apps, advertising, payments, adtech, etc.), Cloud enablement & SaaS providers, product counseling, Internet of Things (IoT), digital media, entertainment, advertising and marketing law, mergers & acquisitions and corporate finance. He represents emerging growth and established technology companies in the gaming, entertainment, software, cloud, Internet, social networking, e-commerce, retail, and advertising industries.
Kirk focuses his practice in the Interactive Entertainment industry, representing publishers, developers, companies engaged in augmented reality (AR) and virtual reality (VR), and distributors, Internet of Things (IoT) manufacturers and providers, social networks, and various game enhancement service providers.
Kirk is a member of the firm’s Retail & Consumer Products industry group which has been ranked in Band 1 in Chambers USA every year since the retail practice rankings were established.
Virginia
Associate Professor and PhD Program Director, Ethelyn R. Strong School of Social Work, Norfolk State University
President, National Partnership to End Interpersonal Violence
President Emerita, American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children
Viola Vaughan-Eden is Associate Professor and PhD Program Director with The Ethelyn R. Strong School of Social Work at Norfolk State University in Southeastern Virginia. As a clinical and forensic social worker, Dr. Vaughan-Eden serves as a consultant and expert witness in child maltreatment cases – principally sexual abuse. Throughout her career, she has conducted more than 2000 child abuse evaluations and provided expert testimony more than 500 times. She lectures nationally and internationally on child and family welfare to multidisciplinary groups of professionals. She has been an invited panelist on two Congressional Briefings – Spare the Rod, Protect the Child: A Reconsideration of Corporal Punishment of Children in Homes and Schools (November 2015) and Protecting Child Safety in Family Court (September 2016).
Dr. Vaughan-Eden is President Emerita of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children (APSAC), President of the National Partnership to End Interpersonal Violence (NPEIV), and President of the National Organization of Forensic Social Work (NOFSW). She also serves as Editorial Advisor for the Journal of Social Work Education and on the editorial board of numerous other national research journals, including the Journal of Child Sexual Abuse.
Dr. Vaughan-Eden is the recipient of several honors, including the 2012 NASW-Virginia Chapter Lifetime Achievement Award. See www.violavaughaneden.com.
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