Sanctuary for Families, New York’s leading service provider and advocate for survivors of domestic violence, sex trafficking and related forms of gender violence, has welcomed five new members to its Board of Directors.  Their collective breadth of experience is diverse, and they each bring a deep commitment to social justice and anti-gender violence efforts.  

William F. Gorin, President of the Board of Directors of Sanctuary for Families and Senior Counsel at Cleary Gottlieb Steen & Hamilton, announced the appointment of:

·         Mylan L. Denerstein, partner at the New York office of Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.  Denerstein is a member of Gibson Dunn’s White Collar Defense and Investigations, Securities Litigation, Appellate and Crisis Management Practice Groups. Prior to joining the Gibson Dunn, she served as Counsel to New York State Governor Andrew Cuomo since 2011. 

·         Kate Engelbrecht, New York City based photographer.  Engelbrecht started The Girl Project, a visual exploration of female adolescence in partnership with 5,000 teenage girls from all parts of the United States. The project’s intimate and candid revelations were published in 2011. The book Please Read (If At All Possible) is regarded as a must-read for teenage girls.

·         Katharine Bieber Ogg, non-practicing attorney who has been volunteering with Sanctuary for Families since 2010.  A graduate of Brooklyn Law School, Ogg previously worked with various law firms in New York.  She has legal experience in related fields including family law, domestic violence, immigration and citizenship.

·         Stacey J. Rappaport, partner in the New York office of Milbank, Tweed, Hadley & McCloy LLP, and member of the firm’s Litigation & Arbitration Group.  Rappaport represents major financial institutions, corporations and high net worth individuals in disputes arising from complex financial transactions in courts throughout the United States.

·         Judge Mary Kay Vyskocil, United States Bankruptcy Judge for the Southern District of New York.  Vyskocil practiced law at Simpson Thacher for more than 30 years as a member of the firm’s Litigation Department.  She is a seasoned trial attorney and appellate advocate and prior to her recent appointment to the bench, had a diverse practice handling complex commercial cases, including major insurance and reinsurance disputes, bankruptcy-related issues, contract and tort issues, securities and antitrust law.

“Gender violence, in all its forms, continues to plague our world.  We are deeply grateful for our new board members’ commitment to Sanctuary for Families,” said Gorin.  “Their generosity, passion and expertise will enrich our capabilities as both advocates and service providers.”

Domestic violence, sex trafficking and related forms of gender violence are pervasive:

·         Approximately 1 in 4 women will experience domestic violence during her lifetime.

·         Domestic violence results in nearly 2 million injuries and 1,300 deaths nationwide every year.

·         In the US, the battering of women by intimate partners is the largest cause of injury to women; 31% percent of all women murdered are killed by an abuser.

·         1 in 3 teenagers report knowing a friend or peer who has been hit, punched, kicked, slapped, choked or physically hurt by their partner.

·         Human trafficking is a $150 billion worldwide industry.

·         Studies have shown that as many as 100,000-300,000 children may become victims of sex trafficking each year.

Sanctuary for Families provides a wide range of support to survivors of gender violence including shelter, clinical, and legal services; children’s and youth programs; economic empowerment programming; as well as training and advocacy.  Every year, Sanctuary assists nearly 15,000 survivors and their children through direct services alone, while its education and awareness-building initiatives connect with over 40,000 additional concerned community members. Services are provided in more than 30 languages.

About Sanctuary for Families

Sanctuary for Families is the leading nonprofit agency in New York State dedicated exclusively to the safety, healing and self?determination of victims of domestic violence and related forms of gender violence.  Through comprehensive services for adult victims and their children, outreach, education and advocacy, Sanctuary strives to create a world in which freedom from gender violence is a basic human right.