ourteam

The Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault (IowaCASA) is a vibrant organization working to unite people and organizations to promote a society free from sexual violence and to meet the diverse needs of survivors. IowaCASA is a progressive organization, and works toward goals that will improve the well-being of survivors in many aspects of their lives. We support disenfranchised groups and actively work on anti-racist initiatives. IowaCASA is a small, statewide non-profit organization that provides a friendly, fast-paced work environment.

Beth Barnhill

Executive Director

She/her/hers

director@iowacasa.org

515-850-1915

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Beth has proudly held the Executive Director position for IowaCASA since 1990. She brings with her an extensive history of working in the anti-violence movement. She also serves many roles on a number of state boards and committees addressing violence against women. She is a founding member and past chair of the Iowa Board for the Treatment of Sexual Abusers, and a founding board member of the National Alliance to End Sexual Violence.

She/her/hers

elizabeth@iowacasa.org

515-850-1911

515-850-6570 (cell)

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Elizabeth started working in the anti-violence movement in 2003 at IowaCASA's member program L.U.N.A. (Latinas Unidas por un Nuevo Amanecer). At the coalition, she provides resources, support, and in-depth capacity building for member programs as she assists them with organizational sustainability. She directs the flow of technical assistance to member programs.

She/her/hers

finance@iowacasa.org

515-850-1902

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Julie oversees the financial management of all coalition operations and funding for the coalition. She also manages and monitors the agency's sub-grant program to member programs and provides consultation regarding grant, financial, and administrative issues. She is a Certified Sexual Assault Victim Counselor, and holds a degree from Iowa State University in Business Administration with an emphasis in Marketing. She earned her master's degree from ISU in Interdisciplinary Graduate Studies with areas of specialization in Women's Studies, Sociology and English.

Sonci Kingery

Staff Attorney

She/her/hers

legal@iowacasa.org

515-850-1914​

515-850-8077 (cell)

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Sonci assists survivors with navigating the administrative process in secondary and post-secondary educational settings, as well as certain civil legal processes. Sonci graduated from Wartburg College in 2007 with majors in psychology and sociology and a minor in Woman’s Studies. She graduated from Drake University Law School in 2012. She served as IowaCASA’s Rural SART coordinator in 2015 before spending time at a private practice in West Des Moines. Her areas of practice included family law (dissolutions, establishment of paternity, child support and visitation), residential landlord/tenant, consumer rights, employment, and guardianships.

She/her/hers

prevention@iowacasa.org

515-850-1906

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KellyMarie started in the anti-violence movement as a volunteer in 1996. Since then, she has worked with a local rape crisis and domestic violence program, the Iowa Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the Integrative Services Project, and the Iowa Victim Assistance Academy. She joined IowaCASA in 2008, where she focuses on prevention and training. Her many passions include sex workers' rights, LGBTQIA advocacy, and working with youth and families involved in the foster care system.

Josh Opperman

Staff Attorney

He/him/his

attorney@iowacasa.org

515-850-8078

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Josh graduated from William Penn University in Oskaloosa with a degree in Business Management and then obtained his Juris Doctor from Drake University Law School in 2015. He previously worked in contact center management, consulting, and human resources, and has practiced law in a variety of settings primarily in the areas of employment, family law, landlord/tenant, domestic violence, criminal law, and estate and probate. Additionally, Josh has taught classes in human resources topics, law, and information systems as an adjunct instructor at local universities and has served on a number of non-profit boards.

She/her/hers

advocate@iowacasa.org

515-850-1922

515-850-6188 (cell)

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Laura works with the coalition's legal team to provide legal support and resources to survivors of sexual assault. Before joining IowaCASA, Laura started as a volunteer in 2013 with L.U.N.A. (Latinas Unidas por Un Nuevo Amanecer), a culturally specific program in Des Moines, where she later became a full-time Sexual Assault Coordinator. Laura is currently pursuing a bachelor's degree in Human Services with a minor in physiology. She speaks and writes Spanish fluently. 

She/her/hers

membership@iowacasa.org

515-850-1905

515-850-8079 (cell)

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Maggie serves as a point of contact between the coalition and its member organizations. She hopes to engage and support coalition members in any aspect of nonprofit programming so that they can successfully support survivors. Prior to this role, she worked for Social Security Administration; assisting low-income Chicagoans with disabilities obtain cash benefits. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Social Work from the University of Northern Iowa and a master’s degree in Social Service Administration from the University of Chicago. 

resource

sharing

project

The Resource Sharing Project is part of a national movement of sexual violence-related services and resources. Led by the Iowa Coalition Against Sexual Assault, the Resource Sharing Project was created to help sexual assault coalitions across the country access the resources they need in order to thrive as they work to support survivors and end sexual assault. 

She/her/hers

rsp@iowacasa.org

319-339-0899​

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Cat has been with the coalition since 2001 managing the National Sexual Assault Coalition's Resource Sharing Project for the coalition. She provides capacity-building training and technical assistance to state and territorial sexual assault coalitions. In addition, she coordinates all national activities and events for the project. Cat has worked in the anti-violence movement since 1995 at national, state, and local advocacy organizations.

She/her/hers

kris@iowacasa.org

515-401-8722

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Kris has been an active part of the anti-violence movement since 1995. Before joining IowaCASA's team in 2009, she provided medical and legal advocacy to survivors of sexual violence, institutional advocacy, and training through a dual domestic violence and sexual assault agency in rural Illinois. Kris holds a master's degree in Human Services from the University of Illinois, with specialization in Social Services Administration.

She/her/hers

valerie@iowacasa.org

515-330-6175​

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Valerie provides training and technical assistance to state coalitions and rural dual-service programs on enhancing and building comprehensive sexual assault services. She holds a master's degree in Public Administration, with a concentration in domestic violence, from the University of Colorado Denver. She has been part of the anti-violence movement since 1995.

She/her/hers

leah@iowacasa.org

515-444-7381

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Leah is originally from Eastern Iowa and earned a bachelor’s degree in Women’s Studies and Studio Art from Cornell College. She has been involved in the anti-violence movement since 2010 working for several centers across Iowa as an advocate and prevention educator. At the Resource Sharing Project, she provides training and technical assistance to state coalitions and rural dual-service programs across the country on issues related to creating sustainable sexual assault services.

He/him/his

norio@iowacasa.org

515-505-2729

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Norio loves finding resilience and wisdom in the written word. As publications specialist, he gets to combine three loves: the anti-violence movement, systems change, and art. Before coming to Iowa, he worked with low-income LGBTQ survivors of color. He’s worked at the statewide coalition level in Iowa for almost three years now. When he isn’t writing or reading, he can be found learning about culturally based healing and community organizing. 

Board of Directors