Jennifer Schuett
Jennifer Schuett is a proud victim advocate and survivor of an attack that nearly killed her when she was eight years old. She continues to speak out and share her story with others in hopes she may encourage other survivors to speak out along with her in conquering crime. Jennifer has shared her journey for justice on the Today Show, America’s Most Wanted, CNN & Investigation Discovery, and many conferences throughout the United States and Canada. Jennifer is a co-recipient of TAASA’s 2010 “Champions for Social Change” Award, was named a “Galveston County Champion” in 2012, and was also named Girl ExtraOrdinaire 2012 by Girl ExtraOrdinaire in California.
Sonya Ryan
Sonya is the mother of Carly Ryan who was 15-years-old when she was murdered by a predator she met online. Determined to help prevent harm to other innocent children and to help them navigate their online journey safely, Sonya shared her experience and incorporated The Carly Ryan Foundation, creating an extraordinary legacy. In 2017, ‘Carly’s Law’ was introduced into the Australian Commonwealth Criminal Code after seven years of lobbying by Sonya. Carly’s Law will enable law enforcement agencies to take action against predators sooner and with greater consequence. It will give police the power to intervene before predators have a chance to act, and will also serve as a strong deterrent. Sonya’s lived experience of extreme suffering demonstrates the strength of a mother’s connection with her daughter – the unparalleled power of love.
Gwen van de Pas
Gwen van de Pas is a Dutch filmmaker living in Amsterdam. A survivor of child sexual abuse herself, she recently directed a feature-length documentary on the subject called GROOMED. Two-time Oscar-winning film maker Bill Guttentag produced the film alongside her. Besides closely following Gwen’s own experiences as a survivor, GROOMED provides an in-depth exploration of the grooming process, including perspectives from five other survivors as well as a sexual offender. Gwen studied Film and Theater Science in The Netherlands, holds an MBA from Stanford. Besides her work as a filmmaker, Gwen holds the position of Talent VP at Consulting firm Bain & Company. Passionate about stories that matter, she’s ready to tell the story of GROOMED.
To understand her ongoing traumas, Gwen travels to meet survivors, psychologists, and even a convicted sex offender. What begins as an exploration into grooming becomes a dramatic journey where Gwen faces unexpected revelations in her case, finally finds her anger, and boldly confronts the evil we’d rather ignore.
Timothy Rountree
Mesquite Police Department
Detective
Timothy Rountree is a survivor of several years of physical and sexual child abuse. He is also a detective with the Mesquite Police Department in Texas and is currently assigned to the Child Abuse Unit. Based on his personal experience as both an investigator and survivor, he has a unique perspective and understanding of the pains of child abuse. Timothy desires to use his first-hand personal and professional experience to help the next generation of child abuse survivors. He was born and raised in Mesquite Texas. In 2010 Timothy married his college sweetheart and they now have three beautiful kids together.
Greg Smith
Kelsey Smith Foundation Inc.
Executive Director
Greg Smith has been involved in public service for his entire adult life. He served in the United States Navy Submarine Service for ten years. Upon leaving the service, he began a career in law enforcement, serving on both police departments and sheriff’s offices in South Carolina, Missouri, and Kansas for 18 years.
In 2008, Smith left law enforcement to pursue a career in public education. He taught high school history and U.S. government classes in Kansas. In 2010, Smith ran for public office and was elected to the Kansas House of Representatives where he served on various committees, including the House Committee on Corrections & Juvenile Justice and the House Judiciary Committee. He championed issues such as the “Penn State” law, compliance with the Adam Walsh Act, and Caylee’s Law – all of which successfully passed in Kansas. In 2012, Greg was elected to the Kansas Senate, serving as the vice chairman of the Senate Committee on Judiciary and the chairman of the Senate Committee on Corrections & Juvenile Justice. In the Senate, he was the sole sponsor of legislation that improved the reporting and investigation of missing persons. He also worked to successfully strengthen the penalties for the crime of murder as well as several crime-victim-centered reforms.
In 2007, Greg’s daughter, Kelsey Smith, was abducted, sexually assaulted, and murdered. The case made international and national news and led Greg and his wife Missey to start the Kelsey Smith Foundation® (KSF).
The work of the Foundation has led to awareness of the Kelsey Smith Act throughout the United States. This life-saving legislation, now law in 23 states, allows immediate access to cell phone location data by law enforcement for persons who are missing and deemed in peril of bodily harm or death. Work is underway to pass the measure at the federal level. KSF also provides seminars on various safety topics to youth and young adults across the United States as well as training about Kelsey’s case and the impact it has on law enforcement operations.
Smith currently serves on the Johnson County (KS) Sheriff’s Office.
Emily Vacher
Facebook
Director of Trust & Safety
Emily Vacher joined Facebook in 2011 and is currently a Director with Facebook’s Trust & Safety team. Vacher is responsible for law enforcement outreach, global safety initiatives, safety education, and security policy matters. She is currently focusing on Facebook’s AMBER Alert program and child safety issues. Vacher works extensively with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), where she serves as a member of NCMEC’s executive board and the law enforcement/operations committee and also serves as a member of NCMEC’s Team ADAM/Project Alert. Vacher works closely with the International Center for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC) on global missing children’s issues and alert system development and training. Before she joined Facebook, Vacher was a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for more than a decade, specializing in crimes against children matters. Vacher holds a BS from Cornell University, MS and MPA from Syracuse University/Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs, and JD from Syracuse University College of Law.
Mike Cormaci
Offender Watch
President & Co-Founder of Watch Systems
As President and co-founder of Watch Systems, Mike Cormaci is responsible for the overall business strategy, sales objectives, and leadership of the executive team. Cormaci works closely with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to understand their public safety and compliance needs. He currently serves on several committees with the National Sheriffs’ Association and advises state associations on issues of sex offender registration, verification, collaborative investigations, and community notification.
John Walsh
John Walsh is known internationally as a crime fighter, victims’ advocate and host of the nation’s longest-running primetime program and number-one crime-fighting show, America’s Most Wanted and CNN/HLN’s series, The Hunt with John Walsh. In continuing the fight to bring fugitives to justice, John is busy with his upcoming series, In Pursuit with John Walsh on Discovery ID which will air in early 2019. Walsh’s extensive television career has helped law enforcement capture more than 1,500 fugitives and recover more than 50 missing children. A career in fighting crime is one Walsh never expected, but justice has been his life’s mission since July 27, 1981 – the day his son, Adam, was abducted from a mall near his home in Hollywood, Florida. Adam was found murdered two weeks later. Walsh and his wife Revé turned their grief into action and without a badge or a gun, Walsh quickly became a nationally recognized leader in the fight for victims’ rights. In 1984, the Walshes and other child advocates incorporated the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children as a non-profit 501(c)(3) corporation to help find missing children and prevent child victimization. Walsh has authored three best-selling books: Tears of Rage, No Mercy and Public Enemies, which chronicle his family’s fight for justice and recount some of toughest cases he’s faced over the years.
Emily Vacher
Facebook
Director of Trust & Safety
Emily Vacher joined Facebook in 2011 and is currently a Director with Facebook’s Trust & Safety team. Vacher is responsible for law enforcement outreach, global safety initiatives, safety education, and security policy matters. She is currently focusing on Facebook’s AMBER Alert program and child safety issues. Vacher works extensively with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), where she serves as a member of NCMEC’s executive board and the law enforcement/operations committee and also serves as a member of NCMEC’s Team ADAM/Project Alert. Vacher works closely with the International Center for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC) on global missing children’s issues and alert system development and training. Before she joined Facebook, Vacher was a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for more than a decade, specializing in crimes against children matters. Vacher holds a BS from Cornell University, MS and MPA from Syracuse University/Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs, and JD from Syracuse University College of Law.
Lou Luzynski
Offender Watch
Co-Founder & Managing Partner of Watch Systems
Lou Luzynski is the co-founder and managing partner of Watch Systems, a public safety solutions firm founded in 2000 in Covington, Louisiana. Lou’s vision of enhancing community safety through technology resulted in the development of OffenderWatch, the nation’s leading sex offender management and community notification solution. OffenderWatch is used by over 3500 local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to register 60% of sex offenders nationwide and to inform the public through agency web sites and by sending over 4 million postcards and 17 million email alerts annually. Lou works extensively with legislators, Sheriffs, state officials and victim advocacy groups to promote best practices in offender management and community notification and to educate the public of the dangers of sex offenders. Prior to Watch Systems, Lou was co-founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Fuelman. Lou helped guide the fleet fuel startup in 1985 to a company with over 300 employees and $100 million in annual sales in 1999. Previously, Lou was a Senior Manager of audit, tax, and management consulting services at KPMG Peat Marwick for early-stage, privately-held emerging growth companies. Lou earned a B.A. in Accounting with Cum Laude honors from St. Louis University and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Patty Wetterling
Jacob Wetterling Resource Center (JWRC) and Team H.O.P.E.
Co-Founder
Patty Wetterling is the mother of Jacob Wetterling, who was abducted at the age of eleven by a masked gunman on October 22, 1989 near his home in St. Joseph, Minnesota. On September 1, 2016, nearly twenty-seven years after his abduction, Jacob’s remains were found and his abductor arrested. Patty has become a nationally recognized educator on child abduction and sexual exploitation of children. Patty co-founded the Jacob Wetterling Resource Center (JWRC) and Team H.O.P.E. a national support group for families of missing children. Patty co-authored the books, “When Your Child is Missing: A Family Survival Guide,” and “Perspectives on Missing Persons Cases.” Patty was Chair of the Board of Directors for the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children from 2012-2015 and remains a champion of hope for families whose children are still missing and for prevention of sexual exploitation and abduction.
Emily Vacher
Facebook
Director of Trust & Safety
Emily Vacher joined Facebook in 2011 and is currently a Director with Facebook’s Trust & Safety team. Vacher is responsible for law enforcement outreach, global safety initiatives, safety education, and security policy matters. She is currently focusing on Facebook’s AMBER Alert program and child safety issues. Vacher works extensively with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), where she serves as a member of NCMEC’s executive board and the law enforcement/operations committee and also serves as a member of NCMEC’s Team ADAM/Project Alert. Vacher works closely with the International Center for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC) on global missing children’s issues and alert system development and training. Before she joined Facebook, Vacher was a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for more than a decade, specializing in crimes against children matters. Vacher holds a BS from Cornell University, MS and MPA from Syracuse University/Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs, and JD from Syracuse University College of Law.
Lou Luzynski
Offender Watch
Co-Founder & Managing Partner of Watch Systems
Lou Luzynski is the co-founder and managing partner of Watch Systems, a public safety solutions firm founded in 2000 in Covington, Louisiana. Lou’s vision of enhancing community safety through technology resulted in the development of OffenderWatch, the nation’s leading sex offender management and community notification solution. OffenderWatch is used by over 3500 local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to register 60% of sex offenders nationwide and to inform the public through agency web sites and by sending over 4 million postcards and 17 million email alerts annually. Lou works extensively with legislators, Sheriffs, state officials and victim advocacy groups to promote best practices in offender management and community notification and to educate the public of the dangers of sex offenders. Prior to Watch Systems, Lou was co-founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Fuelman. Lou helped guide the fleet fuel startup in 1985 to a company with over 300 employees and $100 million in annual sales in 1999. Previously, Lou was a Senior Manager of audit, tax, and management consulting services at KPMG Peat Marwick for early-stage, privately-held emerging growth companies. Lou earned a B.A. in Accounting with Cum Laude honors from St. Louis University and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Sasha Joseph Neulinger
Step 1 Films
Head of Production
Sasha Joseph Neulinger (B.A. in Film Production at Montana State University) is the co-founder and Head of Production at Step 1 Films. He has worked behind the scenes on National Geographic’s award winning series, “America, The Wild” as a post production assistant. At Step 1 Films, he has produced, directed, and edited multiple commercial videos for various corporate clients nationally. He is currently directing his first feature length documentary, “Rewind To Fast-Forward,” an autobiographical film about his life surviving multigenerational child sexual abuse. In April 2014, Sasha launched a Kickstarter campaign to help raise funds for his film, and in doing so became the 6th most backed documentary in Kickstarter history, raising over $176,000 from the support of 4,395 supporters. In October 2014, Sasha directed an Emmy Award Winning Film crew in Philadelphia, and completed principal photography forRewind To Fast-Forward during a three week film shoot. While working to raise the finishing funds for Rewind To Fast-Forward, and directing the post-production team, Sasha also travels nationally as a public speaker, advocating for reforms in child advocacy and child abuse prevention. On March 27th, 2015, Sasha presented at TEDxBozeman. His presentation was titled “Trauma Is Irreversible. How It Shapes Us Is Our Choice.” Since it was released to the public on May 20th, 2015, Sasha’s TEDx Talk has been viewed over 78,000 times to date, reaching survivors internationally.
Emily Vacher
Facebook
Director of Trust & Safety
Emily Vacher joined Facebook in 2011 and is currently a Director with Facebook’s Trust & Safety team. Vacher is responsible for law enforcement outreach, global safety initiatives, safety education, and security policy matters. She is currently focusing on Facebook’s AMBER Alert program and child safety issues. Vacher works extensively with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), where she serves as a member of NCMEC’s executive board and the law enforcement/operations committee and also serves as a member of NCMEC’s Team ADAM/Project Alert. Vacher works closely with the International Center for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC) on global missing children’s issues and alert system development and training. Before she joined Facebook, Vacher was a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for more than a decade, specializing in crimes against children matters. Vacher holds a BS from Cornell University, MS and MPA from Syracuse University/Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs, and JD from Syracuse University College of Law.
Lou Luzynski
Offender Watch
Co-Founder & Managing Partner of Watch Systems
Lou Luzynski is the co-founder and managing partner of Watch Systems, a public safety solutions firm founded in 2000 in Covington, Louisiana. Lou’s vision of enhancing community safety through technology resulted in the development of OffenderWatch, the nation’s leading sex offender management and community notification solution. OffenderWatch is used by over 3500 local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to register 60% of sex offenders nationwide and to inform the public through agency web sites and by sending over 4 million postcards and 17 million email alerts annually. Lou works extensively with legislators, Sheriffs, state officials and victim advocacy groups to promote best practices in offender management and community notification and to educate the public of the dangers of sex offenders. Prior to Watch Systems, Lou was co-founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Fuelman. Lou helped guide the fleet fuel startup in 1985 to a company with over 300 employees and $100 million in annual sales in 1999. Previously, Lou was a Senior Manager of audit, tax, and management consulting services at KPMG Peat Marwick for early-stage, privately-held emerging growth companies. Lou earned a B.A. in Accounting with Cum Laude honors from St. Louis University and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Survivor Keynote
Brie W.
Our survivor keynote is Brie W., whose full identity is being kept confidential. Brie was victimized in a widely traded child pornography series titled the BluePillow. Originally reported by the Danish National Police, NCMEC linked the photo series to California through a trash can in the background of a photo. A nearly month-long investigation, based on details in the photos and videos in the series, led to her rescue and to the arrest and conviction of her abuser/child pornographer. Brie has since emerged as an advocate of efforts against child sexual exploitation and trafficking.
Partner Keynote
Sarah Saldaña
ICE
Director
Emily Vacher
Facebook
Director of Trust & Safety
Emily Vacher joined Facebook in 2011 and is currently a Director with Facebook’s Trust & Safety team. Vacher is responsible for law enforcement outreach, global safety initiatives, safety education, and security policy matters. She is currently focusing on Facebook’s AMBER Alert program and child safety issues. Vacher works extensively with the National Center for Missing & Exploited Children (NCMEC), where she serves as a member of NCMEC’s executive board and the law enforcement/operations committee and also serves as a member of NCMEC’s Team ADAM/Project Alert. Vacher works closely with the International Center for Missing & Exploited Children (ICMEC) on global missing children’s issues and alert system development and training. Before she joined Facebook, Vacher was a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for more than a decade, specializing in crimes against children matters. Vacher holds a BS from Cornell University, MS and MPA from Syracuse University/Maxwell School of Citizenship & Public Affairs, and JD from Syracuse University College of Law.
Lou Luzynski
Offender Watch
Co-Founder & Managing Partner of Watch Systems
Lou Luzynski is the co-founder and managing partner of Watch Systems, a public safety solutions firm founded in 2000 in Covington, Louisiana. Lou’s vision of enhancing community safety through technology resulted in the development of OffenderWatch, the nation’s leading sex offender management and community notification solution. OffenderWatch is used by over 3500 local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies to register 60% of sex offenders nationwide and to inform the public through agency web sites and by sending over 4 million postcards and 17 million email alerts annually. Lou works extensively with legislators, Sheriffs, state officials and victim advocacy groups to promote best practices in offender management and community notification and to educate the public of the dangers of sex offenders. Prior to Watch Systems, Lou was co-founder, President and Chief Executive Officer of Fuelman. Lou helped guide the fleet fuel startup in 1985 to a company with over 300 employees and $100 million in annual sales in 1999. Previously, Lou was a Senior Manager of audit, tax, and management consulting services at KPMG Peat Marwick for early-stage, privately-held emerging growth companies. Lou earned a B.A. in Accounting with Cum Laude honors from St. Louis University and is a Certified Public Accountant.
Kevin Mulcahy
Flannery|Georgalis, LLC
Assistant U.S. Attorney
Kevin Mulcahy is a survivor of child sexual abuse. He spent over twenty years as an Assistant U.S. Attorney. Throughout his career, he prosecuted a variety of cases, including offenses involving firearms, drugs, bank robberies, threats, and terrorism. But most of his caseload focused on child exploitation crimes, including production of CSAM cases, traveler cases, and other significant crimes against children. Kevin now works in private practice in Detroit and serves on the board of directors of his local CAC. Kevin obtained his undergraduate degree in Statistics and American Culture from the University of Michigan and his JD from Santa Clara School of Law, where he was Editor-in-Chief of the Santa Clara Law Review. He has three kids, two pets, and a very nice wife.
Partner Keynote
James Comey
FBI
Director