Our leadership team reflects the broader collaborative spirit of UCASA: only by bringing together people from all sectors of society can we create innovative solutions that address the issue of sexual assault in our communities. If you would like to contact a member of our Board of Directors, please email them at [email protected].
Executive Committee:
Danica Baird - Chair
Danica Baird works full time as an attorney and has a deep commitment to ending sexual exploitation and human trafficking.
Some of her work in these areas includes chairing the Utah Sexual Violence Policy Alliance, participating on the Utah Sexual Violence Council, serving as a board member for the Aspen Magdalene House, founding the Higher Education subcommittee of the Utah Trafficking in Persons Taskforce, interning with Polaris Project, planning three national conferences on human trafficking and sexual exploitation, and publishing multiple articles on the topic.
Danica graduated from Brigham Young University with an English literature degree and earned a law degree from the J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University.
Katie Gowans - Vice Chair
Katie is a Victim Advocate with the West Valley City Prosecutor’s Office. With 5 years of experience in the field serving victims of domestic violence and sexual assault, she has a passion for social justice and a determination to ensure access to trauma informed healing and care for all victims. Having obtained her Bachelors degree in Criminal Justice from Weber State University, she is excited to participate in the community and bring about positive change.
Jake Momberger - Secretary
Jake Momberger (he/him) entered the field of sexual assault prevention in 2018 as a research assistant studying sexual assault statistics with Dr. Julie Valentine and the Utah State Crime Lab. He graduated in 2020 with a B.S. in Public Health with an emphasis in Health Science. Upon graduating, he worked at UCASA as a program specialist and focused on engaging men in sexual violence prevention. In 2021, he entered the University of Utah School of Medicine with an interest in providing trauma-informed care to tribal, rural and underserved populations across the intermountain west.
Jake is a proud parent of a rescued bearded dragon, Junie, who he raises with his wife. Together they love backpacking, climbing and identifying birds, bugs and mushrooms.
Rebecca Beaumont - Treasurer
Rebecca Beaumont is a Certified Social Worker with a passion for advocating for survivors of abuse and exploitation. She has ten years of experience in the mental health field, including positions as a direct support professional, case manager, therapist, researcher, program administrator, grant coordinator, and volunteer. Rebecca has worked in both the non-profit and government sectors to advocate for change regarding child abuse, sexual violence, domestic violence, human trafficking, and elder abuse.
Rebecca has a Bachelor’s Degree in Psychology from Brigham Young University and a Master’s Degree in Social Work from Arizona State University. Rebecca is licensed as a Certified Social Worker in the State of Utah.
Directors:
Crystal Powell
Crystal is a victims’ rights attorney with a deep commitment to human rights and dignity.
Before moving to Utah, Crystal worked in justice reform on behalf of the government of Jamaica where she was involved in a number of pursuits with national focus and impact. Some of these included as serving on the National Taskforce Against Trafficking in Persons; helping to implement a National Restorative Justice Programme, the first of its kind in the Caribbean; and directed the Law Revision Office where she led the publication of the laws of Jamaica.
Crystal graduated from the University of the West Indies with a Bachelor’s Degree (First Class Honors) in Psychology/Social Policy and Administration and from the J. Reuben Clark Law School at Brigham Young University. Crystal enjoys learning new skills and exploring her talents, especially, music, art, and fashion. She is a natural hair advocate. She has one child and a beautiful dog.
Megan Manning
Megan Manning is a development professional who was born and raised in Salt Lake. She is committed to advocating for women in her community, and especially those who are survivors of abuse and exploitation.
Megan has a bachelor’s degree in International Business Management from Utah Valley University and a background in nonprofit development and relationship management. She has fundraised for programs and worked in over 20 developing countries improving accessibility to self-sufficiency resources.
She believes that a fulfilling life is established in service and striving to help others become the best version of themselves, reach their goals, and give back to the community. When she’s not working or spending time with her dogs and husband, you can find her running or skiing in the Wasatch mountains.
Dr. Monique Derr
Dr. Monique Derr has worked as a humanitarian and human rights activist for nearly 20 years. Her research and service focus has been on human trafficking and gender/socio-economic inequality issues. She has a rich background working in non-profits as a project and accounts manager, director, fundraiser, community outreach manager, homeless outreach worker, and trainer. Her activism has taken her to Kenya and Guatemala, where she conducted field research and focused on educational development. She is a professional performer and journalist, having worked as a television panelist on a nationally syndicated talk show as well as written for various publications. She completed a Ph.D. in Human Science with a specialization in transformative social change and worked as a professor of sociology and communications at UVU and SLCC.
Hilary Adkins
Hilary is a full-time attorney and is passionate about advocating for women’s rights, specifically reproductive justice, and sexual violence prevention.
Hilary graduated from the University of California, Berkeley with a bachelor’s degree in Political Science and earned a law degree from the S.J. Quinney College of Law at the University of Utah.
In college, Hilary interned for the Feminist Majority Foundation in Beverly Hills and then started the Feminist Majority Leadership Alliance at UC Berkeley. In law school, Hilary was a member of the Social Justice Student Initiative, where she co-chaired the seventh annual Human Trafficking Symposium with UTIP. She also externed with Utah Crime Victims Legal Clinic where she provided pro bono legal representation to crime victims throughout the state of Utah and worked closely with UCASA.
Hilary enjoys crafting, reading, and spending time with friends and her dog, Hank.
Kim Romero
Not pictured:
Jessical Corral