speakers

Allison Morrisette, an enrolled member of the Oglala Sioux Tribe, was born to Stephanie Louden and Joseph Morrisette Jr. Growing up in Martin, SD she participated in basketball, track, softball and various other groups. She then joined the South Dakota Army National Guard in 2012 and served 6 years with the 842^nd Engineer Company. During that time, she also graduated from Oglala Lakota College with her BS in Information Technology. She started as a Correctional Officer for Pennington County and then went on to facilitate the Adult Diversion Program for the Pennington County State’s Attorney’s Office. Spending a couple years with Pennington County SAO she assumed her duties in 2022 as the state’s inaugural Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Coordinator.

Working in the area of Criminal Justice Reform, Allison has found her passion to help. While working at Pennington County she partnered with Wambli Ska Teen Center and helped create Oyate Kin Kawita Upikte; a community based cultural court. This court was designed to help relatives involved with the court system heal from their generational trauma while finding their cultural identity. She then realized a Criminal Justice Reform program could help her reservation and worked on the implementation of the first Juvenile Diversion on the Oglala Sioux Reservation. Allison’s newest position as the Missing and Murdered Indigenous Persons Coordinator for the State of South Dakota is an endeavor she is proud to do. Hoping to build bridges where there’s been challenges and paving a positive way of life for all our relatives.

Tony Godwin was recently inducted into the Law Enforcement Hall of Fame in March 2023, a testament to his distinguished career in child crime investigations. Tony has faithfully served the Garland (Texas) Police Department for 28 years and presently holds a pivotal role in the Northern Texas Internet Crimes Against Children Task Force (ICACTF), where he has been a dedicated member since 2005. Tony’s responsibilities encompass investigating a wide range of child-related crimes, including child molestation cases involving strangers, child sexual assault cases involving strangers, child pornography, and internet solicitation of children for sexual purposes. His extensive career portfolio boasts over 2,100 criminal investigations where he acted as the primary Detective in cases related to the exploitation of children.

Tony’s expertise extends to the realm of digital forensics, holding certifications as a computer and cell phone forensic examiner. He has conducted collaborative criminal investigations alongside federal agencies such as the FBI, US Postal Service, Department of Homeland Security, US Secret Service, and numerous local law enforcement agencies to combat child exploitation and child pornography on the World Wide Web. Tony is also committed to knowledge sharing, teaching child exploitative investigation techniques and child exploitation presentations to law enforcement professionals throughout the United States and internationally.

Additionally, Tony devotes time to educating civic groups, schools, churches, and parents on how to best protect children online, furthering efforts to stop the exploitation of children.

Eric was born and raised in Aberdeen, South Dakota, where he has lived most of his life. Eric’s passion to encourage others led him into the teaching profession where he has served the past thirty years as a student/athlete, coach, teacher, school administrator, development director, school superintendent, director of the Northern Academy, and adjunct professor. As a Northern graduate in 1995 (elementary education) and 1999 (administration), he is grateful to be back at NSU assisting with the recruitment and retention of students as the enrollment management officer.

Troy Morley is the Tribal Liaison for the U.S. Attorney’s Office, District of South Dakota.  As Tribal Liaison, Morley will serve as the conduit in matters between the U.S. Attorney’s Office and the nine tribes of South Dakota.

Morley joined the U.S. Attorney’s office in 2012, as an Assistant U.S. Attorney in the Pierre branch office.  In that capacity, his primary area of prosecutorial responsibility is in Indian country, and specifically the Standing Rock Sioux Indian Reservation.

Morley is currently involved in the formation of a working group to study reentry alternatives with the States of North Dakota, South Dakota, and the Standing Rock Sioux Tribe.  Morley will also be working on a reentry project with the Sisseton Wahpeton Sioux Tribe, as well as working with tribal officials in implementing a pilot program to exercise special domestic violence jurisdiction.

Morley completed his undergraduate studies at the University of Nevada, Las Vegas, and received his law degree, with distinction, from the University of North Dakota.  In addition to his experience in private practice prior to joining the U.S. Attorney’s office, Morley previously served as Special Judge to the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa.  He is also a veteran of the United States Navy and was a member of the Commission to Study Racial and Ethnic Bias in the North Dakota Court System.

He is originally from Grand Forks, North Dakota, and is an enrolled member of the Turtle Mountain Band of Chippewa.

Hera McLeod is a Washington, DC-based writer, speaker, tech leader, and civil rights activist. She is known for speaking out against the silence, particularly on topics of civil rights for women and children, domestic violence, and Family Court reform.

After the tragic murder of her son Prince, she became a proud Single Mother by Choice to two little girls – Estela and Isabel. She was a 2017 Jack Straw Writing Fellow and has published OpEd pieces in The New York Times, The Washington Post, The Seattle Times, and The Huffington Post. Hera has also made several television appearances, advocating about social issues, including The Today Show, Crime Watch Daily, Citizen PI (Discovery +), and several local news affiliates for ABC, CBS, NBC, and Fox. She has testified before the United States Congress and Maryland State Legislation which has led to reformative legislation in the areas of Family Court and Child Protection.

Her memoir, “Defying Silence: A Memoir of a Mother’s Loss in the Face of Injustice”, tells a chilling story of domestic violence and the deep fractures in the American justice system that leave women and children vulnerable.

You can learn more about her on her website.

Krista Heeren-Graber, MS, LBSW, has served as Executive Director at South Dakota Network Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault since 1999. Krista earned her M.S. from South Dakota State University in Counseling and Human Resource Development and works as a licensed BSW macro social worker.

In her role with the SD Network Against Family Violence and Sexual Assault, Krista has authored multiple federal and state grant proposals receiving over 10 million dollars in funding for the state of SD to assist victims and their families. Krista serves as an expert witness testifying over 7 dozen times in state and federal courts in SD. She has provided law enforcement training for new recruits and others in SD for 15 years. As a macro social worker, Krista leads social policy development and analysis work for the Network and Network’s membership. In addition to serving as Executive Director, Ms. Heeren-Graber also holds a position as an Adjunct Instructor at the University of Sioux Falls and has served as a peer reviewer for the Department of Justice, Office on Violence Against Women since 2007.

Judy Zimbelman, MSW, DSW, CSW-PIP, operates a practice providing custody evaluations and adoption studies where she testifies in court throughout the state of South Dakota. She provides expert testimony throughout the state of South Dakota. Dr. Zimbelman worked as the field director of social work at the University of Sioux Falls from 2015 to 2024 and also serves as a military counselor for the South Dakota National Guard where she provides services for military members and their families.

Becky is a Licensed Professional Counselor of Mental Health and a board certified art therapist (www.arttherapy.org). She utilizes both sensory and verbal approaches to ensure personalized treatment plans for her clients. Her clinical knowledge of Cognitive-Behavioral Therapy (CBT) and art therapy techniques are used to address such mental health concerns as (but not limited to) depression, stress management, grief, anxiety, adjustment disorders, as well as personal growth.

Becky is based in Aberdeen, SD and is licensed in South Dakota. She is currently offering in-office and telehealth counseling.

Tanya Martinez is a true native of North Dakota, born and raised in the great state. She graduated from the University of North Dakota School of Law in 2003. With a diverse career spanning 4 years in civil litigation, 14 years as a career prosecutor and three as a defense attorney, she brings an unmatched wealth of experience to the table.

Her legal journey started with traffic infractions and progressed to the most complex and high-profile cases, including the heart-wrenching Savannah Greywind case. Now, as a member of the defense bar, she employs the very skills and knowledge she honed while seeking justice for the citizens of North Dakota. Her unwavering commitment to the Constitution and the rights it protects drives her mission to safeguard the rights of the accused, making her an invaluable advocate for those in need of a strong legal defender.

Leah Viste currently serves as a public defender for the North Dakota Commission on Legal Counsel for Indigents in Fargo, ND. Prior to her current position, Leah was a prosecutor for the State of North Dakota from 2003 -2023. Leah has prosecuted and represented clients in all types of criminal cases. Leah primarily prosecuted crimes against people during her time as an Assistant State’s Attorney. These included cases involving domestic violence, sex crimes, and murder.

Leah has previously presented on victims and learned helplessness, civil commitment of sexually dangerous offenders, report writing and courtroom testimony for law enforcement, legal issues for SANE (sexual assault nurse examiner) professionals, as well as number of other trainings specific to law enforcement, such as search and seizure, 1983 actions and immunity, constitutional issues in corrections and law enforcement.