Board Chair

Andrea Harner

California
Forensic Interview Specialist, Children’s Advocacy Center, Covina, CA 

Andrea Harner is an advocate for children, women and justice and a true believer in the transformative power of people’s stories. As a Forensic Interview Specialist at a Child Advocacy Center in Los Angeles, she is part of the investigative team consisting of detectives, social workers and prosecutors where she interviews children who are suspected to have been victims of sexual abuse, severe physical abuse or to have witnessed violence. She also regularly trains police officers on a Minimal Facts Interviewing protocol she co-developed in order to minimize trauma to the child and improve investigative outcomes.

In 2018, Andrea co-executive produced the documentary series Lorena, featured on Amazon Prime. The documentary enabled Lorena Bobbit to reclaim her voice and tell her story while reigniting the national dialogue on domestic violence. Previously Andrea worked at the Safe Horizon Staten Island Child Advocacy Center where she provided short-term therapy to child victims and their non-offending caregivers.

Andrea is a proud board member of Darkness to Light and is an Authorized Facilitator for the organization’s child sexual abuse prevention training program Stewards of Children® and holds regular trainings to teach parents and organizations best practices for protecting children. She holds a B.A. in History from Wesleyan University and a M.A. in Forensic Psychology from John Jay College. Andrea lives in Los Angeles and loves hiking and trail running in Griffith Park with her husband, twin boys and mini goldendoodles.

Chair Emeritus

Cathy Huber

Washington
Children’s Advocate and Philanthropist

Cathy Huber comes to Darkness to Light with a goal of working to expand child sexual abuse prevention education and awareness efforts in the Pacific-Northwest. A devoted children’s advocate, Huber embodies the grassroots activism responsible for much of Darkness to Light’s growth to date. She and her husband, George Huber, Chairman/Founder of Equity Investment Group, Inc and Managing Partner/Co-Founder Finback Partners, have served on a variety of charitable organizations and are known throughout the Midwest and Washington State for their philanthropic work.

Cathy’s passion for children’s causes and hands-on experience as a mother gives her valuable perspective.

Vice Chair

Jim Wilson

South Carolina
Chairman of GWS | Enterprise, CBRE (retired) 

Jim currently works with Bartlett Investments LLC and established to invest in and advise small cap companies with high growth potential that serve the commercial real estate sector with a focus on Minority Business Enterprises (MBE’s).
Jim started his career at CBRE as a producer representing office landlords, tenants, buyers, and sellers as well as developing and redeveloping high-rise office buildings. He was consistently recognized as a one of the Company’s top producers. In 1999, he moved to the GWS business as the ExxonMobil account manager and successfully grew the relationship 280% over a four-year period by adding services and new markets (e.g. Latin America/Caribbean). After ExxonMobil, he served in several different leadership roles with the last two being the GWS COO/Americas CEO and then the GWS | Enterprise Clients CEO.
Jim holds an MBA from Washington University in St. Louis, a Bachelor of Architecture from the University of Oklahoma and completed the Harvard Business School Executive Program
Jim lives in Atlanta with his wife of 29 years, and they have three adult sons.

Treasurer

Nancy Millett

Georgia
EVP & CFO, Engineered Floors LLC

Nancy Millett is the EVP & CFO for Engineered Floors LLC, is one of the largest and fastest-growing carpet mills in the world. The company is a privately owned manufacturer of residential and commercial flooring operating in 15 locations primarily in Georgia.

Prior to joining Engineered Floors LLC, she was a Partner with Deloitte Tax for 17 years serving primarily Consumer Products, Automotive, Retail, Industrial & Energy Companies. She also worked with the families who owned her privately held clients. She held various leadership roles during her time at Deloitte including Global Tax Industry Leader- Consumer & Industrial Products Industry, U.S. Inbound Services Leader (Responsible for Leading the US Tax Strategy for serving the U.S. Operations of companies headquartered outside U.S.), Tax Leader for Cross Business Teaming & Collaboration, U.S. Tax Industry Leader and Women’s Initiative Leader.

Prior to Deloitte, she was a Tax Partner with Arthur Andersen LLP Tax Partner serving primarily Consumer Products, Automotive, Industrial Products, Energy, Telecom, & Transportation Clients. Also served executives of corporate clients and families owning privately held clients. She held various leadership roles including Atlanta Office and Regional Manufacturing Industry Leadership for Tax & Leadership of Atlanta Private Wealth Practice.

Nancy is a CPA and Certified Financial Planner. She hold a Bachelor of Science of Business Administration with an accounting emphasis from the University of North Carolina, Chapel Hill. She is on the UNC-Kenan Flagler Business School Board of Advisors, the Dalton Georgia Chamber of Commerce Executive Board, the Board & Executive Committee for Junior Achievement of Georgia, and is a past Member of the UNC Chapel Hill Parent’s Council.

Secretary

Amanda Kelso

California
Producer/Storyteller
Board of Trustees, Sundance Institute 

Amanda Kelso has spent the last 25 years serving as a producer and storyteller for global tech companies as well as lending her skills to films and non-profit organizations. Amanda’s tenure includes helping to foster and oversee the stewardship of Instagram’s community of more than one billion people and serving as the Managing Director of Google Creative Lab. She has executive produced several films, and early in her career she worked on television productions including Mister Rogers’ Neighborhood.

In addition to her work with Darkness to Light, Amanda is currently a member of the board of trustees for the Sundance Institute. She is a member of the Producers Guild of America’s New Media Council, a judge for the International Academy of Digital Arts and Sciences and an advisor for Harmony Labs. Amanda holds a BA from Columbia College at Columbia University in Film.

Board Member

Rochel Leah Bernstein

California 
Founder, Child Safety Pledge
Venture Partner Regeneration.VC

Rochel Leah Bernstein is the founder of Child Safety Pledge, an organization committed to prevent and combat child sexual abuse in the United States. A parent, mother of four and survivor herself, she has worked for the past eight years with youth-serving organizations, funders and parents to ensure strong policies and best practices to prevent, detect, and respond to child sexual abuse.

Together with her team she is focused on collaborating with purpose-driven companies, foundations and empowering a national grassroots movement dedicated on keeping all children safe from sexual abuse in YSOs and physical environments. She has a passion for philanthropy, travel and street art.

Board Member

Ben Gifford

New York
Associate Portfolio Manager and Analyst, Select Equity Group

Ben is an Associate Portfolio Manager and Analyst at Select Equity Group, an independent investment firm in New York City. Prior to joining Select Equity in 2014, he was part of Morgan Stanley’s Firm Strategy and Execution group. Ben received a BA in Economics from Yale College in 2012 and is a CFA charterholder.

Ben is a survivor of child sexual abuse and has been part of the Darkness to Light community since 2017. He has spoken about the cause multiple times at the Select Equity Group Foundation Celebration, as well as at IGNITE, Darkness to Light’s child sexual abuse prevention conference, in 2019. He believes strongly in the importance of changing the conversation around child sexual abuse, and in empowering our communities to protect the most vulnerable among us.

Board Member

Raj Pannu, Ph.D., MS

New York
Founder & CEO, Emergence Creative

Raj is the founder and CEO of Emergence Creative, a creative communications agency in New York City dedicated to social impact. He has, throughout his career, worked across sectors with diverse clients including the ACLU, Sutter Health, and the Rockefeller Foundation. In his previous role as Director of Global Health at McCann Health, Raj facilitated collaboration between McCann, multinational companies, and not-for-profits, including the Bill and Melinda Gates Foundation, USAID, and UNICEF. A former member of the UN Essential Medicines Working Group, Raj has been an invited speaker to numerous institutions, including the Kennedy School of Public Policy at Harvard University, The Mailman School of Public Health at Columbia University, the Imperial College School of Business, and the Qatar Foundation. He holds an MS of Immunology and a PhD in Biochemistry from the University of Alberta.

Nova Simon

California 
Special Victims Detective, Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department 

Nova Simon is a Special Victims Detective with the Los Angeles County Sheriff’s Department who is driven by a deep commitment to protecting vulnerable victims. Her passion for justice stems from her own experiences as a survivor of childhood sexual assault and physical abuse. With over 20 years of service, Nova has worked in communities severely impacted by child abuse and sex trafficking. She has investigated hundreds of cases and is dedicated to raising awareness about how abusers gain access to and groom their victims. Nova is also focused on improving collaboration among agencies entrusted with child protection. 
 
Understanding that sexual abuse victims often hide their pain and go unnoticed due to the shame and stigma surrounding sexual abuse, Nova is committed to breaking this stigma by encouraging victims to share their stories openly, believing in the healing power of community.  A strong proponent of the “Love Wins” philosophy, she is devoted to building a community of survivors who transform their trauma into triumph. This bravery empowers and inspires others to speak out and prevents abusers from hiding in the shadows of their victim’s shame. Nova lives in Orange County, CA, with her family and two precocious Corgis. 

Stephen Mills

California 
Author and Ambassador for CHILD USA 

Stephen Mills is the author of Chosen: A Memoir of Stolen Boyhood, which won the National Jewish Book Award for Memoir. He is also the coauthor of Next of Kin: My Conversations with Chimpanzees, a Los Angeles Times Best Book of the Year. Since 1982 he has advised and written for an array of public interest organizations in the fields of human rights and environmental protection. As a survivor of childhood sexual assault who has been pursuing justice for five decades, Stephen speaks frequently to local communities about the importance of prevention, normalizing the conversation around the victimization of boys, and holding institutions accountable when they fail to protect children. Stephen is honored to serve as an Ambassador for CHILD USA, the leading nonprofit think tank fighting for the rights of children. He lives in California with his wife, Susan. 

Ryan McLean

California 
Vice President, Blue Owl Capital 

Ryan is currently a Vice President at Blue Owl Capital, a private capital firm headquartered in New York City. Before joining Blue Owl, Ryan spent 8 years as a Vice President at Cohen & Steers Capital, a leading manager of liquid alternative assets. Ryan began his career as an Associate at Equitable in New York. Ryan received a BA in Economics from College of the Holy Cross in Worcester, MA. Ryan McLean is a Certified Investment Management Analyst® professional. 

Ryan joined the board of Darkness to Light in 2024. Ryan has spent most of his life working and volunteering with children, including 10 years with Big Brothers, Big Sisters, the iMentor school-based mentorship program in New York City, and the Easterseals of Dupage County Pediatric Therapy volunteer program. 

Brandi Andersen

Indiana 
Children’s Advocate and Arts Patron 

Brandi Andersen is a wife, mother, friend, arts patron and survivor of childhood sexual abuse. She has spent the majority of her adult life advocating for the hearts, minds and bodies of children. Brandi has six wonderful children that she homeschooled for over 10 years. She is passionate about breaking generational patterns of abuse, both sexual and emotional.  

Brandi has experienced the power of healing and education firsthand. She’s passionate about sharing her own knowledge and experiences and providing children the opportunity to be seen, heard, known, loved, protected and restored! 

She and her husband, Kristian, have been married for 23 years and call Indianapolis home. Brandi is deeply engaged in the local arts community and relishes the opportunity to connect artists, friends and businesses- enriching people’s lives while supporting the work of emerging artists.  Brandi is a nature lover and conservationist and in her free time pursues scuba diving, surfing, and boating – anything that involves water and wind. 

Brandi holds a B.B.A. in Marketing from Baylor University and an M.A. in Broadcast Journalism from Regent University. 

Advisory Board Member

Regina Benjamin, MD, MBA

Alabama
Founder and CEO of BayouClinic, Inc.
18th United States Surgeon General

Regina Benjamin, MD, MBA served as the 18th United States Surgeon General and is the Founder and CEO of BayouClinic, Inc. She is currently the NOLA.com/Times Picayune Endowed Chair of Public Health Sciences at Xavier University of Louisiana. Dr. Benjamin specializes in prevention policies and health promotion among individuals as well as large populations, especially concerning obesity, childhood obesity, and children’s health. She has special interest in rural health care, health disparities among socio-economic groups, suicide, violence, and mental health.

From her early days as the Founder of a rural health clinic in Alabama to her leadership role in the worldwide advancement of preventive health, Dr. Regina Benjamin has forged a career that has been recognized by a broad spectrum of organizations and publications. In 1995, she was the first physician under the age of 40 and the first African-American woman to be elected to the American Medical Association Board of Trustees. Other past Board memberships included the Robert Wood Johnson Foundation, Kaiser Family Foundation Commission on Medicaid and the Uninsured, Catholic Health Association, and Morehouse School of Medicine.

Dr. Benjamin is a member of the Institute of Medicine and a Fellow of the American Academy of Family Physicians. She has been chosen as a Kellogg National Fellow and Rockefeller Next Generation Leader.

In 1998, Dr. Benjamin was the United States recipient of the Nelson Mandela Award for Health and Human Rights. She received the 2000 National Caring Award, which was inspired by Mother Teresa and was recognized with the Papal honor Pro Ecclesia et Ponticifice from Pope Benedict XVI. In 2008, she was honored with a MacArthur Genius Award Fellowship. In 2011, Dr. Benjamin became the recipient of the Chairman’s Award at the 42nd NAACP Image Awards.

In May 2013, Reader’s Digest, ranked her #22 of the “100 Most Trusted People in America.”

Benjamin has a B.S. in chemistry from Xavier University, New Orleans, attended Morehouse School of Medicine, earned an MD degree from the University of Alabama at Birmingham, and an MBA from Tulane University. She is the recipient of 23 honorary degrees.

Advisory Board Member

Viola Vaughan-Eden, PHD, MJ, LCSW

Virginia
Professor and PhD Program Director, Ethelyn R. Strong School of Social Work, Norfolk State University
President and CEO of UP For Champions
President Emerita, American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children

Viola Vaughan-Eden is a Professor and the PhD Program Director with the Ethelyn R. Strong School of Social Work at Norfolk State University in Southeastern Virginia.  She is also the President and CEO of UP For Champions, a non-profit in partnership with The UP Institute, a think tank for upstream child abuse solutions.  As a clinical and forensic social worker, she serves as a consultant and expert witness in child maltreatment cases – principally sexual abuse.  She lectures nationally and internationally on child and family welfare to multidisciplinary groups of professionals.

Dr. Vaughan-Eden is President Emerita of the American Professional Society on the Abuse of Children, President Emerita of the National Partnership to End Interpersonal Violence, and Past-President of the National Organization of Forensic Social Work. She is an Advisory Board Member of Darkness to Light, having served as a Board Director (2015-2019).

Dr. Vaughan-Eden serves on the editorial board of several peer-reviewed journals.  She is one of the editors-in-chief of the six-volume 2022 NPEIV Handbook on Interpersonal Violence. Dr. Vaughan-Eden was a panelist on two congressional briefings – 2015 Spare the Rod, Protect the Child: A Reconsideration of Corporal Punishment of Children in Homes and Schools and 2016 Protecting Child Safety in Family Court. She is the recipient of several honors including the 2020 NOFSW Sol Gothard Lifetime Achievement Award, a 2019 Council of Social Work Education Leadership Scholar, and the 2012 National Association of Social Workers-Virginia Chapter Lifetime Achievement Award. See www.violavaughaneden.com

Herb Jansen

South Carolina
EY Partner and Global Director of Human Capital (retired)

Herb is retired from a 40-year career as a CPA, most of which was as a partner with both Andersen and EY. He consulted on international and domestic tax matters as well as mergers and acquisitions for a variety of organizations, including Fortune 500 and global companies. Herb also served in many leadership roles, including managing partner for the Andersen New York and Northeastern tax practice, and finished his career as the Global Director of Human Capital for EY.

During his career, Herb was responsible for strategy development and management of domestic and global business segments with as many as 3,000 professionals and annual revenues of $1 billion. He traveled extensively during the last 20 years of his career, in the course of his management responsibilities and client engagements, and became familiar with many different cultures and business practices. He is a graduate of The University of Tennessee Business School and Wharton and Insead Executive Development Programs. Herb has served on the boards of several non-profits, including six years as the Treasurer of Darkness to Light, and is continuing to assist Darkness to Light as part of the Advisory Board.

He was a Sergeant in the U.S. Army and is a highly decorated Vietnam Veteran. He is a resident of Kiawah Island, SC, and also spends summers in upstate New York on Lake George. He likes spending time with his family, especially his grandchildren, on the beach or at the lake.