| ADDITIONAL CONFERENCE INFORMATION
Proposed Schedule (a complete and confirmed schedule will be emailed to all registrants by Monday, March 4): March 7:
March 8:
Trainer Biographies:
- Kathleen Nolan is a Senior Attorney with Zero Abuse Project. She joined the team in May of 2021. She brings over 15 years of experience as a Prosecutor in the area of Child Protection. Kathleen previously served as the Chief of the Children’s Justice Division in the Madison County State’s Attorney’s Office in Madison County, Illinois. She was appointed to that role in 2015 after joining the office in 2013. The Children’s Justice Division handled the charging and prosecution of all child victim cases in the county including physical abuse, sexual assault and child deaths. Her role as Chief of the Division also involved mentoring and training the attorneys she supervised. She also created and presented specialized trainings for members of the Madison County Multi-Disciplinary Team including police, forensic interviewers and Department of Children and Family Services workers. As a board member of the Southern Illinois Child Death Investigation Task Force, Kathleen worked with a team of professionals across Southern Illinois to create more effective procedures for the examination of suspicious child deaths. Her work as a board member including the creation and presentation of trainings for the various members of the task force. Kathleen began her prosecution career in the Tazewell County State’s Attorney’s Office in 2006. Her role as a prosecutor in that office began with the handling of Juvenile Abuse and Neglect cases as well as the Juvenile Delinquency docket. From there, she moved into the full time prosecution of all the child abuse cases in the county and managed a docket of felony and misdemeanor cases. In 2009, Kathleen accepted a position with the Illinois Attorney General’s Office. She traveled throughout the state of Illinois handling the commitment of violent predators under Illinois’ Sexually Violent Person’s Commitment statute. She also prosecuted cases through the Trial Assistance and Statewide Grand Jury divisions. Kathleen attended St. Viator High School in Arlington Heights, Illinois. She graduated from Augustana College in Rock Island, Illinois in 2001. Kathleen received her Juris Doctorate from Valparaiso University School of Law in 2004.
- Rachel Johnson is a Forensic Interview Specialist with Zero Abuse Project. She most recently served as the Program Director for the Minnesota Children’s Alliance and has over a decade of experience in work related to forensic interviewing, multidisciplinary teams, advocacy, child abuse, prevention education, sexual assault and family violence, both domestically and abroad. Prior to her work at the Alliance, Rachel served as a forensic interviewer and the Forensic Program Coordinator at First Witness Child Advocacy Center in Duluth, Minn. She is trained in multiple forensic interview protocols and received Bachelor of Science degrees in Public Service, Sociology and Spanish at Hamline University in St. Paul, Minn. Rachel is passionate about working directly with children and families, supporting frontline professionals and improving the institutional response to victimization by centering the experiences of victims at all levels of consideration and decision-making.
- Derek Cress is a Child Abuse Investigations Specialist with Zero Abuse Project. He recently retired from Indianapolis Metropolitan Police Department (IMPD) after 24 years of decorated service to the community by achieving the investigative designation of Master Detective. For the past 17 years, he was assigned to the Criminal Investigations Branch where he held investigative and training roles within the Child Abuse Unit, Sex Offense Unit, and most recently, the Internet Crimes Against Children Unit. He was fortunate to be selected and cross designated as a Task Force Officer with the FBI, where he participated in multiple successful federal child exploitation investigations, prosecutions, and convictions while partnering with the United States Attorney’s Office for the Southern District of Indiana. He strongly believes in continuing education and training for ICAC investigators is the key to combating online child sexual abuse, which dynamically changes on a regular basis. Derek holds an associate degree in Criminology from Indiana State University, a bachelor’s degree in Management from Indiana Wesleyan University, and is a graduate of the IMPD Leadership Academy.
Lake Lawn Resort/Room Reservations Individuals will call the resort directly at 800-338-5253 to make their reservations. Please request the rate for Technology Facilitated Crimes Against Youth Conference to receive the group rate. A first night’s lodging deposit will be requested at the time of reservation. All guest room reservations are required to have one guest 21 years of age or older occupying the room.
- Cut-off Date: Friday, February 9, 2024
- Check-in Time: 4:00 PM
- Check-Out Time: 11:00 AM
Questions about the conference? Please contact Tree House Program Director Kayla Lauderdale at kayla@treehouseforkids.net or 262-755-8733. |
