2024 SVN International Conference
Safe Spaces: Supporting Survivors of Intimate Partner Violence

DAY ONE Wednesday, October 16, 2024

DAY TWO Thursday, October 17, 2024 

Presentations

Featured Speakers

Margaret MacPherson, M.A., Research Associate
Centre for Research and Education on Violence Against Women and Children
Western University

Margaret has been leading social change initiatives on gender-based violence for over twenty years. She designs projects, curriculum, and related materials for CREVAWC initiatives including elder abuse, community coordination, workplace domestic violence, sexual harassment and violence, and exploitation. Margaret also convenes the Building a Bigger Wave network, a provincial network of Violence Against Women Coordinating Committees.
She is passionate in her belief that everyone has an important contribution to make in creating safe and supportive environments at work and in our communities.

The Honorable Judge Victor Reyes (ret) 

Victor Reyes served as a District Judge from 1999-2014 in the 10th Judicial District located in Pueblo, Colo. He has presided over criminal, civil, county court appeals, probate, domestic, protection order, and juvenile, along with dependency, and neglect matters. Before becoming a judge, he served as a deputy state public defender for the State of Colorado. Judge Reyes also served as the judicial representative on the Colorado Domestic Violence Offender Management Board.

Before becoming a judge, he served as a Deputy State Public Defender for the State of Colorado for 15 years where he also provided training. From October 2021 through January 2023, Judge Reyes served as the Judge in Residence for the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges (NCJFCJ). At NCJFCJ, he was involved with the Judicial Wellness Initiative, specifically hosting the Monday Morning Moments Wellness webinars along with leading wellness sessions at conferences. Judge Reyes also participated in nationwide training, developing curriculum, and writing on all aspects of the law that impact children, their families, and victims of domestic violence. He has written presentations on Compassionate Leadership, Engaged Justice, and Implied Bias. Since 2002, Judge Reyes has facilitated international and nationwide training to a variety of groups and organizations on issues related to mindfulness, every aspect related to domestic violence, the effects of vicarious trauma on judicial officers, judicial leadership, and federal firearms legislation. He provided training on domestic violence for Colorado Judges and has testified before both houses of the Colorado Legislature on DV-related legislation.