Domestic violence council to announce new members

Heather Rawlyk

Friday, Sept. 24, 2004 | 9:39 a.m.

For the first time in five years, a handful of new faces will be added to the Nevada Domestic Violence Prevention Council.

In August, 17 applications were taken from a variety of candidates, including doctors, law enforcement officials and domestic violence advocates, according to council nomination committee member Miriam Ohata-Sims. Ohata-Sims works for the Safe Nest shelter for victims of domestic violence.

From those applications, six new members have been chosen and will be announced next week, said Lori Fralick, victim advocate with the Reno City Attorney's Office. The new members will bring the board to its maximum membership of 30.

After they are announced, the six will officially become members of the council, Fralick said. The new members will brainstorm and prepare ideas to present at their first meeting, scheduled for Jan. 7, she said.

"What the council was looking for was to reflect Nevada's urban and rural composition in addition to its cultural diversity," Fralick said. "Our council has all kinds of different people from all over the state. We've got everything from police officers to domestic violence victims, who we call our survivors."

Not including the new members, the nonprofit council currently consists of two dozen members and several key committees, Fralick said. The council meets quarterly in either Reno or Las Vegas, she said, and members volunteer their time. Though no money is provided, travel expenses are covered by the board.

After several years, the council decided it was time to "get some fresh blood on the board" with hopes of generating new ideas to fuel the fight against domestic violence and sexual assualt in Nevada, Fralick said.

The council, which was created in 1995 with initial funding by the Legislature and is chaired by the attorney general, "rarely takes on new people," Fralick said.

"So this, is in that respect, a big deal," she said. "We're excited to grow and gain fresh ideas toward accomplishing our mission."

The mission of the council includes providing direction to the governor and the legislature on statewide domestic violence policy and legislation, increasing public awareness of the magnitude and seriousness of domestic violence and sexual assault, advocating appropriate changes in law enforcement procedure, and increasing access to legal and medical services to survivors in need.

In pursuing its mission, the council supports the implementation of programs that promote prevention, Ohata-Sims said.

"I'm proud of what we've done so far and looking forward to growing as a council and hearing new ideas. This is pretty exciting really."