The Northeast South Dakota Family Violence Prevention Conference in Aberdeen this fall.

The Northeast South Dakota Family Violence Prevention Conference is headed to Aberdeen this fall.

Registration is now open for the 2024 Northeast South Dakota Family Violence Prevention Conference, scheduled for Oct. 16-17 at the Dakota Event Center in Aberdeen.

Tickets can be purchased online at nesdfamilyviolence.com . The two-day conference features keynote speakers from across the country, a Wings of Hope presentation, and networking in addition to breakfast and a Saturday evening dinner and presentation. Attendees can choose between a dinner/conference option, or conference only or dinner only. A student discount is also available.

“Every year, the conference committee has the best presenters that speak on the latest strategies and research in family violence,” Gina Karst, executive director of Safe Harbor in Aberdeen, said in a release. “I look forward to hearing from experts in the field and exploring practical solutions that can be applied to support affected individuals and communities. I also enjoy the opportunity to network with other professionals dedicated to working with victims of violence.”

Keynote speakers include:

Hera McLeod is a Washington, D.C.-based writer, speaker, tech leader and civil rights activist. She has made several television appearances advocating about social issues, and has testified before the U.S. Congress and Maryland State Legislative body, which has led to reformative legislation in the area of Family Court and Child Protection. Her story is best told through her memoir, “Defying Silence: A Memoir of a Mother’s Loss and Courage in the Face of Injustice,” which recounts her son’s murder and the path that led her to fight for other women and children.

Tanya Johnson Martinez has a diverse career spanning four years in civil litigation, 14 years as a career prosecutor and three as a defense attorney. Her legal journey started with traffic infractions and progressed to the most complex and high-profile cases, including the Savannah Greywind case. A North Dakota native, she employs the skills and knowledge she holds while seeking justice for citizens of her home state.

Leah J. Viste spent 20 years as a prosecutor for the State of North Dakota, representing clients in all types of criminal cases. She is currently a public defender for the North Dakota Commission on Legal Counsel for Indigents in Fargo. She has previously presented on civil commitment of sexually dangerous offenders, legal issues for Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, search and seizure, 1983 actions and immunity, and constitutional issues in corrections and law enforcement.

Tony Godwin has been a part of around 2,100 criminal investigations where he acted as the primary detective in cases related to the exploitation of children. He has 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. He was recently inducted into the Law Enforcement Hall of Fame.

“I hope people will take away from the conference an enhanced understanding of the complexities of family violence and other forms of abuse,” Karst said in a release. “I also hope that attendees will find inspiration to take action and be proactive in efforts to combat violence, fueled by stories, research, and best practices shared during the conference.”

The NESD Family Violence Prevention Conference began in 2013 with a group of community agencies, with the initiative to address family violence. With limited education available in rural South Dakota communities, the conference was created to provide evidence-based, trauma-informed education that was affordable to professionals across the state, with the goal of addressing issues by providing skill-based training to professionals who work in the field of family violence. The conference continues to reach a diverse group of professionals, including victim advocates, law enforcement, court services, social workers, judges, prosecutors, mental health professionals, and more. Notable speakers through the years have included Casey Gwinn, Kristen Gibbons-Feden, Jonathan Hatami, and the detectives who worked the Christopher Watts case.

This article originally appeared on St. Cloud Times: The Northeast South Dakota Family Violence Prevention Conference in Aberdeen this fall.