Women to Watch Finalists – Public Service
Lindsey Roberson
Associate, McGuireWoods LLP
Attorney Lindsey Roberson’s drive to combat human trafficking is not new.
While working in the District Attorney’s Office – she spent three years there before moving to the McGuireWoods law firm last year – Roberson prosecuted cases that included human trafficking, commercial exploitation, and other crimes against women and children.
She worked with local legislators to push a state bill protecting victims of sex trafficking while going after perpetrators. It passed in 2013.
The next year, the then-assistant district attorney got the first conviction in New Hanover County under the new law in a case that involved a fifteen-year-old victim.
“I’ve learned that human trafficking and commercial exploitation are crimes that affect the most vulnerable among us in a way that is long lasting and sometimes nearly irreparable,” Roberson says. “And yet these are crimes that are largely overlooked, misidentified, and dismissed because they require us to look beyond the obvious and answer really hard questions about who we are and who we want to be as a society.”
For her efforts on the bill and in the courtroom, the North Carolina Human Trafficking Commission recognized her in awards for leaders across the state working on the issue.
A certified law enforcement instructor, Roberson also teaches about the issue to law enforcement, prosecutors, and victim service providers and last year joined the faculty for the National Institute for the Prosecution of Human Trafficking.
“There isn’t, and there probably never will be, an easy fix, but working towards a solution with other passionate, committed people has meant more to me than anything else in my life,” she says. “For me, even though the work is hard, the decision to keep doing it has been easy.”
Has there been a “worth-it” moment when you thought all your hard work has paid off? “It’s always worth it. But also, I think I realized very early on that this is very complex work and that it could not be sustained by normal ideals of success or reward, and for me it’s about helping others find the things they’ve lost, things most of us take for granted: their voice, their safety, an opportunity to remember and pursue their dreams, and every time that happens, I know it’s a step – even a baby step – in the right direction.”
Jennifer Smith
Battalion Chief, New Hanover County Fire Rescue
Jennifer Smith has risen through the ranks at New Hanover County’s fire department.
She started as a volunteer for New Hanover County Fire Rescue while still a student at University of North Carolina Wilmington, and seventeen years later is now one of its battalion chiefs.
“It really was a fluke,” she says about her decision to work in fire services. “As a teenager, I wanted to race boats, but instead my parents introduced me to the rescue side of the operation. That was the catalyst for my start in the fire service. Once I began, I was hooked because I liked the excitement and the opportunity to help people.”
Smith, the most senior-ranking woman in the department, supervises teams working on training, IT, data analysis, and accreditation. She has completed the National Fire Academy’s Executive Fire Officer Program, which is a program that provides senior fire officers with the tools to exercise leadership when dealing with difficult or unique problems within communities.
A paramedic, Smith has degrees in marine biology and fire science and this spring finished her master’s in public administration.
Inside the department, she is charged with monitoring incident response times and other department benchmarks to ensure they are in line with national standards.
Where do you see yourself in the future, professionally? “Leading an emergency service organization.”
Alejandra Sotelo
District Commander, Wilmington Police Department
Lieutenant Alejandra Sotelo joined the Wilmington Police Department in 2000.
As a district commander she supervises first line sergeants, corporals, and line officers in her assigned part of the city.
At the department, she oversees its peer support team, a unit that provides emotional support to police employees after a traumatic event. Now the program’s coordinator, Sotelo played a key role in getting it formed. Sotelo has previously worked in internal affairs, held assignments in the criminal investigations division, and is a certified instructor.
A member of the North Carolina Law Enforcement Women’s Association, she also is a member of the city’s wellness committee.
Her work also extends into the community.
“I work with multiple community watch groups to try to improve their communities as a whole using various crime reduction efforts,” Sotelo says. “By working closely with the community I serve, I can also help form a positive relationship with law enforcement.”
Last year, Sotelo oversaw the Cop Camp where at-risk children spend a week at police department-sponsored activities.
Favorite police TV show or movie? “Any Law & Order episode of the last twenty years.”
Ally Thornton
Program Director, Phoenix Hometown Hires
At Phoenix Hometown Hires, Ally Thornton has a pretty big goal looming.
Thornton is program director for the Wilmington-based group that helps people find work and stability. And she’s got the target of placing over 250 in jobs in three years, based on the group’s strategic goal.
Based on her efforts so far, it’s doable.
Under her leadership of Phoenix’s job program, the number of people who found jobs with the nonprofit’s help went from eighty-eight in 2015 to nearly 130 so far in 2016. In the job program, job seekers learn about networking, resume writing, and interview prep.
Thornton also manages Phoenix’s life skills program, which works with people after they’ve found employment.
Participants attend weekly workshops on topics such as budgeting, goal-setting, and career development, while their children also are given tools to make positive choices.
Thornton, who sits on the board for the Lower Cape Fear Human Resource Association, joined Phoenix in 2014 after switching from a corporate job.
“I wouldn’t replace my corporate experience for anything, but after a few years I wanted to do something where I had an opportunity to get to know my neighbors, especially those who were in need,” Thornton says. “(Phoenix Hometown Hires) provided the perfect setting for my passion, personality, and skills to grow. PHH has afforded me the opportunity to change the lives of others but even more so, the lives of others have changed mine.”
Advice for making a good impression at a job interview? “Dress professionally no matter what job you’re seeking, be confident in who you are, and share your interest in the company more than your interest in yourself.”
Debbie Todd
Membership Director, Girl Scouts NC Coastal Pines
Debbie Todd has earned her W2W badge.
Todd, a membership director for Girl Scouts North Carolina Coastal Pines – a council that covers Central and Eastern North Carolina – is responsible for more than 900 scouts in New Hanover County.
Todd herself was a Girl Scout in San Diego, and as a mom was happy to jump back into the program.
“I was very excited when my daughter asked me if I would be her leader nine years ago, just like my mom had been my Leader,” she says. “When I was asked to consider applying for the membership director position almost six years ago, it felt like a ‘dream job’ opportunity opening up.”
Todd brings events and programs to the girls that cover environmental awareness, first aid and CPR, leadership, outdoor skills, and more.
“As you can probably imagine, helping to grow a program where girls gain the courage, confidence, and character they need to become empowered young women who change the world on a daily basis is often a pretty emotional experience for me,” she says.
Todd also coordinates with other Girl Scout employees and hundreds of adult volunteers.
“Debbie impacts our community through outreach programs all year and helps hundreds of kids in Wilmington each summer have a fun, safe place to learn, grow, and have fun,” says volunteer Carrie Webster.
What’s your favorite Girl Scouts badge? “I end up with a new favorite Girl Scout Badge about twice a year, but my current favorite is the Senior Girl Scout Locavore Badge.”
To view more of photographer Chris Brehmer's work, go to www.chrisbrehmerphotography.com
To view more of photographer Erik Maasch's work, visit ejmphotography.org
