Jill Davies, Attorney, is the deputy director of Greater Hartford Legal Aid, Inc. (GHLA) and directs Building Comprehensive Solutions to Domestic Violence, a key initiative of the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence, in collaboration with GHLA. Her advocacy on behalf of family violence victims spans three decades. One aspect of her work is the conception and continued development of the victim-defined approach to advocacy. She has written and consulted extensively on issues of importance to family violence victims, including advocacy and safety planning, poverty, and legal issues. The author of numerous articles and materials regarding violence against women and family violence, her writing encourages critical thinking and supports improved practice. Eleanor Lyon (Ph.D), retired from the University of Connecticut, School of Social Work in 2011, where she served as Director of the Institute for Violence Prevention and Reduction and taught courses on violence against women and research methods. During a career of over 30 years, she directed a battered women's shelter; conducted research and evaluation at the local, state, and national levels; and worked on a wide range of projects in collaboration with advocates working with victims/survivors of domestic and family violence and sexual assault and abuse. She remains active as a consultant with the National Resource Center on Domestic Violence and the National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma and Mental Health, among others. Her research, publications, and reports have always been guided by a focus on human strengths and resilience, and a desire to contribute knowledge that will improve the social conditions and responses that support those human qualities.
