Child Abuse & Neglect Prevention Council Elects New President, Vice President to Its Board of Directors

Kalamazoo, MI, March 18, 2019 --(PR.com)-- The Kalamazoo County Child Abuse & Neglect Prevention Council’s (KCAN) board of directors recently elected a new president and vice president.

Kate Rizor will serve as its new president. In addition to being on KCAN’s board of directors, she serves as a community advocate for child abuse and neglect prevention, helping educate about abuse and trauma and its lasting effects on children, families and communities. Rizor suffered severe physical abuse as an infant by her biological mother before being adopted. At the age of 40, she was diagnosed with Complex Post-Traumatic Stress Disorder (C-PTSD) due to decades of emotional and mental abuse by an adoptive mother. A former newspaper reporter, editor and author, Rizor has written several articles about abuse and trauma and has spoken about the topic at area conferences. She has an associate degree in English from Kalamazoo Valley Community College.

“I feel honored to serve as board president,” Rizor said. “I personally experienced abuse at the hands of those who are supposed to love and care for you and my mission aligns strongly with KCAN’s: do everything possible to end child abuse and neglect. I look forward to using my background and experience to further KCAN’s mission of ending child abuse.”

Jaynie Fawley, newly elected vice president, owns Michigan Nanny Authority, a nanny placement agency with locations in Kalamazoo and Grand Rapids. She has worked as a professional nanny for 12 years and specializes in assisting parents in raising happy and healthy infants and toddlers. She has an associate degree in liberal arts from Kalamazoo Valley Community College.

“It is an incredible honor to be elected to serve my community as vice president of KCAN,” Fawley said. “I am also excited to see our programming entering a season of reinvention and growth. I am hopeful that we will soon be able to reach every professional, family and child in Kalamazoo County with the important message that we all have a role in protecting our children from abuse and neglect.”

In addition, KCAN welcomed a new member to its board of directors. Sara Helmer joined the board of directors in February 2019. She currently works as a police officer for Western Michigan University’s police department. She was hired in 2015 and thoroughly enjoys working with the college community.

Founded in 1976, KCAN is a 501(c)3 organization dedicated to preventing child abuse and neglect in Kalamazoo County. KCAN offers a variety of community and educational programs, including its Kids are Special sexual abuse prevention program, mandatory reporter training, public awareness campaigns, special events and working with local and state government officials to advocate for child safety policies and more.