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The 19-member board begins the year with the addition of Dr. Jill Murray, an internationally known expert on domestic violence; and, Mike James, former Assistant Sheriff of Custody and Court Operations for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department

LADERA RANCH, Calif., Jan. 30, 2014Laura’s House, a non-profit organization whose mission is to change the social beliefs, attitudes and behaviors that perpetuate domestic violence, while creating a safe place in which to empower individuals and families affected by abuse, is pleased to announce the introduction of its 2014 Board of Directors.

Comprised of 19 members of the Orange County Business Community, the 2014 Board of Directors is led by Wayne Pinnell, Managing Partner with Haskell & White, LLP, who will continue on as board chair for the coming year. Other members of the Laura’s House Board of Directors executive committee include Laura Khouri, President of Western National Property Management, who returns to the board this year as Board Vice President; Kurt Ross, Senior Vice President of Sunwest Bank, who serves as Board Secretary; and, Brent Chase, Co-Founder of Focus 360 who will serve as Board Treasurer.

“I am honored to have the opportunity to lead the Laura’s House Board of Directors during a year when it will experience an important milestone – the celebration of its 20th year of providing domestic violence services within Orange County, and beyond,” said Pinnell. “Over the years, Laura’s House has built an outstanding reputation for offering a comprehensive suite of services, including shelter, counseling, legal and community outreach. Furthermore, they are often on the cutting-edge in terms of their use of the latest therapeutic methods, and state-of-the-art shelter facilities that cater to the needs of individuals, families, including those with special needs.”

The Laura’s House Board of Directors is entering 2014 with the addition of two new board members – Dr. Jill Murray, an internationally known expert on domestic violence; and, Mike James, former Assistant Sheriff of Custody and Court Operations for the Orange County Sheriff’s Department.

Dr. Jill Murray is highly regarded internationally as a leading expert in the field of domestic violence. She has appeared on more than 400 television shows, including Oprah; Montel; 20/20; Dr. Phil; Anderson Cooper, Good Morning America; Today and more than two-dozen CNN shows, as the guest expert on domestic violence.  She has appeared on more than 350 radio talk shows, and either been the subject or expert in more than 200 newspaper and magazine articles on the subject of domestic violence. She is the author of three highly acclaimed books have been used as required curriculum at many universities and in part for countless high school health courses, including But I Love Him—Protecting Your Teen Daughter from Controlling, Abusive Relationships, 2000 (written at the suggestion of Oprah Winfrey); Destructive Relationships—A Guide to Changing the Unhealthy Relationships in Your Life, 2002; and, But He Never Hit Me—The Devastating Cost of Non-Physical Abuse to Girls and Women, 2007.

In her advocacy for domestic violence and dating abuse issues, Dr. Murray has spoken before Congress about the importance of a teen dating violence bill, which resulted in a unanimous vote for said bill, and the formation of National Teen Dating Violence Awareness Week, which is held the first week in February.

Annually, Dr. Murray speaks to more than 100,000 middle and high school students and parents each year across the country and has conducted more than 500 trainings for professionals on the subjects of domestic violence and teen dating violence. She also conducts trainings for law enforcement, judges, and attorneys working with domestic violence victims. Dr. Murray maintains a waiting-list private practice in Laguna Niguel, Calif. and is a licensed Marriage and Family Therapist. She is the co-host of a popular Internet radio show: The Dr. Jill and Judge Pam Show (website: www.drjillandjudgepamshow.com). Dr. Murray also has a website: www.drjillmurray.com, at which she receives several hundred to several thousand e-mails per week.

Assistant Sheriff Mike James worked at the Orange County Sheriff’s Department for more than 27 years. He retired last year as the Assistant Sheriff of Custody and Court Operations, and currently works as a consultant in the area of Police Administration and Information Technology within law enforcement. During his tenure with the Orange County Sheriff’s Department, Assistant Sheriff James was also in charge of Field Operations and Investigative Services, and had primary oversight for five divisions including Airport Operations, Homeland Security, Investigations, North Operations and South Operations. Prior to his promotion to Assistant Sheriff in 2008, he was the Captain of the Support Services Division prior to promoting to the rank of Assistant Sheriff. During his career, he also served as the Chief of Police Services for the City of Lake Forest Police.  Assistant Sheriff James has been married to his wife Sandi for 25 years. They reside in Portola Hills, and have three sons.

“I am delighted to welcome Dr. Murray and Mike James to our board of directors, and excited to see what the board will accomplish in the coming year, as we celebrate our 20th anniversary,” said Margaret Bayston, CEO and Executive Director, Laura’s House. “Over the years, I have gotten to know many of our board members, both on a professional and personal level, and I am always impressed by their unwavering commitment toward advocacy and building awareness for our organization, and our mission, throughout the Orange County community. We would not be where we are today without the tremendous support we receive from this talented and dynamic group of individuals.”

The 2014 Board of Directors also includes Eric B. Chamberlain, Associate General Counsel, Senior Vice President Consumer Banking Services of Bank of America; Laverne Friedmann, President, Friedmann & Friedmann Insurance Services, Inc.; Sandy Jacobson, Partner, Allen Matkins, LLP; Jay Jaffin, Vice President, Marketing & Sales Ops, Verizon Wireless; Linda Kearns, Proprietor, Giracci Vineyards and Farms; Kerri Strunk, Partner, Hittelman Law Group; Linda Lewis, Sr. Practice Consultant, Allergan Practice Consulting Group, Allergan, Inc.; Rick Lutzky, President, Lutzky Associates Development, LLP; Garett Sleichter, Partner, Rutan & Tucker, LLP; Helen H. Timpe, Senior Vice President, Wealth Advisor, Portfolio Manager, The Timpe Group at Morgan Stanley; Barry Villines, Senior Vice President/Chief Accounting Officer, Institutional Housing Partners; Dan Weeks, Branch Manager, Union Bank; and, Matt West, Senior Vice President, 1st Enterprise Bank.

About Laura’s House

Since 1994, Laura’s House has provided residential shelter and support services to nearly 3,500 families, and counseling, life skills education and legal assistance to over 40,000 individuals. The mission of Laura’s House is to change the social beliefs, attitudes and the behaviors that perpetuate domestic violence while creating a safe space in which to empower individuals and families affected by abuse.

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