Marcus Reese, Taylor Area Tennis Association

The SASTF’s new Services for Male Survivors Working Group holds focused discussions on how to create and foster a safe and supportive culture of care for male survivors of sexual victimization to disclose and seek services. During a recent working group meeting, members shared current community efforts to raise public awareness about the prevalence, realities, and dynamics of sexual victimization of males. One member, Marcus Reese, shared a community effort to help raise awareness in his hometown and we are excited to highlight these efforts and share additional resources for those interested in engaging males in combating sexual assault. 

The Break the Silence Project is a family and community 3K Run/Walk festival created to raise awareness of the sexual abuse of children and provide information on where to get help and support in Taylor, Texas. This event is organized under the umbrella of the Williamson County Children’s Advocacy Center and will be held on Saturday, April 15th at Murphy Park from 7am – 3pm. Click here to register!

During this transformational event, participants will have an opportunity to hear directly from Marcus, as he shares his experience as a survivor. By sharing his story, he hopes to help others feel comfortable disclosing and seeking support and services to heal.

This event will also provide information to participants regarding ways to recognize and help vulnerable children within their community.

The Texas Association Against Sexual Assault (TAASA) created a Sexual Assault Awareness and Prevention Month (SAAPM) Toolkit with a focus on the engagement of males in the prevention and awareness of sexual assault. This toolkit is designed to include ideas and activities that engage males throughout the lifespan.

For more information on engaging males see TAASA's Prevention Month Toolkit: First Class Male Cultivating Change Through Male Involvement publication

SAAPM Toolkit

Jarvis Parsons
District Attorney
Brazos County District Attorney’s Office

Jarvis Parsons is the current Brazos County District Attorney and is one of only three African American elected District Attorneys in the State of Texas. As District Attorney, Parsons created Brazos County’s first ever Crimes Against Women Unit including prosecutors, investigators, and a victim assistance coordinator that reviews and prosecute domestic violence and sexual assault cases in Brazos County. Since the creation of this unit, Brazos County has increased the indictment and prosecution of sexual assault felonies by more than 1,400%. Additionally, Parsons partnered with local salons to institute the “Cut It Out” Program in the Brazos Valley, where his office trained over 200 hair stylists in recognizing the signs of domestic violence.

At the statewide level, Jarvis Parsons was appointed by Governor Greg Abbott to the Texas Forensic Science Commission, an agency that investigates allegations of professional misconduct that might affect the integrity of criminal cases. He also serves on the Executive Board of the Texas District and County Attorneys Association (TDCAA) which oversees training for over 1500 Texas prosecutors, and  is the head of the TDCAA Diversity, Recruitment and Retention Committee, which focuses on encouraging young minority prosecutors to use their gifts and talents in the field of prosecution. At the local level, Parsons is a Board member of the Scotty’s House Child Advocacy Center, the Sexual Assault Resource Center, and a member of the College Station Noon Lions Club.

This recently published guide provides best practices for first responders during initial interactions with an adult sexual assault survivor using a trauma-informed, victim/survivor-centered, and offender-focused response. The guide was developed through a multidisciplinary, collaborative approach and is available for download in pdf format and as a pocket information guide for law enforcement officers.  

SASTF Resources for Law Enforcement

Honorable Mark Atkinson,
Chief Executive Officer
Texas Center for the Judiciary

Judge Mark D. Atkinson served 24 years on the Bench of a County Criminal Court at Law. After six terms of office, he retired and was named Judicial Resource Liaison under the Texas Center’s Texas Department of Public Safety Traffic Safety Grant Program. He served two years in that capacity before being named CEO of the Texas Center for the Judiciary. During his years on the Bench, he served the Texas Center for the Judiciary and the judges of the state through leadership and educational roles. He served as Chair of the Texas Center for the Judiciary and the Judicial Section of the State Bar of Texas. First licensed in 1980, he practiced law for seven years before taking the bench where he developed a practice focused on criminal, family, and civil trial law. Judge Atkinson holds a BA from the University of Texas at Austin and JD from South Texas College of Law, in Houston.

Beth Maeker 
BSN, RN, CA-CP SANE, SANE-A, SANE-P
President - Texas Chapter of the International Association of Forensic Nursing (IAFN)

Beth Maeker is a Registered Nurse with specialized training in the assessment and treatment of patients of physical and sexual assault and abuse. Beth received her certification as a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) in March of 2013 and has since been certified by the Texas Office of the Attorney General as an  Adult/Adolescent SANE and Pediatric SANE and has also received her international certification as an Adult / Adolescent SANE. Beth also works with Texas A&M Health Center of Excellence in Forensic Nursing as a Forensic Nurse Coach in their Adult Sexual Assault Simulation Lab.

Beth currently lives in Fort Worth, where she works for the Texas Health Resources as the System SANE Manager for Texas Health Southwest division.  She has received extensive training in non-fatal strangulation, human trafficking and domestic violence and has conducted numerous trainings on these subjects in the West Texas area.

She has previously served as a member of the Lubbock Domestic Violence Task Group, Sex Trafficking Allied Response Team, Sexual Assault Response Team, and the Lubbock Human Rescue Coalition and as the Chairperson for the Lubbock Child Welfare Board.  After serving the past 2 years as the President-Elect of the Texas IAFN Chapter, she began her term as the President in January of this year.

Leilani Valdes, MD, MBA, FCAP
President - Texas Society of Pathologists

Leilani Valdes is board certified in Anatomic, Clinical and Dermatopathology and is the Medical Director at Regional Pathology Associates and Chair of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine at Citizens Medical Center in Victoria, TX. She is currently serving her first term as Governor on the board of the College of American Pathologists (CAP) and is Chair of the Council on Membership and Professional Development. Prior to her election to the Board, Leilani served on numerous CAP committees including the chair of the Professional and Community Engagement Committee and a member of the Economic Affairs / Measure Development Committee. She is active in the Texas Society of Pathologists, currently serving as President, and represents the Victoria-Goliad-Jackson Counties at the Texas Medical Association House of Delegates.

Leilani is a graduate of the Keck School of Medicine at the University of Southern California and completed her Anatomic and Clinical Pathology training at Los Angeles County and the University of Southern California Medical Center, followed by a Dermatopathology Fellowship at Duke University Medical Center. Leilani completed an Executive MBA at the University of Texas at Austin McCombs School of Business in May of 2022, graduating as a Leadership Fellow. An active advocate for community and public health initiatives, Leilani works with local and national organizations to educate, inform, and collaborate on improving healthcare delivery.