Interim Executive Director
Associate Director
Tracey L. Provident

Tracey Provident has dedicated 20 years to the crime victim assistance field. She is currently serving as The Center for Victims of Violence and Crime's Interim Executive Director. Prior to this role, Tracey was the Associate Director of CVVC and as such was responsible for the overall direction of the administration and daily operations of the agency, including program planning and implementation, development for specific program funding, and quality assurance. Tracey provides leadership and oversight for CVVC’s crime victim and witness services and has served on numerous county and state committees and boards benefiting crime victims.

Tracey’s broad range of experience also includes management and coordination of direct services in a variety of roles. She has provided legal and medical advocacy and crisis intervention to victims and witnesses of all types of violence and crime. She also conducts education and training programs on the impacts of victimization, Victim’s Rights, and other topics related to victimization. Tracey obtained a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Criminal Justice and Psychology at Duquesne University, is a trained crisis responder by the National Organization for Victim Assistance and is a graduate of Leadership Pittsburgh, Class XXIII.



Associate Director
Mary Jo Harwood, MSW, LSW

Mary Jo Harwood is a licensed Social Worker in Pennsylvania. She is currently an Associate Director with the Center for Victims of Violence and Crime in Pittsburgh. Mary Jo directs the Dialogue and Resolution Center, a division of CVVC which provides conflict resolution, training and mediation services. She is a certified trainer and crisis responder for the National Organization of Victim Assistance with experience in local, state, and national crisis response. A significant part of her 24 years as a social worker has been spent working as a therapist with individual youth, adults and families impacted by trauma and crisis. Mary Jo’s clinical and crisis response experience contributes greatly to her expertise in developing and delivering trainings specific to the impacts of trauma on individuals, families and communities as well as the prevention and recognition of vicarious trauma on professionals. She has extensive clinical and supervisory experience in the treatment of trauma, sexual violence, grief, loss and abuse. Other practical experience also includes positions as a special education teacher, school social worker and adjunct professor. Mary Jo obtained her Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology and Special Education, and continued on to complete a master's degree in Social Work. Mary Jo has served on numerous committees across the Commonwealth including the Homeland Security Crime Victims Response Committee and the Crisis Response Organizational Subcommittee for the Keystone Crisis Intervention Team. Mary Jo is a certified trainer and crisis responder for the National Organization of Victim Assistance. She is also a member of the National Association of Social Workers, the Keystone Crisis Intervention Team and Mediators Beyond Borders.



Director of Community Arts and Education
LaVerne Baker Hotep

As Director of Community Arts and Education, LaVerne Baker Hotep oversees school and community-based violence prevention programs. LaVerne and her staff have developed community training and education programs unique to the violence prevention landscape, and has employed electronic media and the arts to enhance learning, teaching and understanding of the root causes of violence, crime and conflict. She has served as co-creator, supervising producer and principal host of CVVC’s radio outreach programs, “Peace-It-Together Pittsburgh,” and “Well Woman Radio Retreat” TM and conceived and directs the EVE (Enlightened Voices for the Environment) Project, a Heinz Endowments’ funded education awareness initiative that examines the impact of diet, household and personal care products on health, trauma recovery and violence prevention.

Over the past twenty five years, LaVerne Baker Hotep has used her many talents to promote women’s health and wellness. Beginning in 1985 as minority outreach specialist for the American Cancer Society, she organized award winning community-based, culturally tailored breast health awareness programs, including Essence of Beauty: Black Women & Breast Cancer. Later as a member of the Susan G. Komen for the Cure African American National Advisory Council and Pittsburgh Affiliate, she offered guidance in the areas of education and outreach. Recognizing an unmet need, she formed SisterTeach CouncilTM, a project that sponsored inspirational seminars and published health education materials for women of color, used throughout the U.S. and in Central America.

LaVerne serves on the board of Allegheny Health Choices, Inc., the Girls Coalition of Southwestern Pennsylvania steering committee, Healcrest Urban Farm Advisory Panel, and leadership committee of Women for a Healthy Environment (WHE). Additionally, she is a lifetime member of the National Black Women’s Health Imperative. Over the past decade, Ms. Baker Hotep has received numerous awards including the coveted Women in Communications Matrix Award, the YWCA’s Racial Justice and Tribute to Women Leadership Awards, and has been recognized by the New Pittsburgh Courier as one of Pittsburgh’s 50 Women of Influence.



Director of Crime Victim and Witness Services
Patrice El-Wagaa

Patrice El-Wagaa began her career at The Center for Victims of Violence and Crime in 1996 as a Victim/Witness Caseworker, assisting victims through the post-trial phase of the legal system. Early in her career at CVVC, she assisted in the development of the Allegheny County Offender Release Notification Program – a program offered by CVVC and the Allegheny County Jail that provides notification, safety planning, and crisis intervention to victims after the release of their offenders from the Allegheny County Jail. She currently serves as the administrator of Allegheny County’s PA SAVIN Program, the statewide automated program that functions as a supplement to CVVC’s release notification program.

Patrice is a Pennsylvania Certified Victim Advocate and throughout her years at CVVC she has helped victims and witnesses in crisis navigate the criminal, juvenile, and medical systems. As Director of Crime Victim and Witness Services, she is involved in the planning, oversight and management of CVVC’s direct service programs. She serves on numerous local and state committees that benefit crime victims and conducts education and training programs related to Victim’s Rights and the impact of victimization across the county and state.

Patrice obtained a Bachelor of Science degree in Education and a Master’s of Science degree in Professional Leadership/Non-Profit Management, and has taught middle and high school students overseas in both Libya and Malta. She is a trained crisis responder for the National Organization for Victim Assistance and a volunteer facilitator for the OVA Victim/Offender Dialoguing Program.

 
   
Director of Finance
Kent Bloom

Kent Bloom is a graduate from the University of Pittsburgh. With over 25 years accounting experience, Kent has worked in a variety of both for-profit and not-for-profit settings. Throughout his career, Kent has functioned in a wide variety of capacities; from Staff Accountant, to Business Manager, to Controller, and to Director of Finance. His exposure has encompassed a variety of positions and responsibilities including a position as Controller with a 38 store, multi-state, retail shoe chain with revenues in excess of $10 million and over 18 years experience in the not-for-profit community. Kent joined The Center of Victim’s of Violence and Crime as Director of Finance in June, 2009.

 

CVVC Staff

Susan Brassart, CVA
LaVerne Baker Hotep
Molly Burke, MSW
Christine Chambers
Stephanie Cuneo
Kristin Czernewski
Danielle Diamond
Valerie Dixon
Lana Domico
Patrice El-Wagaa, MSPL, CVA
Melissa Ferraro, CVA
Elizabeth "Betsy" Gamrat, CVA
Margaret "Peggy" Gierczynski, MBA
Stephanie Gyke, MSW
Mary Jo Harwood, MSW, LSW
Jennifer Hileman
Toya Jones, MSW
Mary Jovanovich
Dawn Lehman
Michael Manns
Geraldine Massey
Vanessa Mayers, MSW
Deborah McManus
Linda McNally
Tammi Patterson, CVA
Tracey Provident
Sarah Robbins
Brenda Sakala, M.Ed., CVA
Erin Siffing, J.D.
Rhonda Urquhart, CVA
Mary Volkar, M.Ed., N.C.C.
Lisa Wimbs

Contracts and/or Shared Positions
Kim Beserock
Kent Bloom
Mary Petrich
Nicholas Callas
Ellen DeBenedetti
Anna Doering
Prabha Sankaranarayan
Cindy Snyder