THE FORCE BEHIND
THE ARMY OF SURVIVORS
As survivors of sexual abuse, our founders were joined together through incredibly traumatic circumstances. They lifted each other up in their darkest moments, and now they want to be the support all survivors of sexual assault and abuse desperately need.
Created by survivors of sexual assault that was enabled by Michigan State University, USA Gymnastics, and the US Olympic Committee, The Army of Survivors was founded by a pool of athletes competing at all levels: gymnasts, divers, runners, softball players, volleyball players, and more. Our unique history allows us to bring awareness to the systemic problem of sexual abuse of athletes; our goal is to end this culture of abuse by ensuring all parties are held accountable, creating transparency in reporting, building an environment where athletes do not fear retaliation when reporting abuse, and advocating for change to protect survivors.
Our Team
JULIE ANN RIVERS-COCHRAN, MSW
Executive Director
Julie Ann Rivers-Cochran, MSW, is an international leader in preventing and addressing abuse in sports. As Executive Director of The Army of Survivors (TAOS), she leads efforts to bring awareness, accountability, and transparency to sexual violence against athletes at all levels.
With over 20 years of experience, Julie Ann began her career providing direct services and advocacy for survivors at Alternatives for Battered Women (now the Willow Center) in Rochester, NY. Prior to joining TAOS, she worked with the National Center on Domestic Violence, Trauma, and Mental Health and founded Blackbird Consulting for Nonprofits, assisting organizations in effectively serving their communities. A survivor of childhood trauma, Julie Ann is dedicated to listening to and advocating for survivors while holding perpetrators and supporting systems accountable.
She holds a Master’s in Social Work from Florida State University, a Bachelor’s in Communications/Journalism from St. John Fisher College, and an Executive Certificate in Transformational Nonprofit Leadership from the University of Notre Dame’s Mendoza College of Business. Julie Ann serves as an Academic Advisory Board Member and Faculty for the International Olympic Committee’s Safeguarding Officer in Sport Program, is an Advisory Board member for the International Safeguards for Children in Sport, and is a member of SafeSport International’s Advisory Committee, where she chairs the Athlete Voice for SafeSport Group
KACEY LONG, MSW
Director of Programs
Kacey Long, MSW, is the Director of Programs at The Army of Survivors, bringing over a decade of experience in addressing sexual violence. As a survivor and former athlete, she focuses on systemic, familial, and individual aspects of interpersonal violence and child sexual abuse. Kacey has educated various nonprofits on trauma-responsive best practices and served as an expert witness in cases of sexual violence and child abuse.
Before joining TAOS in 2022, she oversaw 16 child advocacy centers in Georgia, providing technical assistance on child sexual exploitation responses. She participated in Georgia’s Statewide Human Trafficking Task Force and has been a board member of several Southeastern nonprofits dedicated to ending sexual violence. Kacey earned her Master’s in Social Work from the University of Michigan.
Dominique Davis
Executive Assistant
Dominique is the Executive Assistant at The Army of Survivors, ensuring the team’s daily operations run smoothly. A mother of three, former elite gymnast, and athlete survivor, she is deeply committed to making sports safer for current and future generations.
Her advocacy began after experiencing sexual assault as a young gymnast, driving her passion for athlete safety and systemic change. She holds a degree in Exercise Physiology and Nutrition from the University of Missouri-Columbia and completed her 200HR yoga teacher training in Atlanta in 2018.
An avid climber, Dominique serves on the Board of Directors for the Southeastern Climbers Coalition, working to make outdoor spaces more accessible and inclusive. She is dedicated to creating a welcoming sports environment where all athletes can thrive.
CATE MCGEADY
Public Relations Strategist
Cate McGeady serves as the volunteer PR Strategist for The Army of Survivors (TAOS), bringing over eight years of experience with clients like ADT, iRobot, Olympus Imaging, and JetBlue.
She has established strong relationships with and secured placements in publications like Modern Healthcare, Digital Trends, Mashable, TechCrunch, Vogue, USA Today, The New York Times and The Wall Street Journal. Cate attended Michigan State University where she was a member of the varsity rowing team. She graduated with a Bachelor of Arts in English Literature with a concentration in creative writing, and cognate focuses on communications and art history.
In June 2022, she earned her MFA in Creative Writing from Lesley University in Cambridge, Massachusetts. In her free time, Cate enjoys hiking and going to the beach with her husband, Harrison, and their dogs, Darcy and Hattie, both named after fictional characters.
Sally Schaeffer
Senior Legislative Advocate
Bringing nearly 25 years of experience, Sally Schaeffer is founder and owner of Uncorked Advocates, a federal government relations firm started in 2017. Among her current clients are some of the largest nonprofits and philanthropic associations in the country, including American Heart Association, YWCA USA, Covenant House International, United Philanthropy Forum, Prevent Child Abuse America, and Association of Fundraising Professionals.
Prior to starting her own firm, Sally represented more than 500 nonprofits and foundations as the Government Relations Director at Independent Sector. She also served as the Washington advocate for Girls Scouts of the USA. Sally started her career on Capitol Hill working for former Rep. Louise Slaughter as her Legislative Director and then Chief of Staff.
Ms. Schaeffer holds a B.A. in Political Science from Hood College in Frederick, Maryland and a Master’s in Public Administration from the Fel’s School of Government at the University of Pennsylvania.
Sally is the past President of the nonpartisan Women’s Congressional Golf Association, and member of Women in Government Relations. She has been named by The Hill as a Top Lobbyist for 2021, 2022, and 2023 and also named Top 100 Lobbyist in 2022 by The National Institute for Lobbying & Ethics.
Emily Austin
Senior Policy and Advocacy Specialist
Emily Austin, J.D., Founder and President of Pivot Advocacy, P.C. Pivot Advocacy, P.C. is committed to community and institutional change for ending abuse and promoting justice through educating people within systems, developing supportive and in-house methods to confront and end harassment, and creating tools for the promotion of healthy communities, workplaces, and families. She works as a consultant to bring thoughtful, authentic change to systems, organizations, and individuals to end abuse.
Emily graduated from UCLA with a B.A. in Women’s Studies and English. Emily received her law degree from USC, Gould School of Law. She was previously the Senior Policy and Advocacy Associate for ValorUS (formerly the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault). While there, she worked on improving system responses to sexual assault in such areas as college/university, incarcerated populations, and workplace through both state and national policy.
She has developed trainings and workshops on responding to sexual violence and domestic violence for law enforcement officers, businesses, wardens, and incarcerated settings, as well as K-12 schools, colleges, and universities. She had developed trainings and workshops on trauma-informed care and approaches for systemic change for schools/universities, businesses, unions, law enforcement, legal advocates, parents/guardians, and community organizations. Following law school, Emily worked at the California Women’s Law Center to improve school responses to gender-based violence, including direct representation of survivors and policy development. She worked at Peace Over Violence as Director of Policy, where she developed state legislation, researched child sexual abuse, created prevention curricula, and built community collaborations.
She currently works on projects around trauma-informed support and advocacy from a survivor-driven lens, campus training response to sexual violence, community organizing strategies to end violence, engaging survivor voice in policy advocacy, international and national systems reform to support athlete survivors of abuse, and strategy development for state and national responses to sexual assault and violence.
our board
GRACE FRENCH
President and Founder
Grace French is a dancer, marketer, strategist, and founder dedicated to transforming athlete safety and survivors’ rights. She is the President and Founder of The Army of Survivors and a marketing professional, combining her expertise in advocacy and digital strategy to drive meaningful change.
Grace’s passion for dance continues through her work as a coach at multiple nationally recognized youth dance studios across Michigan. As a survivor of the now-disgraced Michigan State University doctor, she has committed her life to changing the culture of sport, consent, and institutional accountability—ensuring no one else endures sexual violence or abuse.
Her advocacy has received global recognition, leading her to testify before Congress in 2022 and 2023 in support of athlete safety, present on trauma-informed practices for athletes with the U.S. Department of Justice, and speak at the United Nations General Assembly in 2019 to advocate for a Worldwide Survivor Bill of Rights. She serves on the Advisory Boards of Safe Sport International and the International Safeguards for Children in Sport and has contributed as an expert advisor on global projects with FIFA, the International Olympic Committee, the World Players Association, and the Sport & Rights Alliance.
Nationally, Grace has played a key role in passing nine laws in Michigan to expand the statute of limitations and strengthen mandatory reporting requirements. She also helped pass the Empowering Olympic, Paralympic, and Amateur Athletes Act of 2020, which enhanced athlete protections across the U.S.
Her work has earned numerous accolades, including the 2023 Women Who Shape the State Award from MLive, the 2021 Liberty Bell Award from the Michigan Bar Association, and induction into the Michigan Women’s Hall of Fame in 2019. She was also a recipient of the Arthur Ashe Courage Award at the 2018 ESPYs and recognized as a Glamour Woman of the Year in 2018.
Grace earned her BBA from the University of Michigan’s Ross School of Business.
DR. DANIELLE MOORE
Vice President and Founder
Dr. Danielle Moore is a dedicated advocate for survivor rights,Vice President, and founding board member of The Army of Survivors, an organization committed to ending sexual violence in sports and supporting those affected. Since the organization’s inception in 2018, Dr. Moore has played a pivotal role in its mission, leveraging her expertise to promote policy changes, survivor support, and education on athlete safety.
Dr. Moore is an Adjunct Professor at The Chicago School, where she teaches in the Criminology and Forensic Psychology departments. As a Nassar survivor, she understands firsthand how traumatic the judicial process can be and has made it one of her career goals to help make that process more seamless for other survivors and their families.
Dr. Moore’s academic background includes a Doctorate in Clinical and Forensic Psychology and a Master’s degree in Clinical Psychology from the Illinois School of Professional Psychology, as well as a Master’s degree in Forensic Psychology from the University of North Dakota and a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology and Exercise Science from Central Michigan University. Her extensive academic background provides her with a strong foundation in trauma, mental health, and the intersection of psychology and the legal system—knowledge that she applies in her advocacy efforts.
At the start of her career, she worked extensively with offenders of violent crime, focusing on forensic psychological assessments, including Not Guilty by Reason of Insanity (NGRI), Competency to Stand Trial, Psychosexual Evaluations, fitness for duty evaluations, and child custody evaluations. She also has experience providing individual and group psychotherapy, diagnostic assessments, and trauma therapy, further strengthening her ability to support survivors and advocate for systemic change.
Dr. Moore’s impact has been recognized with the honor of receiving The Foundation for Global Sports Development’s 2018 Humanitarian Award, the 2018 Arthur Ashe Award for Courage from ESPN, the 2018 Glamour Women of the Year Award, and the 2022 Entraprenista 100 Award.
Through her work with The Army of Survivors, Dr. Moore is committed to changing the culture of sport, advocating for policies that prioritize athlete safety, and ensuring that survivors are supported throughout their healing and justice journeys.
Janelle Hill
Secretary
Janelle Hill, APRN, PMHNP-BC is a Psychiatric Mental Health Nurse Practitioner. She is the owner/founder of Refuge Mental Health Services and has over 12 years of experience in psychiatry. Janelle obtained her Bachelor’s Degree of Science in Nursing from the College of Saint Mary in 2012 and Master’s Degree in Science from the University of Nebraska Medical Center (UNMC) in 2016. Janelle served as the legislative liaison for UNMC during her college career and has remained involved and an avid advocate against sexual abuse and violence on the local and national level since that time.
Janelle competed on the collegiate level in both basketball and volleyball and is a survivor of sexual abuse by her college coach. As a result of her experience, Janelle is passionate about helping other survivors find their voice and live healthy, meaningful lives. She is committed to increasing awareness regarding the prevalence of sexual abuse and is passionate about shifting the culture of sports to one that is trauma-informed and athlete centered. Janelle currently serves her local community by providing courses to survivors of sexual abuse and uses her skills as a spoken word artist as another form of advocacy. Listeners have described her as an artist that says the words everyone is thinking, but too afraid to speak. Janelle is dedicated to daily inspire, empower, motivate, and lead others along their healing journey through compassion, authenticity, and positivity.
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MARY CAIN
Board Director
Mary is a medical student at Stanford University School of Medicine. After her groundbreaking 2019 NY Times Op-Ed, Mary has dedicated her career to driving change in sport, with an emphasis on athlete well-being. She is the founder of the nonprofit, Atalanta NYC, and serves on the board of The Army of Survivors, a nonprofit working to end sexual violence against athletes at all levels. Mary also had a record-breaking professional running career that included becoming the 2014 World Junior Champion in the 3000m and a 2013 World Championships finalist in the 1500m.
DEVI JAGS
Board Director
Devi Jags is an entrepreneur, writer, and activist. She co-founded Sambar Kitchen, an Indian food brand, and has been involved in ventures like Chatty Monks Brewing and The Sparkle Community. Devi holds an MFA in Creative Nonfiction Writing from Sarah Lawrence College and has been published in The Washington Post, Vogue India, Teen Vogue, Women’s Health, and Bon Appétit. She was a 2023 Winter Resident at the Tin House Publishers Workshop and has been interviewed by The Washington Post, Unit3d Podcast, and Newsy for her advocacy work in preventing sexual violence and promoting safe educational environments.
As an activist, Devi empowers survivors of abuse and assists students in navigating complex educational policies through education, writing workshops, and campaign organizing. In her writing, she addresses mental health in sports and body politics within the NCAA.
She leverages storytelling to elevate others, drive social change, and find personal solidarity.
DWIGHT HICKS
Board Director
San Francisco Forty Niners Super Bowl defensive star Dwight Hicks began his stellar career at the University of Michigan in 1974, where he received All-Big Ten Conference Honors in 1976, 1977 and All American honors in 1977. He gained national recognition for outstanding personal performances in the 1976 Orange Bowl and during back-to-back Rose Bowl appearances in 1977-78. Dwight signed with the San Francisco Forty Niners in 1979, as a free safety and was voted by his peers as the team’s defensive captain from 1983-85. His outstanding play led him to four consecutive Pro Bowl appearances from 1981 to 1984. Dwight also led his team in interceptions in 1979, 1980, 1981 and 1983. Dwight played a pivotal role in the 49er’s Super Bowl XVI victory in 1981. In 1984, the unstoppable “Dwight Hicks and the Hot Licks” (the entire secondary) made the Pro Bowl and won Super Bowl XIX (the second of two Super Bowl rings for him). Dwight was selected as a member of the 49er’s “All Time Team” by the San Francisco Chronicle.
After a phenomenal career on the field, Dwight is now creating a successful career in the entertainment industry. He has most recently finished working with Berkeley Repertory’s Artistic Director Tony Caccone and Playwright KJ Sanchez on the phenomenal Living document called X’s and O’s a Football Love Story which had runs in Berkeley Repertory Theater and Center Stage Theater in Baltimore. Dwight has been in several national commercials. He co-anchored and added his football expertise to the Bay Area’s highly rated KTVU-FOX 49er’s post game show, The Point After, for two seasons.
Dwight appears at fundraising events for charitable organizations and participates in celebrity golf tournaments benefitting at risk youth, veterans, and healthcare organizations. He is currently working with Persevere, an organization that trains those who are incarcerated to write code and place them in jobs. Dwight is also sought after as a motivational speaker with positive results for corporations utilizing his tale
ALEXANDER S. RUSEK
Board Director
Alexander S. Rusek is a Shareholder with Foster, Swift, Collins & Smith, P.C. in Lansing, Michigan. Mr. Rusek’s practice focuses on complex mass action and class action civil litigation, business law & litigation, criminal law, government relations, and appellate law. Mr. Rusek has represented established businesses, new businesses, non-profits, professionals, and individuals involved in multi-party, mass action, and class action litigation, notably representing over 100 survivors of sexual assault in the Michigan State University/Larry Nassar and University of Michigan/Robert Anderson litigations and a defendant in the Flint Water Crisis related civil and criminal litigations (all charges dismissed). Mr. Rusek is a graduate of Oakland University and the Michigan State University College of Law, cum laude.
In addition to his robust legal practice, Mr. Rusek is also a board member of The Army of Survivors, Inc., board member of Highfields, Inc., board member of Downtown Lansing, Inc., board member of the Capital Area Humane Society, board member and President-Elect of the Ingham County Bar Association, fellow of the Ingham County Bar Foundation, member of the State Bar of Michigan Civil Procedure & Courts Committee, board member of the State Bar of Michigan Litigation Section Governing Council, board member of the State Bar of Michigan Criminal Law Section Council, Past-President of the Ingham County Bar Association Young Lawyers Section, Past-Chairperson of the Ingham County Board of Commissioners Equal Opportunity Committee, former Democratic Precinct Delegate for Lansing’s Ward 1, Precinct 6, and a member of multiple local and national bar associations.
Mr. Rusek was the recipient of the 2024 Shared Resources Super Volunteer Award, the 2023 Ingham County Bar Association’s President’s Special Recognition Award, a 2018 recipient of the Lansing Regional Chamber of Commerce 10 Over the Next 10 Award, a 2018 recipient of Oakland University’s Young Alumni 10 Within 10 Award, and a 2016 recipient of the Ingham County Bar Association Top 5 Under 35 Award. He has authored multiple articles that have appeared in the State Bar of Michigan Journal and other State Bar of Michigan publications, American Bar Association publications, the Detroit Bar Association’s Detroit Lawyer, the Ingham County Bar Association’s BRIEFS, and others. Mr. Rusek was Mental Health First Aid USA certified in 2019 and seeks to incorporate trauma-informed principles into his practice every day.
With Founding Board Members: Honorable Judge Rosemarie Aquilina, Senator Curtis Hertel Jr., Sara Teristi, Olivia Venuto and Louise Montag.
