Who We Are
Jane Doe No More® is a national non profit 501(c)(3) organization that empowers survivors of sexual crimes to find their voice, advance their healing and educate others. We envision a society that no longer spreads doubt, instills fear, casts shame or places blame on survivors of sexual crimes.
Our programs are led by survivors of sexual crimes, women and men, who bravely share their stories to audiences of all kinds with a focus on awareness and education to aid in prevention and let other victims suffering in silence know that they are not alone and there is a path forward.
Education | Prevention | Advocacy | Support
Survivors Speak™ Program
Empowering survivors to share their stories through specialized professional training in public speaking and team building, allowing them to advance their own healing while helping to educate audiences of all kinds.
Duty Trumps Doubt™
Changing perspectives through our trauma-informed video and survivor-led presentations specifically designed to help law enforcement, medical personnel, legal professionals and society as a whole better understand victims of sexual crimes.
Safe Student Initiative™
Educating students from middle school to college through age-appropriate, survivor-led interactive programs including safe and unsafe touch, sexual respect, healthy relationships, consent, bystander intervention and rape culture.
Sexual Harassment Prevention Training
In-person, interactive training including role play for employers and employees to help ensure a healthy and safe work environment, free of sexual harassment. Training covers state policies and reporting procedures that fulfill training mandated by CT state law.
Escape Alive Survival Skills®
Training women and girls to stay safe physically, emotionally and intellectually through personal prevention strategies, confidence-building skills, awareness tips, and kick, strike and blow techniques.
Community Outreach and Advocacy
Engaging individuals in the community, in the legislature, at businesses, corporations and organizations to work together to create real and meaningful change.
Our Founder
Following a harrowing home invasion and assault in 1993, Donna faced further victimization when the police department mishandled her case. Her extraordinary strength, perseverance, and leadership brought meaningful change to both police policy and Connecticut state law. Inspired by the famous quote by Ghandi and deeply affected by her own experience, both personally and professionally, Donna went on to form Jane Doe No More in 2007. Donna now empowers people to fight back against injustice and become the change they wish to see in the world.
Message From The Founder
People often ask me how I do what I do everyday. It certainly isn’t something I chose, yet I believe it was something I was destined to do and I wouldn't change a thing. For me, the best path forward from a home invasion and rape followed by revictimization was to fight for justice. I believe we learn most from our greatest challenges. These challenges kept me going and gave me a greater purpose. It stirred in me a passion to fight for real and meaningful change. That’s how Jane Doe No More was born.
Today, I am blessed to work with an amazing team that shares my passion. Jane Doe No More is empowering survivors to find their voice, advance their healing, and educate others. As we grow in strength and numbers, our collective voice gets louder. What started as a whisper, when I was barely able to speak, has grown to a roar. There is no stopping us now.
Donna comes forward for the first time
to launch Jane Doe No More.
April 2007
Statute of Limitations
When Donna's perpetrator was found through irrefutable DNA evidence in 2004, he could not be arrested for the crime he committed. By that time 11 years had passed and the statute of limitations was only 5 years for rape, even with DNA evidence. Donna was devastated. The only charge he could be arrested for was kidnapping which was problematic resulting in the perpetrator receiving far less time than he should have received, and he went on to attack again.
In 2007, Donna Palomba’s case was the impetus for the removal of Connecticut’s statute of limitations on sexual crimes with DNA evidence.
“Donna has not only fought back from a vicious assault, she has made this change in the law a part of her personal mission to improve the treatment of victims and the pursuit of justice,” Governor M. Jodi Rell said. “Her story – ‘Jane Doe No More’ – is told on her web site, www.janedoenomore.org. The site also has important resources and links for assault victims. Her advocacy for this change makes her a true Connecticut hero and I salute her.”
Donna speaking alongside Governor M. Jodi Rell and Chief Neil O’Leary in 2007 at a ceremonial signing.
Our Team
Belief in our mission and a strong desire to create meaningful change is what drives us. Sexual crimes are the most misunderstood and under-reported crimes in the world. We must make this topic approachable in age-appropriate language in order to have a significant impact on prevention and make it safe for victims to come forward after this devastating trauma. From staff, to board, to our survivor team, we are united, determined and our collective voices are strong. Now in our second decade of service, we are more passionate than ever, and work every day to further our vital mission through several different programs and initiatives.
Our Team
Staff
Donna Palomba
Founder & President
Carol Wilton
Program & Accounts Manager
Brooke Whipple
Social Media Manager
Rachelle Behuniak
Administrative Coordinator
Board of Directors | Officers
Ann Feinberg
Chairman
Educator, Attorney, Non-profit Advisor
(retired)
Scott Semple
Secretary
President, Semple Consulting
Commissioner, Connecticut Department
of Correction, (Retired)
Diana Altobelli
Treasurer
Commercial Systems & Services Aftermarket Finance Manager,
Sikorsky, A Lockheed Martin Company
Board of Directors
Lori Kecskes
Owner
Employers Reference Source
Anna Bower Richardson
Administrative & Information Coordinator
DirectWomen
NYU CAS Class of 2020
Presidential Honors Scholar
Chloe Langer
Partner
Henry & Giardina, LLP
Armando Paolino
Principal
Levin, Paolino & Christ
LaVerne Campbell
Department of Social Services
James Higgins, MBA, CUDE
President and Chief Executive Officer
Skyline Financial Federal Credit Union
Directors Emeritus
Kathy Brochhausen
Senior Vice President
Community Relations Officer, Ion Bank
Executive Director, Ion Bank Foundation
Grace Linhard
Chief Development Officer
Nuvance Health
Survivors Speak Advisory Board
Sue Blasavage
Tracey Blackman
Business Owner and Marketing Advisor
Tara Flynn
Nurse Technician, Hartford Healthcare
Letamarie Highsmith
CLH Holdings Company, Hamden, CT
Patti Ieraci, LPC
Psychotherapist
Barb Jenkins
Office Manager & Customer Advocate/Producer
Carmelita Rifkin
Physical Therapist, Reiki Master/Teacher
Troy Schinkel
Educator
Survivors Speak Workshop Facilitators
Tracey Blackman
Letamarie Highsmith
Sue Blasavage
Barb Jenkins
Megan Charette
Michelle Giorno
Tara Flynn
Patti Ieraci, LPC
Psychotherapist
Survivors Speak Outreach Team
Amy Chambers
Angie Catalano
Carmelita Rifkin
Crystal Combs
Betzy Martinez
Darlene Levin
Brad Hotchkiss
Erica LaBranche
Jenn Sandholm
Jennifer Tansley
Jennifer Baker
Jessica Samaroo
Joe Dileo †
Kristen Mullarkey
Laly Noya Rakotoniaina
Leta Highsmith
Lindsay Gibson
Lori Fitzhugh
Megan Charette
Michelle Desrochers
Michelle Giorno
Michele Testa
Renee Harvey
Roxanne LeRoy
Sara Feola
Sue Blasavage
Tory Davis
Tracy DiGiovancarlo
Chris Culver
Stephanie Sheehan
Mary Taylor
James McKirdy
Nikkie Munstis
Brittni Oxendine
Rayna Crews
Dylan Farrow
Kelly Neagle
David Irvin
Kristi Bice
Lindsey Steel
Katie Doyle
Tara Flynn
Tracey Blackman
Rachel O'Grady
Deb Mitchell
Janet Orsatti-Duffany
Vinnie Goad
Troy Schinkel
Tina Dambowsky
Allie Archer
Deb DelRegno
Julia Lillethun
Anastasia Persico
Kate Cooler
Barbie Jenkins
Donna Palomba
Patti Ieraci
Marsha Brownell
Vanessa Barneschi
Melissa Lombardo
Advisory Board
Rebecca Abbott
Professor of Communications, Quinnipiac University
Robert A. Alvine
President, Premier Automotive Group
Tim Banker
Solution Principal, Slalom Consulting
Karen Brand
Director of Communications for the Charlotte Regional Visitors Authority
Kathy Brochhausen
Senior Vice President,
Community Relations Officer, Ion Bank
Executive Director, Ion Bank Foundation
John Buturla
Chief of Police and Government Administrator, Retired
Maria Cappella
Sales & Customer Service Administrator, Design-2-Part
Rick Caswell
Faculty Director, Forensic Accounting Certificate Program, Wake Forest University
Daisy Cocco De Filippis
Interim President, Hostos Community College; President, Naugatuck Valley Community College, Retired
Peg Cohen
The Star Supply, Retired
Laura Daley
Founding Partner, Insight Learning Partners; co-author, Talk Your Way to the Top
Tracy DiGiovancarlo
Financial Analyst, The Hartford
Bill Dreska
Senior Vice President, Black Diamond Media
Micheal Eck
Author, Coach, Entrepreneur
Thomas Flaherty
Executive Director, Police Officers Standards and Training, Retired
Jeanette Horan
Chief Information Officer, IBM, Retired
Carson Jacobi, MPH
Vice President, Corporate Giving, Leukemia & Lymphoma Society
Peter J. Jacoby, MD, FACEP Chairman, Department of Emergency Services, St. Mary's Hospital, Waterbury, CT
David Read Johnson, PhD
Director, Post Traumatic Stress Center, LLC; Associate Clinical Professor, Department of Psychiatry, Yale University School of Medicine
Dr. Henry C. Lee
Internationally renowned forensic scientist; Chief Emeritus, CT State Police; Founder, Henry C. Lee Forensic Institute, University of New Haven, Retired
Grace Linhard Chief Development Officer, Nuvance Health
Gary MacNamara
Exec. Dir. Public Safety & Gov't. Affairs, Sacred Heart University; Police Chief for town of Fairfield CT, Retired
Graham Main VP of Financial Planning & Analysis, Communications Systems, L3Harris
Jocelyn Maminta Director of Communications,
Fairfield Region
Sarah Man
Second Vice President, Wealth Management, Morgan Stanley Smith Barney
Wendy Marx
President, Marx Communications, Inc.
Edward F. Moore
Chief of Police, Saratoga Springs, NY, Retired
John Murray
Publisher and Editor, The Waterbury Observer, Waterbury, CT
Joe Natarelli
Partner, Marcum, LLP
Neil O'Leary
Mayor, City of Waterbury, CT
Elaine Pagliaro
Forensic Science Consultant
Peggy Panagrossi Executive Director, Safe Haven of Greater Waterbury, Retired
Hilary Pearl
Founder & Partner, Pearl Associates
Johanna Petit Chapman Petit Family Foundation
Dr. William A. Petit, Jr. President, Petit Family Foundation, CT State Representative, 22nd District
David R. Polgar
Associate Professor, Lincoln College of New England
Inga Lee Puentes Corporate Responsibility - Supply Chain, Raytheon Technologies
Santo Sampino, DC, RD
President, Armonk Nutrition
Daniele Serrano
Vice President, East Coast Training Systems
Drew Serrano
President, East Coast Training Systems
Dan Sherr
Database marketing consultant; mentor to non-profits; community activist; Vice President, Integrated Media, Valassis, Retired
Joe Sudol
Consultant, National Center for Missing and Exploited Children; Henry C. Lee Forensic Institute, Retired
Nick Torello
President and Owner, Torello Tire Company LLC, East Haven, CT
Jim Van Hoof
CFO/CSO, Electriq Power Inc.
Doug Veillette
Financial Advisor-Managing Director, Veillette, Donato & Associates, Ameriprise Financial
Lynn G. Ward
President and CEO, Waterbury Regional Chamber of Commerce
Lisa Wexler
Author, Host, The Lisa Wexler Show; Probate Judge, Westport/Weston
Maureen Norris Wilkas † Attorneys at Law, Norris Law Firm
1960-2018
Rob Kane †
Connecticut State Auditor
1967-2021
