FOUNDER & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Valencia Peterson
Valencia “Coach V” Peterson is the Founder and Executive Director of Open Door Abuse Awareness Prevention (ODAAP).
After losing a loved one to intimate partner violence, Coach V committed herself to raising awareness about domestic abuse. But over time, she recognized that awareness alone wasn’t enough and true change required prevention. That realization sparked her shift from intervention to proactive, trauma-informed education with the goal of improving the lives, character, and social development of all youth.
That shift began on a high school football field, where she saw an unlikely opportunity to change lives. In a sport often associated with aggression, she began talking with players for just 15 minutes at a time about self-awareness, respect, and accountability, especially toward women and girls.
ODAAP was born out of this work and more than a decade later, it serves schools and sport programs across the Pennsylvania counties of Philadelphia, Montgomery, Delaware, and Bucks at the high school level. ODAAP’s programming has evolved into comprehensive, trauma-informed programming to build character, empathy, and violence-prevention skills in young people. Today, Coach V is training other coaches in trauma-informed practices, helping create a culture of accountability and care across entire teams and communities.
Coach V is a certified Trauma-Competent Professional through Lakeside Global Institute and has become a sought-after speaker and educator. Her work with ODAAP has been featured on NBC10, 6ABC, HuffPost, and the Philadelphia Inquirer, and she has delivered keynotes for TEDx Wilmington, the California Coalition Against Sexual Assault, and USA Olympic Swimming Coaches, among others.
At the heart of her mission is the belief prevention starts with love, consistency, and the ability to be sensitive to others’ hardships.
TEDx Talk
In her TEDxWilmington talk, Coach Valencia Peterson discusses her role as a football coach and how sports are a beautiful platform for violence prevention.
Meet Our Board
Joan Thompson
Joan Thompson serves as the President of ODAAP. With over 20 years of experience in healthcare management, she brings expert leadership and organizational skills to our organization. As one of our mentors, she enjoys opportunities to share life skills with the young ladies in the ICU program. As a Payer Relations Liaison for a large Maryland nonprofit healthcare organization, she supports multiple hospitals, a physician's medical group, and Imaging Centers.
Heather Hulit
Heather J. Hulit serves as the Secretary for ODAAP, providing administrative support and legal guidance. She is a trial attorney with experience in a wide variety of civil matters including medical malpractice, guardianship, landlord-tenant, estate administration, record clearing, special education, and child welfare. Heather’s passion for ODAAP’s mission comes out of her background in social work and child welfare law, where she often saw the cycle of violence and trauma repeat itself from one generation to the next in the families she worked with.
Dr. Almena Pointer
Dr. Almena Pointer joined ODAAP in 2016 as a board member, where she provides general parliamentary and organizational support. She particularly enjoys supporting the ODAAP Trauma-Informed Football Camp located at Camp At Old Mill in Chester County, Pennsylvania. Professionally, Dr. Pointer has been in education for over 20 years. She is one of the school leaders at her Prince George's County, Maryland, school and a 3rd-grade Math and Science teacher. Dr. Pointer is proud to have served as a commissioned military officer in the District of Columbia Army National Guard.
Ciocia Patel
Ciocia Patel joined ODAAP as a board member in 2023 and provides support in volunteer outreach and treasury activity. Professionally, Ciocia is a Strategy Consultant in Education & Research with expertise in supporting universities fiscal and strategic planning. With a proven track record of delivering strategic vision and fostering new business opportunities, Ciocia excels in budget management, strategic planning, and project management. She is passionate about collaborating with leaders to advance institutional strategic goals and drive organizational success.
Christian Santos
Christian has been part of ODAAP’s board since 2017, serving as vice president for part of that tenure. A Philadelphia native, Christian actually went through the ODAAP program as a football player at his highschool. He is now a dedicated educator, coach, and father who is deeply committed to supporting youth healing and empowerment through education, athletics, and mentorship.
Kevin Williams
Kevin Williams has been a board member and treasurer since 2002. As the Assistant Vice President of Barclays, Community Reinvestment Act Program, Kevin strengthens his community by sourcing fair lending opportunities for traditionally underserved borrowers, philanthropic works for community organizations, and outreach and volunteerism, among other things.
Bamm Jones
Bamm Jones is a driven and passionate professional with a decade-long career as a Mixed Martial Arts (MMA) fighter and expertise as a sports performance coach and youth soccer coach. He has worked extensively with young athletes, using his background in sports to support their physical development and personal growth. Drawing from the physical and mental resilience honed over 10 years in MMA, he has crafted a unique coaching philosophy, “The Coach Bamm Experience,” which emphasizes character-building, discipline, and inclusion.
Natasha Davis
Natasha Davis is the owner of Gold Star Bookkeeping. She has a long history working with youth as a family reunification counselor, as an 8th grade special education teacher, and currently as a Girl Scout troop leader. She served as Board Treasurer for the Greenpoint-Williamsburg CSA, and she is also the Girl Scout Service Unit treasurer overseeing banking for 45 local troops.
Byron Harmon
Byron began his career in the private sector before making a swift and purposeful transition into law enforcement. Driven by a deep-rooted passion to serve the community where he was born and raised, he found his calling in public service. Today, that same motivation continues to guide him. Drawing on his extensive background in criminal justice, firearm safety, mental health, crisis management, and more, Byron is dedicated to educating and empowering youth. His mission is clear: to advocate, inform, and ultimately prevent future challenges through proactive engagement.