Naeshia McDowell serves as the Director of Strategic Partnerships & Development at the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Georgia (CACGA), where she leads cross-sector partnerships and strategic initiatives that strengthen Georgia’s response to child abuse and child trafficking. Previously, she served as Director of the Statewide CSEC Response Team, leading a CAC chapter program that provided assessment, crisis intervention, and coordinated support services for children impacted by sex trafficking. Naeshia actively contributes to state and national workgroups focused on child protection, systems improvement, and multidisciplinary collaboration. She holds a Bachelor of Science in Biology and a Master of Public Health from Georgia State University.

Kimberly Gunning-Marcantonio is the Manager of Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children programming and Special Projects for the Children’s Advocacy Centers of Pennsylvania. While working in social welfare, Kimberly obtained her Juris Doctorate at Rutgers Law School. Kimberly has spent a career in child welfare, as an MDT coordinator for a CAC and a Deputy Attorney General, representing New Jersey’s Child Welfare Agency. With PennCAC Kimberly supports a multidisciplinary response to CSEC in Pennsylvania, in partnership with 41 CACs and MDT partners.

Latirah Cisero is a lifelong advocate for children, families, and community empowerment. She began working with children at age 14 and has more than two decades of experience supporting children, families, and communities. She holds a BA in Psychology, an AS in Sociology from Temple University, and an MEd from American International College.

Latirah spent more than a decade in Springfield Public Schools as a paraprofessional and union representative before transitioning to community-based family support work. Most recently, she served as the CSEC Coordinator for Hampden County, where she strengthened multidisciplinary collaboration and supported responses to youth impacted by commercial sexual exploitation.

She is currently the CSEC Statewide Program Manager for the Massachusetts Children’s Alliance a role we will hear more about throughout the presentation today.

Beth Pierson joined Missouri Network Against Child Abuse in January 2024 as Commercial Sexual Exploitation of Children (CSEC) Program Specialist. In this position Beth leads the rollout of Statewide multidisciplinary team (MDT) CSEC initiatives and assist programs in developing and implementing best practices around training, policies, and protocols to guide screening, investigations, and service delivery to CSEC cases.

Prior to coming to Missouri Network Against Child Abuse, Beth was employed as a law enforcement officer and a clinical social worker providing mental health therapy to children and adults. She retired from Missouri Children’s Division as a Program Manager of child abuse investigations in Kansas City, MO. She has also worked as a volunteer coordinator and trainer of Missouri Court Appointed Special Advocates (CASA) in Jackson County, MO.

Beth is passionate about ending the cycle of abuse to Missouri’s children and has advocated for children in many roles. She has witnessed first-hand the effects of trauma on children and families and the secondary trauma that can affect those individuals that work in this field.

Beth attended Missouri Western State University where she received a Bachelor of Science in Psychology and emphasis on criminal justice. She received her Masters of Social Work from University of Kansas.