Field Advisory Committee
Five experts in the field of human trafficking provide strategic guidance to the Center.
Desiree Coyote
Ms. Coyote is a victim services advocate for American Indian and Alaska Native people. As a program manager with Family Violence Services (FVS) of the Confederated Tribes of Umatilla Indian Reservation. Ms. Coyote provides services to tribal victims, including survivors of human trafficking. In addition, Ms. Coyote conducts outreach and education in the community on the topics of domestic violence, sexual assault/rape, teen dating violence, human trafficking, elder abuse, and stalking. She served as a member of the Oregon STOP Violence Against Women and assisted in the Tribal Listening Tour, visiting all nine tribes, local non-profit domestic/sexual violence agencies, and local district attorney victim assistance programs. Ms. Coyote is an enrolled member of the Confederated Tribes of the Umatilla Indian Reservation from her mother’s side and is Nez Perce on her father’s side.
Marie Israelite
Marie Israelite is a human trafficking expert and currently serves as the director of victim services at the Human Trafficking Institute. In this role, Ms. Israelite is responsible for training and capacity building of government and nongovernment partners in Uganda and Belize on trauma-informed approaches and victim-centered investigations and prosecutions. Previously serving as the chief of the victim assistance program at Homeland Security Investigations, Ms. Israelite directed policy efforts, program development, and victim services for all federal crime victims, including survivors of human trafficking and child exploitation. She helped establish the agency’s first forensic interviewing program. This work required extensive training and capacity building efforts on how to establish victim-centered, trauma-informed investigations in the United States and abroad. Ms. Israelite has held several human trafficking, sexual assault, and domestic violence prevention and services positions within the Department of Homeland Security and the Department of Justice. Most recently, Ms. Israelite served as a senior program manager with ICF, where she facilitated the work of the U.S. Advisory Council on Human Trafficking.
Gonzalo Martinez de Vedia
Gonzalo Martinez de Vedia is a published author and expert on the topic of labor trafficking. Previously with the McCain Institute’s Combatting Human Trafficking team, Mr. Martinez designed and implemented interventions to counter forced and coerced labor in the Texas agricultural sector. He has served as a senior policy associate at Humanity United where he helped manage the Alliance to End Slavery and Trafficking. He led several multiagency anti-trafficking task forces and targeted outreach to high-risk workplaces for the Worker Justice Center of New York. Mr. Martinez served as a human rights commissioner for the County of Ulster, New York and policy co-chair for Freedom Network USA. Mr. Martinez was born and raised in Buenos Aires, Argentina. Mr. Martinez holds a bachelor’s degree cum laude from Cornell University and a master’s in Criminal Justice from Arizona State University.
Constance Rossiter
Constance Rossiter is a skilled collaborator with more than 13 years of experience in the anti-trafficking field. Serving as the program director of the Trafficked Persons Assistance Program at YMCA International Services in Houston, Ms. Rossiter built and sustained a comprehensive trauma-informed service delivery model for victims of human trafficking. Known for her community engagement and collaboration, Ms. Rossiter ensured the program’s success by securing both government and community foundation grants. She developed multiple partnerships throughout the greater Houston area and served on several task forces and coalitions including the Texas Human Trafficking Prevention Task Force and the Human Trafficking Rescue Alliance. Ms. Rossiter also served on the Executive Committee of the Homeless Youth Network, Houston and the Advisory Committee of the Texas Governor’s Harris County Child Sex Trafficking Team. Ms. Rossiter is a licensed professional counselor and is a senior fellow of the American Leadership Forum.
Susan Williams
Susan Williams is a nationally recognized victims’ services expert. In her current work as a consultant, she expands the reach of crime victim services, promotes trauma-informed practices, and builds innovative collaborations across all areas of crime victimization to more holistically meet the needs of survivors. During her 24 years with the U.S. Department of Justice, Ms. Williams served as a deputy director in the Office for Victims of Crime (OVC), enhancing the country’s response to all forms of crime victimization and overseeing OVC’s human trafficking programs. As an associate director in the Office on Violence Against Women (OVW), Ms. Williams managed staff responsible for the administration of two Violence Against Women Act discretionary programs and provided leadership in the development and implementation of several OVW special initiatives, including the creation of 15 Family Justice Centers for victims of domestic violence. Ms. Williams has extensive experience leading programs to enhance access to services for victims in different areas of crime victimization and in reaching more traditionally underserved victims.