about IA
Rebecca
Facey | executive director
p: (567) 202-1741
e: independentadvocate@gmail.com
Board of Directors
- Jeni Belt | President
- Jennifer DeBacker | Treasurer
- Brenda Facey
- Rose Toth Gallardo
Jeni Belt is a partner in the health law practice group of Shumaker, Loop & Kendrick, LLP. Her principal areas of practice include regulatory compliance, fraud and abuse, reimbursement, hospital-physician relations, HIPAA, managed care, and licensure and certification. Her community interests are many and currently include Independent Advocates and the Toledo Bar Association Board of Trustees. She is a longstanding member of the Toledo Firefighters Health Plan Board, the St. Vincent Mercy Medical Center Foundation Board of Trustees. She is a past president of the University of Toledo Law Alumni Association and the Toledo Junior Bar Association.
Jeni’s decision to get involved with Independent Advocates stems from a deep-seated belief in social justice and the need to empower those who are disenfranchised in our social systems. Independent Advocates provides a consistent voice of advocacy for victims of domestic violence through the entire court and agency system, serving a broader spectrum of needs than traditional domestic violence advocacy. It also seeks to address the societal problem of domestic violence by educating tomorrow’s would-be abusers, victims, and family members in hopes of prevention. The energy, commitment, and dedication of the IA staff is contagious as well, which accelerated Jeni’s decision to get involved.
Brenda Facey is a fifth grade teacher at Monac Elementary in the Washington Local School District, and has taught for 20 years. She served on the Toledo School Board from 1989 to 1997 and the Toledo Public Schools Foundation Board from 1999 to 2006.
Brenda has been a supporter of Independent Advocates from the beginning, when creating the agency was just a hopeful idea. Since then, she has seen amazing growth in advocate services IA has provided to women who have been victims of domestic violence and need assistance through the complicated local court system. As an educator, Brenda is especially excited about IA's prevention program that forms partnerships with schools and community groups to teach about healthy and unhealthy relationships. Brenda is very honored to be a member of the Independent Advocates Board.