Executive Chair
Samantha Salamon
[email protected]
Samantha Salamon, Esq., serves as the Manager of the Ahimsa department at Asian Services in Action, Inc. In 2017, Ms. Salamon began representing human trafficking survivors as ASIA’s Staff Attorney and was promoted to the Ahimsa Manager in 2018. She holds a Bachelor’s degree in social work, and a law degree from Cleveland State University, Cleveland-Marshall College of Law, where she founded the Muslim Law Students’ Association. She has a passion for assisting vulnerable populations and believes that personal growth occurs most when working and helping others. After living and working abroad as an attorney in Dubai, Samantha understands the struggles an individual faces when dealing with unfamiliar cultural experiences and aspires to help people to her best ability obtain and protect their rights, from a legal perspective.
Administrative Chair
Nicole Bachman
Nicole Bachman is a graduate of Ohio University where she received a Masters of Social Work in Social Administration. Nicole is dually licensed by both the Ohio Chemical Dependency Board as a Licensed Independent Chemical Dependency Counselor and the Ohio Counselor, Social Worker, and Marriage and Family Therapist Board as a Licensed Independent Social Work Supervisor. Nicole currently works Summit County Juvenile Court as the Clinical Director. In Nicole’s current capacity, she oversees the administration of Mental Health and Substance Abuse evaluations for court involved youth as well as therapeutic inventions to youth in the Detention Center. Additionally, she assists in the development of mental health and chemical dependency interventions, programming, and policies for the Detention Center and Court. Nicole has worked with survivors of human trafficking since 2015 and participates in the courts specialized docket for survivors and high-risk youth. Nicole’s previous experience includes 11 years of serving in community mental health, private practice, crisis services, inpatient psychiatric care, and hospital administration.
Creative Development Chair
Amanda Smith
[email protected]
Amanda is the Advocate Supervisor of the Ahimsa department at Asian Services in Action, Inc. (“ASIA”). Amanda graduated from Kent State University with a degree in Criminal Justice and minors in Human Development/Family Studies and Non-profit Management. Amanda is passionate about advocating for domestic violence, sexual violence, and human trafficking survivors. She has a wealth of experience helping survivors, including providing on-scene crisis intervention at the Victim Assistance Program, advocacy in hospitals and schools for the Rape Crisis Center of Summit and Medina Counties, and culturally specific services to survivors to help them with their trauma at her current position in the Ahimsa department at ASIA. Amanda strives to help eliminate barriers and advocate for culturally-specific survivors. In her role as supervisor, Amanda encourages and emphasizes self-care and sees to it that the advocates practice self-care to lessen burnout and compassion fatigue. Amanda is a registered advocate through the National Organization of Victim Assistance (NOVA) and facilitates the monthly Immigrant and Refugee Ohio Coalition (IROC) to End Sexual Violence, educating and encouraging conversation around specific issues facing survivors from the immigrant and refugee communities.
Finance Chair
Andrea Lisowski
Andrea is a graduate from Case Western Reserve University with a Master of Science in Social Administration. She is a Licensed Independent Social Worker and Licensed Independent Chemical Dependency Counselor. Andrea has worked with survivors of human trafficking since 2014. She currently works as a therapist specializing in EMDR, trauma therapy and expressive arts techniques (including dance and yoga interventions). She has experiencing providing trauma therapy to survivors of sexual violence, human trafficking and other types of abuse. Andrea has additional experience working with survivors of human trafficking through multidisciplinary teams, program development and the court systems. Andrea currently serves as the Executive Board Chair for the Summit County Collaborative Against Human Trafficking.
