The Mary Byron Project
Fostering Innovations and Strategies to End Domestic Violence
The Mary Byron Project was established in 2000 in memory of the young woman whose tragic murder led to the creation of automated crime victim notification technologies. As a nationally recognized thought leader on domestic violence, the Mary Byron Project cultivates and supports efforts that extend beyond crisis management to attack the root causes of this epidemic and help build safer, healthier communities.
Our board of directors
Marcia Roth, Executive Director
Marcia Roth has been actively involved in women’s issues since the 1980’s. In 1991 she was appointed the founding director of the Jefferson County (KY) Office for Women where she spearheaded the development of VINE®, the victim notification program. In 2000 she helped create and continues to serve as the Executive Director of the Mary Byron Project. Ms. Roth served on four different state task forces focused on domestic violence crime.
Ms. Roth also serves by appointment of Kentucky Governor Steve Beshear on the Kentucky Community and Technical College System. In 2009 she was designated a “Woman of Distinction” by the Center for Women and Families.
Jerry Bowles, Secretary of the Board
Jerry J. Bowles is a Circuit Judge in Jefferson County where he presides in the Family Court. After his original appointment by the governor, he has been re-elected three times to his current seat. Judge Bowles has done extensive work in the area of domestic violence and trains nationally and internationally on the topic. He serves as the Chair of the Jefferson County Domestic Violence Prevention and Coordinating Council’s Fatality Review Committee and has been appointed to numerous state and national committees in order where he provides his considerable expertise.
Pat Byron, President Emeritus
Pat Byron was thrust into advocacy work for victims as a result of her daughter Mary’s murder in 1993. She was named the 2005 recipient of the Eastern Kentucky University’s College of Justice and Safety Dean’s Award. She also received the HER (Honoring Excellent Role Models) from Today’s Woman Magazine in 2006.
Ms. Byron uses her expertise to speak in communities throughout the nation about dating violence and crime victims’ rights. She served as President of the Mary Byron Project from 2000-2008 when she was designated President Emeritus. She recently was appointed to serve on the Kentucky Corrections’ Commission.
John Byron, Vice President
John Byron was born and raised in Louisville, KY where he graduated from St. Xavier High School and the Speed Scientific School at the University of Louisville. He has a bachelor’s degree in electrical engineering and is a registered professional engineer. He served as an officer in the U.S. Air Force and recently retired from the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Louisville District. Since his daughter Mary’s murder, Mr. Byron has become a fierce advocate for ending violence against women.
Mike Davis
Mike Davis is president and co-founder of Appriss, Inc., a technology company specializing in helping criminal justice agencies serve and protect their citizens. He and Yung Nguyen joined forces in 1995 to launch and create the market for the nation’s first automated victim notification system known as VINE®. Mr. Davis has received numerous awards for his entreprenership as well as his devotion to helping victims. In April, 2009 he was awarded the Congressional Victims’ Rights Caucus Award from the US House of Representatives.
Phyllis Florman
Attorney-at-Law
Phyllis Florman is an attorney and an arbitrator and mediator in Louisville, KY. She graduated from Russell Sage College and then received her J.D. from the Louis D. Brandeis School of Law at the University of Louisville.
She has served as President of the Louisville Bar Foundation, the Law School Alumni Association and the Family Place. Ms. Florman has been Vice-Chair of the Kentucky Commission on the Status of Women and served on the National Association of Commissions on Women.
J. William Kingston
As President, Community Health Network Foundation of Indianapolis, IN, Bill Kingston oversees development and philanthropy for this system of four hospitals. He has previously been associated with Catholic Health East as Vice President of Philanthropy for this system which is the nation’s sixth largest Catholic Healthcare provider. His experience in the community health care field enhances his interest in eliminating domestic violence.
Dr. Renee Campbell Mapp
Executive Director, Wesley House Community Services
Renee Mapp is President and CEO of Wesley House Community Services, a social service agency founded 106 years ago in Louisville, KY.
Dr. Mapp is a state-approved domestic violence trainer, and serves as an adjunct faculty member in KY State University’s undergraduate social work program.
A village in the northern region of West Africa rewarded Dr. Mapp for her human services work in Ghana. She has received Spalding University’s Outstanding Educational Leadership Award and the Mental Health Association of Kentucky’s Leadership and Serviced Award.
Yung Nguyen
A co-founder of VINE® with Michael Davis, Yung Nguyen patented victim notification technology in 1995. He worked to build the company that provided the VINE service, Appriss until 2002.
After the Florida recount controversy in 2000, Mr. Nguyen began to extensively research ways to resolve problems with voting machines. He invented the patent pending voting technology, called Inspire and founded IVS in 2002. He is also the Founder and Chair of Lac Viet, a non-profit program that provides after school and tutoring services to Vietnamese children and seeks to empower immigrant parents who speak limited English to get involved in their children’s education.
JoAnn Phillips
Executive Director, Kentucky Voice for Crime Victims
Jo Ann Phillips is an account executive for Douglas Exposition and the University of Louisville. She has served as the State Executive Director of the Kentucky Voice for Crime Victims and has recently been re-appointed as Chair of the Kentucky Crime Victims’ Compensation Board.
Anne Seymour
Anne Seymour has 25 years of experience as a national victim advocate. She is a Co-founder of and Senior Advisor to the Washington, D.C.-based national non-profit Justice Solutions; and is Editor of The Crime Victims’ Report. She began her career as the Director of Public Affairs for the National Office of Mothers Against Drunk Driving and, from 1985 to 1993, as co-founder and Director of Communications of the National Victim Center (now National Center for Victims of Crime).
Mary-James Young
Senior Regulatory Counsel, Vectren Corporation
Ms. Young’s vast legal career spans government, corporate, prosecutorial and defense work. She was an assistant Attorney General and special prosecutor of the Commonwealth of Kentucky for 7 years. In 1994, the chief executive officer of Jefferson County, Kentucky (Louisville) appointed her to serve as his general counsel. In this role, she was in the forefront of crafting new domestic violence policies and procedures for police, courts, and corrections.
