- Left to right: Mary Kate Zekert, Laura Wooton, Diane Cafritz (Not pictured: Brooke Tudeen)
RICHMOND, VA – Safe Harbor, the only nonprofit in Henrico County dedicated exclusively to serving survivors of sexual and domestic violence, has announced this year’s board of directors, including 12 incumbents and four newly ratified members. The new members bring a potent combination of skills to the board, just in time to launch the agency into its next phase of growth.
Safe Harbor is pleased to welcome newly ratified members Mary Kate Zekert, Associate Attorney with Bowen, Ten, Cardani, PC; Diane Cafritz, Vice President and Deputy General Counsel of CarMax Auto Superstores; Laura Wooton, HR Consultant for Fortis Group; and Brooke Tudeen, Account Executive with the Martin Agency.
Safe Harbor also celebrates the return of four incumbent members for a second 3-year term: Mary Catharine Ginn Kolbert, Post Acute Care Coordinator, Senior Services with Bon Secours Virginia Health System; Karen Cole, CEO with Assura, Inc.; James Alexander, IV, COO and Business Development with Redmond Asset Management, LLC; and Betsy Williams, Partner with KMB Design LLC.
Mary Kate Zekert, an Associate attorney with Bowen, Ten, Cardani, PC, hopes to contribute her legal background by serving as a resource and liaison between the Henrico County court system and the survivors of domestic violence. She is a member of the Junior League of Richmond and a Chesterfield Pro Bono Protective Order Volunteer Attorney. Zekert previously worked as the Senior Executive Notes Editor of the Mississippi Sports Law Review, and in the past she attended volunteer training with the Women’s Resource Center of the New River Valley. She has an undergraduate degree from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, a J.D. from the University Of Mississippi School Of Law and is a Certified Guardian ad Litem.
Diane Cafritz, Vice President and Deputy General Counsel for CarMax Auto Superstores, expressed her eagerness to participate in the development of the next strategic plan to guide Safe Harbor into the future. She currently serves as Vice President on the Board of the National Association of Dealer Counsel, and she previously served on the Board of the Richmond Jewish Foundation. Cafritz is also a member of Impact 100, a grassroots donor education and grant-making initiative. She has a B.A. in Economics and International Relations from Tufts University and a J.D. from the University Of Virginia School Of Law.
Laura Wooton, a Human Resource Consultant with the Fortis Group, shared her personal connection to Safe Harbor’s mission.
“Domestic violence has touched me deeply – it took the life of my mother, Carolyn Miller,” Wooten said. She and her sister founded the Carolyn Miller Memorial Fund to help women find safety during times of crisis, and she hopes that sharing her story will bring awareness to the issue. Wooten has an undergraduate degree from Virginia Polytechnic Institute and State University, a MBA from Virginia Commonwealth University, and a Senior Professional in Human Resources certification.
Brooke Tudeen, an Account Executive with the Martin Agency, said she would be honored to devote her time, energy and professional marketing skills to spreading word of Safe Harbor’s mission throughout the community.
“It is critical that all women in the Richmond Metropolitan area become aware of the services and support that Safe Harbor provides,” Tudeen said. “Everyone deserves to be in a healthy, nurturing relationship. Offering the support of a strong organization to a woman in a critical moment has the potential to change her life forever. ”
Tudeen is a member of the Junior League of Richmond and is President of the Greater Richmond Gator Club, a University of Florida Alumni Association. She previously volunteered as a member of the Silent Auction Committee with the Massey Alliance at the VCU Massey Cancer Center. She has an undergraduate degree from the University of Florida and has an MBA from the University of Central Florida.
Officers for the year are as follows:
- President: Mary Catharine Ginn Kolbert, Bon Secours, St. Mary’s Hospital
- Vice President : Karen Cole, Assura, Inc.
- Treasurer : James Alexander, IV, Redmond Asset Management, LLC
- Secretary : Sharon Taylor, Goodwill
To view the full listing of Safe Harbor’s Board, click here.
About Safe Harbor
Safe Harbor empowers survivors of sexual and domestic violence to transform their lives, and promotes healthy relationships for all. Since the agency opened in April 2000, it has grown from an emergency shelter to offering additional critical supportive services including community counseling programs for adults and children, community support groups in English and Spanish, court advocacy, hospital accompaniment and community education and outreach services. Visit our website (safeharborshelter.com) or facebook.com/SafeHarborRVA to learn how you can support our work. Safe Harbor is also an active partner in the Greater Richmond Regional Hotline, which consolidates five nonprofit agencies’ call centers into one central 24-hour confidential helpline (804-612-6126) serving Richmond and the surrounding counties.
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