It Happened to Alexa Foundation honors Lisa Bloch –Rodwin, Esq at 5th Annual Dinner on June 8 at the Niagara Falls Country Club General – It Happened to Alexa Foundation – Founded by Tom & Stacey Branchini, honors the courage of their daughter Alexa, who survived a traumatic rape by a stranger who broke into her college dormitory the second week of her freshman year. The National foundation located in Lewiston NY, provides financial, emotional and advocacy assistance to victims who prosecute their attackers. Release- It Happened to Alexa Foundation (IHTAF) will be honoring the work and dedication of Lisa Bloch Rodwin at our 5th Annual Dinner on Friday June 8, 2007. Our Mistress of Ceremonies will be Jacquie Walker from channel 4. “I am honored to be part of such an event honoring the tireless work of Ms. Rodwin” said Ms. Walker. In addition to honoring Ms. Rodwin IHTAF will also be honoring a victim advocate from the Western New York Area. The victim advocate recipient will be announced at a later date. Lisa Bloch Rodwin, Chief of the Erie County District Attorney’s Domestic Violence Bureau, has been a prosecutor since 1985. In 2006 Lisa was selected as one of five lawyers in Western New York to receive the first Daily Record's Leaders in Law Award. Lisa was named Lawyer of the Year by the Women’s Lawyers of Western New York in 2005 for her dedication to assisting families in crisis. In 2004, she was the recipient of the Kupferman Award for Juvenile Justice from the Women’s Bar Association of the State of New York. In 1995 she started the first Domestic Violence unit in New York State outside of New York City, dramatically changing the entire approach of the criminal justice system towards family violence. By utilizing social workers and a multi-disciplinary approach, the unit has helped thousands of women and children find safety. Last year her staff was responsible for the prosecution of almost 4,000 cases. Ms. Rodwin has been a leader in the Erie County Coalition Against Family Violence, and has spearheaded an effort which led to a substantial reduction in the family violence homicide rate. Ms. Rodwin has also conducted training sessions throughout New York State for law enforcement officers and prosecutors on Sex Abuse, Child Abuse and Domestic Violence Investigations and Prosecutions, Internet Crimes Against Children, Elder Abuse, and Stalking and Cyberstalking. She was instrumental in obtaining a Federal grant of almost one million dollars for the recently opened Erie County Family Justice Center for Domestic Violence victims. While supervising the child and sex abuse cases for Erie County, Ms Rodwin developed new policies for the Child Advocacy Center. A child no longer has to re-live the details of the abuse during separate investigations by area agencies and law enforcement, but only has to relate the story once to one team member. Lisa has been a member of the Friends of the Child Advocacy Center for many years. Working with other child abuse specialists throughout New York, Lisa assisted leaders in the State Legislature to revise previously existing criminal laws on sexual abuse which resulted in the enactment of Sexual Assault Reform Act (SARA). This legislation dramatically strengthened penalties for child abuse. In addition to her career, Ms. Rodwin is very dedicated to volunteer work in Western New York. Ms. Rodwin was instrumental in the establishment of IHTAF and she continues to volunteer her services to the foundation. Lisa served as a co-chair of the Criminal Law Committee for the NYS Women’s Bar Association for three years and was a state director for the Western New York Chapter. As a member of the Board of the YWCA, Lisa chaired the Week Without Violence, which featured an educational program at area schools helping to teach children about reporting violence in their homes and at school. Lisa was the founding board president for the Erie County Family Justice Center. She has received service awards from the Coalition Against Family Violence, Hispanics United, NYS Crime Prevention Coalition and Prevention Focus. Ms. Rodwin resides in Amherst with her husband Michael Rickert who is a researcher at Roswell Park Cancer Institute, and her two sons David, a recent honors graduate of John Hopkins University who is currently teaching in Kyoto, Japan, and Benjamin, a student at Brandeis University. For sponsorship or ticket information, please contact Ellen Augello, Executive Director IHTAF 754-9105 or email Augellos@verizon.net