WASHINGTON, DC (July 12, 2022) – The National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) has promoted Dr. Stephany Powell to vice president and director of law enforcement training and survivor services.
“We are so grateful to Stephany and her steadfast leadership in confronting all forms of sexual exploitation. She brings unique expertise from her years in law enforcement and working with survivors of prostitution and trafficking that has enabled her to train law enforcement throughout the country on how best to help trafficking survivors and to confront the demand for commercial sex. We are eager to continue to use her remarkable talents as a vice president to further key training of law enforcement, to continue supporting survivors in their recovery, and in confronting sex trafficking and prostitution,” said Dawn Hawkins, CEO of the National Center on Sexual Exploitation.
“As a former police officer, I have witnessed the physical and emotional aftermath of human trafficking. I do not want to see another person endure or experience this type of suffering and abuse, and my work at the National Center on Sexual Exploitation will continue to focus on ending the scourge of sex trafficking and abuse,” said Dr. Powell.
Dr. Powell came on board with the National Center on Sexual Exploitation in 2020 as director of law enforcement training and survivor services. She spent 30 years with the Los Angeles Police Department (LAPD), retiring as a vice sergeant in 2013. Dr. Powell became Executive Director of Journey Out, an organization that assists victims of human trafficking in finding their way out of violence and abuse due to sexual exploitation or forced prostitution, in October 2013.
Dr. Powell is a Doctor of Education in Organizational Leadership and utilizes that singular combination in several ways. She created and facilitated Team Building and Executive Leadership workshops based on positive change dynamics for the Fire and Police Departments. She is an Adjunct Assistant Professor of Behavior Science at Los Angeles Trade Technical College. Dr. Powell uses her considerable skills and insight to educate the community about the complex and often misunderstood world of sex trafficking and to create positive change for its victims. She has published a human trafficking youth prevention workbook that has been utilized on a national and international level.
Dr. Powell has received numerous awards and recognition from Los Angeles County and City officials, as well as the Women of the NAACP, Masonic organizations, and community organizations. Her proudest moment was receiving a community service award by her sorority chapter of Alpha Kappa Alpha Sorority, Inc. She has spoken before legislative committees in California and addressed the Texas legislative Black Caucus.
Dr. Powell’s expertise on race, law enforcement, and human trafficking has been showcased in documentaries, newspapers, magazines, on television and the radio.
About National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE)
Founded in 1962, the National Center on Sexual Exploitation (NCOSE) is the leading national non-partisan organization exposing the links between all forms of sexual exploitation such as child sexual abuse, prostitution, sex trafficking and the public health harms of pornography.
