Skye Sullivan is without a doubt one who clearly demonstrates superior leadership and the ability to collaborate within Alamance County to engage other agencies in the important work she leads. Skye has dedicated her entire career to the service of women. With a little over one year under her belt as the director of the Family Justice Center (FJC)of Alamance County, Skye has made a significant impact in the area of domestic violence, transforming the FJC space and creating a trauma-informed environment. She has worked diligently to develop and implement services and support for domestic violence victims, where 85% of the victims are women.
With the creation of an FJC executive committee, Sullivan meets regularly to discuss the needs of victims and of the agencies in Alamance County that support victims. She has engaged agencies like Crossroads, Burlington Police Department, Alamance County Sheriffs; Office, Legal Aid of North Carolina, Women’s Resource Center, Family Abuse Service, District Court, and Elon Law. She also includes a former victim of domestic violence to ensure the victim’s voice is empowered as well. None of her work in the community comes without cost. Skye has been able to secure grant funding to provide forensic interviewing training for 21 community professionals. Funding and availability of this specialized training are difficult to obtain.
In addition to this important work, Skye finds mentoring students one of her passions and makes it a priority. She has developed and maintained a working relationship with many university schools of social work. She is able to host several interns at the FJC where they learn about victim services and resources within the community.
In addition to her work at the FJC, Skye is an active member of the board for the North Carolina Coalition Against Domestic Violence; is a certified victim service practitioner; a RADAR certified Forensic interviewer, Alamance County Racial Equity Collaborative, and Victims Advocacy Council of Alamance. She is a 2011 nominee for the Women’s Equity Award. Skye is one who never hesitates to serve on a board that aims to improve the community. Creating a victim-centered, safety-focused, culturally responsive place that supports vulnerable clients is her dream and she has made it a reality. Sullivan shared what excites her and it summarizes her work. “To provide hope, we have to have meaningful services that are equitable and accessible to all communities”.
