LaToya Townsend is an experienced consultant, speaker, trainer and grant manager & writer.  She is passionate about promoting awareness of intersectionality and impact it has on African American women who experience gender violence.  As a seasoned trainer  for  over 11 years, LaToya has worked extensively on developing training materials that highlight the barriers marginalize communities face while experiencing domestic and sexual violence. Her experience includes the development of a bi-annual domestic violence and sexual assault training curriculum to be used with government and non-profit partners who interface with victims.

As a graduate student at Columbia University,  LaToya was an organizer with the Criminal Justice Caucus and helped organize Beyond the Bars: Moving Forward, the annual interdisciplinary criminal justice conference sponsored by the Criminal Justice Caucus and The Criminal Justice Initiative at Columbia University School of Social Work. Additionally, LaToya organized the Social Justice Training Institute 2013, a collaboration between the Criminal Justice Initiative at Columbia University School of Social Work and The Public Science Project of The CUNY Graduate Center.

In addition to training, LaToya has served as a facilitator for an intimate partner violence (IPV) screening and referral service tool among drug-involved female offenders under community supervision at risk for HIV.  She has also served as an employment specialist for the New York City Justice Corps where she partnered with community groups, justice agencies and employers to invest in the development and self-sufficiency of court-involved young adults.  Her direct practice experience also includes serving as the Therapeutic Care Coordinator & Advocate at the Martha O’Bryan Center (MOBC) where she coordinated services for domestic violence victims both at the MOBC and the Jean Crowe Advocacy Center.

LaToya is a Detroit  native with Bachelor of Arts in Sociology from Oakland University and a Master of Science in Social Work from Columbia University.   She is currently the President-Elect of the Nashville Coalition Against Domestic Violence and sits on the Board of Directors.