Who We Are
Vision
To end the cycle of Human Trafficking in the Bay Area and beyond.
Mission
BAATC disrupts the business of human trafficking to deter future exploitation. We equip frontline industries to intervene for victims where they are forced to work, move, and sleep.
The BAATC Team
Betty Ann Hagenau
Founder,
Executive Director
Betty Ann is an anti-trafficking thought leader who is known for her collaborative work with over 150 anti-trafficking organizations and government agencies in the San Francisco Bay Area and around the world. She earned a Master’s degree from Stanford University in International Policy Studies and a BA from the University of Oregon in International Studies and Journalism. Betty Ann spent 18 months interviewing former human traffickers in San Quentin Prison to better understand their lucrative business practices and to inform the development of BAATC’s current strategies and programs. Fun Fact: Betty Ann has been “the voice” of Stanford Women’s Basketball for 23 seasons and has announced over 330 games for the Cardinal.
Becky Pacini
Director of Strategic Initiatives
Becky has spent her career working in both the corporate and non-profit sectors in project management and marketing. She is passionate about creating processes to improve social benefit enterprise and has long been drawn to mission-based businesses making a positive impact in the world.
Becky holds an MBA from Santa Clara University and a BS in Management Science and Engineering from Stanford, where she was an All-American pitcher on the Softball Team.
Edith Klimoski
Airport Initiative
Consultant
Edith has been the director of Give Way to Freedom since 2009. She has led human trafficking trainings throughout New England. Edith is a member of the Vermont Human Trafficking Task Force, their Steering Committee, the New England Coalition Against Trafficking (NECAT), and the Freedom Network.
She earned a BA in Biology with a concentration in Women's Studies from the College of the Holy Cross, and a Master of Science from University of Wisconsin - Green Bay.
Marlene Hekkert
Director of Communications
Prior to BAATC, Marlene was the Associate Director of Publishing at HarperOne, an imprint of HarperCollins Publishers, where she created new products and drove editorial development. She also launched innovative national publicity and marketing campaigns for authors at Regal Books. Her freelance articles have been featured in national publications as well as in donor-based non-profit magazines. Marlene is known for writing with purpose and heart. Marlene graduated from Westmont College with a BA in Communication Studies.
Brianna Jean
Donor Relations Specialist
Brianna is a Southern California native with a background in outside sales, health and wellness, and database administration. She currently volunteers with several national and local youth organizations where she works on events and leads small groups. She has an incredible skill for connecting with people and building relationships. Brianna is passionate about BAATC’s mission and is eager to work with those who support BAATC efforts.
Brianna attended college at California State University Long Beach, where she earned her BS degree in Kinesiology.
How We Got Started
The Bay Area Anti-Trafficking Coalition (BAATC) rallied volunteers to plan Freedom Summit 2011 on January 21-22 at Harbor Light Church in Fremont, California. With 1700 attendees, 33 anti-human trafficking organizations, and 28 breakout sessions, involving over 50 speakers/experts in the field, Freedom Summit 2011 stands as the largest anti-trafficking gathering in the U.S. to-date. The overwhelming response encouraged the BAATC to emerge as an official non-profit entity that will continue to serve as the respected “backbone” and connective tissue helping individuals, churches and anti-trafficking organizations work effectively together to build a unified San Francisco Bay Area response to human trafficking.
