Meet the Staff
Interim Executive Director
Jenny
Who she is:
Outside of work, Jenny enjoys spending time with her family travelling, playing games, and eating good food! She loves animals and dreams of retiring and starting a cat sanctuary. In the meantime, she cares for the feral and stray cats in her neighborhood.
Jenny received both her bachelor’s and master’s degrees in social work from Utah State University. Additionally, Jenny is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker and is an Advanced Nationally Credentialed Advocate through the National Organization for Victim Advocacy.
What she does:
Jenny has been working in the SAAVI Office since 2010 and served as a victim advocate, a therapist and now in the role of Executive Director. She is passionate about creating a safe and supportive response for all people at USU who have experienced any form of harm. She loves to get feedback about your experience with SAAVI so she can continue to help improve the response.
Advocacy Team
Shaun
Who he is:
In his free time, Shaun enjoys spending time with his partner, puppy, and chickens. He loves creativity of all kinds, and he loves being outside.
Shaun received his master’s degree from Utah State University. He loves working as a victim advocate with an emphasis on prevention and education work for the SAAVI Team. He is a nationally credentialed advocate through National Organization for Victim Advocacy.
What he does:
Working at SAAVI is Shaun’s dream job, right next to working as a barista. He believes in the healing powers of warm drinks, an empathetic ear, and systemic support for everyone. He is grateful for every opportunity he has to meet with individuals and provide support in some of the hardest experiences people can have. His goal is to collaborate with individuals to learn what healing looks like to them, and help them find the path forward.
Nizhoni
Who she is:
Outside of work, she enjoys both being outdoors and relaxing indoors. Whether she’s hiking, biking, or running, she also loves to just curl up watching her favorite TV series or playing video games.
She graduated from Utah State University in 2023 with a bachelor's degree in social work. Before joining the SAAVI Office, she spent a year working with the Division of Child and Family Services (DCFS), where she gained valuable experience supporting individuals and families.
What she does:
Nizhoni loves the work she does at SAAVI and feels incredibly grateful to be a part of such meaningful work with a supportive team.
Zoe
Who she is:
Outside of her professional work, Zoe enjoys playing video games on her Switch and PC. She also loves crafting, particularly amigurumi (crocheting small animals), and often dabbles in cross-stitch projects. When she's not working or creating, she enjoys spending time outdoors, especially hammocking in the mountains.
Zoe holds a bachelor's degree in psychology from Utah Valley University.
Before joining SAAVI, Zoe worked at a domestic violence shelter in Utah, where she provided housing support for survivors. This experience solidified her passion for supporting individuals navigating complex and challenging circumstances.
Zoe also completed a service term with AmeriCorps, where she focused on education-based initiatives, providing academic support and tutoring to students as part of community outreach efforts. In addition, she has volunteered in both Salt Lake City and downtown Vancouver, Canada, offering outreach and support to unhoused populations.
What she does:
Zoe is deeply committed to advocacy and creating safe, supportive spaces for those at USU impacted by interpersonal violence.