ABOUT

Every 9 Seconds is a non-profit committed to Education, Prevention, Intervention & Legislative lobbying to create change in the arena of domestic violence victimization and survivor incarceration worldwide. By fostering relationships with legislative officials, law enforcement, judiciary officials, communities and facilities of incarceration. It is through these partnerships we will make change nationwide.

Every 9 Seconds purpose is to lay the groundwork for positive change with victims of domestic violence. To create and foster an arena for those wanting to help family, friends or incarcerated victims of abuse to gain the empowerment and steps that it takes to gain their freedom.

Each day four women face death at the hand of their abuser. It is only through knowing that change can happen that we make the difference between life and death.

Brenda stives to be able to bring a new and different perspective to the field of domestic violence and it is her dream to make change worldwide. As a formerly incarcerated survivor that founded the first abuse support group in the prison system in the nation, Convicted Women Against Abuse in 1989. Due to the efforts of CWAA “Battered Woman Syndrome” admissibility became law in California on January 2, 1992.

Being in an abusive relationship is another form of prison and most people are not able to understand the correlation between the two. Having been sentenced to 16 years to life and ultimately spending 26 years in prison, Brenda knows only to well how the justice system can fail you when you are in a fight for your life. The Habeas Project of California, formerly Free Battered Women, brought on pro-bono attorney’s to help with filing a writ to gain her release in October 2008.

It is through her personal journey that she has chosen to lobby for change and take whatever steps are necessary to ensure that policy changes, that women in our communities know they can be free from an abusive situation and be safe. She also hopes through her work for survivors to be released from incarceration through changes and legislative actions.

BOARD MEMBERS:

Sandie Diamond
Sandie comes from a family driven by philanthropic endeavors, and is a lifelong supporter of the domestic violence movement. Not only is she a survivor of a teen dating violence relationship, but she is also an advocate for survivors who have not learned to utilize the power of their own voices.

Ms. Diamond is currently pursuing her Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology and brings many years of experience both administratively and pragmatically. Additionally, she is a proud member of Peace Over Violence’s Violence Prevention Team and a Crisis Intervention Counseling Team. Sandie has been a part of the YWCA of Los Angeles’ SART (Sexual Assault Response Team) and WomenShelter of Long Beach’s DART (Domestic Abuse Response Team) Programs.

It is with great honor that Ms. Diamond serves on Every 9 Seconds Board of Director’s, and she hopes that her experience, strength, and hope can bring empowerment and justice to those in need of some light.

Sallie Hamilton
Sallie Hamilton spent more than 35 years in a variety of roles within three California Court. While a member of numerous management teams she had the responsibility of implementing legislative changes, interacting with all levels of court personnel, other public agencies and businesses within the legal field.  She was instrumental with the first produced statewide Criminal Manual used by Court Clerks.

During a ten year period she was the President of a family corporation serving the public in the recreational field.  During this period her responsibilities included generating income, public relations, budget, inventory and other operations required for running a successful small business.  Sallie has been very involved with community organizations and fund raising activities. Sallie joins the Board of Every 9 Seconds to bring a passion to educate, and inform others that there is hope for those who can’t escape or don’t have the resources they need from an abusive situation.  She discovered her passion for Every 9 Seconds and its mission when she was introduced to Brenda and her story. As a survivor herself, she fully understands the importance of making a difference. Sallie adds legal knowledge, business, and life experiences to the Every 9 Seconds board. She enjoys numerous sport activities, quilting and her friendships. She is married, has 2 daughters and 4 grandchildren.

Olivia Klaus
Olivia is an award-winning documentary filmmaker who passionately believes in the power of visual stories to create positive social change. Her various roles in production have helped create projects that have dealt with such issues as human rights, incarceration, poverty, and domestic violence.  Her work has been seen on various networks like CNN, HLN, Showtime, and The History Channel. She was recently listed by Pixel Project as one of the top 16 influential leaders in the movement to end violence against women, and is the Director/Producer of the award-winning documentary Sin by Silence which features Brenda Clubine’s story.

Stephanie Pelentay
Stephanie is a Midwest native. Her family finally settled down in Pasadena, CA. She is the eldest of 5 children. She attended the University of Southern California and graduated with a degree in Business Administration. After graduation, she worked for an insurance company for eight years and has been with the same brokerage firm for over 25 years.

Stephanie has been involved with the United Way, Trojan Guild, Trojan Town and Gown and other organizations that have enabled her to donate time and raise money to help others and provide scholarships for college students. Stephanie has been able to travel the world and share her experiences with others. This has enabled her to bring new ideas and different perspective on life in support of others. Stephanie is also an avid sports fan. She has 1 niece and 3 nephews that are spoiled like they were her own children.

Stephanie is honored to be able to serve on the Board of Every 9 Seconds to bring her passion, resources and other skills to help people escape their abusive situation and make a better life for them.

Sandy Watkins
Ms. Sandra J. Watkins was born in Los Angeles, California and raised in Glendale, California.  After graduating from High School in 1960 she married Louis [Hank] Watkins, Jr. in 1961. In 1978, Ms. Watkins returned to work full time with McDonnell computer Systems as their Financial Manager.  After the company closed, she worked for Coca-Cola Bottling Company, and then Baxter BioScience for twelve years as Global Financial Manager for Clinical Research where she retired in 2003 and relocated to Menifee, California.

I am proud to be a part of “Every-9-Seconds”. I hope to assist and support Brenda in her mission to aide women coming out of both prison as a survivor, and abusive relationships, this allows me to help others.  I want to make a difference.

Ms. Watkins currently is the Treasurer of two Non-Profit organizations.  She enjoys sports, reading, and visiting with her grandchildren and daughters who live in Montana and Germany.