We Are Praesidium
Meet the experts.
Composed of experienced researchers, attorneys, social workers, and human resource professionals, each member of the Praesidium team is dedicated to the prevention of sexual abuse. Here are their stories.
Aaron Lundberg, MSW
President and CEO
Aaron Lundberg, MSW
President and CEO
Aaron Lundberg works with leadership of large-scale human service organizations across the United States to develop, implement, and monitor abuse prevention policies and training programs. He supervises Praesidium’s team of account managers and has trained thousands of direct care workers, supervisors, administrators, and parents in preventing the sexual abuse of children and vulnerable adults. With a bachelor’s degree in psychology from Texas Tech University and a master’s degree in social work from The University of Texas at Arlington, Lundberg has conducted extensive research in the etiology, scope, and prevention of abuse in residential treatment centers.
Ann Bartnik
Chief Operating Officer
Ann Bartnik
Chief Operating Officer
Ann Bartnik works in conjunction with risk consultants to support new initiative implementation for Praesidium’s largest clients and has over 30 years of industry experience. Ann led the implementation of a new LMS system, Praesidium Academy, a tool that facilitates abuse prevention training modules for 450,000 individual learners across the organization’s client base. She has also facilitated process improvements across Praesidium’s providers for health insurance, 401k plan, IT and phone services, and product support. Additionally, Ann is leading the implementation of Praesidium’s new Assessment tool. Ann’s cultivated business operations experience across diverse industries includes risk management, non-profit, and healthcare IT. She holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration with a concentration in Marketing.
Christy Schiller, MA
Vice President of Consulting
Christy Schiller, MA
Vice President of Consulting
Christy Schiller has over 18 years of industry experience. She applies social science and public health strategies to preventing abuse and its long-term effects. In her role at Praesidium, Christy serves faith-based clients, including the Catholic dioceses and religious orders, The Episcopal Church, the Anglican dioceses, Greek Orthodox Archdiocese of America, The Salvation Army, Presbyterian Church USA, and various denominations through their insurers as well as K-12 public and independent schools and higher education institutions. She has worked with clients in the UK, Canada, Mexico, Switzerland, Spain, and Italy. Christy was instrumental in developing the accreditation program for men’s religious orders and congregations. As a result, she was invited to present this work at the Vatican. Christy also led content development for Praesidium’s Creating a Safe Environment (C.A.S.E.) training program and has helped develop many of Praesidium’s consultants. She is a former complex litigation research analyst and holds a bachelor’s degree in Anthropology and a master’s degree in Medical Anthropology.
Kiran Rupani, MPH
Sr. Director of Research and Analytics
Kiran Rupani, MPH
Sr. Director of Research and Analytics
Kiran Rupani works with a variety of clients to oversee Praesidium’s Accreditation program to ensure organizations have implemented the highest level of standards for consumer protection. Rupani has also worked with Praesidium’s health care clients to ensure patient safety. Prior to her work at Praesidium, Rupani worked in community health improvement to identify and understand health disparities for multiple counties across North Texas. She received her bachelor’s degree in neuroscience from Texas Christian University and her master’s degree in public health from the University of North Texas Health Science Center.
Candace D. Collins, JD
Director of Strategic Alliances
Candace D. Collins, JD
Director of Strategic Alliances
Candace D. Collins supports Praesidium’s client growth across industries and builds relationships with insurance partners, foundations, and relevant associations. Candace has worked with clients across the globe in the UK, Australia, and other countries. As Director of Strategic Alliances, she works with multiple clients to build organizational prevention strategies while also supporting Praesidium’s crisis response work. Prior to joining Praesidium, Candace served as an Assistant Attorney General for the State of Texas. In this position, she focused on consumer and elder protection prosecuting abuse and neglect in group homes and long-term care facilities. Additionally, she has ten years of experience working in the insurance coverage and defense field. Candace holds a bachelor’s degree in business management and a Juris Doctorate (JD).
Adriana Dominguez, JD
Director of Consulting, Latin America
Adriana Dominguez, JD
Director of Consulting, Latin America
Adriana Dominguez supports numerous youth and vulnerable adult serving organizations from a variety of industries to help them develop, implement, and maintain abuse prevention initiatives and frameworks. Dominguez oversees a significant amount of Praesidium’s international work and collaborates closely with our Praesidium Chile office. As a licensed attorney in the state of Texas, Dominguez brings to Praesidium her experience of working with several immigration nonprofit organizations, specifically on cases involving asylum and unaccompanied minors, and at a family law firm. Dominguez graduated with honors from Villanova University, obtaining bachelor’s degrees in political science and Spanish language and literature. She received her Juris Doctor from Southern Methodist University Dedman School of Law.
Lindsay Meyer Bond
Director of Client Success
Lindsay Meyer Bond
Director of Client Success
Lindsay Meyer Bond strives to make the world a better place, one day at a time. Lindsay is the Director of Client Success for Praesidium, responsible for finalizing, implementing, and scaling Praesidium’s Guardian Certification to ensure participants are provided with skills, resources, and opportunities to successfully lead their organization’s abuse prevention efforts. She is also responsible for building and maintaining strategic relationships with clients, partners, and other stakeholders to guide our work to ensure that clients’ needs are understood and met.
Audrey Oliver, JD
Director of Consulting
Audrey Oliver, JD
Director of Consulting
Audrey Oliver works with several Youth Development clients. She helps build Praesidium’s reach within National Governing Bodies (NGBs)—including USA Swimming and USA Gymnastics—and national and local sports organizations. Audrey’s ten years of industry experience helps her oversee our work with YUSA and Boys and Girls Clubs of America. As Director of Consulting, she works alongside Vice President of Consulting Christy Schiller to ensure that the team uses a collaborative consulting model with clients. Audrey has been instrumental in creating and continually updating content for the Certified Praesidium Guardian program and was a part of the creation and launch of Praesidium’s Know Your Score! tool. As a licensed attorney in Texas, Audrey previously worked for the Tarrant County District Attorney’s office on Crimes Against Children cases. She holds a Juris Doctorate (JD) and is humbled to have a career that helps create and maintain safe environments within organizations that serve youth and vulnerable adults.
Jamie Fray
Business Development Manager
Jamie Fray
Business Development Manager
Jamie Fray focuses on building relationships with new and existing clients and has expanded Praesidium’s client base to include government organizations and organizations that serve elderly populations. Jamie also supports YMCAs, schools, and social service organizations in ensuring youth and vulnerable adults are protected from abuse. In addition, she has developed over 100 policy reviews on behalf of Praesidium’s insurance partners, consulted on countless helpline calls, and overseen numerous management system reviews and risk assessment visits. With more than 15 years of industry experience, Jamie conducted research focused on screening and selection, training, and codes of conduct for child abuse prevention measures on behalf of client boards. Prior to joining Praesidium, Jamie served vulnerable populations as a pediatric physical therapist and worked in education for ten years. She holds a master’s degree in Physical Therapy and believes that we can make the world a better and safer place for children with every interaction.
Becca Haas
CPG Product Manager
Becca Haas
CPG Product Manager
Becca Haas oversees the Certified Praesidium Guardian (CPG) workshops using Praesidium’s Safety Equation as the framework. With more than six years of industry experience, she uses best practices to guide participants and equip them with the tools to develop safe environments within their respective organizations. Before joining Praesidium, Becca spent two years teaching English in Samoa in the Peace Corps. This experience taught her the importance of collaboration and building strong relationships in achieving collective goals. Becca has a bachelor’s degree in Elementary Education. She believes that everyone deserves to learn, grow, and succeed in a safe environment.
James Bourgeois, JD
Senior Risk Consultant
James Bourgeois, JD
Senior Risk Consultant
James Bourgeois partners with many organizations across the country including higher education institutions, municipalities, athletic programs, youth-serving organizations, and insurance firms. He consults clients to ensure their organizations are not only committed to but exceed the standards in abuse prevention, response, and supervision. Bourgeois is a licensed attorney, and prior to joining Praesidium he worked for a national law firm defending large organizations in personal injury and employment matters. Bourgeois obtained his bachelor’s degree from Florida State University and his Juris Doctor from South Texas College of Law.
Laura Hardin Aceves, LMSW
Senior Risk Consultant
Laura Hardin Aceves, LMSW
Senior Risk Consultant
Laura Hardin Aceves oversees Praesidium’s abuse risk management work with social services clients who serve youth and vulnerable adults, including foster care and adoption agencies, residential treatment centers, shelter services, group homes, and advocate programs. Hardin Aceves also provides training and consultation services for diverse health care settings, foundations, and their grantee partners, as well as insurance partners and their insureds. As a licensed master-level social worker, Hardin Aceves brings to Praesidium her experience of working in youth development, mental health care, child welfare, and community research. She received her bachelor’s degree in religion and sociology and her master’s degree in social work from TCU in Fort Worth, Texas.
Ross Mitchell, JD
Senior Risk Consultant
Ross Mitchell, JD
Senior Risk Consultant
Ross Mitchell manages Praesidium’s school-related work and has experience developing and strengthening abuse prevention practices with schools, universities, religious organizations, municipalities, and other youth-serving organizations. Mitchell develops policy, trains employees and volunteers, conducts risk assessments, and performs accreditation visits to verify abuse prevention systems are in place and functioning as intended. He is a member of the School Law Section of the State Bar of Texas, and prior to coming to Praesidium Mitchell worked in his law firm’s education practice group. Mitchell represented teachers in a variety of employment matters and worked closely with teacher organizations and school districts. Mitchell graduated from Baylor University with a bachelor’s degree in business administration and obtained his law degree from South Texas College of Law in Houston, Texas.
Katie Reese, JD
Senior Risk Consultant
Katie Reese, JD
Senior Risk Consultant
Katie Reese is a senior risk consultant and helps youth-oriented organizations that offer educational, charitable, cultural, and recreational services and activities. Katie provides guidance to organizations that want to continue fostering a culture of safety that builds upon their current foundation and standards for child protection. In addition to supporting numerous clients, she has conducted more than 100 interviews and trainings on behalf of Praesidium. In addition, Katie has been extensively involved in research projects to develop various client and state-specific resources. Before joining Praesidium, Katie practiced law and has experience working in a juvenile sex offender program that incorporated counseling and therapeutic intervention. She has a bachelor’s degree in Psychology and a Juris Doctorate (JD). Katie enjoys providing preventative-based guidance and resources to organizations worldwide.
Erica Szewczyk Smith, MSW
Research Consultant
Erica Szewczyk Smith, MSW
Research Consultant
Erica Szewczyk Smith works closely with a variety of youth and vulnerable adult serving organizations to assess risk, train employees, and consult with organizations on abuse prevention. She has advanced expertise in abuse prevention and risk management, organizational development, and culture change. Prior to joining Praesidium, Smith worked with youth in workforce development and college readiness programs, led an HIV/AIDS awareness and education initiative, and advocated for youth through the University of Pittsburgh’s Office of Child Development. She received her bachelor’s degree in psychology from Westminster College and her master’s degree in social work from the University of Pittsburgh.
Ashley Anderson, MSW
Risk Consultant
Ashley Anderson, MSW
Risk Consultant
Ashley Anderson works as a risk consultant serving social service, youth development, and healthcare clients. She has facilitated numerous trainings, including onsite and Certified Praesidium Guardian Workshops, risk assessments, management system reviews, and policy reviews. In 2022, Ashley co-authored a Praesidium white paper titled “Providing a Compassionate Response to Sexual Abuse.” Before joining Praesidium, Ashley worked as a conservatorship caseworker for Child Protective Services in Central Texas and for a nonprofit agency delivering substance abuse prevention and education curricula to adults and children. She graduated with high honors from Texas Christian University, receiving a bachelor’s degree in Social Work, and obtained a master’s degree in Social Work from The University of Texas at Austin.
Kayla Wood
Risk Analyst
Kayla Wood
Risk Analyst
Kayla Wood is a risk analyst and works with YMCA and Boys and Girls Clubs of America (BGCA) facilities. She focuses on providing training to prevent sexual abuse of children and vulnerable adults and handles helpline calls for both groups. In addition, she has conducted numerous management system reviews, over 100 interviews during risk assessment site visits, facilitated Certified Praesidium Guardian online workshops and conducted virtual training on behalf of clients. Before joining Praesidium, Kayla worked in a scientific lab researching ischemic stroke prevention. In addition, she also worked on and presented research on CARE – Census of Athlete Rights Experiences. Kayla has a bachelor’s degree in Biology.
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