Ona Foster joined Vera in February 2010 as the director of the Supervised Visitation Initiative. Ona has been working to address issues related to domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, and child abuse for over 10 years. Prior to joining Vera she spent seven years implementing and directing Faith and Liberty’s Place Supervised Visitation Center, which is a program of The Family Place Domestic Violence Agency in Dallas, Texas. Previously she spent four years working in the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office in the Family Violence Unit, first as a legal advocate in the criminal misdemeanor family violence courts and then as a supervisor in the Protective Order Division. Prior to working at the DA’s Office, she facilitated BIPP (Batterer’s Intervention and Prevention Program) groups and worked in a women’s shelter. She publicly speaks on the issue of domestic violence nationally and locally and has trained law enforcement and community groups across the state of Texas for the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office. Ona serves on two committees for the Supervised Visitation Network and is a member of the board. She also has served in a consultant capacity for the Family Violence Prevention fund, Praxis International, the National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, and the Office on Violence Against Women. Ona is a licensed social worker who holds an MS in social work from the University of Texas, and a BA in sociology and criminal justice from Colorado State University.