Meet Team Avalon
Meet our Founder and CEO
Kimberly Hurst is a Certified Physician Assistant and Forensic Examiner. She is the founder and Executive Director of Avalon Healing Center (Formally Wayne County Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner Program, or WC SAFE). She has specialized in emergency medicine, trauma and sexual violence for 25 years. She received her Bachelors of Science from Michigan State University in Exercise Science; her Master of Arts in Kinesiology from the University of Minnesota and her Master of Science in Physician Assistant Studies at Wayne State University. She has worked in Detroit her entire professional career.
Kimberly has served in numerous work groups and think tanks on behalf of the issues surrounding sexual assault and abuse at the local, state and national levels. She is heavily involved in education and training to the community, as well as to other professionals working with survivors of sexual violence.
Kimberly Hurst, BA, MA, MS, DFAPPA, PA-C Bio
Kimberly Hurst is the Executive Director of the Avalon Healing Center. Kimberly has a Bachelors of Science in Exercise Physiology from Michigan State University (1995), where she worked as an Athletic Trainer, and then a Masters of Arts in Kinesiology from the University of Minnesota (1997), where she was awarded a Graduate Assistantship with the University of Minnesota Men's Athletics Big 10 Football Program and then worked as a Certified Athletic Trainer for 3 years in high school athletics. She then received her Masters of Science in Physician Assistant Studies from Wayne State University (2001). After getting her Physician Assistant Degree, she immediately began working in Emergency Medicine and in the underserved city of Detroit where she has now worked for 25 years. Here, Kimberly saw on a daily basis the overall lack of availability of specialized services to sexual assault patients.
In 2001, she took a Basic Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner course, and was hooked! She began working as an independent contractor for Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) Programs in both Oakland and Macomb counties. After gaining experience in the field for 2 years, she felt it necessary to embark on implementing SAFE services in Wayne County.
It took two years more to obtain start-up funding and their 501c3 status, but in January of 2006, WC SAFE opened its doors out of one small clinic location in northeast Detroit, with only Kimberly and a handful of SAFE nurses. That first year they cared for approximately 120 sexual assault survivors. Each year the number of patients served grew and in 2010, WC SAFE added additional services to become the first stand-alone comprehensive sexual assault center in Southeast Michigan. This now included providing not only 24/7 medical-forensic services, but crisis intervention, advocacy, counseling (individual and group), community outreach, prevention education and social change work. Now, in their 20th year of service, Avalon Healing Center services over 1,500 survivors annually with numbers growing each year – reaching over 30,000 survivors of sexual violence to date.
These services have been provided at no cost to all ages of survivors of sexual violence.
Under Kimberly’s leadership, Avalon Healing Center has grown to 7 clinic sites around Wayne County and employs 40 dynamic individuals. The expert witness testimony that Kimberly and her Sexual Assault Forensic Examiner team have provided over the years has helped to hold sex offenders and rapists accountable through countless guilty convictions. Working to build a safer community and change rape culture in this country.
Avalon Healing Center is the largest and busiest program of its’ kind in the state of Michigan and in the top 5% in the country for patient/client volume. Kimberly is heavily involved at the local, state and federal levels in improving protocols and services for sexual assault survivors in all communities. She is a sought-after speaker on the topic of sexual assault/violence and provides health care providers, law enforcement officials, prosecutors, other advocacy organizations and the community with imperative information on how to respond compassionately and effectively to sexual assault survivors. She is also a Distinguished Fellow of the American Academy of Physician Assistants.
In addition, Kimberly has been an integral part of helping to have solved the issue of un-submitted kits in Detroit. She has participated in research projects on this issue and has been invaluable, helping develop best practice approaches to this particular issue for sexual assault survivors.
She has served on numerous work groups at the local, state and national levels, as well as participating in think tanks relating to issues of sexual violence.
Kimberly also continues to practice Emergency Medicine as a Physician Assistant in the Beaumont Health System.
She has received several awards and acknowledgments and is a recent graduate of Stanford University’s Graduate School of Business Executive Leadership Program. Some of her awards include:
- Game Changers - Comerica 2025
- Crain’s Healthcare Hero 2020
- Esteemed Women of Michigan 2020
- Wayne State University Arthur L. Johnson Community Leadership Award 2019
- McGregor Fund Fellow 2018
- Molina Healthcare Community Champion 2015
- Detroit Metropolitan Bar Association - Liberty Bell Award 2014
- Twilight Foundation Civic Honoree 2013
- Wayne State University Most Distinguished Alumni - Physician Assistant Studies 2008
Kimberly also supports Breast Cancer, the American Heart Association, ALS, and the Jay Fund – an organization that supports families of children with cancer and other childhood illnesses.
Kimberly has been a proud Detroiter and Michigan native all of her life and has been working in the community for over 25 years. Bringing these specialized services to survivors of all types of sexual violence in Detroit has become a passion from the heart.
She has been happily married to her life partner for over 30 years and is the mother of two very active boys. She always says she couldn’t do this amazing work without their love and support. Some of her favorite things to do include traveling, shopping, reading, spending time with her family and sitting by a wood fire, enjoying a tasty beverage.
Avalon's staff consists of 40 dynamic and dedicated individuals who are passionate about supporting survivors of sexual assault. Below, meet a few of those amazing staff members! Due to the nature of our work, several staff prefer to remain anonymous.
Meet our Staff
Katie Smith BA, RYT is the Director of Marketing and Communications for Avalon Healing Center. In her 14+ years with Avalon, Katie has worn and continues to wear several different hats; overseeing marketing and social media, co-planning and visioning events, office administration, supporting fund development, and community outreach. In addition, Katie is a certified yoga instructor and facilitates a trauma informed yoga group at Avalon as well as co-facilitating art group.“ I have been with Avalon for almost a decade now, I’m one of the original employees to start working with the company, when we were known as WC SAFE. It has been such a privilege to be on this journey, and to see us grow from a tiny, grassroots, non-profit to an organization that is expanding their communication platform, reaching more and more survivors in need of our services. I mean that is why we exist. To touch as many lives as we can. To be there for survivors when they need us most. The work I have done with Avalon comes from my heart and I’m so proud to work for this company. This is more than just a job for me, it’s a calling, a way to give back to the community and make a difference in any way I can.” She holds a bachelor in art history and a bachelor in communications from the University of Toledo. In her spare time Katie runs her company, Botanique Press, specializing in bouquet preservation and handmade pressed flower frames. She enjoys hiking and travelling with her husband Matt and 2 pups Skittles and Teddy.
SANE/SAFE Program Director
Jessica BSN, RN, SANE-A, SANE-P is the Director of SANE and SAFE Services at Avalon. She has been a Registered Nurse since 2012, with a background working in the emergency department since 2011 and has been a Forensic Nurse with the program since 2013. She has provided well over 800 medical forensic exams, precepted Registered Nurses, Master’s students, pediatric physicians in fellowship and called upon to provide expert witness testimony in state and federal court. She maintains the national board certification for Adult/Adolescent/Pediatric Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner, from the International Association of Forensic Nurses. She received the 'Forensic Nurse Examiner of the year' award in 2017 from the organization.
Amy Smith, LMSW
Director of Healing Services
Amy Smith (Dowd) is a licensed MSW and currently, the Director of Healing Services at Avalon Healing Center. Amy has over 20 years’ experience as an advocate for both domestic violence and sexual assault survivors. Amy joined Avalon in 2011, when the counseling and advocacy program was in its infancy. Amy’s experience with other programs across the state was invaluable as Avalon set out to build one of the most comprehensive sexual assault programs of it’s kind. Amy, who is a survivor herself, has been awarded by Avalon the “Advocate of the Year” awards in 2013 and 2019 for her leadership and direct service work in the community. Amy has been an advising member to several ground breaking projects in the city of Detroit, including the 400 Project (which initially addressed the 11, 341 sexual assault kits found abandoned in a Detroit Crime Lab in 2009), the National Institute of Justice Rape Kit Action Research Project (which developed the first ever national best practices for un-submitted rape kit investigations), the Wayne County Sexual Assault Kit Task Force and the Detroit Human Trafficking Task Force. She is a trainer for the Michigan Commission on Law Enforcement Standards in the area of non-stranger sexual assault investigations and has presented both locally and nationally on issues related to sexual assault, trauma, and best practices. Amy has been invited by Eastern Michigan University, Wayne State and University of Michigan as a Guest Lecturer on topics related to gender based violence and the connection between trauma, mental heal and chemical dependency. Amy Dowd is a graduate of Eastern Michigan University where she obtained both a Bachelor’s of Science degree and a Master's degree in Social Work with concentrations in mental health and chemical dependency. She's a licensed and certified Trauma Practitioner in the area of Clinical Practice in the State of Michigan since 2012.
LaKema Covington, LMSW
Director of Crisis and Education Services
LaKema Covington graduated from Michigan State University in 2005 with a bachelor's degree in psychology. She then went on to study at Eastern Michigan University to obtain her Master of Social Work degree with a concentration in Child and Family Services, graduating in April of 2012. LaKema began her career in 2005 providing case management services for a family service organization in the metro Detroit area and went on to further her career holding several positions within the Child Welfare System and providing clinical therapy.
Following her passion, she transitioned to providing advocacy services for survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault who are involved with the criminal justice system. LaKema is currently the Director of Outreach and Crisis Services at Avalon Healing Center. She is also a licensed mental health practitioner in the State of Michigan and specializes in trauma and holistic therapy. LaKema has presented both locally and nationally on the issues of sexual assault, domestic violence, trauma, and servicing survivors involved with the criminal justice system. She is certified as a Master Reiki Practitioner and Practicing Herbalist. Her focus, passion, and practice are dedicated to promoting holistic healing for survivors of various forms of trauma.
MiVida Burrus
MiVida Burrus has held key roles in fund development, grant writing and donor cultivation for area nonprofit organizations, municipalities, and colleges. In her current role as Senior Director of Development for Avalon Healing Center, she is working to ensure that funding is available to serve the community and survivors, which is a continued commitment from her role at HAVEN, where she served as the Development Director. In this role she was able to create partnerships for community awareness and support that lead to better lives and empowerment for women, men, and children.
Her love and passion for people lead her into the world fundraising. In this role she strives to connect people to their passions through philanthropy. However, MiVida's passion isn’t limited to fundraising. She serves as the former committee and current member of IDEA - Inclusion, Diversity, Equity, Access - Greater Detroit chapter of Association of Fundraising Professional as well as a member of the board. She had learned to merge IDEA with philanthropy to help more people gain access to great organizations that allows them to make an impact through their support. Community connections help to move the needle. Her number one takeaway, Philanthropy is all about love.
An active member of several boards, Genisys Credit Union, City of Troy’s Global Troy Committee, Encourage Me I’m Young, Teach Empower Achieve, Motor City Singers Space, and Accent Pontiac, MiVida uses her time and talent to help her community. In addition, she was selected by the Oakland County Commission to serve as a member of the Detroit Regional Conference and Facility Authority. MiVida is a motivator and mentor to many individuals in the community. She wants to educate through presentation and advocacy in all areas of fundraising and philanthropy.
Burrus received both her Bachelor of Arts degree in Marketing and Master’s degree in Business Administration from Walsh College.
Kirstin Newman-Sweeney
SAFE Pediatric Director
Kirstin Neumann-Sweeney has been with Avalon Healing Center's forensic examination program since 2014, when the organization operated as Wayne County SAFE. As Program Director of Pediatric and Adolescent Forensic Examination Services, she leads a team committed to providing survivors of sexual violence and abuse with confidential, trauma-informed care. Kirstin brings over a decade of specialized forensic nursing expertise to her role, with dual board certification as a Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner for both adolescent/adult and pediatric populations (SANE-A, SANE-P). She is a published author, educator, and curriculum developer whose work has shaped forensic nursing training programs at the local, regional, and national levels.
Beyond her clinical work, Kirstin is deeply invested in the forensic nursing profession. She served as President of the Michigan Great Lakes Chapter of the International Association of Forensic Nurses from 2022 to 2024, and previously as President-Elect, and holds the distinction of Distinguished Member of the Academy of Forensic Nursing (DM-AFN), awarded in 2021. She also served as Chair of Marketing for the Academy of Forensic Nursing from 2019 to 2023, and continues to serve on the KidsTALK Child Advocacy Center Multidisciplinary Case Review Team. Recently she helped launch and is a Founding Director for the Michigan Great Lakes Association of Forensic Examiners, a member operated professional organization supporting the critical work of forensic examiners and their community partners throughout Michigan.
Kirstin is currently completing her Master of Science in Nursing in the Pediatric Acute and Primary Care Nurse Practitioner Program at Drexel University, further expanding her ability to serve the children and families at the heart of Avalon's mission. Oh AND…Official baker of Avalon.
Vicky Bashkatova
Director of Finance
Vicky Bashkatova is the Finance Director at Avalon Healing Center and has more than 20 years of accounting experience across corporate, nonprofit, government, and higher education sectors. Since joining Avalon in 2023, she has combined her passion for survivor advocacy with a detail-oriented and analytical approach to financial leadership. A strong believer in community involvement and volunteerism, Vicky first became connected with Avalon as an administrative volunteer before later joining the organization professionally. Prior to Avalon, Vicky worked for the City of Detroit and the University of Illinois. She describes herself as a feminist and a spreadsheet nerd who enjoys solving complex problems through logic and systems thinking. Vicky is also a proud Banana Slug, having earned undergraduate degrees in Philosophy and Legal Studies from University of California, Santa Cruz, before completing a Master of Science in Accounting at University of Illinois Chicago.
B. Kihl, MA, CCTP, LLC, ATR-P (she/they)
Art Therapist & Licensed Counselor
B. Kihl, CCTP (Certified Clinical Trauma Professional), is an art therapist, trauma-informed mental health specialist, and creative healing practitioner dedicated to serving youth and young adults. With over a decade of experience supporting young people and their families in and around the Detroit area, B integrates creative expression, advocacy, and deeply attuned, client-centered care into their work.
As a cross-cultural therapist, B is passionate about honoring diverse lived experiences and creating spaces where clients feel seen, heard, and affirmed in their identities as a whole. They are trained in the Flash Technique, hold the Certified Clinical Trauma Professional (CCTP) credential, have successfully passed the National Counselor Examination (NCE), and are currently pursuing full licensure as a professional counselor and board certification in art therapy.
B incorporates sound and vibrational healing, using tuning forks, resonance-based grounding, and sensory regulation practices to help clients reconnect with their bodies, cultivate presence, and access deeper states of calm.
B is also Eagala certified and continues to hold a deep commitment to the core principles of equine-assisted therapy—recognizing the transformative power of connection between people, animals, and the arts—even when not actively facilitating equine sessions.
Across every modality, B’s approach is rooted in genuine relationship. They show up with curiosity, creativity, and compassion—meeting clients exactly where they are and walking alongside them as they build safety, confidence, and a deeper sense of self.
Jasmine Valentine (she/they)
Associate Director of Development
Jasmine Valentine is a joyful, people-centered, solutionary thriving to create safe, inclusive spaces rooted in liberation, empowerment, education, & collective care, specifically for those often intentionally victimized by intentional systemic oppression. As the Associate Director of Development at Avalon Healing Center, Jasmine leads fundraising and donor engagement strategies that advance healing, hope, and access to care for survivors of sexual assault. Passionate about community-centered fundraising, she cultivates meaningful partnerships and inspires collective investment in creating safer, more equitable communities.
Prior to joining Avalon, Jasmine was a Paralegal & Leadership Gift Officer at the Detroit Justice Center, where she had the privilege of collaborating with staff attorneys and community organizations to provide free-accessible legal services to Michiganders, such as resolving interpersonal matters, organizing community resource fairs, expungement fairs, hosting legal workshops, etc..
Before entering the fund development sector, Jasmine worked at several non-profit organizations across the state supporting survivors of gender-based violence. During her eight years in direct-service, she grew tired of seeing institutions & oppressive systems be a constant barrier for her clients & colleagues, which led her to development. This intentional career pivot allowed her to continue advocating for survivors, with the ability to collaborate with institutional funders & individuals on how to best leverage their financial gifts to dismantle oppressive barriers & systems to fuel lasting impact.
Jasmine specializes in individual giving, unique donor experiences, media relations, donor communications, and strengthening internal infrastructures. She’s curated countless fundraising events & donation drives, from Signature-Anniversary Galas to third-party fundraisers to co-sponsoring events with organizations like the Detroit Lions & Song Foundation that have generated revenues well-over $ 1.5 million.
With a B.A.A. in Integrative Public Relations from Central Michigan University, she uses storytelling as a creative tool to connect people’s experiences, sharing the harsh inequities impacting Black and Brown communities. Jasmine is a lover of any dog within reach, she loves writing poetry, you might catch her jamming out to Beyonce, Megan thee Stallion, KAYTRANADA or anything that gets the body moving! She received the 2025 President’s Award from the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Greater Detroit Chapter (GDC), selected as a 2023 AFP GDC Marjorie S. Fisher Fellow, named a 2021 Corps! Magazine Most Valuable Millennial Award Winner, now serves as the Chair of the AFP GDC Fisher Fellows Mentorship Program, Co-Chair of AFP GDC’s National Philanthropy Day Breakfast, a mentor with Women of Tomorrow at Harper Woods High School, the Chair of Focus: HOPE’s young professional board, Future Leaders of Hope, a 2026 New Leaders Council Detroit Fellow, an inaugural Grassroots Justice Network Leadership Academy and is a proud general member of the Detroit Black Community Food Sovereignty Network.
Michelle Demey
Wellness Clinic Director