Group photo of Center staff

Survivor Justice Center Staff

Leadership Team

Executive Director

Carmen McDonald, Esq

Carmen has over two decades of experience advancing justice for low-income survivors of domestic violence, sexual assault and human trafficking in primarily family and immigration law and has worked at the Survivor Justice Center for over 10 years, where she became the Executive Director in March 2023. 

In her previous role as Director of Legal Services, Carmen oversaw the Center’s domestic violence, sexual assault, and human trafficking projects as well as the Center’s pro bono program, which pairs attorneys with survivors of domestic violence seeking representation at their restraining order hearings. Driven by her passion to help others, she has led representation for hundreds of domestic violence survivors in family court and immigration proceedings, overseen precedent-setting appeals and worked on policy and legislation to support survivors, immigrants, and the low-income community. 

As Executive Director, Carmen has led the 50-year organization through a transformative rebranding and name change. She has spearheaded a strategic planning initiative and expanded The Center’s programs and reach. Her leadership continues to strengthen the Center’s role as a leading voice for survivors in Los Angeles County and beyond. 

Carmen began her career as an attorney at Neighborhood Legal Services of LA County where she represented survivors of domestic violence in family law and immigration matters and worked in the Shriver Access to Justice Project assisting tenants with unlawful detainer proceedings. Carmen also worked at Break the Cycle where she represented teen survivors of domestic violence in family law matters. Prior to becoming an attorney, Carmen worked at the YWCA of San Diego County Legal Services program assisting survivors of domestic violence in family law matters and at the Gay and Lesbian Center of San Diego County assisting clients living with HIV/AIDS with accessing public benefits. During law school she interned at the Friends of San Diego Legal Aid office. After law school she worked as a post bar clerk for the San Diego Public Defenders office. 

The daughter of Cuban immigrants, Carmen was raised with a deep appreciation for fairness, justice, and the rule of law. From a young age, it was instilled in her how critical access to justice is. 

Carmen earned her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science from the University of Central Florida with a minor in Women’s Studies before graduating from California Western School of Law. 

Carmen has been an active leader in the Los Angeles legal community.   She has served on the LA County Bar (LACBA) Family Law Executive Committee, the LACBA Access to Justice Committee and the LACBA Judicial Appointments Committee and is a member of WLALA and LLBA. Carmen previously served as Trustee for the San Fernando Valley Bar Association.  

Her contributions have been recognized: Carmen received the 2020 Los Angeles Domestic Violence Council Betty Fisher award for service to survivors of domestic violence, and the 2025 “Use Your Voice” Award by Peace over Violence in honor of Sexual Assault awareness month. 

She is also a published thought leader with several op-eds based on survivors, domestic violence and leadership.  

Director of Legal Services

Jimena Vasquez, Esq.

Jimena Vasquez oversees all aspects of the delivery of legal services to clients at the Center. Jimena has been practicing family law for the past 16 years.

Prior to her position at the the Center, Jimena worked at the Legal Aid Foundation of Los Angeles, representing victims of domestic violence in their family law and immigration matters.  Jimena has also worked at Neighborhood Legal Services, Break the Cycle and the Mexican American Legal Defense and Educational Fund (MALDEF).  Jimena was the former Vice Chair of the Board of the Legal Aid Association of California and former board member of the Latina Lawyers Bar Association.

Jimena received her Juris Doctor from New York University School of Law in 2001 and received her Bachelor of Arts degree in Political Science and History from the University of California, Berkeley in 1998.  She is married and is a proud mom of two.

California State Bar License #225908

Director of Development

Marissa Marasigan, MSW

Marissa Marasigan is the Director of Development at the Center. With over 10 years of experience, Marissa leads the Center’s individual, corporate and private foundation giving, as well as its fundraising events and communications.

Prior to joining the Center, she was the Director of Development & Strategic Initiatives at St. Barnabas Senior Services, where she led fundraising, events, communications and program development. In this role, she helped to launch Los Angeles’ only technology and aging conference – Aging Into the Future. Marissa also participated in AARP’s Latino Caregiver Project, joining the Latino Caregiver Coalition and co-chairing the Outreach and Education Committee targeting Latino family caregivers in Supervisorial District 1.

She has participated in various training programs including Executive Service Corps’ Developing Development Program, the SCAN Foundation’s Linkage Lab Academy and USC’s MSW Field Instructor Certification. Prior to this work, she volunteered at a domestic violence shelter in San Francisco, working their 24-hour hotline and earning her 40-hour domestic violence counselor certificate.

Marissa graduated with a B.S. in Social Welfare and Psychology from the University of California, Berkeley. She earned her Master of Social Work with a concentration in Community Organization, Planning and Administration from the University of Southern California.

Director of Operations

Jill Stamp

Jill headshot

Jill Stamp is the Director of Operations, overseeing the Center’s critical business functions and infrastructure.

Jill joined the Center in 2023 to apply her extensive expertise in operations management, human resources, and business consulting to the organization’s mission of securing justice for survivors. Prior to her move to the Center, Jill spent over two decades in the for-profit sector, most recently serving as Principal and Director of Operations at Partner Energy, an engineering and sustainability consulting firm. There, she played a pivotal role in growing the company from a startup to an industry-leading $12M, 60-person organization recognized for its work in energy efficiency.

Earlier in her career, Jill worked at Deloitte, where she helped school districts increase their federal funding for health services, as well as the Public Agenda Foundation and Bennington College, where she led corporate and foundation relations efforts.

Beyond her professional accomplishments, Jill is deeply engaged in her local community. She has spearheaded capital campaigns for the public school district and served on several boards focused on education and youth sports. Jill holds a Master of Public Policy degree from Duke University and a Bachelor of Arts from Villanova University’s Honors Program. She and her husband have two children currently attending college.

Directing Attorney

Michelle Carey, Esq.

Michelle has represented low-income survivors of intimate partner violence, sexual violence and human trafficking in their immigration matters for over 20 years, leading the Center’s immigration work since 2013.

Michelle is the co-facilitator of the LA VAWA Network and she has organized and moderated the annual U Visa Certifier Roundtable event for the last 15 years. Michelle was invited to testify in support of AB 674, which became California’s Penal Code section 679.10, the first statewide U Visa certification bill in the nation. She was one of the drafters and testified on behalf of AB 1261, a bill that provided important amendments to PC 679.10 and added PC 679.11 for human trafficking survivors seeking T Visa certifications. She has also contributed to the drafting of similar bills in Illinois and Colorado. Michelle brought together the coalition of survivor advocates and experts at the intersection of criminal and immigration law that led to the passage of AB 2169, a bill that ensured immigrant survivors are fully protected by California’s vacatur laws.  ASISTA, ILRC, AILA, NCVLI and Freedom Network USA have invited her to speak at their statewide and national conferences.

Michelle received her B.A. from Cornell University in English and Women’s Studies and her J.D. and M.A. in Urban Planning from UCLA. While at UCLA School of Law, she completed the Epstein Public Interest Program in Law and Policy and graduated with a concentration in Critical Race Studies.

Michelle has also taught high school in Watts, English in Guadalajara, Mexico, an undergraduate course on Immigration Policy at the USC Sol Price School of Public Policy, and a graduate course on Domestic Violence at the USC Dworak-Peck School of Social Work. She published “‘You Don’t Know if They’ll Let You Out in One Day, One Year, or Ten Years…’ Indefinite Detention of Immigrants after Zadvydas v. Davis,” 24 Chicano-Latino L. Rev. 12 (2003) and has been listed as a contributor to several editions of ILRC’s “The U Visa: Obtaining Status for Immigrant Survivors of Crime.”

Directing Manager of Trauma-Informed Services & Education

Sylvia M. Gribbell, LCSW

Sylvia Gribbell, LCSW, is the Directing Manager of Trauma-Informed Services & Education at Survivor Justice Center. A licensed clinical social worker with nearly 20 years of experience, she specializes in trauma, anxiety, and depression.

In earlier roles, she provided bilingual therapy to children, adolescents, and families in clinical and school-based settings. She now serves adults in private practice, supervises ASWs across multidisciplinary and non-traditional settings, and facilitates community groups focused on well-being and mental health resilience.

Sylvia holds a BA in Political Science from UCLA and an MSW from USC with a concentration in children, families, and public child welfare. Her holistic, experiential approach integrates evidence-based practices with mindfulness, art, and eco-therapy. At the Center, she supports survivors of violence and systemic oppression through a community advocacy program she developed, grounded in a transdisciplinary legal-social work model.

She is a certified compassion fatigue educator, training in evidence-based therapeutic model, and has served as a practicum instructor and placement coordinator for two decades. Sylvia is a dedicated advocate for survivors and individuals with developmental and learning disabilities.  Through her lived experience and professional collaboration with those she advocates for, she has contributed to policy review, legislative work and trainings to reflect the experiences of those she serves with the intention of creating systems that better serve all individuals. She is an active member of NASW, WOSEP, CSCSW, and the California Partnership to End Domestic Violence.