SEPTEMBER 16, 2020

ATLANTA - The Georgia Commission on Family Violence (GCFV) presented its “Task Force Member of the Year Award” to Kristin Fulford of the Savannah Family Violence Council, during the Commission’s 26th Annual Family Violence Conference.

The Task Force Member of the Year Award is presented to the family violence task force member who has taken extraordinary strides to better protect victims and hold abusers accountable. Family violence task forces are multidisciplinary community groups - including government agencies, community-based agencies, survivors of family violence, concerned community members and professionals - whose focus is on increasing victim safety and offender accountability through combining local talent, services and resources to effect change through creating a coordinated community response to domestic violence.

An active member of the Savannah Family Violence Council, Kristin serves in dual roles:  Chatham County District Attorney Public Information Officer, and the Chatham County Family Justice Center Project Manager.

As the project manager for the Chatham County Family Justice Center and interim director for the facility, Kristin’s coordinating efforts were essential in making the Family Justice Center a reality in Chatham County.

Family Justice Centers are multi-agency, co-located service centers that provide services to victims of inter-personal violence including, intimate partner violence and sexual assault. The Family Justice Center model has been identified as a best practice in the field of domestic violence intervention and prevention services by the United States Department of Justice.

Kristin worked diligently with city government and community leaders on finding an appropriate building, as well as oversight for the facility build-out. She also worked to garner support from the participating agencies that are helping to make the Family Justice Center a one-stop clearinghouse of services for survivors and their families in dire situations.

Kristin joined the District Attorney’s office in April, 2014. She has been working in public and community relations and in media for more than two decades.  While in the D.A.’s Office, she has managed public communication strategies for high-profile murders and use-of-force cases, as well as assisting county with leadership with communications during emergency situations such as Hurricanes Matthew, Dorian and Irma.

Immediately prior to coming to the District Attorney’s office, she worked for U.S. Congressman John Barrow as the Director of Constituent Outreach for more than nine years. In that position, Kristin was responsible for a caseload of over 100 cases while managing the outreach program in all 19 counties of Georgia’s 12th Congressional District – including the planning of numerous job fairs, Town Hall meetings, health fairs and other events.

A former radio and television reporter, Kristin has worked in media markets in Louisiana, Tennessee and North Carolina.

In response to receiving the award, Kristin stated, “I feel honored to have been chosen for this award. I would like to thank the Family Violence Task Force for recognizing the work being done to bring the services for our clients and domestic violence survivors under one roof. This was not a one person job. The Chatham County Family Justice Center would not exist if it weren’t for the vision of District Attorney Meg Heap and our partner agencies, the generosity of the City of Savannah and the hard work of dozens of volunteers who gave selflessly of themselves to make sure the facility opened. We hope our center will inspire others across the state to do what we have done.”

The Commission’s 26th Annual Family Violence Conference was held virtually for the first time on September 14-16, 2020. The theme of this year’s conference was Crafting a Coordinated Community Response: Working Together to Address Relationship Violence. Over 500 local and national stakeholders attended the sold out conference, including judges, prosecutors, law enforcement, advocates, survivors, faith leaders, counselors and community members.

About GCFV: The Georgia Commission on Family Violence, created by the Georgia General Assembly in 1992, is charged with developing a comprehensive state plan for ending family violence in Georgia. If you or someone that you know is being impacted by domestic violence, call 1-800-334-2836 to speak with a domestic violence advocate.

Contact Information:

Press Contact: April Ross, [email protected]