Nancy Travis, executive director of SABRA Sanctuary Inc., recently was elected president for the Alabama Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

Her term is for a year.

As president, Travis is the chief executive officer of the corporation and presides at all meetings of the board of directors and of the executive committee. She also is the public spokesperson for the coalition.

“I am honored to have been voted president of the Alabama Coalition Against Domestic Violence for 2010-2011,” Travis said. “I believe in the vision of ACADV; to end domestic violence and create a society that is intolerant to all types of violence.”

ACADV is a statewide network of community-based programs providing shelter, support and advocacy to battered women and children.

The organization’s 18-member shelter programs serve victims of domestic violence and their children with a variety of services.

Additionally, ACADV serves member programs with education and training, technical assistance, gathers and analyzes service statistics from all member programs and coordinates communication efforts.

“Helping domestic violence victims get out of a bad situation and having an emergency shelter where they can go and are treated with respect, is one of the best things we can do for victims,” Travis said. “While they are in shelter, they are treated with respect, and given an opportunity to make a better life for themselves and their family by prosecuting the batterer, and moving on with their life, free from abuse. We also help victims with court cases and Protection from Abuse Orders.”

A new program for the coalition and SABRA is primary prevention education, Travis said.

“We start with kindergarten and go through college, where we use research-based curriculum for each age group,” she said. “Some of the topics discussed are good touch, bad touch; bullying; good self-esteem; healthy relationships; date rape; and date rape drugs.”

Travis said she feels strongly about the programs.

“By educating our young people, starting in kindergarten, hopefully, we can reach some of them so they will know that domestic and sexual violence are no longer to be tolerated,” she said.

Others have recognized Travis’ work. She was recently accepted as a member of the National Registers Who’s Who for Business and Profession Achievers for 2010-2011.

Travis has worked for SABRA Sanctuary for a decade. She began as a part-time victims advocate for Dallas County and became the executive director in 2003.