Staff & Board of Directors

The Girls Health & Justice Institute Staff

Leslie Acoca, Executive Director

Leslie Acoca designed and created the Girls Health Screen^© and is the founder and Executive Director of the Girls Health & Justice Institute. Acoca lectures nationally and is a published author.

Acoca holds a BA with honors from Yale University, and an MA in counseling and psychology from the University of San Francisco. She is currently a licensed MFT in the state of California. She is the recipient of the Stoneleigh Fellowship Award and the International Hero of Compassion award from the Dalai Lama.

The Girls Health & Justice Institute Board of Directors

Leslie Acoca, MA, MFT, Director

Leslie Acoca designed and created the Girls Health Screen^© and is the founder and Executive Director of the Girls Health & Justice Institute. Acoca lectures nationally and is a published author.

Harriet Moss, Director

Moss has a 30-year background in media and organizational management. Prior board memberships include Museumshop.com, Friends of the River, the Bay Area Video Collective, the Coastal Health Alliance, and Environmental Traveling Companions.

Robert Schwartz, Esq., Director

Schwartz serves as Executive Director of the Juvenile Law Center, which he co-founded. He is an attorney and a child and family law policy advisor and activist, as well as a member of the American Bar Association and a range of other legal and public interest associations. He is a published author and a recipient of numerous awards for his juvenile justice and public interest work.

Lindsay Knisely, MFA, Director

Knisely is a lecturer at the University of California, Santa Cruz. Her courses address issues of inequality, injustice, text-based analysis, female perspective, identity, youth, and writing skills. She is a published author and the recipient of awards for her written work.