Meet Verna Wyatt

Co-founder

Verna attended Ohio State University in 1971, but her initial career choice was that of wife and stay-at-home mother. Unfortunately, this desire was high jacked in 1991 when her sister-in-law and best friend, Martha Wyatt, was sexually assaulted and murdered. Grief over the murder and frustration with the justice system motivated Verna’s personal action in advocating for the rights of victims. In 1993, Verna was invited to become one of the founding members of You Have the Power (YHTP), a crime victim advocacy organization established by Former First Lady of Tennessee, Andrea Conte. She worked as an active volunteer on the Steering Committee, helping to plan community programs and create documentary videos about crime and justice issues until 1998 when Verna became the first Executive Director of You Have the Power, a position she held until June 2012. During her tenure at You Have the Power, Verna gained a reputation for helping victims across the State of Tennessee, played a key role in developing 23 documentary videos that featured the voice of the victim, co-produced resource guidebooks for community use on problems of Meth, acquaintance rape, child sexual abuse, elder abuse, and child sexual abuse in the faith community, and alongside Valerie Craig, co-facilitated and developed victim impact programming. It was these experiences and passions that she brought with her in co-founding Tennessee Voices for Victims.

 

Current Associations

  • 2005 – Present – Member of Tennessee’s Children’s Justice Task Force (Chair of Education Committee)
  • 2017 – Present – Appointed to the Tennessee Council for Interstate Adult Offender Supervision
  • 1998 – Present – Member of Victim Intervention Program’s Homicide Support Group.
  • 1998 – Present – Member Voices For Victims–Area agencies working to promote Victim’s Rights, plans/ presents Nashville’s Crime Victim Rights Week Programs and holiday memorial for homicide victims
  • 2002 – Present – Member Nashville Coalition Against Domestic Violence.

Past Associations

  • August 2014 – August 2015 – Governor appointed Task Force on Recidivism and Sentencing
  • 2011 – 2013– Member Mayor of Nashville’s Domestic Violence Safety Assessment Committee
  • 2006 – 2012 – Member TN Dept of Correction’s TREC Committee 2009 – July 2013 – Speaker & Lt. Gov. appointment Tennessee Judicial Selection Commission
  • July 2013 – November 2014 – Governor appointed Commissioner for Tennessee Judicial Nominations
  • 2006 – 2012 – Member TN Dept of Correction’s TREC Committee
  • 2006 – 2012 – Member of the Tennessee Sex Offender Treatment Board
  • 2003 – 2011 – Commissioner, State of Tennessee Peace Officers Standards and Training Commission
  • 2005 – 2011 – Member Dept. of Correction Victim Liaison Advisory Council
  • 2003 – January 2011 – Advisory Council Member for Tennessee First Lady Andrea Conte.
  • 2007 – 2010 – Board member for Victims Voices – a victim offender mediation program
  • 2004 – 2009 – Board Member Domestic Violence Intervention Center (DVIC) A not for profit organization that offers treatment to batterers and support for victims of domestic violence.
    Nov 1998 – June 2000 Crisis line volunteer/ The Rape and Sexual Abuse Ctr.
  • 2003 – 2004 Re-Entry Steering Committee for Tennessee Bridges a program of DOC and Probation & Parole to assist with offender transition back into the community.
  • 2003 – 2005 Board Member, Survivors Against Violent Environments (S.A.V.E.), Non-profit organization whose mission is to provide support and referral information to domestic violence victims who have faith backgrounds, and to raise awareness in the Faith community regarding domestic violence.
  • 2004 – 2007 – Advisory Council Member for Trauma Intervention Center for Children and Adolescents at Family & Children’s Services
  • 2005 – Participant in Memphis/Nashville FBI Citizen Academy
  • 1993 – 1998 – Member and active volunteer for You Have the Power

Past Awards:

  • 2005 President’s Award, Tennessee Association of Chiefs of Police
  • 2012 Correction Corporation of America Volunteer of the Year
  • 2014 Edwina Hefner Community Leadership Award from the Nashville Symphony
  • 2014 Board of Probation Victim Service Award
  • 2015 Union University’s Champion of Victims’ Rights Award