By Jalayne Robinson, LMSW
TDCAA Victim Services Director
At the Key Personnel & Victim Assistance Coordinator Conference in November, Board elections were held for the South–Central (Regions 4 & 8) and East Areas (Regions 5 & 6). Kaisha Hampton, a victim assistance coordinator (VAC) from the County Attorney’s Office in Brazos County (Region 8) was elected as the South-Central representative, and Eugena Franklin, a VAC in the DA’s Office in Harris County, was elected as the East Area representative. Both women will serve for a two-year term.
Each January, two at-large appointments to the KP–VS Board, one key personnel (KP) member and one VAC, are made by our TDCAA Board President and the KP–VS Board chairperson. I am pleased to announce that Jessica Ruiz, a key personnel and VAC in the 106th Judicial DA’s Office, was appointed as the KP representative and Mackenzie Kile of the DA’s Office in Dallas County was appointed as the VAC representative. They too will serve a term of two years. Welcome Kaisha, Eugena, Jessica, and Mackenzie!
The bi-annual KP-VS Board meeting was also held at the KP–VAC Conference where Michelle Stambaugh of the Criminal DA’s Office in Kaufman County was elected as the 2026 Chairperson, along with Michelle Bork (also in Kaufman County) as the Vice Chair.
Many thanks to each of these dear ladies for your service to TDCAA and for taking time out from your busy schedules to serve on the Board.
The Board assists in preparing and developing operational procedures, standards, training, and educational programs. Regional representatives serve as a point of contact for their regions. To be eligible, each candidate must have the permission of the elected prosecutor, attend the elections at the yearly conference or be appointed, and have paid membership dues.
If you are interested in training and want to give input on speakers and topics at TDCAA conferences for KP and VACs, please consider running for the Board. Elections are held each November at the Key Personnel & Victim Assistance Coordinator Conference.
The next election will be November 5 at the conference in Fort Worth. Representatives for the West (Regions 1 & 2) and North Central Areas (Regions 3 & 7) will be up for election this time around. We would love for you to participate in the elections for a place on the board!
If you have any questions, please email me at Jalayne.Robinson@tdcaa.com.
Below I have included an introduction and photos of the newest members to our 2026 TDCAA Key Personnel–Victim Services Board.
Kaisha Hampton (Region 8)
Hello all, I am Kaisha Hampton, Victim Assistance Coordinator for the Brazos County Attorney’s office, in Bryan. I have been with the office since May 2004. Twenty-one-plus years—wow! I have spent many years attending TDCAA conferences and benefiting from the amazing training it has provided. I decided that it was time to take all these years of experience and give back by serving on the KP–VS Board. I look forward to getting to know more of you and being of service in any way that I can.
Eugena Franklin (Region 5)
Eugena Franklin is a Victim Assistance Coordinator and Team Lead in the Victim Services Division at the Harris County District Attorney’s Office, where she brings over 30 years of experience advocating for and supporting victims of crime. Over half of her career has been devoted to direct victim services, providing trauma-informed care, crisis intervention, safety planning, court advocacy, and coordinated resources for victims and their families.
In her current leadership role, Eugena supervises and mentors staff, oversees daily operations, and supports program development to ensure high-quality services for the community.
Mackenzie Kile (Region 6)
I am honored by the opportunity to serve as a part of the TDCAA Key Personnel–Victim Services Board. VACs and key personnel in district and county attorney’s offices dedicate extraordinary energy into upholding the integrity of the justice system, elevating the voices of victims, and promoting visions of a future free of violence; as such, I am incredibly grateful for the opportunity afforded by this Board to support and support these dedicated professionals across our region and the state of Texas.
Building community, advancing education and advocacy for processes that mitigate the impact of compassion fatigue and vicarious trauma, and supporting the training and development of the next generation of professionals are areas about which I am deeply passionate. I look forward to the opportunities afforded by my participation in this integral organization.
I bring more than a decade of working professionally in the field of victim services, with the past six years focused as a victim advocate and site coordinator for the Dallas County District Attorney’s Office’s Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) and Cold Case Homicide team. I hold a B.A. in psychology, an M.A. in Clinical Mental Health Counseling, and a Post-Master’s Certificate in Trauma-Informed Clinical Practice, and I am on track to complete an M.S. in Victim Services Management this summer. I look forward to identifying meaningful ways to support fellow advocates and key personnel and if there is ever a way in which I can help, I’m just a phone call away.
Jessica Ruiz (Region 2)
I serve in the 106th Judicial District Attorney’s Office (serving Dawson, Gaines, Garza, and Lynn Counties) and have seven years of experience working in victim services and as a key personnel member within the criminal justice system. I am passionate about supporting key personnel through strong leadership, collaboration, and practical training that enhances their ability to serve both victims and their offices effectively. In my role, I focus on promoting professional development, fostering communication, and helping build sustainable practices that support those working on the front lines. I am honored and excited to serve as the designated key personnel representative on the TDCAA Key Personnel–Victim Services Board and look forward to contributing ideas, contributing my experience, collaborating with fellow board members, and helping shape impactful training opportunities for prosecutor’s offices across Texas.
National Crime Victims’ Rights Week
Each April communities throughout the country observe National Crime Victims’ Rights Week (NCVRW) by hosting events promoting victims’ rights and honoring crime victims and those who advocate on their behalf. NCVRW will be observed April 19–25, 2026, with a theme of “CommUNITY! Focused on partner organizations uniting to uphold dignity, safety, and healing for victims.”
Sign up for the NCVRW subscription list to receive the latest information about it at https:// ovc.ojp.gov/program/national-crime-victims-rights-week/subscribe.
If your community hosts an event, we would like to publish photos and information in this journal. Please email me at Jalayne.Robinson @tdcaa.com to notify us with information and photos of your event.
Victim services consultations
As TDCAA’s Victim Services Director, my primary responsibility is to assist Texas prosecutors, VACs, and other prosecutor office staff members in providing support services for crime victims in their jurisdictions. I am available to provide victim services training and technical assistance to you via phone, by email, in person, or by Zoom. I can tailor individual or group training specifically for your needs. The training and assistance are free of charge. Are you a new VAC? This training would be perfect for you!
If you would like to schedule a free consultation, please email me at Jalayne.Robinson @tdcaa.com. Many offices across Texas are taking advantage of this free training.