History of the Sego Lily Center for the Abused Deaf
Compiled and Written by Jodi Becker Kinner
Written by Joene Nicolaisen & Stephanie Lowder Mathis
Published in 2014
Updated in 2022
Updated again in 2023
Written by Joene Nicolaisen & Stephanie Lowder Mathis
Published in 2014
Updated in 2022
Updated again in 2023
Penny Williams' Unexpected Passing
Penny Karen Williams, 32, a vibrant young Deaf woman about to start a new life, was tragically killed on September 14, 1999. She was born into a Deaf family, Norman Bryan Williams and Karen Ethel Bird, on October 20, 1966, in Salt Lake City, Utah. Penny was raised in West Jordan and graduated from the Utah School for the Deaf in 1983. She was well-known and well-liked in our Utah Deaf community. She was rebuilding her life after battling substance abuse. Penny was pursuing psychology at the University of Utah with plans to work as a substance abuse counselor in the Deaf community. After less than a year in a domestic violence marriage, she was murdered by her estranged ex-husband, who was also deaf. The police could not protect her due to communication barriers and a lack of safety plans and resources. Her death shocked the entire Deaf community. We heard the tragic news about domestic violence and deaths, but it didn't affect us until our own Deaf member died from domestic violence in our Deaf community. As a result, the Sego Lily Center for the Abused Deaf was established in the spring of 2000. Its mission is to provide culturally accessible services, advocacy, and education to promote a safe and empowered community for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Deaf-Blind people.
Penny Williams
Shortly after Penny was murdered, one of the many questions was, "Will it happen again?" "Is there anything that can be done in our community to prevent such tragedies?" "Is there anything that could be done to prevent future tragedies in our community?" and "Is there anything that could be done to prevent future tragedies in our community?" By coincidence or providence, the option to form a domestic violence organization became accessible to the Utah Deaf community within a short period of time.
Marilyn Smith, Executive Director of Abused Deaf Women's Advocacy Services Offers to Assist
In the winter of 1999, Marilyn Smith, Executive Director of Abused Deaf Women's Advocacy Services (ADWAS) in Seattle, Washington, wrote to Annette Stewart, a Licensed Clinical Social Worker at the Sanderson Community Center of the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, offering her aid. ADWAS was founded about two decades ago in the aftermath of the murder of a Deaf woman in Seattle. Marilyn, as a previous counselor, has personal experience with the problems that Deaf individuals encounter in seeking help, particularly for women fleeing domestic violence or sexual assault.
She knew firsthand the difficulties of receiving treatment as a Deaf woman and a sexual assault survivor. Deaf survivors frequently may not know where to seek assistance or how to communicate with shelter staff, police, or the courts. As a result, Marilyn Smith founded a non-profit advocacy organization to help Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deaf-Blind women and children obtain the care they need in a barrier-free setting administered by and for Deaf people.
She knew firsthand the difficulties of receiving treatment as a Deaf woman and a sexual assault survivor. Deaf survivors frequently may not know where to seek assistance or how to communicate with shelter staff, police, or the courts. As a result, Marilyn Smith founded a non-profit advocacy organization to help Deaf, Hard of Hearing, Deaf-Blind women and children obtain the care they need in a barrier-free setting administered by and for Deaf people.
Marilyn Smith @ Gallaudet University
The Abused Deaf Women's
Advocacy Services Training
Advocacy Services Training
In 1998, the Office of Violence Against Women in the Department of Justice gave Marilyn a federal grant to use the ADWAS agency model in fifteen other places around the country. Annette Stewart wrote a letter inviting Utah to select and send five Deaf and hard of hearing women to Seattle in the spring of 2000 for in-depth, week-long training to become domestic abuse advocates and learn how to start an agency (including developing a board and funding a development plan).
The goal of this training was to give these women the skills they needed to go back to their home states and start an advocacy group that would help Deaf survivors of abuse in a way that was respectful of their culture and language. Linda Berness, Christy Layton, Kristi Mortensen, Eli McCowan, and Joene Nicolaisen were among the five Deaf women that flew to Seattle for the training, along with Deaf women from other states. ADWAS was privileged to witness the birth of 15 sister agencies that now give services to their respective deaf populations around the country after three years of hard work.
Photo: Abused Deaf Women's Advocacy Services provides training and mentoring to Eleanor McCowan, Kristi Mortensen, Christi Layton, Linda Berness, and Joene Nicolaisen in 2000.
The goal of this training was to give these women the skills they needed to go back to their home states and start an advocacy group that would help Deaf survivors of abuse in a way that was respectful of their culture and language. Linda Berness, Christy Layton, Kristi Mortensen, Eli McCowan, and Joene Nicolaisen were among the five Deaf women that flew to Seattle for the training, along with Deaf women from other states. ADWAS was privileged to witness the birth of 15 sister agencies that now give services to their respective deaf populations around the country after three years of hard work.
Photo: Abused Deaf Women's Advocacy Services provides training and mentoring to Eleanor McCowan, Kristi Mortensen, Christi Layton, Linda Berness, and Joene Nicolaisen in 2000.
L-R: Eli McCowan, Kristi Mortensen, Linda Berness, Christy Layton, Joene Nicolaisen
The Establishment of
Sego Lily Center for the Abused Deaf
Sego Lily Center for the Abused Deaf
Sego Lily Center for the Abused Deaf (SLCAD) was founded in 2000 as a non-profit advocacy agency specifically created to fulfill the needs of Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Deaf-Blind survivors of domestic violence and sexual assault in Utah after obtaining training from ADWAS. After the murder of Penny Williams in September 1999, the Utah community was ready to support the Sego Lily Center for the Abused Deaf.
The Inspiration of the Utah State Flower, Sego Lily
The name of the agency was inspired by the Sego Lily, which appears frail but is actually a flower of incredible power and durability. The flower represents people who have survived abuse and can withstand even the harshest weather and climate. The ADWAS-trained group of Utah women spread the word about SLCAD's services quickly, and they served their first client a few months later.
Since then, SLCAD has worked with 30 to 60 survivors and their families on average each year. SLCAD is also equipped to instruct others, such as police officers, shelters, interpreters, lawyers, and others, how to make their services more accessible and appropriate for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Deaf-Blind survivors. Community outreach prevention and awareness initiatives, such as Deaf Women's Day and Safety Fair activities, were also created to help communicate information about abuse and how to get help to the Utah Deaf community.
Since then, SLCAD has worked with 30 to 60 survivors and their families on average each year. SLCAD is also equipped to instruct others, such as police officers, shelters, interpreters, lawyers, and others, how to make their services more accessible and appropriate for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Deaf-Blind survivors. Community outreach prevention and awareness initiatives, such as Deaf Women's Day and Safety Fair activities, were also created to help communicate information about abuse and how to get help to the Utah Deaf community.
Joene Nicolaisen @ Deaf Nutritional Sandria Graham
Director Joene Nicolaisen receives the
Utah Governor's Award for Excellence in Public Service
Utah Governor's Award for Excellence in Public Service
From 2000 to 2006, SLCAD operated solely on a pager system with dedicated volunteers due to a lack of funds for an office or staff. Finally, an excellent private source provided SLCAD with the funds it needed to open its first office in 2006. Volunteers completed all tasks. The organization then applied for and received significant federal funding from the Department of Justice's Office of Violence Against Women Programs in 2007 to reach out to Deaf communities in nine rural Utah counties.
SLCAD has long been committed to serving Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Deaf-Blind people and providers in Utah's most remote locations. With the assistance of this award, SLCAD was able to hire paid staff to focus on the Rural Grant goals and provide services to victims in rural Utah.
In June 2008, former Executive Director Joene Nicolaisen received the Utah Governor's Award for Excellence in Public Service for her work with SLCAD.
SLCAD has long been committed to serving Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Deaf-Blind people and providers in Utah's most remote locations. With the assistance of this award, SLCAD was able to hire paid staff to focus on the Rural Grant goals and provide services to victims in rural Utah.
In June 2008, former Executive Director Joene Nicolaisen received the Utah Governor's Award for Excellence in Public Service for her work with SLCAD.
Joene Nicolaisen
Stephanie Lowder Mathis Joins
the Sego Lily Center
for the Abused Deaf Agency
the Sego Lily Center
for the Abused Deaf Agency
In 2007, Stephanie Lowder Mathis was named Director of the Rural Program. SLCAD continued to rely on trained volunteer advocates to assist victims and survivors along the Wasatch Front and in other areas not covered by the Rural Grant. Prior Board members who had dedicated many hours to supporting Sego Lily activities assisted Joene Nicolaisen as the volunteer Executive Director until December 2011. Stephanie Lowder Mathis was designated Executive Director in January 2012. SLCAD has now spent several hours to the cause of protecting the Deaf community's safety.
Stephanie Lowder Mathis, 2011
SLCAD aims to provide culturally accessible services, advocacy, and education to establish a safe and empowered community for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and Deaf-Blind individuals. The staff at SLCAD works hard to provide the survivors with the tools they need to make decisions and advocate for themselves while communicating with them culturally and linguistically sensitively. All of our advocates and volunteers must be able to communicate in American Sign Language and understand Deaf culture. At least 51% of the board members are Deaf or Hard of Hearing and communicate in ASL fluently. As a result, all services are culturally and linguistically appropriate.
Building an accessible shelter, increasing counseling services, offering continuing education workshops in schools and community centers, providing positive parenting training, and offering children's and teen programs are among SLCAD's current and future goals.
Building an accessible shelter, increasing counseling services, offering continuing education workshops in schools and community centers, providing positive parenting training, and offering children's and teen programs are among SLCAD's current and future goals.
Erin Kelly Watkins, SLCAD Director
SLCAD Historical Timeline
- September 1999: Penny Williams dies at the hand of her ex-husband.
- Winter 1999: Utah is invited to ADWAS for training to set up services in Utah.
- April 2000: five Deaf women traveled Seattle to receive training from ADWAS.
- June 2000: SLCAD is established as a 501c3 non-profit agency.
- Fall 2000: SLCAD served their first victim.
- March 2006: SLCAD opens their first office in Murray, Utah.
- October 2007: SLCAD is awarded the Rural Grant from the Department of Justice under the Office of Violence against Women.
- May – Oct 2008: SLCAD hired their first staff members.
- June 2008: Joene Nicolaisen, Ex. Director received the Utah Governor’s Award for Excellence in Public Service for her work with SLCAD.
- June 2008: SLCAD is honored with an award from the Utah Registry of Interpreters for the Deaf (UTRID) for their outstanding community service in providing support to Deaf, Deaf-Blind and Hard of Hearing victims and survivors of abuse.
- October 2009: SLCAD was awarded the Rural Grant from the Department of Justice under the Office of Violence against Women.
- February 2010: SLCAD partnered with the Southern Utah Deaf and Hard of Hearing Programs (SUDHHP) to reach out to more victims and survivors in the rural areas of the Southern Utah region. SLCAD was given an office space to provide services. Grant Pemberton was hired as Southern Utah Advocate Coordinator.
- July 2010: SLCAD was awarded the Victim of Crime Acts Grant from Utah Office for Victims of Crime.
- October 2010: SLCAD hosted the Justice for Victims National Coalition Conference in SLC, Utah where 15 sister agencies representatives were in attendance. SLCAD is awarded the Legal Assistance for Victims grant under the Dept. of Justice under the Office of Violence against Women.
- October 2011: SLCAD is again awarded the Rural Grant from the Dept. of Justice under the Office of Violence against Women.
- December 2011: Joene Nicolaisen, after 11 years of dedicated services, retires from SLCAD.
- August 2012: Stephanie Lowder Mathis, Executive Director receives the community member award from the Utah Registry of Interpreters.
- September 2012: SLCAD partnered with the Family Justice Center of Salt Lake City (FJC) who just opened their brand new building. The partnership included providing SLCAD an office space to provide a wraparound service for Deaf, DeafBlind and HH survivors. FJC also provided space for local community partner agencies such as the Salt Lake Police department, Department of Workforce Services, Legal Aid Society and Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner. SLCAD advocates attended their staff and partnership meetings monthly.
- June 2013: SLCAD receives a Presidential Award by the Utah Association of the Deaf.
- February 2014: SLCAD partnered with Utah Association of the Deaf to present The Vagina Monologues at the University of Utah. Local ladies and young women performed and shared stories from Eve Ensler’s Vagina Monologue script in American Sign Language.
- October 2014: SLCAD hosted its very first Gala-The Purple Tie Gala at Thanksgiving Point. It was a special night where everyone came dressed up in purple attire. SLCAD was fortunate to have April Brown’s auctioneer to lead the evening with games, silent and live auctions and dessert dash.
- 2015: Sari Williams, a long time advocate for Sego Lily, received the Advocacy in Action award for her years of outstanding advocate services at the Annual Crime Victims’ Conference in Midway, Utah.
- March 2015: Sego Lily hosted its very first Deaf Ladies Expo at the Sanderson Community Center for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing. Many booths were set up by local deaf organizations and deaf women owned businesses. Fitness classes were offered throughout the day! 80 Deaf Women were in attendance!
- October 2015: SLCAD was awarded the Rural Grant from the Dept. of Justice under the Office of Violence against Women.
- October 2015: SLCAD hosted the Purple Tie Gala: Dancing with the Star at the Provo Marriott Hotel. Dancers who competed were local community members and leaders. The dancers were: Pamela Mower & Aaron Bullock, Ayas Hussain & Chrystee Davenport and Carol Macnicholl & Johnny Hill. Pamela Mower & Aaron Bullock won first place. The judges for the competition were: Ben Jarashow, Joel Coleman and Mariyln Call. We were honored to have a House of Representative at the event: Kim Coleman, representing District 42. We had silent, live and dessert auctions, and we raised $15,000.
- October 2016: SLCAD hosted the Sego Lily’s 3rd Annual Purple Tie Gala: The Mad Hatter Tea Party at the Sanderson Community Center for the Deaf & Hard of Hearing. The Deaf Center’s Gym was transformed by a beautiful rabbit hole that transported guests to the Mad Mad world! It was a fun filled evening that began with a mystery dinner game and hat contest. We raised $18,000.
- February 2017: SLCAD’s main office was moved to the avenues near downtown Salt Lake City. The office is located within few miles of the Family Justice Center, Utah Coalition Against Sexual Assault, Matheson Courthouse, Capitol, Salt Lake Police Department, and Utah Domestic Violence Coalition.
- October 2017: SLCAD hosted Sego Lily’s 4th Annual Purple Tie Gala: The Wild West theme at the West Jordan Library. The evening was a night to remember! The country decor with bales of hay, large screens, a western themed photo booth, mechanical bull ride contest that created a very lively vibe! The event was hosted by our very funny and entertaining Aaron Bullock. We raised $24,000.
- October 2018: SLCAD was awarded the Rural Grant from the Dept. of Justice under the Office of Violence against Women.
- October 2018: SLCAD hosted its 5th annual Purple Tie Gala: Return of 5th (Star Wars theme) at the Utah Cultural Celebrations Center in West Valley City. Guests came dressed as their favorite character from Star Wars. The evening included activities such as costume contests, star wars themed games and entertaining masters of ceremonies, Adam Shewell and David Davenport. We raised $17,000.
- January 2019: SLCAD was awarded the Violence Against Women Acts Grants from Utah Office for Victims of Crime. SLCAD was able to have an in-house counselor for the very first time. The SLCAD therapist was granted an office space across the hall from the SLCAD main office.
- January 2019: SLCAD partners with Utah School for the Deaf and Blind (USDB) in establishing the Empowering Deaf Teen Series (EDTS). Emily Tanner the school social worker at USDB worked with SLCAD to plan workshops for students throughout the year. Topics of the EDTS' interactive workshops included healthy relationships, consent, boundaries, trauma and bullying. These topics were taught to middle and high school students at Jean Massieu School (JMS), and Kenneth Burdett School (KBS.)
- February 2019: SLCAD partnered with the Sanderson Community Center for the Deaf and Hard of Hearing (SCDHH) to establish the Deaf LGBTQ+ activities committee with the goal of providing a safe space for the LGBTQIA community to heal from trauma. Committee members met regularly to plan activities for Deaf, Hard of Hearing, and CODA LGBTQ+ individuals to meet up. The first event “Ally Night” was where all LGBTQ+ and allies met up to learn about the goal and to get their input regarding the wants and needs of the LGBTQ+ Community. Eighty-five people attended and it was indeed a successful night. Subsequent activities such as coffee night, a kickball game, and Pride Festival Breakfast kick off.
- June 2019: SLCAD hosted the very first Deaf pride “Kick-Off Brunch on Pride Weekend” at Denny’s. We had a huge turnout and enjoyed socializing and networking. SLCAD decided to keep this tradition in support of the LGBTQ+ community upcoming in the years.
- September 2019: SLCAD set up a Dream Team of presenters for training of local police. The presenters are representatives of Hard of Hearing, DeafBlind, and Deaf. The Hard of Hearing representatives are Chelle Wyatt and Sue Ordonez. The DeafBlind representatives are Stephen Ehrlich and John Galli. The Deaf representatives are Cj Hirsch, Erin Watkins, and Jeremy Murphy, who are employees at Sego Lily. Each presenter taught police how to work and communicate with their populations effectively. The first training was given to the South Salt Lake Police Department. The audience was law enforcement and victim advocates. The training was successful and they asked a lot of questions regarding each population. We’ve had a few police departments invite us to provide training. Our goal for this training is to provide safety and accessibility for all of our community members.
- October 2019: SLCAD hosted 6th annual Purple Tie Gala: Sego Lily is the Word! The Grease/1950s was the theme at the Utah Museum of Fine Art. We were honored to have Melissa Yingst as the Mistress of Ceremonies to lead the evening with silent, live, and dessert auctions. Many ladies came dressed as Pink Ladies! We raised $10,000.
- December 2019: Stephanie Lowder Mathis retired from the Executive Director to take on the full time counselor position for SLCAD clients.
- December 2019: Holly Parker Jensen was hired as an Executive Director.
- September 2020: Erin Kelly Watkins was hired as an Interim Executive Director.
- October 2021: SLCAD was awarded the Rural Grant from the Dept. of Justice under the Office of Violence against Women.
- January 2022: SLCAD was awarded the Communication Services for the Deaf Foundations for $12,000. This award would go to the rebranding of our logo, LGBTQ+ Hangouts and Suicide Prevention program.
- 2022: The Select Health Award program recognizes organizations that promote health and well-being, assist individuals with special needs, and support underserved populations. Sego Lily Center for the Abused Deaf is honored to have been chosen for their Select Health award in 2022. They donated $3,000 and a marketing package that included our banner and a YouTube video interview. This fund will be used as emergency funds for rent and utility assistance to increase clients’ feelings of success and independence in meeting their housing needs.
More information can be found on the SLCAD’s website: www.slcad.org
In loving memory of Penny Williams
and all victims of domestic violence
and all victims of domestic violence
Penny Williams
L-R: Rep. Karen Morgan, Norman. Williams, Rep. Trisha Beck, and Rep. Michael Waddoups with the Williams family during Deaf Arbor Day, 1999, in memory of Karen and Penny Williams. Utah State Office of Rehabilitation Division of Services to the Deaf and Hard of Hearing, 2000
HISTORICAL DOCUMENT
Nicolaisen, Joene (2009) & Mathis, Stephanie Lowder (2013). History of the Sego Lily Center for the Abused Deaf. (PDF)
Videotape of KBYU Eleven Community Connection interviewing Stephanie Mathis, Executive Director of the Sego Lily Center for the Abused Deaf.
March 26, 2014
March 26, 2014
KBYU Eleven's Community Connection is an original series that features non-profit organizations from throughout the state of Utah. In this segment, Sego Lily Center for the Abused Deaf shares their message with host Tracey Christensen. Quoted from https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=X6bhzjZ9hn8
