Board Members

Dakota M Draconi is a Founding Member of Breaking the Silence. Dakota is an activist and advocate for the vulnerable and oppressed, who began speaking publicly about Child Abuse and related issues in the community in 1999 and brought it under the umbrella of Breaking the Silence in 2006.

Dakota earned a BA in Women’s Studies in 2008 and a Master’s in Social Work in 2012.

Dakota has an undeniably profound passion for raising community awareness, with the primary goals of both preventing further child abuse as well as facilitating the empowerment of child abuse survivors. Dakota’s dream is an end to all violence against the most vulnerable among us: Our Children.

Marc Antonio is a registered associate marriage family therapist who works with trauma survivors. He is trained in EMDR, CBT for psychosis, and DBT. He has worked with adolescents, young adults, and older adult populations. He also has experience in dual diagnosis.

Marc started volunteering with Breaking the Silence in 2012 as an event planner and community organizer. He served as Vice President from 2014-2018. He served as Walk for the Children Event Director from 2014-2018 where he conducted outreach and collaborated with other organizations with similar missions to Breaking the Silence. He is currently a board member and helps planning annual events.

Marc grew up in a military family that spent time in Virginia, Florida, and Southern and Central California. He received his BS in psychology and MS in marriage family and child counseling from the University of Phoenix. He incorporates nerd and pop-culture into his therapy practice. He tends to his three cats, enjoys cooking, and likes bacon.

Corky Draconi is a Founding Member of Breaking the Silence. Corky is a Veteran of the United States Air Force with a BS in Electronics and a MS in Information Technology.

As a survivor of emotional incest, childhood rape, and adult domestic violence, Corky is proud to serve as a member of an organization that embodies the fight against child abuse and related issues.

Corky is usually found in the background at any event, focusing on providing the best technical experience possible for those attending.

Roselena Guerra is a Fresno Pacific University graduate, where she earned her B.A in Psychology. Ms. Guerra has been working with at-risk children and youth since 2016, along with their caregivers. Roselena seeks to become a school Social Worker to advocate for those who are suffering in silence, just as she was.

As a survivor of abuse by her father, Roselena has experienced first-hand the effects of child abuse in her day-to-day journey. Ms. Guerra is very passionate about the topic and has reached other survivors through sharing her story as well as spreading awareness with Breaking the Silence.

Roselena connected with Breaking the Silence in 2012 and has since participated and volunteered. Ms. Guerra has served on the Planning Committee and Board of Directors since 2019.

Jenn Hawkins-Hals became an Events Planning Committee volunteer and Speak for the Children Event Director in 2019.

Jenn grew up in Fresno and graduated from Bullard High School, Fresno City College, and San Joaquin Valley College. She spent nearly 20 years in Washington after college, working in spine and posture rehab at The Pettibon System and Pettibon Biomechanics Institute. After returning to Fresno in 2018, Jenn earned her Massage Therapy Certification and Craniosacral Therapy Certificate. She is currently studying to obtain her Health and Life Coach Certification.

From extensive research, Jenn understands we hold traumas in our tissues and receiving regular bodywork not only alleviates stress but is a wonderful and crucial tool to help with the trauma healing process.

Jacob Taylor was brought to the Speak for the Children event by his mom, when he was a junior high school student, and he has been a volunteer since.

After acting as a single event Volunteer Coordinator for Speak for the Children, Jacob became interested in continuing in that role. When the topic of new positions came up at a planning meeting, one of which was Volunteer Coordinator, he told himself that night that position would be his.

Jacob expressed an interest in the position and was given a trial run as Volunteer Coordinator the following April, after which he formally applied for the position. He was voted in as the youngest member of the Board of Directors as well as Volunteer Coordinator.

In addition to recruiting and managing volunteers for the organization, Jacob–as a younger member–tries to be a voice of the next generation in the planning and execution of events.

Jacob is currently a student at Fresno City College, pursuing a career in education.