Verde Valley News – Verde Valley Sanctuary (VVS) recently announced its newest leadership team hire as Lindsay Brooks was named the new Finance and Administration Director after her predecessor, Jessica Bryson, left the agency last fall. Brooks spent the last several years working for the Arizona Coalition to End Sexual and Domestic Violence (ACESDV) before joining the agency in February.
Originally from Prescott Valley, Brooks will manage all aspects of the organization’s financial and administrative operations, and most human resources duties.
“We couldn’t be happier to have Lindsay join our team,” VVS Executive Director Jessye Johnson said. “Her background in nonprofit accounting, in addition to her passion for our mission and her roots in Yavapai County made her the perfect choice for Verde Valley Sanctuary.”
Johnson thanked Bryson for her dedication during her tenure.
“We appreciate Ms. Bryson and the tireless work she put in as a key member of our leadership team here at VVS,” Johnson said. “While we were sad to see her go, we are excited to have Lindsay on board as we move forward and continue to serve survivors in the Verde Valley and beyond.”
Earning her AAS in accounting from Phoenix College, Brooks joined Scottsdale Recovery Center in January 2016 as an accounting specialist while doing contracted bookkeeping for Ponderosa Business Services during the same timeframe. In December 2020, she joined St. Joseph the Worker as an employment specialist before moving on to ACESDV in January 2022.
During her time as a bookkeeper for ACESDV, Brooks led project management efforts within the organization, assisted in audit preparation, supervised administrative volunteers, generated monthly financial reports and monitored and supported the annual budget for the agency. She is also knowledgeable in grant management, especially Victims of Crime Act (VOCA) federal funding and the state’s Department of Economic Security funding, both of which are key to VVS’ operational purposes.
In her spare time, Brooks enjoys hiking, reading and going on road trips while spending time with her son, Aron, and her two dogs Angel and Diesel, and two cats, Gracie and Mr. Swift. She is also a “Swiftie,” enjoying Taylor Swift music since the hit single “Teardrops on My Guitar” graced the radio waves.
Brooks said that her focus is to support the organization’s mission through “sound fiscal leadership” while being passionate about “creating transparent, sustainable systems that empower long-term impact while leading with compassion, integrity and strategy.”
“I’m excited to join an organization in the county that raised me,” Brooks said. “I’m deeply passionate about serving communities affected by violence using trauma-informed practices in everyday life.”
About
Verde Valley Sanctuary’s mission is to provide safety, services, and comfort to survivors of domestic and sexual violence. The agency began in 1993 as a grassroots organization with a leased modular home that slept six and has grown into a 32-bed emergency shelter with transitional housing options, a lay legal advocacy center, community-based advocacy support, a 24/7/365 crisis hotline (928-634-2511) and a staff that takes pride in its youth violence prevention education and public outreach and awareness. VVS is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization and qualifying charitable organization for the Arizona Tax Credit. Federal Tax ID: #86-071314; QCO Code: #20041. Visit VerdeValleySanctuary.org for more information.
