February 6, 2026 | Fort Myers

On February 6, The John J. Brunetti Human Trafficking Academy hosted its 5^th Gillen-Massey Award: Lessons from the Trenches, honoring two prominent expert-trailblazers combating human trafficking and advancing human dignity for the survivors of this pernicious phenomenon: Mr. Robert (Bob) Williams, Founder & CEO, Ranch Hands Rescue, Texas, and Ms. Ivon Mesa, Senior Adviser, Miami-Dade County. The ceremony was held under the auspices of The Honorable Tarlika Nunez-Navarro, Dean of the St. Thomas University College of Law and Dr. Roza Pati, St. John Paul II Distinguished Professor of Law and Founding Director of John J. Brunetti Human Trafficking Academy. Key community and government leaders, including Mr. Kevin Anderson, Mayor of Fort Myers, Commissioner Trish Petrosky, and Assistant State Attorney Francine Donnorummo from the Office of the State Attorney for the 20^th Judicial Circuit, attended the event. Their participation reinforced the importance of public-private partnerships and the coordinated multidisciplinary responses to human trafficking and related human rights challenges. The Awards Ceremony convened leaders, advocates, educators, students, and community partners for a day of learning, reflection, and recognition dedicated to advancing human dignity and common good. This year’s ceremony returned to Fort Myers, where the Gillen-Massey Award was founded back in 2022, by the Voice in the Wilderness Empowerment Center, thus honoring the origins of the Awards and reaffirming the Academy’s commitment to community-rooted leadership. The event was held in partnership with the Southwest Florida Coalition Against Human Trafficking.

In her opening address Dean Tarlika Nunez-Navarro reaffirmed the role of St. Thomas University College of Law as a leader in Catholic education training legal professionals and the community at large by integrating academic excellence with spiritual, moral, and character development. She emphasized St. Thomas Law’s commitment to combating human trafficking and defending human rights through its renowned John J. Brunetti Human Trafficking Academy and the LL.M./J.S.D. Program in Intercultural Human Rights. She also recognized the awardees, and all those working tirelessly in the fight against modern-day slavery.

Welcoming the participants, Dr. Roza Pati, said: “Today, we recognize individuals whose courage, compassion, and sustained commitment have advanced local, regional, and global efforts to address human trafficking, calling us all beyond awareness toward shared responsibility, solidarity, and action to advance survivor-centered approaches grounded in accountability, dignity, and access to justice, and to demonstrate that meaningful progress is achieved through dedication, collaboration, and moral courage. Together, we reaffirm our shared responsibility to stand against exploitation and to uphold the enduring truth that every human life is sacred.”

The program opened with a training session led by Rafael Campiz, titled “Systems Diagnosis: When Protection Exists on Paper but Not in Practice.” His presentation examined the gap between legal frameworks and the reality of survivors left with financial burdens as a result of their trafficking experience, highlighting how systemic and institutional shortcomings can undermine protection efforts even when formal safeguards are in place.

The luncheon program featured powerful moments of testimony and recognition, with this year’s honorees offering deeply personal and professionally grounded reflections that affirmed the central role of lived experience, moral courage, and sustained leadership in advancing justice.

Introducing honoree Ivon Mesa, Ms. Ana Isabel Vallejo, Assistant Dean for Experiential Learning and Administration inter alia said: “Ivon is a true force of nature.  Her leadership, creativity, and unwavering commitment to victims/survivors were central to the development and success of CVAC.  She does not just identify problems, she builds solutions.  Under her leadership, she spearheaded the Miami Human Trafficking Task Force to ensure the same coordinated, holistic, survivor-centered approach was employed when assisting human trafficking survivors. Because of Ivon’s passion and resolve, countless survivors have received not only protection but also dignity, compassion, and a path forward.  Miami-Dade County is stronger, and its most vulnerable residents are better served because of her extraordinary leadership.”

Honoree Ivon Mesa, delivered remarks shaped by decades of frontline advocacy and institutional leadership. Her testimony reflected the realities of long-term engagement in violence prevention and anti-trafficking work, emphasizing persistence, accountability, and the responsibility of institutions to respond meaningfully to survivors’ needs. Speaking with clarity and conviction, she underscored the importance of systems-based approaches that move beyond awareness and toward durable protection, embodying the spirit of a lifelong fighter for justice.

Dr. Roza Pati introducing honoree Robert “Bob” Williams, the Founder of Ranch Hands Rescue, inter alia said: “Today we honor a man who turned his own scars into a roadmap for others, who believes that rescue is not just a moment, it is a lifetime commitment. Bob has given voice to the voiceless, home to the homeless, a future to those who thought that their story had already ended. He is a man of unwavering courage, an innovator in clinical trauma, a relentless missionary in pursuit of justice, a man of faith in service of God’s people, a true American hero. Bob has busted the myth that ‘man cannot cry’ and that the trauma is something they have to ‘man up,’ he shines a light through his transformative vision by creating Ranch Hands Rescue in light of the premise that a broken animal and a broken human can heal each other and he engineered this extraordinary Sanctuary of Reciprocity. Bob is a national pioneer in opening up the only safe house for male victims of human trafficking now known by all as Bob’s House of Hope. He is also a legislative warrior, who moves heaven and earth to make things happen, a phenomenon to be reckoned with, one who has not just built a ranch for survivors, but a fortress of hope, faith, restoration, integration and human dignity.”

Honoree Bob Williams’ testimony powerfully illustrated how lived experience can be transformed into healing-centered leadership. Drawing from his personal journey and his work supporting survivors of severe and complex trauma, he spoke to the necessity of alternative, survivor-responsive pathways to recovery. His reflections highlighted dignity, restoration, and hope, offering a compelling reminder that healing and leadership can emerge even from the most profound adversity.

Other contributors included Dr. Siegfried Wiessner, Associate Dean for Scholarship and Faculty Development, who emphasized the importance of work in the pursuit of an order of human dignity as essential tools in the global fight against trafficking; Professor Christian Gonzalez-Rivera, Director of the Summer in Spain Program, who paying tribute to Kyla Massey and Michele Gillen called on legal professionals and advocates to continue challenging injustice, strengthening policies, and protecting the most vulnerable in society; Ms. Ramona D. Miller, Founder and Director of A Voice in the Wilderness Community Empowerment Center, introduced the screening of Trapped: Lessons from the Trenches, a documentary showcasing the efforts of journalist Michele Gillen and survivor Kyla Massey in collaboration with the John J. Brunetti Human Trafficking Academy.

The program also included recognition of the Gillen-Massey Intercultural Human Rights Scholarship recipient, Emine Tugce Kabaoglu, whose academic promise and commitment to justice reflects the values at the heart of the Academy’s mission. The scholarship was made possible through the generosity of Larry and Avis Feldman & Family Scholarship, whose longstanding support for education and human dignity continues to create meaningful opportunities for emerging leaders.

About the Award

The Gillen-Massey Award, annually held in February, was established by the community organization A Voice in the Wilderness Empowerment Center in 2022 with the inaugural Award presented to Dr. Roza Pati, Founding Director of the John J. Brunetti Human Trafficking Academy and Director of LL.M./ J.S.D. Program in Intercultural Human Rights, in recognition of her pioneering work in human rights and anti-trafficking initiatives since early 1990s. In the years that followed,  A Voice in the Wilderness Empowerment Center and the John J. Brunetti Human Trafficking Academy of St. Thomas University College of Law have co-sponsored the award, by annually receiving nominations for deserving journalists, survivors, educators, service providers, legal professionals, and advocates combatting human trafficking throughout the country and the world in honor and remembrance of the Award’s namesakes: Michele Gillen and Kyla Massey.

“Michele Gillen was a larger-than-life personality, a formidable journalist who put her sharp wisdom and unbound passion into exploring a hidden problem in our own backyard at a time when no one else did. I deeply treasure having partnered with her since the early 2000s. Kyla Massey was everyone’s daughter, sister, friend exploited in an industry that commodifies human beings – a ruthless and pervasive phenomenon that should shock the conscience of everyone. She is an angel who we will never forget,” reflected Dr. Roza Pati, Founding Director of the John J. Brunetti Human Trafficking Academy.

For detailed historical information on all recipients of the Gillen-Massey Award throughout the years, please visit: https://humantraffickingacademy.org/history-gm-awardees/.