Announcement from the Journey Center Board of Directors

The Board of Directors of Journey Center for Safety and Healing would like to announce that our CEO, Melissa Graves, will be departing her position at Journey Center effective January 31, 2024.

Over the past six years, Melissa led Journey Center through a period of successful change. During these years, Melissa’s collaborative, strategic, and creative leadership brought stability, resiliency, and vision to this organization. Among her many accomplishments, Melissa saw Journey navigate the launch of the first successful child advocacy center in Cuyahoga County, managed drastic financial cuts from our largest federal funder, and survived the COVID pandemic that isolated survivors at home with their abusers and exposed racial inequity across our country. Moreover, she and her team have worked with partners to increase access to housing for survivors and have implemented county-wide, evidence-based training for law enforcement to better respond to domestic violence situations. We are saddened to see her leave, but grateful for her tireless dedication over the last six years.

Melissa will remain in the Ohio domestic violence and child advocacy community, as she will assume the role of President of The Center for Family Safety and Healing at Nationwide Children’s Hospital in Columbus. The organization has a mission to support victims of family violence and advocate for social change to prevent abuse.

Melissa states, “I am grateful for my time at Journey. The talent and dedication of the team here has inspired me every day and I am heartened by the community’s support of this mission. It truly takes a community response to end child abuse and intimate partner violence. Journey is honored to be here for survivors in our city and county.”

Melissa will be missed, but she leaves a strong team and Board of Directors who have positioned Journey to reach more survivors with deeper impact in the future.

The Board of Directors is planning the search process for the next leader who will further their vision and stand on the shoulders of the amazing foundation that Melissa and her team have built.

We will be celebrating Melissa’s contributions and the critical mission of Journey at a farewell event in January prior to her departure; details forthcoming.

In service,