Who We Are

WISE Mission

WISE leads the Upper Valley to end gender-based violence through survivor-centered advocacy, prevention, education and mobilization for social change.

WISE Vision

A world of freedom, justice, equality and dignity where all thrive.

Contact WISE

WISE Program Center

38 Bank Street, Lebanon, NH 03766
24 hour crisis line: 866-348-9473
Tel: 603-448-5922 • Fax: 603-448-2799
Program Center hours: Monday – Friday
8:30am – 4:30pm

*Program Center and Co-location hours are temporarily changed due to Covid-19. Please call 866-348-9473 for immediate support, chat online, or text 603-836-9472.

Co-Locations:

Windsor Connection Resource Center 

1 Railroad Avenue, Room 203
Windsor 
Mondays 12:30pm – 4:30pm
Wednesdays 8:30am – 12:30pm 

Good Neighbor Health Clinic

70 North Main Street
White River Junction
Wednesdays 8:30am – 11:30am

Upper Valley Haven

713 Hartford Avenue
White River Junction
Hixon House
Fridays 8:30am – 11:30am

Dartmouth College Campus

213 Wilson Hall
Hanover
Mondays 8:00am – 4:00pm

Dartmouth-Hitchcock Medical Center

Center for Nursing Excellence Conference Room
1 Medical Center Drive
Lebanon
1st Thursday every month 8:30am – 10:30am
3rd Thursday every month 8:30am – 11:00am

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MITC Director

MITC Coordinator

Campus Advocacy Coordinator

Shelter & Housing Coordinator

Communications & Development Director

Family Violence Prevention Services Coordinator

Data Specialist

Educator

Educator

Program Director

WANN Director and Attorney

Finance Assistant

WANN Legal Assistant

Program Advocate

Development Assistant

Executive Director

Resource Coordinator

MITC Coordinator

Legal Services Coordinator

Program Operations Manager

Finance Director

Abby Tassel, ext. 3206

Alycia Chen, ext. 3205

Bailey Ray, ext. 114

Bethany Hartt, ext. 122

Betsy Kohl, ext. 119

Brianne Gallagher, ext. 104

Charlene Mehegan, ext. 123

Eesha Bemra, ext. 116

Izzy Kotlowitz, ext. 115

Kate Rohdenburg, ext. 111

Kate Semple Barta, ext. 103

Kathleen Pratt, ext. 108

Kelly Pikus, ext. 102

Laura Marone, ext. 113

Lydia Foxall, ext. 118

Peggy O’Neil, ext. 110

Rebekah Smith, ext. 120

Shannon Smith, ext. 3205

Sharon Mee, ext. 125

Stacey Glazer, ext. 117

Suzanne Kelly, ext. 108

Please note that response time to emails may be a few days.
If you have an urgent request, please call (866) 348-WISE every hour, every day.

MITC Director – Abby Tassel, ext. 3206

MITC Coordinator– Alycia Chen, ext. 3205

Campus Advocacy Coordinator – Bailey Ray, ext. 114

Shelter & Housing Coordinator – Bethany Hartt, ext. 122

Communications & Development Director – Betsy Kohl, ext. 119

Family Violence Prevention Services Coordinator – Brianne Gallagher, ext. 104

Data Specialist – Charlene Mehegan, ext. 123

Educator – Eesha Bemra, ext. 116

Educator – Izzy Kotlowitz, ext. 115

Program Director – Kate Rohdenburg, ext. 111

WANN Director and Attorney – Kate Semple Barta, ext. 103

Finance Assistant – Kathleen Pratt, ext. 108

WANN Legal Assistant – Kelly Pikus, ext.102

Program Advocate – Laura Marone, ext. 113

Development Assistant – Lydia Foxall, ext. 118

Executive Director – Peggy O’Neil, ext. 110

Resource Coordinator – Rebekah Smith, ext.120

MITC Coordinator – Shannon Smith, ext. 3205

Legal Services Coordinator – Sharon Mee, ext. 125

Program Operations Manager – Stacey Glazer, ext. 117

Finance Director – Suzanne Kelly, ext. 108

Please note that response time to emails may be a few days.
If you have an urgent request, please call (866) 348-WISE every hour, every day.

Chair

Martha Goodrich

Vice Chair

Kate Griffiths Harrison

Treasurer

Margaret Rightmire

Secretary

Gail Gentes

Directors

Angela Zhang

Jason Lichtenstein

Jenny Levy

Jenny Williams

Karen Colberg

Mike Shipulski

Mindi Laine

Pat Glowa

Patricia Spellman

Sherice McCarthy-Hill

Executive Director

Peggy O’Neil, Executive

Board Emeritus

Susan Dewees

Tuck Revers Board Fellows

Sandhya Rajaraman

Will Indvik

Barbara Couch

Brian Edwards

Bruce Williamson

Giavanna Munafo

Gretchen Rittenhouse

Lizann Peyton

Sharin Luti

Service Area Map

Our unique service area of 986 square miles straddles the Connecticut River with communities in two different states.


Over the past decades, WISE has supported more than 10,000 people, provided trauma support training to over 5,000 first-responder professionals, taught healthy relationship skills to more than 18,000 students and reached over 11,000 community members with customized workshops.

Founded in 1971 as a career resource center for women, WISE began as a grassroots organization offering education and employment training as well as support and information for new moms. As WISE became recognized as a safe space where women could gather as a community, they began to talk about experiences in their lives beyond careers. WISE listened and was struck by the stories of domestic and sexual violence at home and in the work place and realized that women were suffering.

In 1981 WISE joined the New Hampshire Coalition Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, and the Vermont Network Against Domestic and Sexual Violence, and established a 24-hour crisis line (1-866-348-WISE). Eight years later the crisis line was receiving over 1000 calls annually.

In 1994 WISE hired a Youth Violence Prevention and Community Outreach Coordinator, expanding the mission to not only respond as a crisis center, but to advocate for social change through education. Today WISE outreach programs reach an average of over 5000 people annually.

In 2001 WISE rented its first apartment to serve as a confidential emergency shelter for women fleeing violence. 

In 2006 WISE bought the Program Center at 38 Bank Street in Lebanon NH, a permanent home and safe space for WISE, survivors, and the community. On February 8, 2008 WISE moved into the Program Center and has continued to provide and expand critical support for victims and survivors in the Upper Valley. 

In 2013 WISE purchased a Safe Home realizing the dream to have its own warm, nurturing and holistic space where victims can be safe and begin their journey towards healing and self-sufficiency.

In 2015 WISE began a partnership with Dartmouth College to provide a dedicated campus advocate and a co-location site on campus. 

In 2018 WISE opened a co-location site in Windsor, VT and partnered with Upper Valley Haven, Good Neighbor Health Clinic, and LISTEN to provide a coordinated community response to survivors of gender-based violence. In addition, WANN (Welcoming All Nationalities Network) became a program of WISE to provide legal assistance and comprehensive support to immigrant survivors of gender-based violence. 

In 2019, WISE launched its Multidisciplinary Interview and Training Center, a ground-breaking collaboration with Windsor County State’s Attorney, the Windsor County Unit for Special Investigations and Hartford and Woodstock Police Departments. Through this program, victims are able to more accurately share their experiences of traumatic victimization, and the criminal legal system can secure more useful information for investigative and prosecution work.


Non-Discrimination Policy

It is the policy of WISE to provide educational programs and/or services to victims/survivors of gender-based violence regardless of gender identity/expression/perception, age, health status (including HIV-positive), physical, mental or emotional ability, sexual orientation/identity, socio-economic status, race, national origin, parental responsibility, language, immigration status, or religious or political affiliation.

Your Rights

  • You have a right to know and understand the policies of the organization.
  • You have a right to make your own decisions, within the rules and policies of the organization
  • You have a right to respectful treatment
  • You have a right to access your individual records
  • You have a right to have your information/records kept confidential according to New Hampshire and Vermont Laws including NH RSA 173-C
  • You can speak to WISE staff about your rights under New Hampshire and Vermont Laws, including NH RSA 173-C.
  • You have a right to offer suggestions and input concerning WISE.
  • You have a right to have complaints concerning WISE services. To do this, you may make a complaint to the Assistant and/or Executive Director. If no resolution is reached, you may make a formal complaint to the WISE Board of Directors
  • It is the policy of WISE to provide educational programs and/or services to victims/survivors of gender-based violence regardless of gender identity/expression/perception, age, health status (including HIV-positive), physical, mental or emotional ability, sexual orientation/identity, socio-economic status, race, national origin, parental responsibility, language, immigration status, or religious or political affiliation.

Publications