Katie Feiler, LSW
Interim Executive Director
Katie Feiler is a macro social worker with her MSW who demonstrates a strong passion for program evaluation, program development, legislative advocacy, and social policy. She has over 6 years of experience supporting individuals in recovery from substance use disorders and has been actively involved in the anti-human trafficking movement.
Katie possesses a lived experience as a survivor, with a story that highlights the intersectionality of sex trafficking, the criminal justice system, and substance use disorders. She strives to use both her lived experience and education to inform survivor services and anti-human trafficking legislation. She has worked with the Pennsylvania Chapter of Children Advocacy Centers to inform identification methods of adolescent victims of trafficking, has sat on numerous panels to discuss human trafficking legislation, engaged in research efforts to inform survivor services, and has spoken at several community events.
She envisions combatting human trafficking on a systemic level. She aims to use her evaluation skills to contribute to data collection on human trafficking and using this information to inform legislation, policies, and services that impact victims.
Maria Serino
Communication & Outreach Advocate
Maria has been with VAST since 2019. She first became aware of Human Trafficking in 2007, when she attended a training program and Robert Morris, founder of Love146, was the speaker.
From that moment on Maria has been passionate about Anti-trafficking efforts and being in the fight!
She began organizing concerts and events to help raise awareness about Trafficking and the organizations combating it.
In 2016 Maria attended “The Justice School” an injustice response training program, led by Free Rain International. The program took place in Pattaya Thailand (the Sex Tourism Capital of the World). At it’s completely she became “certified in anti trafficking.”
In 2018 and 2019 Maria returned to Pattaya serving with Shear Love International, a vocational training program working to eradicate injustice worldwide. Maria worked as an Outreach worker going into the citie’s many bars and brothels, to build a relational bridge with the workers; and offer them another option, when they were ready. When Maria returned to the USA she wanted to see “what human trafficking looks like in the US”; specifically the similarities and differences, between here and overseas. She reached out to VAST, and the following week began her journey here.
Maria is incredibly honored to be on the front lines with some of the giants in this fight. She is excited to do whatever she is capable of doing to shine a light, change the narrative and bring justice for the most vulnerable.
Missy Wise, BSW
Empowerment & Engagement Director
Missy is a social worker with over 20 years experience working with individuals, children and families in a variety of settings. Missy has a passion for building relationships and community as well as trauma informed care and practice.
Missy received her undergraduate degrees in Social Work and Psychology from Cedar Crest College. She is a Restorative Practices Facilitator and has completed the Train the Trainer program with the International Institute for Restorative Practices.
As the Empowerment and Engagement Director, Missy is responsible for coordinating volunteers and community partners, overseeing the Speaker’s Bureau and Outreach team as well as supporting and empowering survivors.
In addition to working at VAST, Missy works at United Way of the Greater Lehigh Valley as the Resiliency Project Coordinator. She works closely with Resilient Lehigh Valley which provides trainings and resources the community to promote trauma informed care and practice, healing and resilience.