FOUNDER

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Eric Barreras entered the New Mexico Army National Guard in the mid-90s and subsequently enlisted in the U.S. Army in 1998. In 2001, he participated in the investigative internship program with the U.S. Army Criminal Investigation Command (USACIDC) and was subsequently selected to become a CID Special Agent. Eric was subsequently assigned to the Special Victims Unit (SVU), with the responsibility of conducting and/or supervising sexual assault, domestic violence and child abuse investigations. In 2014, following retirement from the U.S. Army  he accepted a position with the Monterey County Public Defender’s Office in Salinas, CA, where he served as a Senior Public Defender Investigator. Eric eventually transitioned back into USACIDC as a civilian Supervisory Special Agent, where he was responsible for managing the Special Victims Unit (SVU) at Fort Sill, OK. In 2015, he accepted a victim advocacy position with the U.S. Air Force as a Sexual Assault Prevention and Response (SAPR) Specialist at the Defense Language Institute (DLI), Presidio of Monterey, CA. Eric later accepted a position with the U.S. Coast Guard as a Regional SARC for the 11th Coast Guard District with the responsibility of managing the Sexual Assault Prevention, Response and Recovery (SAPRR) program for all Coast Guard personnel in Arizona, Nevada, Utah, and California. Eric subsequently accepted a position as a Training Manager for the U.S. Center for SafeSport, where he developed sexual misconduct and abuse prevention curriculum and provided training for the Olympic and Paralympic movement, to include several youth and professional athletic programs throughout the nation. In 2021, he accepted a position with the YWCA Golden Gate Silicon Valley, where he served as their Learning and Development Manager, where he assisted with the development and facilitation of staff/volunteer initial and continuing education requirements. 

 

Eric is the founder of Difference Makers (10 Strong), which is a group of collaborative partners whose primary goal is to address various forms of sexual abuse and violence in communities around the globe. In 2022, he accepated a position with the U.S. Coast Guard as a Victim Advocate Program Specialist. As a result of his employment with the U.S. Coast Guard, he will work exclusively with the U.S. Coast Guard, colleges/universities, state led violence prevention coalitions, sports programs and non-profit organizations. All military specific training requests to non-Coast Guard military programs will be funneled directly to the DM (10 Strong) collaborative partners. 

 

Eric's volunteer efforts include prior service as a volunteer victim advocate/sexual assault counselor for the Monterey County Rape Crisis Center, where he also served on their Board of Directors.  Eric previously served as an Associate Board Member for End Violence Against Women International (EVAWI). He is currently serving as an advisor for the Sexual Assault Advocacy Network (SAAN) as a consultant, and is currently serving on the Board of Directors for the National Organization for Victim Assistance (NOVA). Eric is also a survivor of child sexual abuse, who grew up in a domestic violence home. His personal and professional experiences with abuse and violence are what drives his desire to cultivate change.