Who we are

We have a crew of amazing individuals who donate their time to support the mission and vision of APECA. Each member of our team brings a unique set of skills and background that allows APECA to continue protecting children and adults.

Founder and Executive Director

Janet Olson

Founder and Executive Director of APECA. Janet has considerable experience in multiple aspects of nursing practice. Janet has a strong background in education and advocacy, focusing on all aspects of sexual trauma, exploitation, abuse and self-injury. Janet is a recipient of the 2009 Hon Kachina Volunteer Award.

Board of Directors

Skye Steele, Board Chair

Skye Steele founded the Human Trafficking Program at the Phoenix Dream Center and currently sits on the Board of Directors for StreetlightUSA. Skye built the Clinical Services Behavioral Health Program, the Women’s Development and the Youth Development Programs of the Phoenix Dream Center. She received a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology at California State University, Northridge and has doctoral studies in Clinical Psychology through Argosy University.

Before her involvement at StreetlightUSA, Natalies House and the Dream Center, Skye had extensive experience providing direct psychological and sociological support to women, high-risk families and children in the greater Phoenix Area. Skye and her husband, Brian D. Steele have served together for over 15 years in domestic inner city and foreign mission field environments.

Lisa Lucchesi, Board Member

Lisa serves as the National Human Trafficking Lead and works with Medicaid health plan. She has assisted Federal & State level Law Enforcement as well as Judges in various Courts throughout the United States on how to effectively deal with the Human and Sex Trafficking offenses exploiting our at-risk populations.

Lisa places a strong emphasis on the trafficking crimes involving children, the most vulnerable in society. She teaches a cooperative method by being trauma informed and victim-centered when working with recovered youths who have been victimized by traffickers.

Elaine Medeiros, Board Secretary

Elaine Medeiros is a Wife, Mom and Pastor and has been an advocate of Survivors of sex-trafficking for over 15 years. She has spent the last 13 of those years serving survivors at the Phoenix Dream Center’s Where Hope Lives Program. Elaine has faithfully worked under the leadership of Skye and Brian Steele who have developed one of the largest sex-trafficking programs in the US. She specializes in working with victims of sexual trauma, sexual abuse, and sexual assault. Elaine’s adopted daughter who is a survivor of Familial Trafficking has a saying

“Trafficking happens in community and therefore healing must also take place in community”-Julie

Elaine has dedicated her life’s work to walking alongside and standing in the gap of individuals both male and female as they walk through their healing journey.

Maria Lopez, Board Member

Maria Lopez is an Arizona native born and raised in Nogales, Arizona who has resided in Phoenix for the past 24 years. She has two adult sons and three grandchildren who also live in the valley. Maria graduated from Grand Canyon (GCU) with her Bachelor of Arts in Christian Studies with emphasis in Biblical Studies as well as her Master of Arts in Christian Leadership also from GCU. Her focus has been in teaching biblical principles in the different areas she has served.

Maria has been serving at StreetlightUSA for the past seven years and after graduating with her graduate studies she took on the role of Director of Pastoral Care. Her calling has been to walk alongside adolescent teenage girls who have been victims of commercial sexual exploitation and child sex trafficking. Her mission is to share Christ with these young girls in their healing journey, through a trauma informed lens. She also serves as a Christian Counselor at the Phoenix Dream Center guiding those recovering from drug addiction and sex trafficking trauma.