The Iowa NAHT wishes to welcome and introduce the newly hired Human Trafficking Statewide Coordinator at the Iowa Attorney General’s Office. There were 160 applicants for this important new position and 8 finalists were interviewed. The successful applicant is Celine Villongco, who recently moved from Atlanta to Iowa to begin her new job. Her contact information is celine.villongco@iowa.gov, (800) 373-5044. Her office is in the Lucas State Office Building, ground floor office of Victim Crime Services, located at 321 East 12th St. Des Moines, IA.
Major job duties
This is a newly created position within the Attorney General’s office and includes the following duties: statewide strategic planning with collaborative agencies (Iowa Law Enforcement Academy and Iowa Department of Public Safety), administrating training funds for public safety professionals in regards to anti-trafficking efforts, developing policies, procedures and best practices and establishing memorandums of understanding with collaborative agencies. The position also entails writing for, and securing, state and/or federal grant funds to supplement anti-human trafficking efforts, administration of service provider awareness and prevention grant funds, meeting planning and facilitation, public speaking/training/presentation and development and creation of a statewide strategic plan for combatting human trafficking.
Celine Villongco will also be responsible for the management of state funds; policy development and implementation; development of human trafficking grant applications and facilitation of grant application review; policy advocacy for victims of crime; documentation oversight; and public speaking across Iowa.
Past Experience
Virtual Student Foreign Service Intern – Office to Monitor and Combat Trafficking in Persons (J/TIP)
U.S. Department of State
August 2015 – March 2016 (8 months)
- Analyzed and researched regional anti-trafficking efforts in South Asia
- Generated media reports for 10 countries used in Trafficking In Persons (TIP) Report research
Graduate Advisory Services Fellow
Polaris (formerly Polaris Project)
June 2015 – August 2015 (3 months) Washington D.C. Metro Area
- Conducted intentional research on diverse topics related to human trafficking at the national, state, and local levels including comparative analyses on state law enforcement models and national anti-trafficking legislation
- Assisted in the development of innovative training materials, case studies, tailored curriculum, and resource material for the National Human Trafficking Resource Center (NHTRC)
- Coordinated specialists in local trainings on human trafficking
- Responsible for managing incoming calls or inquiries regarding requests for technical assistance and providing appropriate follow up
Manager of Corporate Affairs
Century Strategies, LLC
September 2011 – August 2014 (3 years) Greater Atlanta Area
- Reported directly to CEO and Vice President of Corporate Affairs
- Developed, planned, and executed various international policy events with the VP of Corporate Affairs
- Compiled all reports on client projects for CEO on monthly/quarterly deliverables
- Drafted op-eds and conducted research on client issues for use in national publications
Undergraduate Research Assistant, Department of Policy Analysis and Management
Cornell University
February 2010 – May 2011 (1 year 4 months) Ithaca, New York Area
- Compiled and organized statistical data for use in ex-post multivariate analysis
Education
Sanford School of Public Policy at Duke University
Master’s of Public Policy, Global Policy Concentration
2014 – 2016
Master’s Thesis: An Analysis of the U.S. Trafficking Visa (T-Visa) System
Teaching Assistant: Globalization & International Governance, Fall 2015
Teaching Assistant: Ethics & Policy Making, Spring 2016
Graduate Research Assistant, Dr. Gunther Peck
Cornell University
Bachelor of Science, Policy Analysis & Management
2009 – 2011
Georgia Perimeter College
Political Science
2007 – 2009