Letters of Recommendation

For International Women’s Day in 2021, the Her Campus chapter at Wilfrid Laurier University held a virtual event at which Marti MacGibbon spoke about her triumphs and how they have led her to be a more empowered individual. Marti was not only a pleasure to work with, but also to listen to via Zoom. Marti adapted her presentation for a virtual format seamlessly while engaging and interacting with the groups in attendance. Her story is unlike any other, and her perseverance is a keystone element in her hardships. Marti left a lasting impact on not only the audience, but the university community as a whole. Even though the pandemic has rendered her unable to attend as many in-person events, we are so thankful to have met and worked with Marti and we consider it a gift to have been brought together.

Thank you for everything Marti, you truly are an inspiration.

Taya SmithDirector of EventsHer Campus at Wilfrid Laurier UniversityToronto, Canada

Ark of Alliance Letter of RecommendationTo whom it may concern,

It is with great pleasure that I write on behalf of Marti MacGibbon. She is an asset to the anti-trafficking movement, an inspiring leader and all-around outstanding human being. Marti is a frequent speaker at nationally renowned conferences and her reviews are always great. Ark of Freedom Alliance brought in Marti as Emcee and Comedienne for our inaugural Resilience Awards last year and I can personally attest to her sharp wit, hilarious puns and creative insight. She had us rolling in laughter!

Her determination to impact the lives of youth and adults exploited in the commercial sex industry will not be derailed, regardless of the obstacle. She is humble, gregarious, kind and approachable. Marti is also an energetic agent of change. I recommend Marti for her leadership and expertise to any organization seeking consultation or training, as well as well as her talent for infusing humor into conversations around human trafficking as a way to create dialogue that is digestible and engaging.

In Solidarity,
Nathan Earl, Executive Director
Ark of Freedom Alliance

Nathan EarlExecutive Director Ark of Freedom Alliance

New Jersey Letter of RecomendationDear Marti,

Thank you for speaking at our 2019 NJ Human Trafficking Awareness Event on January 25th. The feedback from attendees was overwhelmingly positive! Your presentation was met with the full attention of the audience, and finished with everyone on their feet with a standing ovation.

Our goal for each of these annual events is to provide a platform for those, like yourself, who bring knowledge, experience, and insight that help us as we continue the fight against human trafficking. And you certainly helped us meet that goal. In addition, your kind, thoughtful, and humorous style of speaking with our audience was amazing.

Please know, that the success of our 9th Annual Human Trafficking Awareness Event was largely due to your participation for which we are so very grateful.

We are, in appreciation, for your time, your contribution, and especially your inspiration.

Sincerely,
Kathleen Friess
Program & Training Coordinator
NJ Human Trafficking Task Force
Office of the Attorney General
Division of Criminal Justice

Kathleen FriessProgram & Training Coordinator, NJ Human Trafficking Task ForceOffice of the Attorney General, Division of Criminal Justice

Villanova Letter of RecommendationTo Whom It May Concern,

We had the pleasure of featuring Marti MacGibbon as one of the plenary speakers at our Second Annual Survivor-led Symposium – “Engaging Survivors of Commercial Sexual Exploitation in the Search for Justice.” On April 5, 2018, Marti delivered an immensely impactful account of her experience of overcoming extreme difficulties such as commercial sexual exploitation, post traumatic stress disorder, domestic violence and addiction.

She engaged our diverse audience of survivors, social workers, lawyers, members of law enforcement, and other concerned professionals by utilizing her sharp sense of humor and wit. Her ability to reach such a vast array of listeners was evidenced by the constant laughs that emanated from the room. Marti used her dynamic presence to teach the audience about the intersection that exists between commercial sexual exploitation, trauma, and addiction using her own life story as illustration. Her storytelling ability made the plenary equal parts entertaining and informative, a feat that can be extremely difficult to balance in this space.

We would certainly recommend Marti to speak at your next engagement.

Sincerely,
Shea M. Rhodes

Shea M. RhodesDirectorVillanova University School of Law

Whom It May Concern:

My Sister’s House highly recommends Marti MacGibbon as a speaker for your event. Marti spoke at our 10th Annual Human Trafficking Conference, “A Trauma-Informed Response to Human Trafficking Victims” where there were more than 530 participants which included survivors, law enforcement, attorneys, service providers, advocates and community members.

We had a day of intensive panels and discussions surrounding human trafficking and we hoped to have Marti come in and end the day on a lighter note using her humorous approach. Within the first ten minutes of her presentation, the room was in laughs. Marti did a great job at using her humorous approach to share a piece of her story and provide the audience with different techniques for self-care.

Working with Marti was very seamless. She always responsive with email and phone call and made sure there were no gaps following up the conference. This willingness to be flexible definitely made it easier to work with her.

The best recommendation we can give a speaker is that we hope to use her services again. This is especially true regarding Marti.

Sincerely,
Nilda Valmores
Executive Director, My Sister’s House

Nilda ValmoresExecutive DirectorMy Sister’s HouseSacramento, CA

To Whom It May Concern:

The Landing highly recommends Marti MacGibbon as an inspirational speaker. Our nonprofit organization invited Marti to give a keynote speech at our 2nd Annual Christmas Breakfast Fundraiser on December 1, 2017, where there were over 300 attendees including survivors, community members, law enforcement personnel, government officials, business men and women and other nonprofit agencies.

The Landing serves survivors of human trafficking and those in the commercial sex industry with a trauma informed approach fueled by the love of Christ. We provide services such as counseling, case management, food, clothing and various programming to our clients. Through outreach, protection and collaboration, we work to identify and serve survivors of human trafficking who are falling through the gaps. Marti came two days prior to the breakfast so she could visit The Landing, engage with survivors, and see our model firsthand. She is not just an enthusiastic speaker, but also a compassionate person who truly cares about the services offered to survivors. This made such a difference when she gave her keynote, because she actually connected with our mission.

Marti went above and beyond in connecting with The Landing and the donors, volunteers and survivors. She met various people in the room and got to know them. When she got up to speak, the audience already felt like they knew her and she had everyone both laughing and tearing up – all within 20 minutes. Marti’s personality makes her an enjoyable person to be around and her experience makes her a perfect person to learn from.
We hope that you will choose Marti MacGibbon to speak at your next event!

Best,

Natasha Paradeshi
Co-founder & Executive Director
The Landing

Natasha ParadeshiCo-founder & Executive DirectorThe LandingHouston, TX

Thank you for your presentation to the Association of Women Executives in Corrections in Daytona Beach in September of 2017.

Your humor mixed with your life experiences made your presentation both funny and informative. Our membership appreciated hearing your story and highly rated your workshop.

We appreciate your willingness to work with us to make your appearance possible.

Please accept this letter of recommendation for future use in your speaking engagements.

Thanks again.

Francine Perretta
Executive Director
Association of Women Executives

Francine PerrettaExecutive DirectorAssociation of Women Executives

It is a complete honor for me to write this letter on behalf of Marti MacGibbon. There is no doubt in my mind that Marti is the one of very best speakers I’ve heard in my 20
years of working in the substance use disorder and mental health fields.

This past September we had the good fortune of bringing Marti to Flint, Michigan for a SUD Women’s Specialty Conference. The days before the conference Marti made herself available to visit local treatment and residential program so she could get to know our recovery community. Marti has an ability to gain trust and respect immediately by the depth of her knowledge, her lived experience and let’s not forget her sense humor.

Marti delivered a message of hope, love, and courage to women in recovery and to those who work with them. I believe that the reason she has such an impact on all that she presents to is that she is clearly genuine in every regard. People in recovery can see through hypocrisy. When you hear Marti speak and get to know her as a person, you fully realize that there is nothing artificial about her — it truly comes from her heart.

Marti completely caters to the crowd as she shares her story with sophistication and hilarity. I credit Marti for the success of our event. It was memorable for all who had the pleasure of attending. I feel privileged to be able to consider Marti a true friend, just in the brief time that I got to know her while she was here. I enthusiastically would
recommend Marti to serve as a keynote or perform her stand-up comedy for any type of event large or small. You won’t be disappointed.

Please feel free to contact me with any questions you might have.

Sincerely,

Athena R. Haddon
SUD Treatment Coordinator

Athena R. HaddonSUD Treatment CoordinatorRegion 10 Prepaid Inpatient Health PlanFlint, MI

Geminus Letter of RecommendationTo whom it may concern:

I am pleased to write this letter of recommendation on behalf of Mrs. Martha (“Marti”) MacGibbon of Marti Mac Enterprises, LLC. On AprilS, 2017, Marti MacGibbon was our keynote speaker at our annual Geminus Community Partners’ conference which was on the topic of “Secondary Trauma -In Harm’s Way”. Marti’s keynote speech was enlightening, inspirational, educational and entertaining to over 600 guests that were in attendance. The attendees were a mixture of professionals such as school teachers and social workers, probation officers, judges, attorneys, health service professionals and case workers of the Indiana Department of Child Services, just to name a few. She really captured the audience by sharing her personal journey and life experiences with everyone. From the evaluations collected, she was given the highest scores of all of our presenters. Marti generously donated a good portion of her book sales to our not-for-profit organization to go towards helping our clientele.

It is without hesitation that I highly recommend Marti MacGibbon if you are planning on a dynamic keynote speaker for an event or meeting. I hope that in the future we will be able to bring her back to present again at one of our conferences. Please feel free to contact me, If you have any further questions or need additional information.

Respectfully submitted,

Nicholas M. Neal, M.P.A., MLEA
Director of Family Services
Geminus Corporation

Nicholas M. NealDirector of Family ServicesGeminus CorporationMerrillville, Indiana

Dear Marti,

I hope you and Chris have recovered from your trip to Southwest Indiana. Many of my friends and colleagues have let me know how much they enjoyed your presentations on July 19th and July 20th, and how impressed they were with your energy and message of hope and understanding. As you know, the Evansville area works collaboratively to promote drug and alcohol prevention, and treatment while working with local, regional and state law enforcement; your presentation was appealing to all three types of service providers. It was also noted from those of us who attended both presentations that you never repeated a personal story, keeping the audience engaged and more aware of addiction and recovery. Anytime the Prosecutor, Fire Chief, Coroner, law enforcement officers, drug & alcohol counselors and public take time from their busy schedules to attend a presentation in the middle of a work-day morning, I would deem that quite a success! ! Thank you for visiting Evansville; it was a pleasure to meet you.

All Best,

Martha Seal, MPSA
Holly’s House, Inc., Development Director
(Aka Seal Team 6)

Martha SealMPSA, Development DirectorHolly's House, Inc.Evansville, IN

To Whom It May Concern,

Using her own struggles and personal journey to recovery, Marti MacGibbon inspired and motivated our community as we celebrated Pride, Progress, and Perseverance during our chamber’s Annual Meeting.

Living in a community that is battling the war of addiction it was important to find a speaker that would resonate with business and community leaders who, every day, face this epidemic. Marti was the right speaker.

Since her presentation, we’ve heard from community members who were rejuvenated in their commitment to help those seeking help. And, while in our community Marti invested time in speaking to women who are in recovery and those being incarcerated.

For communities or organizations seeking a speaker who tells it like it is, shares her life story, and gives 110%, I recommend Marti MacGibbon.

Cordially,
Randy Davies
President and CEO

Randy DaviesPresident and CEOChamber of CommerceChillicothe, OH

To Whom lt May Concern,

It is with great pleasure that I write this letter of recommendation on behalf of Marti MacGibbon! Marti recently presented at the South Bay Coalition to End Human Trafficking 2017 Conference, of which the Office of Women’s Policy was a partner and Marti is an incredible speaker!

Marti was a panelist on the “Intersection Between the Drug Industry and Human Trafficking,” and she addressed the use of drug addiction as a form of coercion – one of the elements required to prove an adult victim has been trafficked in the prosecution of an exploiter. Marti spoke with eloquence and meaningful insight and she demonstrated a high level of expertise in dealing with trauma-informed and victim-centered responses. Marti also demonstrated best practices when supporting this population. Most importantly, Marti is an amazing storyteller and she shared messages of inspiration and insight when dealing with this heavy subject of exploitation and substance addiction.

The Santa Clara County Office of Women’s Policy is so grateful that Marti presented as we truly benefited from her expertise and we hope to have her return to the County in the future to have her train the Santa Clara County Justice System on the intersections of human trafficking and substance abuse as well as best practices when dealing with Human
Trafficking Survivors.

I highly recommend Marti MacGibbon!
Cordially,

Rose Mukhar

Anti-Trafficking Management Analyst
County of Santa Clara Office of Women’s Policy

Rose MukharAnti-Trafficking Management AnalystCounty of Santa Clara Office of Women's PolicyCalifornia

ysisuMarti MacGibbon is strongly recommended as a speaker and presenter on the topic of substance abuse, mental health and human trafficking. Marti came to Ames, Iowa in September 2016 to help my organization and other local providers to celebrate National Recovery Month. Marti MacGibbon spoke to an audience of about 500 people at Iowa State University-Memorial Union about the topic of hope, resilience and empowerment when impacted with life obstacles. Marti was an excellent presenter, which included heart-felt messages, sharing herpersonal tragedies and how to overcome those life events. Marti used humor, but still sent an excellent message to the audience.

The response from the audience was overwhelming and the feedback was phenomenal regarding the messages she left with all attendees. I can’t emphasize enough how Marti was easy to work with in setting up our event. She was mindful of cost associated with our event, especially for our nonprofit organizations. We were very pleased at how she worked hard to reduce the cost and emphasized more importance of sharing her story and how all people can overcome and deal with our fears.

I would strongly recommend Marti MacGibbon as a speaker and my organization will certainly bring her back to Ames, Iowa for other events in the future. A huge thanks to Marti MacGibbon for her commitment to helping to send the message of “hope” to all people who have struggled with adversity and life challenges.

Respectfully Submitted,
Jill Hill, IADC
Associate Director of Addiction Services, YSS

Jill HillIADC, Associate Director of Addiction ServicesYSS

ourhopeassocDear Marti,

Thank you for coming to share your story of hope and healing with the audience at our fundraising gala An Evening of Hope. Your message helped raise money to provide women at Our Hope with precious resources to help take the next step toward recovery. Your willingness to be the face of recovery from addiction, trauma, trafficking and homelessness helped the audience understand more about the needs of the women at Our Hope as they begin the process of turning their lives around. Thank you so much for being part of An Evening of Hope!

As we continue guiding women to recovery, creating community outreach and awareness programming and maintaining a safe, comfortable environment for women to begin their recovery, we are consistently reminded and truly grateful for the support we receive from community partners like you.

Thank you for contributing to the mission of Our Hope!

Gratefully,
Heather Greko, Executive Director
Marcella Scott, Advancement Director

Heather GrekoExecutive Director, and Marcella Scott, Advancement DirectorOur Hope AssociationGrand Rapids, MI

NapaCA-1To Whom It May Concern,

Marti MacGibbon was the keynote speaker for our annual Staff Appreciation Day. The title of her presentation was “Gratitude, Celebration and the Power of Second Chances”. Her presenting style was energetic and she incorporated a lot of humor as well. She was just what we were looking for in an inspirational speaker. Our goal was for staff to feel inspired, rejuvenated, to laugh a lot and enjoy the day. Marti was able to produce the results we were looking for with her energy and humor. The room was laughing out loud and even crying with laughter at times. Not only was she funny, but her story of how she overcame barriers in her life was inspirational. She reminded us that beauty is all around us, we have the power inside ourselves to make a difference and make change each day. In order to do this, we must take care of ourselves. Marti presented her “game changers” to give us real exercises we can practice to stay energized, refreshed and give us the strength to sustain ourselves in the difficult work we do each day.

Our survey results showed staff overwhelmingly enjoyed and appreciated Marti’s presentation. Below are just a few of the comments from staff when asked what the most useful aspects of the presentation were.

  • “The presentation and speaker were wonderful.”
  • “Great message from our guest speaker about empowerment”
  • “The speaker – awesome”
  • “Guest speaker was amazing”
  • “Marti was great! Loved the tips to stay positive regardless of situation”
  • “Mart was awesome! Wooooo!!
  • “The presenter was super funny and entertaining”
  • “Speaker was inspirational. Gave me time to think about what matters and to turn my negative and work toward a positive”
  • “Marti’s real life story and how she has overcome was very inspirational”
  • “Marti was great. Very good insights and perspectives.”
  • “Really liked the speaker. She had lots of useful tools and had great enthusiasm”
  • “It was real from someone who was real”
  • “Bring Marti back [next year]”

In preparing for this event, Marti was easy to work with. She took our ideas and theme for the day and was able to prepare a presentation that incorporated everything we were looking for. She even took the initiative to learn more about a style of communication our agency has been learning and was able to blend some of the values of this approach into her training. Marti was responsive and listened to our needs. We highly recommend Marti as a speaker for audiences of social services staff.

Regards,

Shelly Todd
Staff Services Analyst
(707) 253-4078

Shelly ToddStaff Services AnalystHealth & Human Services AgencyNapa County, California

MECAMThis letter is in support of Marti MacGibbon. Marti was a speaker at the 11th Annual Metro East Meth + Other Drugs Conference in Belleville, IL. The annual conference is hosted by the Metro East Coalition Against Meth and Other Drugs (MECAM) and attracts 400 professionals each year. It was such a pleasure to work with Marti. Every interaction with Marti throughout the planning process was enjoyable. She was professional and always willing to make any accommodations necessary to meet the needs of the conference and attendees. Marti understood the importance of meeting those expectations. She was the opening keynote speaker and delivered a powerful message about addiction and recovery. She was refreshing, engaging, passionate, and funny. Marti is honest and real and her story and message is inspiring to all.

Tarra Winters, MA
MECAM+ Other Drugs Chairperson
METRO EAST COALITION AGAINST METH + OTHER DRUGS

Tarra WintersMECAM+ Other Drugs ChairpersonMA

RiverviewRecoveryTo Whom It May Concern:

I am honored to take this opportunity to tell you about having Marti MacGibbon as the keynote speaker for the 2015 September National Recovery Month events in our community.

Marti MacGibbon spoke passionately to the local high school in the afternoon about her life’s journey. Then, she shared her incredible story of recovery at the local university auditorium in the evening. Marti shared, from her heart, her story healing and recovery from a turbulent past of abuse and addiction. Marti has been an inspiration and an encouragement, to the young and the young at heart, who find themselves lost and without hope for tomorrow.

We would highly recommend that Marti MacGibbon be a part of a Recovery Event in your community, as she was in ours. Her story is real, encouraging, funny, and full of hope.

Sincerely,
Curtis Hamre, LADC, Director
RiverView Recovery Center

Curtis HamreLADC, DirectorRiverView Recovery CenterCrookston, MN

VinVrecommDear Marti,

We would like to thank you for being our Keynote Speaker for our Annual Camp Victory Women’s Weekend! Your humor started our weekend with a lot of laughter, and your Keynote address was filled with triumph, hope, and encouragement to live life fully, and to look back on our difficulties in life with faith, passion and joy!

As you found out, Women’s Weekend is a fun, educational and therapeutic time for women who are newly diagnosed with cancer and the highlight of the year for returning campers. Many of the ladies commented on how you lifted their spirits and made them appreciate their lives more, and that ” progress not perfection” is what’s important. You had a part in making this weekend a memorable time for each of the ladies who attended, and for that we are so grateful!

You have a gift of using your life experiences to encourage us, to make us laugh, and to put our difficulties in perspective. Your honesty and openness is refreshing, and you bring new awareness to the problem of human trafficking unlike anything we have ever heard! Your strength and ability to laugh has touched all of our lives and you gave us reasons to never give up. On behalf of all of the “Camp Victory” Committee and attendees, we thank you! You touched many lives with hope and encouragement this weekend.

Blessings,

Diana Thomi RN, BS
Executive Director

Diana ThomiRN, BSVictory in the ValleyWichita, KS

APNAletterMarti MacGibbon was the keynote speaker for our annual state conference in September 2015. Ms. MacGibbon delivered an inspirational presentation laced with humor, honesty, and hope. Through the sharing of her life experiences with addiction, trauma, and mental illness, Ms. MacGibbon showed her audience of psychiatric nurses that recovery is possible; and she gave us insight into what we as psychiatric nurses can do for others in even the most trying of times. Ms. MacGibbon provided exactly what she advertises, and does so with great authenticity and enthusiasm. I would highly recommend Marti MacGibbon as a keynote speaker for other audiences of mental health professionals.

Thanks,

Brittany Yates, MSN, APRN, FPMHNP-BC
Chapter President
American Psychiatric Nurses Association – Kentucky Chapter

Brittany YatesMSN, APRN, FPMHNP-BC, Chapter PresidentAmerican Psychiatric Nurses Association – Kentucky Chapter

SusanLightfoot-letterDear Marti,

I wanted to take the opportunity to thank you for your time spent with our Local IDA! Collaborative educating them on the all-important topic of Human Trafficking. Unfortunately, we are seeing more and more of this in our areas and want to be as educated as possible on ways to identify victims early on in an effort to refer them to proper treatment and care. While you truly speak from the heart, you have a way of also emphasizing what you have gained from your experiences as a Human Trafficking survivor and how you have overcome much trauma in your life. These experiences are crucial for those of us that work with endangered youth and adults in order to understand what they are going through.

I applaud your courage and your willingness to share your story with others! I wish you all the best and hope to have further trainings with you going forward!

All the Best,
Susan Lightfoot
Chief Probation Officer
Henry County Courts

Susan LightfootChief Probation OfficerHenry County CourtsNew Castle, IN

henry-letterDear Marti,

Thank you so much for presenting to our entire staff last Friday, August 14, 2015. Your comeback from a life filled with trauma is nothing more than astounding; and your ability to put those struggles into words and have such a good sense of humor is amazing.

I could hear a pin drop in the room as you talked about your experiences and how, with hard work and lots of support, you were able to rebuild your life.

Besides all of the struggles, you are so funny!! The entire room roared with laughter at some of your antics. You are such an enjoyable speaker. I do not believe I have ever seen our crowd give a standing ovation to anyone, yet at the
end of your presentation, all were on their feet! I believe you could have had their attention another hour!

Thank you so much for sharing your experiences and your humor with us. You are an inspiration to all of us who work in the field of behavioral health. It reminds us why we come to work every day. It means a great deal. I hope you will visit us again soon.

Sincerely and thankfully yours,

Donna Henry, RN, BSN
Senior Vice President of Residential and Clinical Services

Donna HenrySenior Vice President of Residential and Clinical ServicesFour County Counseling CenterLogansport, IN

timmel-letterDear Marti,

I wanted to tell you what an honor and a privilege it was to hear you speak at the Indiana Council for Community Mental Health Centers Child and Adolescent Conference in July. As part of the Child and Adolescent Committee, we were honored to have you speak to the leaders in our state and tell your story in such a powerful and inspiring way. Alter hearing your story, our local organization was so moved, that we invited you to speak at our Genera l Staff day this past week. Again, you rocked the house with your powerful testimony and brilliant delivery. As a service provider, and administrator, there is nothing more inspiring than to hear from a survivor about how meaningful the work we do can be, and how it has personally affected someone.

Your story is one of pure courage in the face of so many obstacles that many of us cannot even fathom. Your deli very of the challenges, the pain, the trauma, and most importantly, the hope and abili ty to persevere is awe inspiring. Looking around the room and see ing the faces of our staff and the appreciation of your story, yo ur surviva l, and your conti nued fight for others was unbelievable. I want to personally thank you for the work you do, the courage you possess and the hope you instill in each of us as we continue to advocate for others, and for ourselves. Positive self talk, mindfulness, and visualization are so important in our own self care. Thank you for being real. Thank you for being funny.

Most importantly, thank you for bei ng you. Keep pushing ahead and inspiring others to do the same.

Sincerely,
Letecia Timmel, MSW, LSW
Systems of Care Program Director

Letecia TimmelSystems of Care Program DirectorFour County Counseling CenterLogansport, IN

15To Whom It May Concern:

It is with great pleasure that I recommend the fascinating lecturer, Marti MacGibbon, to serve as a keynote speaker for your organization. Ms. MacGibbon recently spoke at our “Putting the Pieces Back Together” Mental Health Conference, and the attendees were positively captivated. Marti is a bestselling, nationally award winning author, inspirational speaker, certified addiction treatment professional, and comedian. Marti shares her story with honesty and humor, providing an inspiring look at conquering addiction and trauma, overcoming adversity, and regaining hope. She is a remarkable woman who has triumphed over adolescent sexual abuse/assault, addiction, human trafficking, domestic violence, severe PTSD, homelessness and addiction to lead a successful, happy life.

We were interested in a motivational speaker who could use relevant, real world examples and experiences to help motivate the attendees in making a positive difference in the lives of others as well as their own lives. One of the selling points was her desire to customize the presentation to meet the goals and objectives of the conference.

Marti MacGibbon is a dynamic, motivating and effective facilitator. She provided great insight and her personality definitely is an asset and her energy resounds in the presentation. Ms. MacGibbon has a unique ability to be entertaining, professional, humorous, motivational and informative all in the same presentation. Her ability to relate personal events into the presentations enhanced their impact and allowed the attendees to grasp the message. Marti will make a positive impact and be a valuable asset for any conference or seminar.

The pace of her lectures is brisk but the information is not too difficult to absorb. She possesses first-hand knowledge that is not readily available in books and not commonly heard from others. She can make the audience feel like they have known her personally by the end of every lecture and also gives the audience simple, effective strategies anyone can use to build resiliency and overcome challenges with grace and a sense of humor.

I recommend Ms. Marti MacGibbon and her lectures without reservation. I hope you will give her an opportunity to address your participants. Please contact me should you need additional information at 515-993-1710 or jfelt@dhs.state.ia.us.

Jenny FeltDCAT & CPPC CoordinatorIowa Department of Human Services

INARMSrecommend2To Whom It May Concern:

I am writing this letter to recommend Marti MacGibbon for future speaking engagements. I had the pleasure of working with Marti when she presented at the Indiana Annual Recovery Month Symposium. Many attendees commented on her enthusiasm for life as she told her story of recovery from addiction and many other issues. Marti’s personal experience along with her clinical expertise facilitated a greater learning opportunity for attendees as she was able to teach by example.

Marti has my highest recommendation, and I am happy to furnish additional details if you would like more information.

Jill FuquaOffice of Consumer and Family AffairsFSSA Division of Mental Health and Addiction

JLCrecommendTo Whom It May Concern:

In June, I booked Marti MacGibbon to be the keynote speaker at the Junior League of Cincinnati’s inaugural Sustainer Forum. On October 6, she held the sold-out audience in the palm of her hand as she shared her story as a survivor of human trafficking.

The attendees ranged in age from mid-30s to late 70s and her message was relevant to all. The Q&A segment – in which she and a FBI Special Agent shared the podium – demonstrated that there was something for everyone in Marti’s story. Some were asking questions because they’re grandmothers, others because they have adolescent children, still others because they’re volunteers and they heard Marti’s call to action.

During the four months between booking Marti and welcoming her to Cincinnati, I found her to be amazingly responsive to my requests for information, promotional materials, etc. I could tell before she arrived that she would be an engaged presenter.

And, she was! From the moment she arrived, she was ‘working the crowd.’ In fact, she was every bit the hostess the twelve members wearing “Hostess” ribbons were! The attendees commented on her accessibility and vibrant personality. After her remarks, I noticed that she was huddled with one of the venue’s servers who obviously had sought her counsel. (Interestingly, all of the
venue’s staff – male and female – sat down for the program!)

In the three days since Marti’s presentation, I have received scores of emails from appreciative attendees. Some excerpts from a few of those messages: “The speaker was amazing.” “The speaker shed important light on a very difficult issue.” “The presentation was heart rending, but gratifying to see her leading a new life helping others out of her former hell.” “The guests were most interested in the topic which was certainly evidenced by the number of questions. In fact, we would have been there another hour with questions had you not called it a night when you did.” “What an incredible speaker and event!!!!”

Marti MacGibbon’s message is one everyone should hear. We were honored to feature her as our inaugural presenter – we could not have made a better selection.

Linda J. SmithChairJunior League of Cincinnati's Sustainer Forum

FreedomReferralTo Whom This May Concern:

It is with much pleasure that I am writing this letter of recommendation. Marti MacGibbon recently was the key note speaker for Charles County Freedom Landing’s Wellness and Recovery Center’s annual conference. This year’s conference was entitled “Many Paths to Wellness”. Marti shared some of her lived experience with addiction, domestic violence, homelessness and mental illness. More importantly, she shared strategies that can create positive change in anyone’s lives.

The conference participants included individuals who are working on their recovery, family members and providers involved with mental health, social services and other human service agencies. The evaluations indicated that Marti’s information was helpful and she held people’s interest. She is a warm, dynamic and entertaining speaker who can speak on numerous topics and travels throughout the country providing useful information and hope to others.

We were fortunate to have Marti MacGibbon participate in the agency’s conference and spend a brief time with our Southern Maryland audience. We hope that our paths to wellness may cross again in the future.

Joyce AbramsonExecutive DirectorCharles County Freedom Landing Inc.La Plata, MD

CVentura2Recently our organization had the privilege of presenting Marti MacGibbon as guest speaker at our event. Marti is both effective and inspiring. She is a courageous and animated speaker who uses her own personal story to empower others. Her candid and witty presentation helped insure the success of our event.

Marti has the ability to address a serious topic in a way that keeps her audience engaged. Her down to earth style thoroughly entranced our guests. In evaluations, ninety-two percent rated her presentation as good or excellent. One hundred percent of attendees indicated that the event raised awareness of human trafficking, while ninety-two percent indicated their awareness of domestic violence issues was enhanced as well. Marti’s presentation helped us achieve these two major goals admirably.

Charlene VenturaPresident & CEOYWCA

DrugCourtMarion County Family Drug Treatment Court (MCFDTC) provides intensive case management and coordination of services to parents who have an open Child in Need of Services case due in part to addiction issues.

MCFDTC staff first heard Marti MacGibbon speak on May 14, 2014 at a Trauma Informed Care Symposium facilitated by the Department of Child Services. After meeting Marti and her learning about MCFDTC, she offered her services to the program. Marti spoke to the MCFDTC participants on June 24, 2014 and again at the MCFDTC commencement ceremony on August 19,2014. Before each presentation, she took the time to talk to MCFDTC staff about the participants and tailored her presentations to meet their needs. Marti’s presentations are positive, motivating, uplifting and energetic. The participants connected with her story and were engaged in the presentations.

We are impressed that Marti is equally comfortable addressing a large audience or a small, intimate group. She has a genuine commitment to using her story and training to make a positive impact on individuals and communities.

We look forward to continuing our partnership with Marti.

Kelly WelkerCoordinatorMarion County Family Drug Treatment Court

MOT3Thank you, once again, for arranging your schedule to come and speak at the Museum of Tolerance. Your personal testimony of Human Trafficking is a very important one. It reveals the vulnerability of youth, the challenge of choices, and ultimately, the empowerment possible when someone courageously confronts evil. Your audience was very attentive and engaged.

Your story is inspirational. You are a survivor of human trafficking and drug abuse who was able to turn your life around, escaping from Japan, conquering drug abuse, gaining an education, and now living a happy life, giving back to society and helping others.

The inclusion in your power-point of definitions, information and resources was very powerful and beneficial for the audience. Thank you for a fine presentation. I wish you continued good health and success and will look forward to having you speak again at the Museum of Tolerance in the future.

Elana SamuelsDirectorMuseum Volunteer Services

FairbanksWhen you hire Marti MacGibbon to speak to your group, you get energy, humor, passion, and substance. At Fairbanks, she connected emotionally with our audience. I was impressed with how Marti customized her presentation to fit our audience’s needs. By telling her powerful story of how she prevailed against all odds. your audience will laugh. cry and take action to make positive changes in their lives.”


Helene M. CrossPresident and Chief Executive OfficerFairbanks

CHCAs the Director of Development for the Community Health Center in Akron, Ohio I was able to have the pleasure of working with Ms. Marti MacGibbon on our annual Break the Cycle of Addiction Luncheon and fundraising event in September. Marti provided the key note address “Recovery, Hope, and the Power of Gratitude” to an audience of 400 including public officials, addiction treatment specialists, community advocates and those in recovery. Her compelling, professional telling of her personal story about her journey through harrowing addiction to recovery resonated strongly with our attendees.

In addition to delivering her key note speech, Ms. MacGibbon also graciously agreed to participate in a radio interview prior to our event. Even more important to the people our organization serves was the fact that Marti also participated in a panel discussion on addiction and recovery with some of our patients immediately following our event.

We were fortunate to be able to have Ms. MacGibbon participate in our signature event this year. Her story and lifestyle of embracing a grateful attitude helped to set the tone for our event objective of breaking down the stigma of addiction and recovery.

Jackie HemsworthDirector of DevelopmentCommunity Health Center

312I write to wholeheartedly and enthusiastically recommend Marti MacGibbon as a speaker, panelist, or participant for events focused on the topic of human trafficking/modern slavery. I can speak to Marti’s power as a speaker firsthand: she delivered stirring and very powerful remarks in January of 2013 at the National Underground Railroad Freedom Center, where I direct all anti-human trafficking initiatives.

Marti spoke at the culmination of an evening that featured a tour of an exhibit based on Nick Kristof and Sheryl WuDunn’s book Half the Sky: Turning Oppression into Opportunity for Women Worldwide. She followed the very emotional testimony of a local survivor of trafficking. The capacity audience had already been through a deep and emotional experience – but Marti took all of us to another level of both understanding and hope.

First, she is an excellent story teller. The audience hung on her every word, both because her story was clearly so authentic, but also because she told it with such expert care. I would make this recommendation based on Marti’s storytelling ability alone.

In addition to this skill, though, Marti has a truly unique ability to find humor in the darkest of stories. This connects with audience in a way that few speakers on this topic can, and I believe makes for an even greater impact. When audiences are allowed to laugh, it opens them up to a deeper engagement with difficult topics like this. Marti provides this opportunity and it matters.

Finally, and perhaps most importantly, Marti’s story – and the way she tells it – is one of empowerment. As hard as it sometimes feels to make people aware of the scope and brutality of human trafficking today, it can be even harder to give those people hope that survivors can thrive, and that this evil can be arrested. Marti’s testimony, and her very being the way she is, is a smack in the face to this sense of hopelessness. I would argue it is very difficult to hear Marti’s presentation, and the confidence with which she makes it, and not be hopeful that things can change.

For all these reasons, I recommend Marti MacGibbon to your consideration. Please do not hesitate to contact me with any questions.

Luke BlocherDirector of National Strategic Initiatives

UCSletterMy acquaintance with Marti MacGibbon began in December 2014. I called Marti to discussa speaking engagement to benefit a homeless shelter and services center. It was a formal ballroom dance event held in Evansville Indiana where the primary audience would be business professionals who were supporting our organizations goals to end homelessness. As I spoke with Marti and discussed how our organization served women and men in our community, I was impressed with her knowledge in trauma resolution. Everyone has stress and adversity in their lives and Marti explains how to find peace and show grace through these times and it is inspirational to hear her story. Her compassionate personality along with experience made conversations enlightening and interesting.

With Marti’s vast knowledge in trauma resolution, we decided to have Marti speak at a luncheon for healthcare professionals and area crises centers for individuals, the day prior to the formal ballroom dance event. She prepared her message which took a more in depth look at the impacts of drug addictions and homelessness and the audience was captivated by her ability to weave light humor in with her stories. I had several individuals tell me that they could listen to Marti all day.

I strongly recommend Marti for any speaking engagement. She has the ability to “feel the audience” and generate a message that people appreciate hearing. In addition to being an excellent speaker, she believes in the power of the human spirit and encourages us to take a look inside.

Tonya RineCPA, TreasurerUnited Caring Services

letter1I personally recommend Ms. Marti MacGibbon as a program facilitator on the topics of resilience, recovery from addiction and trauma. She presented to our women residents on several occasions earlier this year. She used a combination of personal experience, inspiration and humor as well as her clinical skills and knowledge to connect with the women in a manner that was both obvious and helpful. I look forward to having her back in to work with our women at first opportunity.

Robert OhlemillerProgram DirectorMarion County Sheriff's Office