Jacqueline “Jackie” Pontello is the Principal Program Coordinator/Managing Attorney for the Elder Justice Program, a groundbreaking project for seniors who have been victimized by crime that was launched by the Houston-Galveston Area Council in 2018.  An attorney and seasoned non-profit leader, Pontello has an extensive history of designing public-private partnerships that now serve as state and national models.  Most notably, she brings with her a decade of experience as CEO/Co-Managing Attorney of Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse which Pontello built into the largest legal-assistance program for victim-survivors of intimate-partner and sexual violence in the U.S..  While at AVDA, Pontello authored legislation establishing Texas’ first full-time protective order court and launched first-in-the-nation programs dedicated to working-poor victims of domestic abuse and to the children who survive murdered victims.

In addition to stints as Chief Executive Officer of AVDA and One Voice Texas:  A Collaborative for Health and Human Services, Pontello has served as Acting Executive Director of the Houston Food Bank and of the End Hunger Network as well as on the management team of Lone Star Legal Aid.  She sits on numerous boards and commissions, most recently having been appointed by the Texas Supreme Court to the Texas Access to Justice Commission.  Her work has been recognized by, among others, Warren Buffett and the Buffett Family Foundation (Sunshine Lady Peace Award), the Congressional Hunger Center (Victory Against Hunger Award), DAYA (Dreams & Visions Award), the Houston Food Bank (Albrecht Award for Lifetime Volunteer Service), the National Council of Jewish Women (Hannah Solomon Award), the Salvation Army Houston Area Command (Harbor Light Center Volunteer of the Year), Second Harvest: The National Network of Food Banks (Warren Brice Award for Innovation) and the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (Director’s Award).

Alternate Short Version:  Jacqueline Pontello is the Principal Program Coordinator/Managing Attorney for the Elder Justice Program, a groundbreaking program to provide civil legal representation to seniors who have victimized by crime.  Pontello has an extensive history of designing public-private partnerships that now serve as state and national models. In ten years as CEO/Co-Managing Attorney, Pontello built Aid to Victims of Domestic Abuse into the nation’s largest legal-assistance program for victim-survivors of intimate-partner violence.  She authored the legislation establishing Texas’ first full-time protective order court and launched first-in-the-nation programs dedicated to working-poor victims of domestic abuse and to the children who survive murdered victims.