Advisory Board

Audrey L. Baugher currently holds the position of a Special Agent for Homeland Security Investigations, Human Smuggling and Human Trafficking Group, where she has worked since 2020. Her area of expertise is labor trafficking and sex trafficking, covering topics such as criminal investigations and victim rescue.

SA Baugher conducts sex trafficking and labor trafficking investigations, many of which include the identification and rescue of children exploitative situations in the Houston, Texas area of responsibility. Through her position as a Special Agent, SA Baugher vets incoming human trafficking intelligence reports, responds to rescue victims in life threatening trafficking situations, kidnapping and hostage taking events, and facilitates services for rescued trafficking victims. 

SA Baugher is at the forefront of human trafficking investigations where she encounters human trafficking events regularly. SA Baugher’s day to day experience allows her to observe human trafficking patterns in real time which provides insight into currently active human trafficking tactics, techniques, and procedures providing for stronger federal criminal prosecutions through the United States Attorney’s Office. 

SA Baugher partners with local, state, and national law enforcement entities to further criminal investigations responsible for disrupting and dismantling transnational criminal organizations. 

SA Baugher serves as a Non-Commissioned Officer with the United States Army Reserves as a Counterintelligence Special Agent and a Counterintelligence Instructor at the United States Army Intelligence Center of Excellence at Fort Huachuca, Arizona. SA Baugher has served in the United States Army active for eight (8) years and completed three (3) deployments to Afghanistan in support of Operation Enduring Freedom with the 3rd Special Forces Group and the 525 Battlefield Surveillance Brigade. SA Baugher’s military awards include the Parachutist Badge, Combat Action Badge, and Meritorious Service Medal.

SA Baugher has a bachelor’s degree from Excelsior University for National Security Intelligence and Security Analysis. SA has attended the Advanced Human Trafficking Investigator Program conducted by the DHS Center for Countering Human Trafficking.

Doug Gilmer is the president and founder of Resolved Strategies, LLC, a global justice solutions group, helping connect organization with the relationships, resources, technology, and training they need while also helping build collaborative, multidisciplinary teams, to effectively address various forms of human exploitation around the world. A 35-year law enforcement veteran, the last 25 years being with the Department of Homeland Security, he finished his federal law enforcement career serving as a Senior Advisor and the Senior Law Enforcement Liaison at the Department of Homeland Security’s Center for Countering Human Trafficking (CCHT) in Washington, DC where he was responsible for external engagement, stakeholder development, national policy, and strategy implementation. Prior to his role at the CCHT he served in a variety of management, supervisory, investigative, and operational positions within Homeland Security Investigations. His work in the field of human trafficking began before the Trafficking Victims Protection Act of 2000 was enacted.

Doug is a dedicated defender of human rights and fighter against crimes such as human trafficking and child exploitation. He is passionate about building and equipping teams to effectively combat these crimes, assist victims, and hold offenders accountable for their crimes. He is in high demand across the country as a speaker, lecturer, and trainer to communities, churches, faith-based organizations, law enforcement, and on college campuses. His background and experience allow him to communicate a compelling message to deliver vital information, drive change, and direct action.

Doug Gilmer holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Interdisciplinary Studies from Liberty University in Virginia, a Master of Natural Resources and Global Sustainability degree from Virginia Tech, a Master of Counseling degree from Luther Rice University in Georgia, and a Ph.D. from Columbia International University in South Carolina where his research focus was on the organizational outcomes of collaborative, multi-disciplinary teams used in human trafficking investigations. He has completed additional courses of study at the National War College, Joint Special Operations University, and the Senior Executive Leadership course at the Defense Equal Opportunity and Management Institute. He is a member of the International Association of Chief’s of Police (IACP), serving on the IACP’s Victim Services Committee. With a strong desire to work with students and young adults, he recently served as a mentor to the 2023-2024 cohort of Frederick Douglass Fellows, a program of the Human Trafficking Institute, serves as as an adjunct professor and lecturer at multiple universities, and sits on advisory boards at both the University of Houston and the University of Central Florida.

Doug is also a proud veteran having spent career in the military, retiring in 2019 from the United States Coast Guard Reserve, where in his last assignment, he served as the Gold Badge Command Master Chief for the Coast Guard’s Fifth District, encompassing Washington, DC, the Mid-Atlantic Seaboard, and about 5000 personnel.

Ludmila “Mila” Golovine is a globally recognized leader in the language services industry and a dedicated advocate for human rights and social justice. As President and CEO of MasterWord, she transformed her UH Wolff Center for Entrepreneurship start-up into one of the world’s most respected language service providers, delivering solutions in more than 400 languages and fostering cross-cultural understanding worldwide.

Mila’s commitment to combating human trafficking and advancing systemic change aligns with the mission of the BTI Institute’s Center for Research Excellence to Counter Human Trafficking (CRECHT). Under her leadership, MasterWord joined the United Nations Global Compact and Texas Business Against Trafficking, while actively supporting organizations such as the Nomi Network, Houston20, and the United Against Human Trafficking Coalition.

Her expertise in strategic planning, research partnerships, and cross-sector collaboration has made her a key collaborator in powerful social initiatives including partnering with UNESCO’s Decade of Indigenous Languages and the Interparliamentary Taskforce on Human Trafficking. Mila is a founding member of the SAFE-AI Task Force, which champions the responsible use of technology in tackling complex language access challenges, and lends her governance and stakeholder engagement expertise as a board member and advisor to multiple organizations.

Among her many accolades, Mila has been honored with the 2023 Ernst & Young Entrepreneur of the Year Gulf Coast Area Award, the G7 Congressional Recognition for “Excellence in International Service,” and NCIHC 2024 Language Access Champion Award. Her dedication to enhancing lives through language access and her proven leadership in countering human trafficking position her as a trusted advisor and ambassador for CRECHT’s mission.

Mike Harley serves pro-bono on the U.S. Chamber of Commerce’s Taskforce to Eradicate Human Trafficking working with stakeholders, lawmakers, senior government officials, small and large businesses, and the public to create strategies to find and stop bad actors.

Mike is the Managing Director for Business Intelligence of Austin-based Next Solutions Group (NSG). The firm was recognized in 2024 as the “Top Crisis Communication Services Provider” by Business Management Review and as a “Top Reputation Management Consultancy” by the Observer for work at the C-suite level.

A polyglot and former electronic warfare operator for the National Security Agency and U.S. Special Operations Command, Mike has actively worked in the cybersecurity arena for two decades. He has tailored subject matter expertise in both the public and private sectors spanning Central and South America as well as Europe, Africa, and the Middle East and consults for the Defense Industrial Base.

He is a Bronze Star recipient with nine deployments and holds degrees from the Defense Language Institute Foreign Language Center, the National Defense University, and Middlebury Institute of International Studies.

He delivered countertrafficking training for the Government of Japan in preparation for the Tokyo 2020 Olympics and has supported numerous U.S. governors and city councils in developing strategies to reduce demand and strengthen resiliency against traffickers. His knowledge of the surface, deep, and dark web has contributed to protecting and advancing business reputations, exposing traffickers, and safely recovering survivors.

Julie Pleasant is a native-born Houstonian and fourth generation retired Texas peace officer. She currently serves as the Police Administrator over HPD’s Victim Services Division which exists to provide assistance and support to victims on their road to recovery. During her tenure, she has overseen the Unit’s growth to achieve Division status, from six advocates to staff of over fifty-six advocates, police officers, supervisors, and administrative staff. As Lieutenant, Julie created the Houston Police Department’s U-Visa Unit which began as one person and increased to five full-time employees five part-time employees to assist immigrant victims of violent crime. Julie is also co-founder of the Domestic Abuse Response Team (DART) and responsible for ensuring DART teams deliver trauma-informed care to victims of domestic violence. DART is an innovative multidisciplinary holistic approach to ensure evidence-based solutions are implemented to curb the domestic violence homicide rates. Julie is active on the Mayor’s City of Houston Women’s Commission, Harris County Domestic Violence High Risk Team, Harris County Sexual Assault Response Team, and the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council on Violence Prevention Subcommittee.

Throughout her 27-year career, Julie has sought to improve the practices and methods of Law Enforcement. That effort is now centered on changing the lens by which victims and law enforcement victim services are viewed. She holds a bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from Sam Houston State University and a master’s degree in criminology from the University of Houston Clear Lake.

Marilyn is the Survivor Advocacy Program Director at Unbound Now, where she has worked since 2023. Marilyn is a Licensed Master of Social Work and received her MSW from Texas Christian University, where she first began her work in the field of anti-trafficking. Her expertise is in advocacy for commercially sexually exploited youth and survivors of human trafficking, along with social work program monitoring and development. She is passionate about identifying individuals who are being trafficked; providing evidence-based, survivor-centered services for survivors of human trafficking; and empowering communities to collaboratively work to end human trafficking.

Marilyn has presented in the Texas Christian University Harris College Research Symposium, along with presenting an oral presentation at the Society for Social Work and Research Conference in 2023 on this research. Marilyn has received her master's degree from Texas Christian University and her bachelor's degree from Texas A&M University. She is eager to continue expanding and furthering research in the field of anti-trafficking. 

Gastón Schulmeister is the Director of the Department against Transnational Organized Crime (DTOC) at the Organization of American States (OAS) since November 2019, based in Washington, D.C. With over 20 years of experience in defense, justice, and security, Schulmeister has led strategic initiatives across both government and international organizations, focusing on the fight against organized crime, corruption, and the strengthening of hemispheric security.

In the public sector, Schulmeister held key leadership positions at the local level, where he spearheaded efforts to plan and equip the police force of the Autonomous City of Buenos Aires. At the national level, he served as Director of International Cooperation at Argentina’s Ministry of Security, where he advanced critical policies through interagency agreements and operational management for four years.

Internationally, Schulmeister has been a trusted advisor on security investment projects and technical assistance, collaborating with esteemed organizations such as the OAS, the Inter-American Development Bank (IDB), and the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime (UNODC).

Schulmeister holds a Bachelor’s degree in Political Science from the University of Buenos Aires and a Master’s degree in International Studies from Torcuato Di Tella University. He has furthered his expertise through prestigious international fellowships, including the William J. Perry Center at the National Defense University (USA), the Chevening Fellowship at the University of Bradford (UK), and the Fulbright Fellowship at the University of Delaware (USA).

In his current role at the OAS, he oversees technical and financial assistance projects aimed at combating organized crime in OAS Member States. His work includes leading initiatives on anti-money laundering, asset forfeiture and management of illicit assets, the application of special investigative techniques, and addressing human trafficking, irregular migration, and environmental crimes.

In recognition of his significant contributions to international cooperation against organized crime, Schulmeister was honored with the title of "Cavaliere dell'Ordine della Stella d'Italia" by the President of the Italian Republic in May 2017.

Austin Shamlin is a seasoned executive leader with over two decades of experience in the law enforcement, nonprofit, and defense sectors. As the Founder and CEO of the Traverse Project, he has pioneered data-driven methodologies to combat transnational human trafficking networks, built high-functioning teams, and established impactful partnerships with key stakeholders. Driven by the crucial mission of combating human trafficking, Austin founded Traverse Project in 2023.

Prior to leading Traverse Project, Austin held the position of Director of International Operations at Lantern Rescue Foundation, where he managed counter-human trafficking operations across multiple countries. His expertise in geopolitical security is particularly notable in Haiti, where he served as a Special Advisor to the Haitian Minister of Justice, contributing significantly to efforts against human trafficking.

Austin's career includes a notable tenure as a police executive within the D.C. government, where he focused on modernizing emergency management and enhancing security measures in public school. In the realm of private military companies, Austin served as Deputy Provincial Officer for Global Strategies Group in Kandahar, Afghanistan, directing security operations and managing significant assets and personnel.

His contributions also extend to EOD Technology, where he worked in both Baghdad, Iraq, and Port au Prince, Haiti. As Country Manager in Haiti, he led humanitarian efforts in the aftermath of a devastating earthquake, playing a crucial role in recovery operations and providing essential medical support to the affected population. Austin co-founded Redstone Strategies in Somalia, where he directed business operations.

Austin Shamlin is a recognized speaker at major conferences, including BlackHat USA, Defcon, and the Homeland Security Cyberfuture Summit, and is a trusted advisor in the fight against human trafficking.

Jessica M. Vaughan currently holds the position of Director of Policy Studies for the Center for Immigration Studies, where she has worked since 1992. Her area of expertise is immigration policy and operations, covering topics such as visa programs, immigration benefits, and immigration enforcement and public safety.

Vaughan teamed up in 2022 with the University of Houston’s Borders, Trade, and Immigration Institute to launch the annual Conference to Combat Human Trafficking. She has directed a Department of Justice-funded project on the use of immigration law enforcement in transnational gang suppression. In addition, she is an instructor for senior law enforcement officer training seminars at Northwestern University's Center for Public Safety in Illinois and she routinely speaks at law enforcement and academic conferences around the country.

She has testified before Congress dozens of times - most recently she testified on “The Consequences of Catch and Release at the Border” as a guest of the U.S. House Committee on Oversight and Accountability, and on “Biden and Mayorkas’ Open Border: Advancing Cartel Crime in America” as a guest of the U.S. House Committee on Homeland Security. Vaughan advises federal and state lawmakers and agencies on immigration issues as well as citizen groups interested in understanding immigration policies and impacts.

Prior to joining the Center, Mrs. Vaughan was a Foreign Service Officer with the State Department, where she served in Belgium and Trinidad & Tobago. Her articles have appeared in the Washington Post, New York Times, National Review, Boston Globe, The Economist, San Francisco Chronicle, the National Interest, Arizona Republic, and other publications, and can be found at cis.org. She is frequently cited in news media reports on immigration, and has appeared on NPR, CNN, MSNBC, Fox News, and PBS's NewsHour. She is on X (Twitter) at @JessicaV_CIS.

Mrs. Vaughan has a master's degree from Georgetown University and a bachelor's degree from Washington College in Maryland.