(COLUMBUS, Ohio) — One group and three individuals dedicated to serving victims of violent crime were honored this afternoon by Ohio Attorney General Dave Yost on the second day of the 2026 Two Days in May Conference on Victim Assistance in Columbus.
The statewide awards, presented each year as part of the gathering of professionals who work in advocacy and support, recognize the exceptional work being done to aid and empower crime victims and survivors in Ohio.
Nearly 1,000 people attended the 2026 event, held Monday and today at the Hilton Columbus Downtown.
During his opening remarks on Monday, AG Yost reflected on the evolution of victim advocacy, praising the advocates, survivors and service providers who help guide Ohioans through trauma and the criminal justice system.
“Justice doesn’t happen because of a system alone – people create justice,” Yost said. “For thousands of years, victims were the forgotten people in the justice system. The work all of you do ensures survivors are seen and heard and never left to navigate darkness alone.”
At his final Two Days in May conference as attorney general, Yost also recalled his early years as a prosecutor and the impact that survivors and advocates had on him.
“You are the hope carriers, the light bearers,” Yost said. “You are helping to set the world right again.”
The conference, marking its 34th year, included a keynote presentation on empowerment, violence prevention and burnout avoidance among advocacy professionals, and a plenary session exploring survivor-led advocacy and lessons learned one year after the enactment of Ohio’s law on technology-assisted stalking and tracking. Also featured were 35 workshops covering topics related to victim services, trauma-informed care and emerging issues in advocacy.
This year’s awards and the winners are:
Special Courage Award, which honors an individual who has demonstrated strength, resilience and perseverance in serving crime victims.
Winner: Jane Keiffer, executive director of the Artemis Center
Jane Keiffer, who has spent 30 years at the Artemis Center and now serves as its executive director, is widely respected for her unwavering survivor‑first commitment and her ability to solve problems collaboratively, qualities that proved essential when Montgomery County suddenly lost its only sexual‑assault service provider in 2024. Determined to prevent survivors from being left without support, Keiffer led Artemis in expanding its mission beyond domestic‑violence services, building new partnerships with medical providers, working closely with the Montgomery County Prosecutor’s Office, and securing state funding and training to launch rape‑crisis services in 2025. Colleagues credit Keiffer’s leadership, passion, and expertise for ensuring that survivors are never left to navigate trauma alone. A longtime advocate, trainer, expert witness and community volunteer, Keiffer continues to build a stronger, more compassionate safety net for those affected by violence.
Success Through Collaboration , which recognizes partnerships, programs or organizations that embrace collaboration to meet a need, make a change, improve a practice or solve a problem, with the team approach yielding real benefits for victims.
Winner: Civil Protection Order Team of the Hamilton County Domestic Violence Task Force, Hamilton County Domestic Relations Court
Once plagued by inefficiency, poor communication and high dismissal rates, the civil protection process in Hamilton County Domestic Relations Court has seen major improvements under Judge Anne Flottman, who joined the court in 2023 and has since become its administrative judge. After a serious process failure highlighted systemic problems, she partnered with Hamilton County Sheriff Charmaine McGuffey to form a Domestic Violence Task Force, bringing together dozens of stakeholders to identify and solve recurring issues. Judge Flottman also created a Dedicated Domestic Violence Team and a specialized Domestic Violence Civil Protection Order Team, which helped to improve communication with petitioners, training for magistrates, the court’s coordination with law enforcement, service instructions, on‑site advocacy support, and procedural tweaks. The reforms have helped the court to lower its average dismissal rate for protection orders from 77% to 69%. This routine collaboration fosters a more inclusive and effective system, ensuring better protection for domestic‑violence survivors.
Robert Denton Special Achievement , which honors an individual with at least five years of experience in the field of victim assistance who has demonstrated leadership in the crime victim’s rights movement.
Winner: Dr. Robert Shapiro, director of the Mayerson Center for Safe and Healthy Children at Cincinnati Children’s Medical Center Hospital
Dr. Robert Shapiro, a pioneer in child abuse pediatrics in Ohio, has spent more than 40 years advancing the protection and care of vulnerable children, culminating in his leadership of the Mayerson Center for Safe and Healthy Children at Cincinnati Children’s, the nation’s first hospital‑based Child Advocacy Center. Motivated early in his career by the difficulties pediatricians faced in identifying abuse, he built research partnerships, co‑founded the hospital’s Child Abuse Team, and led the establishment of the multidisciplinary Mayerson Center, which now evaluates more than 2,000 children annually and serves as a national model. Colleagues praise his empathy, collaboration and unwavering child‑centered focus, qualities that also fueled his more recent effort to create Joining Forces for Children, a community‑wide prevention initiative. As he prepares to retire on June 30, Dr. Shapiro leaves a transformative legacy that reshaped systems of care, strengthened community partnerships, and set the foundation for ongoing progress in protecting children and supporting families.
Dr. Kenneth Yeager Compassionate Leadership in Advocacy Award, which honors an individual who leads by example and is a boots-on-the-ground presence in neighborhoods and the larger community when assessing needs and devising solutions. The individual meets people “where they are” and sees the big picture of victim needs.
Winner: Hope Dudley, founder and CEO of UCanSpeakForMe
Hamilton resident Serina Knight met Hope Dudley on the day Knight’s 18‑year‑old son was killed. In her deepest grief, she found comfort, guidance and practical help from Dudley, who has spent nearly two decades supporting families of homicide victims since she herself lost a son in a 2007 shooting that remains unsolved. Motivated by her experience and the lack of resources she encountered, Dudley created the nonprofit UCanSpeakForMe and began producing personalized flyers, posters and other materials to keep unsolved cases visible, a grass-roots effort that authorities say has helped solve numerous homicides in the Cincinnati area. Now 75, Dudley continues partnering with law enforcement, Crime Stoppers and state prisons to generate leads in the region’s 5,000 cold cases, all the while offering emotional and hands‑on support to grieving families. Admired by advocates and survivors alike for her compassion, persistence and strength, Dudley is widely regarded as a vital source of hope and advocacy for those navigating the unimaginable loss of a loved one to violence.
Also in May, the Missing Persons Unit of the Ohio Bureau of Criminal Investigation – part of the Ohio Attorney General’s Office – coordinates the state’s participation in the National Missing Children’s Day Poster Contest. The contest promotes awareness of missing children and encourages parents, teachers and students to discuss child safety. Open to all fifth-grade students, the first-place poster advances to the national competition.
As part of a long-standing tradition, the Two Days in May organizers also welcomed and honored the 2026 Ohio contest winners. All three top finishers are students of art teacher Laura Courtright at Bataan Intermediate School in Port Clinton.
— Press Release
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