Lynn Rosenthal

Lynn Rosenthal, M.P.A., is an American policy maker, expert, activist, and consultant for gender-based violence, sexual assault, and domestic violence serving as the first White House Advisor on Violence Against Women appointed by President Barrack Obama and Vice President Joe Biden in 2009. Rosenthal is the Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Population Affairs and the director of the Office of Adolescent Health. At the Department of Health and Human Services, Rosenthal is the Director of Sexual Violence and Gender-Based Violence. Rosenthal serves as the president of The Center for Family Safety and Healing. Previously, Rosenthal was the director of Violence Against Women Initiatives for the Biden Foundation in 2017.

Education

Rosenthal holds a bachelor's degree in social work from Florida State University. Her Master's degree is in public administration from Ohio University.

Activism

Rosenthal started her activism work for gender-based violence and sexual assault at the grassroots level. She was the of a director of local violence shelter and rape crisis center in Florida. Her grassroots work consisted of fifteen years in reproductive health. The first ten years of her work in reproductive health care, Rosenthal was a health educator, clinic adminsitrator, and community organizer in Florida. As an expert in domestic violence, Rosenthal has specialized knowledge about the links between domestic violence and housing, state and local coordinated community responses, federal policy, and survived-centered activism.

From 1988-1992, Rosenthal represented North Florida Women's Health & Counseling Services, an outpatient women's health center providing reproductive health care. While congruently serving as the executive director, Rosenthal acted as the clinic's media spokesperson.

From 1992 to 1995, Rosenthal was the Executive Director for Refuge House, a battered women's and rape crisis center in North Florida serving eight counties. Her leadership improved the center's community reputation and financial stability. Rosenthal increased their United Way funding by 50%. Rosenthal founded a sexual violence outreach program to serve three rural counties in North Florida while director.

Domestic Violence Coalitions

Florida

From 1995 to 1999, Rosenthal directed the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence, comprising 38 domestic violence centers serving over 74,000 people. Rosenthal participated in the alliance and task force development as well as advocating in the legislature. As director, she served as the media spokesperson and grew funding from $400,000 to $2.6 million. Rosenthal created new models of service for rural domestic violence shelters and developed innovative legal strategies. Rosenthal's first appearance on C-SPAN was for a 1999 Congressional News Conference representing the Florida Coalition Against Domestic Violence. In this appearance, Rosenthal discussed gun control legislation in the context of domestic and family violence, urging the Republican-controlled Congress to approve gun control legislation.

New Mexico

Lynn Rosenthal, the Executive Director for National Network to End Domestic Violence, served as a witness in the Judiciary Committee in Congress for the Reauthorization of the Violence Against Women Act

While serving as the executive director of the New Mexico Coalition Against Domestic Violence, Rosenthal took on the role of media spokesperson. She coordinated the collaboration of over thirty domestic violence centers from July 2008 to June 2009. Rosenthal represented the Coalition in the New Mexico State legislature. Her efforts in the coalition elevated the capacity of domestic violence centers through technical assistance and training.

National Network to End Domestic Violence

Serving as the executive director for the National Network to End Domestic Violence (2000-2006), Rosenthal represented 54 state and territorial domestic violence coalitions in Congress which collectively included over 2000 local domestic violence initiatives. As executive director, Rosenthal outreached to corporate leaders to fundraise initiatives to address violence against women. In 2000 and 2005, Rosenthal was an important player in the reviving the Violence Against Women Act, speaking as the Executive Director of the National Network to End Domestic Violence as a witness in the Senate Judiciary Committee. After its reauthorization, Rosenthal aided communities to implement the federal legislation.

White House Advisor

In July 2009, Lynn Rosenthal was appointed by president Barack Obama and vice president Joe Biden to become the first White House Advisor on Violence Against Women in the United States. From 2009 to 2015, Rosenthal was a senior advisor to Biden and the first appointed White House Advisor on Violence Against Women. In Rosenthal's appointment speech, Vice President Biden described Rosenthal as "passionate about these issues and knows them backwards and forwards. And as a former director of a shelter, she’s also seen the human face of this tragic problem. She will be a leader in this White House in stopping the violence and sexual assault of women and will be an integral part of this Administration." For five years, Rosenthal collaborated with Biden to innovate methods to reduce domestic violence and sexual violence while engaging with communities. Rosenthal developed and led new initiatives to address sexual violence, reduce domestic violence homicides, address HIV/AIDS health disparities, worked to prevent teen dating violence, and improve workplace responses to gender-based violence. During Rosenthal's time as a White House Advisor, she wrote for the White House blog for five years. The policy work as White House Advisor led to improvements to the Violence Against Women Act.

In addition to becoming the White House Advisor on Violence Against Women, Rosenthal represented Vice President Biden on the White House Council on Women and Girls. Rosenthal also co-chaired the Federal Interagency Working Group on HIV/AIDS and Violence Against Women.

White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault

Rosenthal and Vice President Biden co-chaired the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault. Rosenthal acted as a key advisor for the task force's recommendations to president Barack Obama. The Task Force's primary mission was to work with agencies to coordinate a federal response to campus rape and sexual assault. The Task Force only acted in an advisory capacity to make recommendations. The objectives of the Task Force were as follows:

• Provide evidence-based practices to institutions to prevent and respond to campus rape and sexual assault
• Ensure institutions comply with the legal obligations to prevent and respond to rape and assault
• Address rape and sexual assault by facilitating coordination between agencies
• Consult with external stakeholders including institution officials, parents, student groups, athletic and education association, local rape crisis centers, and law enforcement agencies
• Evaluate proposals and recommendations for secondary school and elementary school districts

Within one year of the memorandum passing for the White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault, a report was provided to the President with implementation efforts.

Gender-based violence advocacy

The Center for Family Safety and Healing

From March 2019 to December 2022, Lynn Rosenthal served as the President for The Center for Family Safety and Healing at Nationwide Children's Hospital in Columbus, Ohio. The Center for Family Safety and Healing is a multi-service organization that provides child advocacy services, maternal health care, and domestic violence services. The goal for the Center for Family Safety and Healing is to break cycles of child abuse and family violence through an integrated approach. As President, Rosenthal worked closely with local activists and community partners, such as the Franklin County Children’s Service, Columbus Division of Police, Columbus City Prosecutor Office, Ohio Domestic Violence Network, and CHOICES for Victims of Domestic Violence. In addition to these partnerships, Rosenthal united diverse groups of community organizations to fully address the elements of family violence, including domestic violence, child abuse, child neglect, teen dating abuse, and elder abuse.

President Joe Biden, joined by Defense Secretary Lloyd Austin and Chair of the Independent Review Commission on Military Sexual Assault Lynn Rosenthal, signs an executive order for 2022 Amendments to the Manual for Courts-Martial, strengthening the military justice system’s response to gender-based violence, Wednesday, January 26, 2022, in the Oval Office. (Official White House Photo by Adam Schultz)

Independent Review Commission on Military Sexual Assault

As directed by President Joe Biden, Secretary of Defense Lloyd J. Austin III ordered a 90-day Independent Review Commission on Military Sexual Assault to make policy recommendations to address sexual assault and harassment in the U.S. military. In 2021, Secretary Austin appointed Rosenthal to chair the IRC. The IRC made 82 recommendations in four lines of effort: accountability, prevention, climate and culture, and victim care and support. In July 2021, president Joe Biden endorsed the Secretary of Defense's announcement to accept the core recommendations created by the IRC. The adopted policy recommendations removed the investigation and prosecution of sexual assault from the chain of command and created specialized units to handle sexual violence cases and crimes. According to the announcement, sexual assault crimes occurring in the U.S. military will be prosecuted under the Uniform Code of Military Justice to the fullest extent. In Biden's endorsement of the IRC, Lynn Rosenthal was specifically thanked for leading the IRC and her decades of work to end gender-based violence and sexual assault.

While being on the IRC as chair, Rosenthal appeared before the House Armed Services Subcommittee Hearing on Sexual Assault in the Military. Rosenthal spoke behalf on the IRC presented a joint statement in testimony to the House. Rosenthal clarified to the House Committee that since leadership is so important in the military structure, the reforms recommended by the IRC targeted leadership specifically. She also stated that changing the military justice system alone will not reduce sexual assault without investing in preventing, improving command climates, and enhancing victim care.

Director of Sexual and Gender-based Violence at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services

As the Director of Sexual and Gender-based Violence at the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services, Rosenthal leads the Department to implement the National Plan to End Gender-based Violence. Rosenthal began working as the Director in 2022.

National Domestic Violence Hotline

After Rosenthal's White House service, she acted as the Vice President for Strategic Partnerships for the National Domestic Violence Hotline. The hotline provides 24/7 access to resources and support specifically serving teen and young adult relationships. The Board of Directors oversees governance for the hotline as an organization to set the vision and strategic direction. The mission of the hotline is to shift power back to those impacted by abuse in relationships.

Deputy Assistant Secretary for the Office of Population Affairs

As the Deputy Assistant, Rosenthal oversees sexual and reproductive health services. Rosenthal began this role in July 2024. The Office of Population Affairs that Rosenthal oversees services advance health outcomes and adolescent health and wellbeing. Their mission is to support high-quality clinical services, evidence-based programs, and research and evaluation in order to inform policy and engage communities. As Deputy Assistant, Rosenthal also serves as the Director of the Office of Adolescent Health under the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services.

Consulting

As a consultant in Washington D.C., Rosenthal's focus is on collecting knowledge and bringing innovation together to build movement-based organizations. Her mission is to end gender-based violence by inspiring groups and organizations to act. As a consultant, Rosenthal achieves her mission through public speaking, teaching, creating public policy, and building strong organizations. Her work extends from the local and state levels to the federal level.

Schools, government agencies, and services providers are the focus for Rosenthal's policy developments to improve responses to domestic violence and sexual assault and end the conditions allowing the violence to occur. Rosenthal specializes in strategic planning for smaller organizations by determining their strengths, values, and environments of change. She hopes to inspire audiences through her keynote speeches and interactive workshops to end gender-based violence. In addition, her services include policy and program development, strategic planning, and meeting facilitation.

Distinctions

External Videos
Lynn Rosenthal, November 5, 1999 - c. January 1, 2001, C-SPAN
Lynn Rosenthal, National Network to End Domestic Violence, August 29, 2001, C-SPAN
Adviser, Women's Outreach and Initiatives Office, White House February 1, 2009, C-SPAN
Adviser, Violence Against Women, White House, Lynn Rosenthal, January 1, 2011, C-SPAN
Chair, Independent Review Commission on Sexual Assault in the Military, Department of Defense, February February 26, 202 C-SPAN

Lynn Rosenthal has been widely recognized at the local, state, and federal levels as a key player in policy and sexual and domestic violence advocacy. In 1999, the Florida Governor's Peace at Home Award was given to Rosenthal for making a difference in battered women and children's lives. In 2005, Doris Buffet's National Sunshine Lady Foundation distinguished Rosenthal to honor her work on the Violence Against Women Act. Additionally, the Sheila Wellstone Institute awarded Rosenthal as the first recipient of the National Advocacy Award in 2006. In 2023, Rosenthal gave the opening welcome speech at the National Sexual Assault Conference.

When Lynn Rosenthal concluded her time at the White House in 2016 at the end of the Obama administration, Vice President Biden made a speech about her departure honoring her time and dedication. Biden acknowledged her critical presence while he drafted the Violence Against Women Act twenty years earlier and its reauthorization in 2000 and 2005. He also recognized her work to prevent domestic violence homicides, extending protections to Native American women, and LGBTQ+ Americans.

Publications

• "Availability of Family Violence Services for Military Service Members and Their Families" RAND Corporation, November 25, 2019.

See also

• White House Task Force to Protect Students from Sexual Assault
• Violence Against Women Act
• Sexual harassment in the military
• Campus sexual assault
• Domestic violence in the United States
• Biden Administration
• Sexual assault in the United States military