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Erin Merryn
Executive Director
Erin Merryn is an internationally recognized author, speaker, and child abuse advocate and activist. She earned her MSW from Aurora University in 2009. For six years of her childhood she was sexually abused keeping her secret locked away in her childhood diary. Before graduating Schaumburg high school in 2004 Erin published her diary into a book called Stolen Innocence her senior year of high school. She has since published 4 more books. Since 2007 she has been on a mission to pass Erin’s Law in all 50 states. Erin’s Law requires age appropriate personal body safety education taught every year in school K-12th grade. Teaching kids on safe touch, unsafe touch, safe secrets, and unsafe secrets empowering kids to use their voice if someone is abusing them. Erin’s Law currently is in 38 states and Kerala, India and about to be passed in Ontario Canada. Erin has appeared on Oprah, Today, Good Morning America, CBS This Morning, NBC Nightly News, CNN, FOX, Katie Couric, Tamron Hall, among hundreds of local news stations. She appeared on the TLC network documentary Breaking the Silence. She has appeared in the New York Times, USA Today, Time Magazine, People Magazine, Glamour Magazine, New York Post, Chicago Tribune, among many state local news outlets. She is a national spokesperson for the National Children’s Alliance.
In 2010 Daily Herald named her the newsmaker of the year. In 2012 Glamour Magazine named her woman of the year where she gave her acceptance speech on stage at Carnegie Hall in NYC. Prevent Child Abuse Illinois awarded her the Friend of Children Award for her commitment to children to assure children have safe, healthy, and loving environments in 2012. People Magazine named her a HEROES Among Us and one of fifteen women changing the world in 2013. She received the Dr. Henry C. Lee Award in 2014 for her work helping sexual assault survivors. The Children’s Advocacy Center awarded her with the Champion of Children’s Award in 2014. In 2015 President Obama signed the federal version of Erin’s Law. Which provided federal funds to teach it. In 2016 she was selected as the Young Alumni Excellence Award from WIU where she earned her BSW. The National Association of Social Workers named her with the Outstanding Achievement Award in 2020.
She speaks at child abuse prevention events, middle, high school and colleges across the world. Credited with helping nonprofits raise millions of dollars. She has helped dozens of students come forward disclosing their own abuse after hearing her present.
She runs Erin’s Law 501c4 since 2011 testifying at state capitols in more than half the country. Erin’s Law Foundation 501c3 she founded in June 2023. With the mission to educate and empower children and adults on the prevention and healing of child sexual abuse. Her vision for the last twenty years is to give children the voice she never had and end the silent epidemic surrounding child sexual abuse. When she isn’t traveling the world testifying to legislators or speaking on stages to students and adults, she is raising four children with her husband.
Paula Meyer Besler, JD
Board President
Paula Meyer Besler has served as the Board President of Erin’s Law Foundation since its inception in June, 2023. She is the President and Founder of ON BEHALF OF, LLC, a professional advocacy and training organization advocating for survivors and the prevention of sexual abuse and exploitation. Before founding ON BEHALF OF, Paula was a Managing Attorney for the Chicago Alliance Against Exploitation (CAASE) where she represented survivors of sexual exploitation, sexual assault and sex trafficking. It was there where Paula had the honor of representing Erin and getting to know her determination and character first hand. Upon leaving CAASE, Paula agreed to join Erin in her imperative mission to launch Erin’s Law Foundation “to educate and empower children and adults on the prevention and healing of child abuse.”
Paula's entire career has been devoted to using her legal and leadership voice to represent and benefit exploited individuals and to make the systems that serve them better. From healthcare to human trafficking and sexual harm and exploitation, the through lines of her work are in how she can shape policies and community responses to create a healthier and more just society. Paula was a civil trial attorney and managing partner in Chicago for many years, as well as an adjunct law professor for 10 years during that time. Paula also was a Director of Community and Government Relations government at Illinois' largest healthcare system as well as an Executive for an anti-sex trafficking non-profit organization.
Paula graduated cum laude with a Business degree from University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign and received her law degree from Loyola University Chicago of Law. Paula also has completed her coursework for her LL.M. (Masters of Law) in Child & Family Law, Abuse and Neglect and is in the process of completing her thesis project. Paula is married with four children.
Dario Zanichelli, CPA
Treasurer
Jennifer Samartano
Member
Danny Langloss
Secretary
Julianna Margulies
Advisory Member
Dario Zanichelli
Treasure
Jennifer Samartano
Member