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From Rural Roots to National Advocacy: Long-Time Advocate Francine Garland Stark Awarded NNEDV DREAM Award

June 26, 2025

Rooted in rural Maine and reaching survivors across the country. Francine Garland Stark has been named the 2025 recipient of NNEDV’s DREAM Award, honoring four decades of advocacy, mentorship, and transformative leadership.

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Contact: Communications@NNEDV.org

Washington, DC – Francine Garland Stark, a lifelong advocate shaped by her rural Maine upbringing, has been named the 2025 recipient of the National Network to End Domestic Violence’s (NNEDV) national Diane Reese Excellence in Advocacy in the Movement (DREAM) Award. This award honors individuals who embody the spirit and promise of true advocacy in all aspects of life – those who lead with integrity, and emulate a commitment to clear and ethical communication, an eagerness to collaborate in the spirit of true partnership, and a deep respect for the dignity, worth, and humanity of all people.

2025 marks Francine’s 40th year in the movement to end abuse and violence. Since 2015, Francine has served as the Executive Director of the Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence (MCEDV), one of NNEDV’s member coalitions. Her journey began at a Vermont helpline and continued through grassroots roles with Spruce Run, a feminist collective (now Partners for Peace), and Hope & Justice Project in Maine.

“Francine represents the very heart of the movement,” said Stephanie Love-Patterson, NNEDV President & CEO. “She leads with clarity and compassion, with deep roots in community and a vision of a better, more just world for everyone. NNEDV and the domestic violence field are stronger because of leaders like Francine, and we are proud to honor her legacy and continued impact with this award.”

At Spruce Run, Francine became known for her powerful training and mentorship, helping shape generations of advocates who remain in the movement today. At Hope & Justice Project, Francine and her colleagues participated in Praxis International’s first Advocacy Learning Center cohort; in 2018, through Francine’s leadership and vision, MCEDV implemented the Praxis approach into core advocacy trainings statewide.

Francine also advanced survivor leadership by recruiting and hiring survivors who had previously received services, a powerful approach that deepened the organization’s survivor-centered values, increasing and elevating the national focus on survivor leadership.

“Francine Garland Stark is a dedicated leader with a vision of a better world for all people. For 40 years, she has brought that commitment, leadership, and vision to this movement,” said Regina Rooney, MCEDV Programming Director. “She often reminds us that we need to work for ‘a higher bar than safety’ and that what we are seeking is to create a world in which all people can be joyful, healthy, and free.”

As Executive Director of the MCEDV, Francine has strengthened the coalition’s membership and public policy reach, rooted in community, and leading with issues that truly impact survivors’ lives and well-being. She has also reinforced the importance of economic justice in safety work. During the pandemic, Francine and several generous donors launched the Liberation Fund: a flexible, low-barrier financial assistance fund to help advocates meet survivors’ needs.

Francine’s leadership is marked by humility, humor, and a deep belief in collaboration and consensus-building. She is known for encouraging non-violent language, championing decision-making, and showing up for survivors and colleagues alike with generosity, thoughtfulness, and grace.

Throughout her four-decade career, Francine has built new alliances to improve responses to both survivors and those who abuse. Her work has significantly impacted different sectors where survivors come for help, including clergy, health care, prosecution, law enforcement, employers, elder abuse professionals, DV intervention programs, and child welfare. Francine’s experience growing up in rural Maine grounded her in the inequities and concerns facing rural people, and she has remained an advocate for rural communities her whole life.

NNEDV was proud to present Francine with the DREAM Award on June 27 during our Coalition Leadership Summit.

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The National Network to End Domestic Violence (NNEDV) represents the 56 state and U.S. territorial coalitions against domestic violence. NNEDV is a social change organization working to create a social, political, and economic environment in which domestic violence no longer exists. NNEDV works to make domestic violence a national priority, change the way society responds to domestic violence, and strengthen domestic violence advocacy at every level.

The Maine Coalition to End Domestic Violence (MCEDV) advocates for the right of all people to live free from domestic abuse and all forms of violence. MCEDV envisions a world where respect is our norm, and where all people thrive in their homes and communities – nurtured, healthy, joyful, and free.