2025 Conference Registration

Neal Lofy is an experienced law enforcement expert with over 19 years of law enforcement experience and currently works for the State of Wisconsin. Neal was an investigator with the Racine Police Department and assigned to the Special Investigations Unit as a Special Federal Officer with the FBI on the FBI Wisconsin Human Trafficking Task Force. Neal helped create the Human Trafficking Unit within the police department and currently collaborates with local, state, and federal law enforcement agencies. He is a frequent trainer and speaker as well as a consultant regarding collaborative approaches to ending Human Trafficking, Law Enforcement operation planning, and investigating human trafficking, both national and international sex and labor cases.

He trains professionals from a variety of backgrounds and brings a victim-centered, trauma-informed approach to his work with human trafficking victims and is an associate of the National Criminal Justice Training Center of Fox Valley Technical College. Neal has taken this approach abroad, having trained internationally, and was named Top 40 under 40 in the world by the International Association of Chiefs of Police. He is also the co-founder of Fight to End Exploitation, serving as the Board President, and was recently awarded Marquette University’s Young Alumnus of the Year.

Rachel Cortez is a Registered Nurse with 28 years of experience in emergency care, currently serving as the Mobile Sexual Assault Treatment Center Supervisor and Human Trafficking Educator for Ascension Wisconsin. She has been a certified Sexual Assault Nurse Examiner (SANE) for 28 years, earning her SANE-A credential in 2012 and SANE-P credential in 2013. Throughout her career, Rachel has conducted thousands of forensic examinations for children, adolescents, and adults impacted by sexual assault, domestic violence, and human trafficking.

Since 2010, she has served as Coordinator of one of Wisconsin’s longest-running Sexual Assault Treatment Centers at Ascension All Saints in Racine. In addition to her clinical work, Rachel is a trainer for the Wisconsin Department of Justice, educating SANE nurses statewide.

Rachel’s commitment to combating human trafficking and sexual violence extends far beyond the hospital. She joined the Racine Coalition Against Human Trafficking (now Fight to End Exploitation) in 2015 and has served on FEE’s Board of Directors since 2016. She has co-chaired Racine County’s Coordinated Abuse Response Team, served as Director at Large for the Wisconsin Chapter of the International Association of Forensic Nurses, and volunteered extensively for awareness and prevention initiatives.

Today, Rachel continues to provide compassionate, expert care for survivors of sexual assault across Ascension hospitals in Milwaukee, Ozaukee, and Racine Counties, while training and advocating for stronger, survivor-centered responses statewide.

Rachel Harrison is a Kenosha Oaks Scholar and a 2012 graduate of Carthage College, where she double majored in Criminal Justice and Sociology and double minored in Political Science and Women’s and Gender Studies. Her focus in college was on the sex trafficking of women in the United States, and her thesis, “Sex Trafficking: Modern Day Slavery and a Women’s Human Rights Issue,” has been published twice since her graduation. Rachel was also awarded the Outstanding Senior of Sociology award for her academic excellence in studying human trafficking. Rachel has been with Fight to End Exploitation (FEE) since 2014, and she started off as a volunteer victim advocate and board member before getting hired on as FEE’s Advocacy Coordinator and then Program Director in response to FEE’s continued growth. She is also a speaker and an educator on the subject of human trafficking, and has spoken in front of thousands of people over the years, ranging from students and educators to law enforcement personnel and politicians. Rachel has written articles for local newspapers, has been interviewed by major news outlets, including Spectrum News 1 and Fox News, and has been a guest on many podcasts, including: As Goes Wisconsin, Riggs off the Radio, 103.7 KISS FM Public Affairs, and Cripescast. Outside of FEE, she is a professional stunt performer and skydiver and member of SAG-AFTRA.

Karri Hemmig is the co-founder and senior advisor of Fight to End Exploitation, a recognized leader and collaborative network that fights human trafficking in Wisconsin. With over 25 years of non-profit development experience, she has received numerous awards recognizing her innovative strategies in anti-trafficking work, including the first recipient of the City of Racine’s Unsung Hero Award. Karri first developed and now oversees a specialized, professional advocacy team that has assisted over 550 sex and labor trafficking victims. She is a member of several law enforcement task forces and participates in proactive recovery efforts in partnership with federal, state, and regional agencies. She specializes in developing and leading customized training for professionals who work with sexually exploited and high-risk individuals. Karri also serves as the human trafficking support specialist for the Racine Police Department in Racine, WI, and as an associate and subject matter expert with the National Criminal Justice Training Center of Fox Valley Technical College.

Emmy is a survivor, leader, and advocate who transformed her lived experience into a mission of hope and change through founding Lacey’s Hope Project. As a sought-after speaker, she shares powerful insight into the realities of sex trafficking while equipping communities with tools for prevention and healing. Beyond her advocacy, Emmy brings extensive for-profit and non-profit leadership experience and is known for her mentorship, team building, and commitment to excellence. Her unique perspective makes her a trusted voice of resilience, restoration, and empowerment.

Mike Blaser (BSE, MS-OCL/PM)– Law Enforcement Leader, Crisis Intervention Specialist, Instructor

Mike Blaser is a seasoned law enforcement professional with over 25 years of distinguished service. He began his career in Waunakee, Wisconsin, in 1998 and spent the majority of his tenure with the Janesville Police Department, retiring as a lieutenant. Throughout his career, Mike served in a variety of roles, including patrol, narcotics, SWAT, and crisis intervention—bringing innovation and compassion to each assignment.

During his time in crisis intervention, Mike pioneered changes to SWAT protocols for responding to barricaded suicidal subjects, emphasizing safety and empathy. He also championed scenario-based training, helping make it a standard practice for officer in-service programs.

Mike holds a bachelor’s degree in education from UW–Whitewater and a master’s degree in Organizational Change Leadership with a focus on Project Management(MS-OCL/PM) from UW–Platteville. He has completed over 4,000 hours of specialized training in tactics, leadership, trauma response, and crisis management.

As a certified instructor in communication, de-escalation, CRASE, Rescue Task Force, and trauma preparedness, Mike has trained law enforcement, paramedics, and medical staff across the U.S. and internationally. His presentations on ACEs (Adverse Childhood Experiences), trauma mitigation, and stress management have earned wide recognition.
Mike is an active member of Phi Kappa Phi and a regular contributor to the Rural Opioid Technical Assistance Regional Center (ROTA-RC) newsletter. Since 2015, he has served as an instructor for Mercyhealth, where he helped launch Classroom Casualty Care and now leads a team of ten instructors delivering scenario-based training to employees, residents, and first responders. His current focus is on employee wellness and retention, particularly within careers experiencing work-related trauma.

Lieutenant Sarah Zupke serves with the Racine Police Department, where she oversees General Investigations, Major Crimes, the Traffic Unit, and the Identification Unit. With more than 17 years in law enforcement, she has served in roles ranging from patrol officer and investigator to sergeant and now lieutenant. She leads the department’s runaway and missing child investigations, coordinates complex responses to sensitive crimes, and works closely with community partners to ensure victim-centered approaches. A graduate of Leadership Racine, she is also Commander of the Peer Support and Honor Guard Teams, and has earned numerous commendations for her service. Her career reflects a deep commitment to protecting vulnerable youth, addressing human trafficking, and fostering collaborative solutions to community safety.