CJE was founded in April 2006 by a small group of concerned Marin County residents who believed that community involvement will strengthen our judiciary. What began as an informal discussion in a San Rafael living room has grown into an effective national research and education nonprofit that protects the rights of abused children in family courts across the United States.
Stephen Burdo, Treasurer
Stephen Burdo brings many years of nonprofit management and strategic consulting experience to the CJE Board. He served as a staff consultant and helped build CJE during its first eight years and was instrumental in developing our bylaws and helping us pass multiple child safety laws in California. Stephen joined the Board in 2018 and now works as a Public Information Officer at Contra Costa County and serves as the Mayor of San Anselmo.
Marivic Mabanag, President
Marivic Mabanag is a nationally recognized policy leader, activist, and social entrepreneur who has helped guide CJE’s success for more than a decade. She has served on the staff of four Mayors and as the Chief Executive of the California State Domestic Violence Coalition. Marivic has also launched programs for homeless young women and worked on statewide youth violence prevention initiatives in California.
Originally from the Philippines, Marivic Mabanag came to the U.S. when she received a scholarship to Wellesley College in Massachusetts and where she was selected as the Commencement Speaker. Marivic is the Co-Founder of the Filipino-American Democratic Caucus of the California Democratic Party. She continues to be involved in various national initiatives for the empowerment of minorities, women, and youth.
Darrel Riley, Secretary
Darrel Riley is a protective father whose two teenage daughters were abducted from a Seattle courtroom and forced into the dangerous Family Bridges “threat therapy” reunification camp in April 2016. Since then, Darrel has spent countless hours researching and advocating for the closure of these court-ordered brainwashing programs. He has provided invaluable education and emotional support to countless parents who find themselves battling to protect their children from barbaric reunification camp or “threat therapy” placements.
Darrel has written powerfully about the historic racism that his African American and Native American ancestors endured and how his daughters were raised to appreciate the sacrifices made by their ancestors. He also speaks about how Family Bridges tried to convince his daughters that their African American and Native American father was a “pathogen,” the term used to dehumanize Jews before they were exterminated by the Nazis. He brings an essential survivor’s perspective to our child safety work.
Darrel played a pivotal role in educating United States Senate offices about his daughters’ harrowing experience and the dangers of “threat therapy.” His efforts helped ensure the passage of Kayden’s Law’s as part of the Violence Against Women Act in March 2022. Darrel also participated in a panel discussion with the producers of the HBO mini-series Allen v. Farrow. Darrel hasn’t seen his younger daughter Madeleine since 2016, when the court ordered her to Family Bridges, while his daughter Arianna emancipated before she turned 18 in order to live with him. Darrel is a longtime employee of King County and devotes countless volunteer hours to supporting protective parents as a CJE Board member.
Mary Lee Strebl, Founding Board Member & Angel Benefactor
It is with great sadness that we report the June 2022 passing of CJE’s Angel Benefactor and one of our founding board members, Mary Lee Strebl.
Mary Lee never wavered in her generosity and commitment to our challenging social justice work, and without her financial support, none of CJE’s victories would have been possible for 17 years. We will never forget Mary Lee’s kind, gentle, and compassionate way in the world, her commitment to litigant support through our crisis line, and her steadfast involvement in every accomplishment we celebrated. In honor of Mary Lee’s longstanding support, we continue to fight for child safety in family courts and to honor her legacy on behalf of America’s most vulnerable children.
Jean Taylor, Founding Board President
In more sad news, CJE’s longtime Board President and visionary leader Jean Taylor passed away in January 2024 after after a valiant seven-year struggle to recover from a major stroke. Jean’s leadership was pivotal during the organization’s formative first decade, from 2006 through 2016. Jean’s fierce dedication to child safety, to social justice, and to community service was infectious, and she received numerous awards for her tremendous impact, including Marin’s Martin Luther King Jr. Humanitarian of the Year Award and the Heart of Marin’s Volunteer of the Year award, and she was also inducted into the Marin Women’s Hall of Fame. Jean was forced to retire from the Board in early 2017 after her unexpected stroke, but her founding spirit and tremendous legacy lives on in the work we do each and every day. CJE would not be where we are today without Jean’s steadfast commitment to child safety and family court reform.
