About

About

Tammy Maiers is a relationship abuse prevention activist in Minnesota. She is the Founder & President of the “VALed (Variations of Abuse Learning in education) Organization”.  For personal reasons, Tammy is tenacious in stopping the cycle of abuse.  It’s a priority of hers that teens learn healthy relationship skills early, before unhealthy relationship patterns are set.  Furthermore, identifying the variations of psychological abuse is paramount, because psychological abuse is just as damaging as bruises.

Tammy received a graduate degree from St. Cloud State University, through which she also lived & studied at Alnwick Castle in England. She enjoys her career as a Speech-Language Pathologist at an elementary school, where she incorporates the family’s beloved Labsky, S’mores, into speech therapy sessions. She loves being a mom to her three boys. Her hobbies include playing tennis, pickleball, & guitar, enjoying various water sports, cheering on (and praying for!) the Minnesota Vikings, reading classic literature, traveling, and camping.

"American secondary education prepares students academically to earn a diploma or college degree, yet history & current statistics prove that students are significantly ill-prepared regarding social-emotional skills pertaining to intimate relationships. The graduate's goal of becoming financially secure can feel futile if one ends up in an abusive relationship because relationships with an abuser comes with a cost. It will cost the victim money, such as a costly litigated divorce or court proceedings and years of subsequent trauma-focused therapy for the victim (& their children). Ultimately, the cost could even be one's life. It is my mission to equip students for success by preventing the cycle of physical &/or psychological abuse for the next generations. This is accomplished by empowering teens with Relationship Health Education.
Tammy Maiers
VALed Founder

The "VALed" Organization is named in honor of Tammy's mother, Val, who survived 37 years of domestic violence & abuse. She filed for divorce and is an example of strength & courage for all women; it's never too late to leave.

val-ed, val-education, Domestic abuse, Domestic Violence, Intimate Partner Abuse, Intimate Partner Violence, Relationship abuse, Relationship violence, Dating Abuse, Dating violence, Teen Dating Abuse, Teen Dating violence, Physical abuse, Physical violence, Emotional abuse, Verbal abuse, Sexual abuse, Financial abuse, Covert abuse, Overt abuse, Cycle of abuse, Power and control, Psychological abuse, Mental abuse, Controlling behavior, Gaslighting, Manipulation, crazy-making, Blame-shifting, minimizing, triangulation, tammy maiers, nicole middendorf

Meet Our Board of Directors

Tammy Maiers

Tammy Maiers

President & Founder

Tammy Maiers is a relationship abuse prevention activist in Minnesota. She is the Founder & President of the “VALed (Violence & Abuse Learning in education) Organization”. For various personal reasons, she is passionate about stopping the cycle of abuse.

Angela Denker

Angela Denker

Secretary

Rev. Angela Denker is an ELCA pastor and veteran journalist. She has written for many publications, including Sports Illustrated, the Washington Post, and FORTUNE magazine. Denker has appeared on CNN, BBC, SkyNews, and NPR to share her research on politics and Christian Nationalism in the U.S.

Nicole Middendorf

Nicole Middendorf

Board Member

Nicole is a money maven, a knowledge junkie, and a born coach. She is an entrepreneur who left Morgan Stanley in 2003 to run her own wealth management firm, Prosperwell Financial. Nicole is the author of five books, a world traveler, philanthropist, and an accomplished public speaker.

Lynn Buley

Lynn Buley

Treasurer

Lynn Buley is a small business entrepreneur focusing on conscious parenting and building a child’s foundation to express their most healthy authentic self. Creating awareness of and sharing knowledge regarding abuse patterns change has been a personal endeavor close to her heart.

Gretchen Staubly

Gretchen Staubly

Board Member

Gretchen is a marketing guru, coach, and advocate for community health education. She is focused on making a positive impact through philanthropy, community engagement, and mentoring.