In this episode of Community Matters, JLG Architects’ Zach Mathern and Isaac Karley interview Michelle Erickson, Executive Director of the Abused Adult Resource Center in Bismarck, ND. Michelle shares the gaps in the system, the impact of accountability and peer support, and the connection between childhood trauma and adult abuse, incarceration, and recidivism.
Michelle Erickson is the Executive Director at the Abused Adult Resource Center (AARC) in Bismarck, ND. Michelle works to free people from the ties of domestic and sexual abuse, serving a seven-county area in South Central North Dakota, including Standing Rock Indian Reservation. AARC provides emergency support, crisis intervention, temporary shelter, food, counseling, and advocacy for victims of domestic violence, sexual assault, stalking, dating violence, and human trafficking. With a criminal justice background, she helps establish, lead, and maintain several vital programs and housing, aimed at breaking the cycle of abuse. Michelle also leads AARC’s Seeds of Hope – a thrift store and comprehensive program that coordinates with their New Directions Education and Employment program to assist clients with clothing, housing furnishings, and job skills training. AARC began as a citizen’s task force in 1976 and has been serving victims of domestic violence and sexual assault for more than 45 years.
Zach Mathern, AIA completed his Master of Architecture at North Dakota State University as well as his Bachelor of Science in Environmental Design. An advocate for sustainable development and civic engagement; Zach is a member of JLG’s public design studio and focuses on understanding the needs of community partners and the opportunities to improve the usability and experience in buildings and facilities which serve the people.
With over nine years of experience, Isaac Karley’s approach to architecture is first and foremost to understand intimately what the goals and expectations of the project are from the perspectives of the decision-makers, staff, and public who will be working in and using the space. Isaac graduated from North Dakota State University in 2014 with a Master of Architecture and a Bachelor of Environmental Design.
