The Flagstaff-based Northland Family Help Center has appointed a new director of human trafficking services.
Michelle Rucker previously served with the nonprofit to battle sexual exploitation and also has worked for the attorney general’s Arizona Anti-Trafficking Network.
Northland Family Help Center hopes to further its efforts to combat human trafficking and provide support for victims and survivors in the local community.
Rucker will take over the job from Kate Wyatt, whom Northland says will stay involved in the anti-human-trafficking movement in Flagstaff.
According to the Governor's Office on Youth, Faith and Familyand a study from Arizona State University, 40% of homeless youth in Arizona reported experiencing some form of exploitation and more than 23% had experienced sex trafficking from ages as young as 12.