Meet the Team
Tanya Abdelnour is the Director of the Violence Against Women Project (VAWP) at the Prosecuting Attorneys Association of Michigan (PAAM). She joined PAAM in December 2018 as Director of the Child Abuse Prosecution Resources Unit before transitioning to her current role in January 2020. She earned a Bachelor’s of the Arts degree from the University of Michigan – Dearborn, and a Juris Doctorate degree from Michigan State University College of Law.
Prior to joining PAAM, Tanya served nearly two decades with the Wayne County Prosecutor’s Office. Much of her tenure was spent in the Special Victims Unit, where she prosecuted cases involving domestic and intimate partner violence, child physical and sexual abuse, internet crimes against children, and sexual assault involving both adolescents and adults. She also handled delinquency matters in the Juvenile Division and prosecuted a wide range of offenses in the General Trials Division, including robberies, carjackings, and homicides.
In 2009, following the discovery of untested sexual assault kits in Detroit, Tanya became deeply involved in addressing the issue. In 2014, she was appointed Lead Attorney for the Wayne County Sexual Assault Kit Task Force, where she oversaw prosecutions arising from Task Force investigations and supervised assistant prosecuting attorneys assigned to the initiative.
As Director of the VAWP, Tanya provides statewide training and technical assistance on domestic and intimate partner violence, stalking, and sexual assault cases. She regularly collaborates with multidisciplinary partners, including MCOLES, the Michigan State Police Forensic Services, the Michigan Great Lakes Association of Forensic Examiners and SANE and advocacy programs throughout Michigan. Tanya has also presented nationally at the International Association of Forensic Nurses (IAFN) and the Sexual Assault Kit Initiative (SAKI) conferences. Ms. Abdelnour can be contacted at Abdelnourt@mipaam.org.
Dana Deasy is the Violence Against Women Project Training Attorney. Most recently, Ms. Deasy practiced as an assistant prosecuting attorney for the Macomb County Prosecutor’s Office, where she handled general felonies and misdemeanors. In the courtroom, she handled a wide variety of cases from homicides to forfeitures to sexual assaults. Her special unit assignments included prosecuting domestic violence-related felonies, personal protection order violations in family court, narcotics and forfeiture, crimes against senior citizens, and animal cruelty. She trained new assistant prosecutors and worked on a district court drug court team. Prior to more than twelve years with Macomb County, Ms. Deasy worked for the Michigan Attorney General’s Office where she spent over six years prosecuting tax enforcement and fraud cases, and child abuse and neglect cases.
During her time as an assistant prosecuting attorney, Ms. Deasy taught at the Macomb Police Academy, advanced detective schools, and provided training for the Macomb County Sheriff’s Department, Michigan State Police multijurisdictional task forces, and other professionals. She holds a bachelor’s degree in social relations and American Public Affairs from James Madison College at Michigan State University. She earned her Juris Doctor at Case Western Reserve University School of Law in Cleveland, Ohio. Dana can be reached at Deasyd@mipaam.org.
Katlyn Bolan is the joint Violence Against Woman Project and Elder Justice and At-Risk Adults Project Coordinator. Ms. Bolan joined PAAM in April of 2021. She has previous experience in the banking industry and in 2024 she received her Bachelors Degree in Criminal Justice from Ferris State University. Katlyn can be reached at Bolank@mipaam.org.