Patricia R. J. Griffen, a public member of the Board, is the founding Executive Director of Against Abuse, Inc., established in October 1981 to provide domestic violence and child abuse shelter services to the citizens of Pinal County . She received her Bachelor of Science Degree in Social Administration from the University of Arizona, Tucson .

Ms. Griffen has more than 35 years experience in the field of private, non-profit management. This includes her role as a founding member of Arizona Coalition Against Domestic Violence and formerly serving as a member of the organization's Board of Directors. She is a state and local speaker on a wide range of domestic violence and child abuse issues and administered a smoking cessation program. Ms. Griffen has developed a Community Partnership To Reduce Teen Pregnancy Program (CPRTP), established three shelters and seven transitional living programs, and founded Big Brothers/Big Sisters of Western Pinal County as well as a day care center for high school student parents.

Ms. Griffen is currently the secretary of the Pinal County Victim Compensation Program, the Chair of the City of Casa Grande Personnel Advisory Board, and the Chair of the Desert Pavilion Advisory Board.  She is also a sustaining member of the Casa Grande Regional Medical Center Auxiliary.

She is a Past President of the Arizona Coalition Against Domestic Violence, the Pinal County Fine Arts Council, and the Casa Grande Town Hall . In the past, she has been a member of the Casa Grande Regional Medical Center Board of Trustees, the Casa Grande Union High School Foundation Board, and the Casa Grande Counseling Service Board of Directors. She has also served as Secretary of the Pinal County Housing Authority Board of Directors.