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- OUR Rescue, formerly known as Operation Underground Railroad, will relocate its headquarters from Salt Lake City to Minneapolis early next year.
- The move aims to enhance support for human trafficking survivors and law enforcement, the nonprofit said.
SALT LAKE CITY — OUR Rescue will relocate its Salt Lake City headquarters to Minneapolis early next year, the anti-human-trafficking organization announced Monday.
The organization — which was founded in Salt Lake City in 2013 as Operation Underground Railroad and quietly rebranded as OUR Rescue earlier this year — said in a press release that the move is part of its efforts to expand to provide direct services to human trafficking survivors and provide more support for law enforcement.
"These heinous crimes against children are happening in every Minnesota county, giving our state the shameful distinction of having the third-highest rate of child sexual exploitation in the nation," CEO Tammy Lee said.
Lee is the founder of Minnesota-based Xena Therapies and said the state is "one of the best places in the world to attack" the problem of human trafficking.
"The Twin Cities of Minneapolis and St. Paul are recognized for supporting a vibrant nonprofit sector, backed by a very generous philanthropic community," she said. "Minnesota also has a strong existing ecosystem of nonprofits who share our mission. By working together, we can drive even greater impact in the fight against sex trafficking and child exploitation."
The move is expected to be complete in January when the organization's new headquarters opens at a yet-to-be-decided location in Minneapolis. OUR Rescue will still maintain a foothold in Utah, with the Salt Lake City office continuing to operate as a "Center of Excellence," along with another office in the Dallas area.
"OUR Rescue's expansion and headquarters move supports the board and leadership team's commitment to increase our impact by targeting growth in areas where we can build the strongest partnerships," said Sean Vassilaros, OUR Rescue board chairman. "We are excited about the collaborations that are emerging in Minnesota and are confident the transition will enable us to deliver on our mission to protect vulnerable kids from being sexually exploited."
Relocating is the latest major change OUR Rescue has undergone since parting ways with founder and former CEO Tim Ballard in June 2023. Ballard has since been accused of sexual misconduct in several lawsuits; he has denied wrongdoing and accused several of his accusers of defamation.
In a legal filing in response to one of those cases, OUR Rescue said it cut ties with Ballard after its board "unanimously supports the conclusion that Mr. Ballard violated OUR policy," and said one of the plaintiffs never reported alleged misconduct to the company.
Lee was appointed CEO in February when the organization also announced a new board of directors to lead the nonprofit.
