FRONT-END ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Carla Bugg
Jac Charlier
A national expert in crime reduction and pre-arrest diversion, Jac Charlier specializes in practical solutions that bring together justice system partners, behavioral health service providers, and community leaders in common aims of creating safer, healthier communities.
Jac is a leading voice and visionary in the emerging movement toward deflection and pre-arrest diversion as standard practice, whereby law enforcement officers will, whenever appropriate, deflect people with substance use disorders and mental health issues to treatment in the community rather than arrest or ignore them.
Jac’s career has been devoted to solutions that reduce crime and drug use by bridging criminal justice systems—from police to prosecutors to courts to probation to parole—with behavioral health services in the community. He is also a recognized civic leader in the Chicagoland area and brings his years of successful grassroots experience to work in developing justice solutions grounded in the context of the community.
Since 2011, Jac has led the growth and evolution of TASC’s Center for Health and Justice, which provides national and international consulting, training, public policy strategy, and research dissemination to help create more just justice systems. Under Jac’s leadership, CHJ regularly advises counties and state systems across the US, while also developing curricula and providing consultation services for countries across the globe.
Greg Hamilton
Matt Logan
Dr. Logan received his Ph.D. in Criminal Justice from the University of Cincinnati’s School of Criminal Justice. Prior to working at Texas State, he served as an Assistant Professor for 5 years in the Department of Criminal Justice at California State University, San Bernardino. He also holds a Master’s degree in Sociology and a Bachelor’s degree in Criminology, both from the University of Western Ontario.
Jim Lorraine
Jim Lorraine, the president and CEO of America’s Warrior Partnership, served in the U.S. Air Force as a Flight Nurse with nine combat deployments and retired as the Deputy Command Surgeon for the United States Special Operations Command after 22 years of service. He became the founding director of the United States Special Operations Command Care Coalition and served as Special Assistant for Warrior and Family Support to the Chairman, Joint Chiefs of Staff.
Meredith Mannebach
Meredith Mannebach is the District Court Program Administrator. Which is a really long title to say, she works with District Court Judges and clerks to improve processes within the court system especially related to technology. Although she has only been with the Judiciary a few years, she has worked the past 20 (ahem…plus) years in the executive branch (Health and Human Services) and private sector doing project management (she even taught 4th grade for a few years). She has her Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees from the University of Utah. Most important in her life are her two boys, she’ll brag about all day long; a hubby, she’ll talk about most of the time; and a farm, she’ll invite anyone to come work.
Kathleen Meehan-Coop
Kathleen Meehan-Coop is a management analyst at the Deschutes County District Attorney’s Office. She directs the development and implementation of multiple criminal justice reform initiatives for the DA, including the Deschutes County Veterans Intervention Strategy. She has a Master’s of Education and a MBA. Prior to moving to Bend, Oregon, Kathleen worked in senior management at national and international non-profits in Washington, DC in the fields of ocean sciences, space science education, and non-proliferation.
Justice Eileen Moore
Barbara Pierce
Barbara Pierce has more than 20 years’ experience in adult and youth justice and consulting at the county, state, and federal levels. Barbara leads a multi-site effort to assist states with the implementation of comprehensive criminal justice policy reforms through Justice Reinvestment, coordinates projects to improve criminal justice responses to those with mental health issues, and directs CJI’s Restrictive Housing projects to safely reduce the use of segregation in prisons and jails. Barbara’s innovative approach to both crisis response in rural areas and segregation reform has been featured at national and international conferences and in national corrections publications. Barbara is committed to improving the trajectory of criminal justice policy and practice through strong and diverse partnerships and the real-world application of research to achieve better public and institutional safety outcomes. Barbara received her Master’s degree in Public Policy and Management from the University of Southern Maine and has a Bachelor’s degree in Sociology from Providence College.
Judge Robert Russell
Judge Robert Russell is a recently retired Associate Judge for Buffalo City Court and Acting Erie County Court Judge. Presently, Russell serves on the New York State Behavioral Health Services Advisory Council. In January 2008, he created and began presiding over this Country’s first “Veterans’ Treatment Court.” Russell is the recipient of the National Vietnam Veterans of America Achievement Medal, The National Veterans of Foreign Wars of the United States, James E. Dan Zandt Citizenship Award, and the 2015 AMVETS- American Veterans (National) Silver Helmet Award. Russell is also the recipient of the 2014 White House Advocates for Action Award, presented by the White House Office of National Drug Control Policy (ONDCP).
Russell created and presided over Buffalo’s Drug Treatment Court since December 1995. His work in the treatment court field led to his induction into the National Association of Drug Court Professionals’ Hall of Fame. He is also the recipient of the New York State Association of Drug Treatment Court Professionals’ Leadership Award. In addition, in 2002, he established and presided over Buffalo’s Mental Health Treatment Court. The National Alliance for the Mentally Ill (NAMI), an advocacy organization for the mentally ill, has awarded Russell with the Nancy D. Smith Memoriam Award.
Russell is the Past Chairman of the Board of Directors of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals, Inc., and the Past President of the New York State Association of Drug Treatment Court Professionals, Inc. Previously he served on the National Advisory Board of the Judges’ Criminal Justice/Mental Health Leadership Initiative (JLI). The JLI is co-coordinated by the Council of State Governments’ (CSG) and The National Gains Center. He is the recipient of several Awards of Merit from the American Bar Association, New York State Bar Association, and the Erie County Bar Association. Community Awards include the Buffalo News 2009 Outstanding Citizen Award and the Leadership Buffalo 2010 Openness to Change Award. Russell is a graduate of Howard University Law School in Washington, DC.
Ron Self
Maureen Siedor
Maureen “Mo” Siedor directs Swords to Plowshares’ Legal Services Unit which provides assistance and legal representation to homeless and low-income San Francisco Bay Area veterans on their veterans’ benefits and military discharge upgrade cases. She originally joined Swords’ legal team in 2014. Prior to serving as Legal Director, Mo worked at the Center for Veterans’ Advancement at Public Counsel and the Homeless Veterans Project of Inner City Law Center. She began her legal careers as a staff attorney at DNA-People’s Legal Services providing legal assistance to victims of domestic violence on the Navajo Nation. She is a graduate of Boston College Law School and Barnard College of Columbia University, and is a member of the State Bars of California and Colorado.
Theresa Thompson
Theresa was born and raised in Idaho, where she graduated from Boise State University with a B.A. in Criminal Justice. Shortly after graduation, she moved to South Carolina where she began a career in Law Enforcement, with the Greenville Police Department. Theresa served the City of Greenville from 05/1997 to 11/2013.
While working as a patrol officer, she attended Clemson University, where she earned a Master of Education in Counseling and Guidance services and a National Certification in Counseling. During her tenure in Law Enforcement, she held several positions which included; Patrol Supervisor, Criminal Investigations Lieutenant, Commander of the Crisis Negotiation Team, Coordinator of the Internal Peer Support Team, District 3 representative of the SC Crisis Negotiation Association, and on occasion still serves as a member of the SC State Peer Support Team.
While commanding the Crisis Negotiation Team, Theresa and the team recognized an increase in “Justice-Involved Veterans” cases and began working with local veterans resources on early intervention strategies. She joined the Upstate Warrior Solution team, in December of 2014, as the Development Director and now serves as the Deputy Director.
Theresa has worked with the UWS team to build formal partnerships and referral pipelines with local law enforcement and county detention facilities. The UWS team now has access to five local detention centers and has active MOUs with two of the largest law enforcement agencies in the Upstate.
Theresa was appointed to the Greenville County Commission on Alcohol and Drug Abuse in 2021 and resides in Simpsonville, SC with her husband Howie Thompson who serves as the Greenville Police Department’s Chief of Police.
Scott Tirocchi
Scott Tirocchi, M.A., M.S., L.P.C., is a division director for Justice For Vets (JFV), a division of the National Association of Drug Court Professionals (NADCP). He served in the U.S. Army reserves and the Rhode Island Army National Guard for a combined total of 21 years. His occupational specialty was military police officer. While deployed to Afghanistan in 2003 to 2004, he served as commander for the training and doctrine component of Training Assistance Group II to the Afghan National Army. He retired at the rank of major. He is a licensed behavioral health clinician and a certified clinical trauma professional. He has an employment background rooted in treatment and criminal justice. Prior to coming on board with Justice for Vets, he was employed with the Rhode Island Judiciary, serving in a dual capacity as deputy director for their district court’s pretrial services unit and program coordinator for their veterans treatment court. He has served as a behavioral health clinician in correctional and hospital settings and in various community behavioral health agencies located in Rhode Island, Massachusetts, and Connecticut. He has an M.A. degree in human development and an M.S. in human services.
MODEL POLICY FRAMEWORK COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Carla Bugg
John Choi
John Choi was sworn in as the first Korean American chief prosecutor in the country in 2011. Since taking office, John has become a state and national leader in progressive justice reform, working with public officials and impacted communities to reimagine justice and the role of prosecutors. John’s innovative approach to working collaboratively with system and community partners has transformed the way government responds to domestic violence, sex trafficking, and sexual assaults in Minnesota and has improved support for victims/survivors.
In addition, John has been a champion of raising boys and engaging men to prevent violence against women and girls; successfully advanced legislation to reunite families when it’s in foster childrens’ best interest; advocated to reform state drug laws and reinvest savings in community-based solutions; established a Veterans Court; expanded prosecutors’ role in assuring justice by mitigating collateral consequences, facilitating sealing the records of those who have successfully rehabilitated, reviewing past convictions and sentences to ensure integrity, and better responding to youth referred to the legal system by engaging impacted communities in collaboratively reviewing cases and restoratively responding to address underlying needs and repair harm caused to victims and communities.
Ryan Else
Ryan Else is an attorney, policy advocate, and author with the Law Office of Brockton D. Hunter, PA. Else has represented clients across the state of Minnesota on charges ranging from DWI/DUI to Murder in First Degree. His aggressive approach has earned him a reputation as an attorney who will do what it takes to fight for his clients’ rights. Practicing since 2011, Else’s work on behalf of his clients has been widely recognized within the criminal defense community.
John Flynn
Greg Hamilton
Brock Hunter
Criminal Defense Attorney Brockton D. Hunter proudly defends the rights of individuals in both state and federal courts. He has a strong background of providing powerful legal guidance to his clients, in and out of the courtroom. Clients who come to Brockton D. Hunter, P.A. can trust that their cases will be handled with the highest level of professionalism. Since the firm’s establishment, Hunter has been offering award-winning representation throughout Minnesota for clients facing a wide range of criminal matters.
Justice Eileen Moore
Evan Seamone
Evan Seamone (in memoriam) spent 20 years in the U.S. Army Judge Advocate General’s Corps (JAGC) preparing and presenting cases as both a prosecuting and defending attorney. Recognized with superior skills and capabilities as a very young JAGC Officer, he was given some of the most high-profile cases during Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. His valor and skill earned him several awards and decorations, including the Iraqi Campaign Medal with two Campaign Stars, Meritorious Service Medals, Joint Service Medals, and more than a dozen other medals as well as Joint Meritorious Unit Awards. After retirement from uniformed service, Seamone completed his Doctoral Degree at Northeastern University. He then continued his passion for serving and practicing law. As an attorney, he combined both specializing in veterans’ benefits law and responsiveness of legal systems to veterans and their families. He became a Fellow at the National Institute of Military Justice and a member of the National Institute of Corrections’ Justice-Involved Veterans Network. He represented veterans in his capacity as Visiting Director, Veterans and Servicemembers Legal Clinic at the University of Florida Levin College of Law. Prior to this, Evan was a staff attorney at the Veterans Legal Clinic at the Legal Services Center of Harvard Law School where he provided legal services to underserved veterans in the community, including incarcerated veterans throughout the State of Massachusetts.
TRANSITION ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Renee Burbank
Burbank is Director of Litigation at National Veterans Legal Services Program (NVLSP), where she supervises all individual lawsuits brought by NVLSP in U.S. district courts, Article III courts of appeals, and the U.S. Court of Federal Claims, as well as NVLSP’s class actions and other strategic litigation.
Before joining NVLSP, Burbank co-taught Yale Law School’s Veterans Legal Services clinic as a Robert M. Cover Clinical Teaching Fellow. During her tenure at Yale, Burbank supervised advocacy on behalf of veterans and veteran’s organizations at all levels of administrative and judicial review as well as class actions and impact litigation. Prior to that, she worked for nearly eight years as a litigator at the U.S. Department of Justice, dedicating her time to complex commercial litigation at both the trial and appellate levels. Burbank’s work has earned her several accolades, including a Civil Division Special Commendation Award.
Burbank is a graduate of the University of Chicago and Harvard Law School (J.D., cum laude), and clerked for the Honorable David B. Sentelle of the U.S. Court of Appeals for the D.C. Circuit. She has written scholarly work on a variety of topics, including veterans’ law, disability rights, voting rights, and illegal exactions. She is an active member in good standing of the Connecticut and North Carolina State Bars, and a VA-accredited attorney. She is admitted to practice before several federal courts, including the Federal Circuit, Court of Federal Claims, and the Court of Appeals for Veterans Claims.
Hector Matascastillo
Carl Castro
Dr. Castro is Professor and Director of the Military and Veterans Programs at the Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work at the University of Southern California. Before joining USC, he served in the U.S. Army for over 30 years, retiring at the rank of colonel. Dr. Castro participated in the Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo Campaigns, Operation Northern Watch, and the Iraq War. He has chaired numerous NATO and international research groups and is currently Chair of a NATO research group on Military Veteran Transitions and Co-Chair of a NATO group exploring Military and Veteran Radicalization. His current research efforts include the exploration of the military culture that leads to acceptance and integration of diverse groups; understanding and ameliorating the effects of military trauma and stress, especially combat and deployment, on service members and their families; the prevention of suicides and violence, such as sexual assault and bullying; and evaluating the process of transitioning into the military and transitioning from military service back to civilian life.
Timothy Grammel
Dr. Castro is Professor and Director of the Military and Veterans Programs at the Suzanne Dworak-Peck School of Social Work at the University of Southern California. Before joining USC, he served in the U.S. Army for over 30 years, retiring at the rank of colonel. Dr. Castro participated in the Bosnia and Herzegovina and Kosovo Campaigns, Operation Northern Watch, and the Iraq War. He has chaired numerous NATO and international research groups and is currently Chair of a NATO research group on Military Veteran Transitions and Co-Chair of a NATO group exploring Military and Veteran Radicalization. His current research efforts include the exploration of the military culture that leads to acceptance and integration of diverse groups; understanding and ameliorating the effects of military trauma and stress, especially combat and deployment, on service members and their families; the prevention of suicides and violence, such as sexual assault and bullying; and evaluating the process of transitioning into the military and transitioning from military service back to civilian life.
Patricia Harris
Harris serves as General Counsel at Vietnam Veterans of America, Inc. She is an experienced attorney with a demonstrated history of working in military/veteran organizations. With additional experience as a legal advisor to senior government and military officials, Harris is skilled in criminal, administrative and claims law, military justice, medical and malpractice law, cybersecurity, government contracts, labor and personnel law, and victim advocacy. Her background also includes working in client services for victims of sexual assault/harassment. Harris is an excellent trial advocacy and legal research professional with a Graduate Certificate focused on Military Resilience (Counseling) from Liberty University, a Juris Doctor, Master of Law (Military Justice specialty), and a Professional HR certificate. She has also worked on the transformation of the U.S. Army Medical Command during its divestiture of medical care facilities.
Chris Lawrence
Lawrence is a Marine veteran, who served a tour in Iraq in 2007. Following his time in the Marines, Lawrence focused on healing from an injury sustained by an improvised explosive device during deployment. While recovering, Lawrence became involved in the San Diego veteran’s community, and worked with nonprofits to assist returning combat veterans. When his recovery was complete, Lawrence threw himself into preparing for entrance into the police academy, where he eventually gained entry and graduated with honors in 2017. Since then, he has been serving the Chula Vista community and working to support his fellow veterans in various capacities.
Vic Martin
Martin is a medically retired U.S. Navy Mineman and outspoken advocate for those with mental health diagnoses. He is a Director at the San Diego County Veterans Coalition, co-chair of the Physical and Emotional Health Action Group, Commander at American Legion Post 275 – La Jolla, and serves in many other capacities to support the veteran community. Martin is proud to have spoken to thousands of people about mental illness and what we can do to better support our own mental health through the use of various techniques, including therapy, medication, yoga, hiking, art, and gardening. He currently resides in San Diego with his wife, Kacy, son, Rawley, and two daughters, Violet, and Skarlet.
Sergeant Alford L. McMichael
Lawton Nuss
Lawton R. Nuss is the father, son, and nephew of veterans—and a veteran himself. After four years as a Marine Corps combat engineering officer and 20 years as a trial attorney in Kansas’s state and federal courts, he was appointed as a justice to the Kansas Supreme Court in 2002. In 2010 he began serving as the chief justice, the head of the judicial branch of state government.
For the next 10 years, Chief Justice Nuss led the Supreme Court in exercising administrative authority over all courts in Kansas. His leadership during those challenging times was commended by national and state publications alike, with one prominent newspaper thanking him for having “the kind of clear eye and steady hand that Kansas needs.”
Nuss retired from the Court with three years left in his term so he could devote more time to help his fellow veterans. Since then, he has analyzed the Model Veterans Treatment Court Act in an article published by the University of Missouri-Kansas City’s Law Review. In addition to his current work on the transition advisory committee to the national Veterans Justice Commission, he also serves as chair of the board of the Veterans Court Coalition, Inc., and as a member of the board of the Veterans Defense Project in Minneapolis.
Col. William Ostlund
Colonel (ret.) Ostlund enlisted in the Army in 1983, serving with the 1st Battalion, 75th Rangers, and was stationed at Hunter Army Airfield through 1987. As a Staff Sergeant, he transitioned to the Nebraska National Guard’s Long Range Surveillance Detachment and simultaneously enrolled at the University of Nebraska at Omaha, joining the ROTC program.
Ostlund was commissioned as a Distinguished Military Graduate in the Infantry and reentered the active Army in 1990. As an officer, he served in the 101st Airborne Division (Air Assault), 2nd Infantry Division in Korea, 1st Infantry Division, 173rd Airborne Brigade, 75th Ranger Regiment, Strategic Command, Central Command and Special Operations Command. He served six combat tours, service that included leading a platoon in Desert Storm, parachuting into Iraq as an operations officer, and commanding a battalion in Afghanistan that was deemed the most decorated battalion in the Global War on Terror. He also twice commanded a large Counterterrorism Task Force in Afghanistan and commanded a brigade in Afghanistan as well.
Ostlund retired as Director of the Department of Military Instruction at the United States Military Academy (West Point) and has been recognized as a Distinguished Member of the 75th Ranger Regiment and the 503rd Parachute Infantry Regiment. He holds a bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Nebraska at Omaha and a Master of Arts in Law and Diplomacy (MALD) in International Relations from the Fletcher School. Additionally, he served as a Senior Service College Fellow at the Fletcher School, and recently completed the Kellogg School’s Understanding Security as a Business Asset Program.
Ostlund’s publications include “On Trust and Leadership,” published by the Modern War Institute (December 2018); “Conventional Force and Special Operation Forces: Interoperability and Interdependence,” published by the Institute of Land Warfare (October 2014); “Irregular Warfare: Counterterrorism Forces in Support of Counterinsurgency Operations,” published by the Institute of Land Warfare (September 2012); “Tactical Leader Lessons Learned in Afghanistan,” published in Military Review (July/August 2009); and “Rifle Platoon Leader (Air Assault): Training and Leading in the Gulf War,” published by the MCOE (1995).
Vincent W. Patton III, Ed.D.
Patricia Ross
Ross was selected in November 2021 as the Commissioner of Veterans Service. She served as the Chief Operating Officer of the Veterans Education Career Transition Resource, or VECTR Center, from 2016 to 2021. The Georgia VECTR Center provides veterans and their families a gateway into Georgia’s 51 public technical colleges and university system schools. In addition, the VECTR Center provides accelerated training in high demand and strategic industries, career counseling, academic advising, and employment assistance. The center’s partnership with other state, federal, and community agencies provides a one-stop-shop to help meet veterans’ needs.
Prior to leading the VECTR Center, Ross served as the first Director of Military Affairs for the Technical College System of Georgia where she led statewide initiatives to expand educational benefits and opportunities for military students at Georgia’s 22 public technical colleges.
After 25 years on active duty in the United States Air Force, Ross retired as a Colonel in October 2014. She culminated her career as the Vice Commander of the 78th Air Base Wing, Robins Air Force Base, where she led the management of facilities and equipment valued at $3.5 billion and the execution of a $161.8 million operating budget. She was also responsible for executing medical, financial, human resources, command and control, civil engineering, environmental, and airfield operations supporting over 55,000 active duty, reserve component, civilians, contractors, retirees, and family members. Prior to her selection as Vice Commander, she served as the Deputy Director for Manpower, Personnel and Services for Headquarters Air Force Reserve Command at Robins Air Force Base.
Ross received a bachelor’s degree in mathematics from the University of Tampa, Florida; a master’s degree in systems engineering management from St. Mary’s University, Texas; and a master’s degree in military operational arts and science from the Air Command and Staff College at Maxwell Air Force Base in Alabama. She is also a graduate of the Air War College. Ross is currently pursuing her Ed.D. in leadership from Valdosta State University.
Dr. Jo Sornborger, PsyD
Syrita Steib
Maurice Wilson
A retired Navy Master Chief Petty Officer with 25 years of service, Wilson is the President/Executive Director of the National Veterans Transition Services, Inc., a nonprofit organization he co-founded with retired Rear Admiral Ronne Froman after serving as an advisory member for the Call of Duty Endowment, where he got his inspiration to design a veterans assistance initiative known as REBOOT.
Troubled with the high unemployment, homelessness, suicide rates, and other issues associated with military-to-civilian reintegration, Wilson designed the REBOOT WorkshopTM, a three-week behavior-based transition program designed to help returning service members/veterans successfully reintegrate back into civilian life after years of military service. Since its inception, REBOOT has achieved a significantly high success rate resulting in Wilson’s recognition by the White House as a “Champion of Change” for the innovative design and impact that REBOOT has had on service members, veterans, and their spouses. To date, REBOOT has helped over 1,600 military members and veterans successfully transition to civilian careers, and it is recognized as the only transition service of its kind in the country to take a holistic approach to veterans’ reintegration. REBOOT maintains a 97% success rate and has been independently validated by the University of San Diego, and four doctoral students from Pepperdine University. Wilson is listed in the San Diego Business Journal’s 2016 Book of 500 Influential Business Leaders and is the 2017 California 39th Senate District Veteran of the Year.
CORRECTIONS AND REENTRY ADVISORY COMMITTEE MEMBERS
Giancarlo Cambrelén Santiago
Giancarlo Cambrelén Santiago is in charge of supporting communications for all DC Justice Lab projects, initiatives, and events and assists the research team with providing evidence-based messaging that promotes and advances the organization’s communications, policy, and legislative agenda. As a compassionate and dedicated mental health professional, Cambrelén Santiago has experience in policy implementation, outreach, and advocacy. He specializes in working with vulnerable populations and assessing individual needs to improve prosocial behaviors and build healthy lives. His expertise includes individual evidence-based therapy, mental health research, group counseling, case management, and cross-team collaboration. In his previous role as the Housing & Outreach Coordinator at the National Reentry Network for Returning Citizens (NRNRC), Cambrelén Santiago provided case management services to formerly incarcerated persons and implemented crisis intervention strategies to prevent or reduce transitional distress. Cambrelén Santiago began his career as an undergraduate student in Puerto Rico, where he obtained his Bachelor’s degree in psychology and subsequently enlisted in the Puerto Rico Army National Guard. He would continue his service in the uniformed services on Active Duty, serving in Afghanistan as an Aerial Electronic Warfare Officer, and later as the Air Operations Coordinator in the United States Embassy in Colombia. Additionally, he has military experience as a Quality Assurance Floor Sergeant at the Operational Support Airlift Activity (OSAA), where he administered and safeguarded flight, medical, and psychological records for over 30 pilots.
Saydyie DeRosia
Saydyie DeRosia serves as the Victim Services Program Coordinator at the Oregon Department of Corrections, a position she has held for the past seven years. Previously, she worked at the Oregon Department of Human Services as a Training and Development Specialist.
Berlynn Flury
Berlynn Fleury is currently a Director on the Veterans Defense Project (“VDP”) Board and is a vital asset to the organization. She works as both the Secretary on the Executive Committee and the head of the Special Events Committee. Her work with the VDP and the unique perspective she brings to her roles stems from her own experiences serving in the United States Marine Corps, as well as being a 2019 Veterans Treatment Court graduate herself. Flury is an Operation Enduring Freedom Veteran who served in Afghanistan She entered the Marine Corps at the early age of 17, and was stationed at Camp Lejeune where she encountered tremendous hurdles that ultimately resulted in a very difficult adjustment post-service. After finding success through a VTC program, Flury earned her bachelor’s degree in human services from Metropolitan State University. During her time at Metropolitan State, she served as the President of the Veterans Club and worked in the Veterans & Military Student Services Office. After working for the Department of Veterans Affairs helping fellow veterans, she obtained a position at the Wilder Foundation working in the area of Adult Rehabilitative Mental Health Services. In addition to her current role, Flury serves as a mentor for the Hennepin County VTC program. Keeping in a similar line of work, she is also a certified peer specialist and a trained Health & Wellness Coach. She facilitates the only virtual Minneapolis VA Women’s Veterans Support Group that offers support to all women veterans enrolled in VA care.
Pelicia Hall
Mark Inch
Rob Jeffreys
Angela Johnson
Angela Johnson is the founder and Executive Director of Valor Village™ Foundation, the nation’s first Justice Staytion®, providing no-cost overnight lodging, resources, and peer support to loved ones who have traveled to southeastern Virginia to visit an incarcerated veteran. Her vision, turned reality, empowers family members and justice-involved veterans to maintain their critical connections to promote wellness and reduce vulnerability to recidivism. As the mother of a formerly incarcerated disabled Army veteran, Johnson is proximate to and impassioned by her work as a social justice leader. She brings a wealth of expertise and a record of accomplishment from having served in previous roles as Washington Bureau Research Manager, Sr. Research Analyst, and Sr. Project Manager for major news outlets and non-partisan advocacy enterprises. Planning and executing the delivery of state and federal policy news and resources to consumer audiences solidified her devotion to creating solutions that address complex human rights and social justice issues through education and engagement. Throughout her career, Johnson has informed the public about issues that impact our liberty and quality of life. She holds a Master of Science degree in Information Science from CUNY at Queens College and certifications in diversity, equity, and inclusion leadership, project management, and business process management. Her professional awards include a Pulitzer Prize for her contribution to spot news reporting, social impact innovation awards, and a Publisher’s award. She is a Prison Fellowship Justice Ambassador and an active member of several regional collaborative community councils, including the Reentry Council’s Veterans Justice Subcommittee.
Adam Luck
Adam Luck is the Chief Executive Officer of City Care, a non-profit organization seeking to inspire those willing to look social injustice and extreme poverty in the face and empower them to do whatever it takes to create change. City Care has built and manages 112 units of permanent supportive housing in Oklahoma City, oversees the Whiz Kids program, and operates Oklahoma City’s only low-barrier night shelter. Luck is an Oklahoma native and left the state to serve five years in the U.S. Air Force as a Korean Cryptologic Linguist. He has a Bachelor of Science degree in Global Security and Intelligence Studies from Embry-Riddle Aeronautical University and a Master of Public Policy degree from Harvard University. Luck has served under two state administrations in appointed positions as a member of the Oklahoma Board of Corrections and more recently the Oklahoma Pardon and Parole Board where he served as Chairman. He has also served on many local and national nonprofit boards. Luck and his wife Sarah live in Oklahoma City with their five children.
Judge Stephen Manley
Santa Clara County Superior Court Judge Stephen V. Manley seems to embody the maxim that the more you do, the more you can do. For 25 years, Judge Manley, locally and nationally, has championed the development of special court programs aimed at getting offenders with mental illness, substance use disorders, or both, into treatment and out of jail.
Today, Judge Manley presides over all misdemeanor and felony drug and mental health cases in his county, supervising more than 2,300 offenders who participate in treatment and rehabilitation services while on probation or parole. He oversees a homeless court that goes into the community, a large program for mentally ill military veterans, a reentry court for mentally ill parolees who violate probation, and more.
Michael Nail
As Commissioner of Georgia’s Department of Community Supervision, Michael oversees the day-to-day operations of one of the nation’s largest community supervision agencies and is responsible for the adult felony supervision of over 200,000 individuals.
Nail was instrumental in casting the vision for the creation of the Department of Community Supervision and has served as the first Commissioner since its inception in 2015. Prior to his career with DCS, he has held multiple senior and executive leadership roles with the Georgia Department of Corrections and the State Board of Pardons and Paroles, including Director of Probation Training, Director of Probation, Corrections Division Director, and Executive Director of the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles.
With over 33 years of experience, Nail is nationally recognized as a thought leader in the fields of corrections and community supervision and a recipient of multiple state and national awards, including the 2016 American Probation and Parole Association Walter Dunbar Memorial Award and the 2017 National Association of Probation Executives Dan Richard Beto Award.
Nail holds a Master’s in Public Administration from Columbus State University, a Bachelor’s in Criminal Justice from the University of West Georgia, and is a graduate of the Georgia Law Enforcement Command College.
Radha Sadacharan
After family medicine residency, Radha Sadacharan had the amazing opportunity to work at Brown and Rhode Island Department of Corrections with stellar mentors. Her residency experience and work in Rhode Island, along with reading the New Jim Crow, have informed all work she has pursued since. Sadacharan has worked as a physician in both prisons and jails in multiple locations across the country, and most recently was the Statewide Medical Director for the Idaho Department of Corrections (IDOC) through the medical vendor. She currently serves as a healthcare subject matter expert for the National Association of Drug Court Professionals on two projects with the American Society of Addiction Medicine and has served on a few expert panels for Project ECHO, focused on addiction and correctional health, through the University of Idaho and the University of Wisconsin. Sadacharan continues to work directly with IDOC on population and public health initiatives. She serves as community faculty for the University of Washington Addiction Medicine Fellowship located at the Boise VAMC and teach at both Full Circle Health Boise and Nampa residency programs. Her interests include re-entry and addiction.
Ron Self
Jack Tsai
Tsai currently serves as Campus Dean and Professor of Public Health at UTHealth, and Research Director for the U.S. Department of Veterans Affairs (VA) National Center on Homelessness Among Veterans. He was full-time faculty at Yale School of Medicine for a decade where he was Director of the Division of Mental Health Services Research, and now serves as Adjunct Faculty remaining active on Yale projects. He has received federally funded grants and published over 200 peer-reviewed articles on topics related to homelessness, severe mental illness, trauma, and health disparities. He is active in the American Psychological Association and the American Public Health Association through elected leadership positions. He has been a grant reviewer for the VA, PCORI, Social Security Administration, and several foundations. He serves as Editor-in-Chief for npj Mental Health Research and the Journal of Social Distress and Homelessness. He is involved in teaching and mentoring trainees at VA, Yale, UTHealth, and other universities.
April Zamora
April Zamora has worked for the State of Texas in corrections since 1998 and is currently the Director of the Reentry and Integration Division at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice. She serves on the American Correctional Association’s Community Corrections Committee and is an appointed Commissioner for the Texas Judicial Commission on Mental Health. Zamora held several positions and roles within criminal justice, including parole officer, parole unit supervisor, program specialist for substance use services, internal audit and training, and Director of the Texas Correctional Office for Offenders with Medical or Mental Impairments. She served as the president of the Texas Corrections Association (TCA) and previously as vice president, secretary, and treasurer and became a proud recipient of the TCA Star Award and TCA Presidents Gavel. Zamora also served on the American Correctional Association’s Corrections Delegate Assembly and the Parole and Probation Committee. Zamora strives to use her experience working with justice-involved juveniles and adults to engage in the development and growth of programs and policies that foster a successful reentry into the community in her role at the Texas Department of Criminal Justice and as an appointed Commissioner for the Texas Judicial Commission on Mental Health.