Speaker and Staff Biographies

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SPEAKER BIOGRAPHIES
Virginia Barber-Rioja, Clinical Director
Brooklyn LINK Court Mental Health Program
Dr. Virginia Barber-Rioja is the clinical director of the Brooklyn LINK Court Mental Health Program, and
was previously the director of Queens Treatment Alternatives for Safer Communities (TASC) mental health
diversion program. Both programs are part of the EAC Network, a nonprofit human service agency with a
network of 70 programs throughout Long Island and New York City. In her role, Dr. Barber-Rioja provides
assessment and treatment to acute forensic patients in the Bellevue Hospital Inpatient Unit. She has also
published and presented multiple workshops and panels on the topic of criminal justice diversion and risk
assessment. In addition to her clinical work, Dr. Barber-Rioja teaches psychology of violence at New York
University’s Psychology Masters Program and serves as clinical faculty of the New York University School
of Medicine.
Dr. Barber-Rioja received her PhD in clinical forensic psychology and her MA in forensic psychology from
the John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
Andre Bethea, Policy Advisor for Corrections
Bureau of Justice Assistance, U.S. Department of Justice
Andre Bethea is the policy advisor for corrections at the U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice
Assistance. Previously, Mr. Bethea served as the director for program operations and policy at the New
York City Department of Correction (NYCDOC) where he managed external relationships with
community-based organizations and research institutions, as well as developed policy/curriculum, identified
best practices, and supervised programmatic initiatives for adolescents and young adults in custody. As a
legal coordinator prior to this, he provided law library and research services for individuals in custody at
NYCDOC. His career in criminal justice began as an analyst for the New York City Police Department.
Mr. Bethea received his MA in library and information science from Pratt Institute and his BA in criminal
justice from John Jay College of Criminal Justice.
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Le’Ann Duran-Mitchell, Executive Director
Center for Employment Opportunity in New York City
Le’Ann Duran-Mitchell is the executive director for the Center for Employment Opportunities (CEO) in
New York City, a New York-based nonprofit that provides employment services to people with criminal
convictions. Previously, Ms. Duran-Mitchell was deputy director of State Initiatives at the CSG Justice
Center, where she led efforts to assist policymakers and corrections practitioners in developing,
implementing, and monitoring state-specific strategies to increase public safety and reduce corrections
spending. Before joining the CSG Justice Center, she was the administrator of the Office of Offender
Reentry for the Michigan Department of Corrections and was responsible for managing Michigan’s Prisoner
Reentry Initiative.
Ms. Duran-Mitchell received her MS in marriage and family/therapy counseling from Colorado State
University and her BS in human development and family studies from Texas Tech University.
Patrick Hynes, Director of the Best Practices Unit
Connecticut Department of Correction
Dr. Patrick Hynes is the director of the Best Practices Unit at the Connecticut Department of Correction
(CTDOC) and teaches research methods for the Criminology and Criminal Justice Department at Central
Connecticut State University. Previously, he served as the director of CTDOC’s Programs and Treatment
Division. Dr. Hynes has managed and overseen a number of grant programs funded by the U.S.
Department of Justice, the National Institutes of Health, and others, which were designed to implement
and/or evaluate the effectiveness of programming aimed at reducing recidivism within CTDOC.
Dr. Hynes received his PhD in sociology from the University of Connecticut, his MSW from Syracuse
University, his MA in sociology from Eastern Michigan University, and his BA in psychology from Syracuse
University.
Tracey Jackson, Reentry Manager,
Lowell Ex-Offender Advancement Program (LEAP), Lowell Police Department
Tracey Jackson is the reentry manager of the Lowell Ex-Offender Advancement Program (LEAP) at the
Lowell Police Department in Lowell, Massachusetts. In her role, Ms. Jackson provides a communityfocused continuum of care and case management model with the goal of promoting positive reinforcement
and success while helping to reduce the stigma that often follows people who were formerly incarcerated.
Throughout her career Ms. Jackson has worked with high-risk youth and adults.
Ms. Jackson received her MA in community social psychology from the University of Massachusetts-Lowell,
and her BA in sociology from the University of Massachusetts-Amherst.
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Glenn E. Martin, Founder,
JustLeadershipUSA
Glenn E. Martin is the founder of JustLeadershipUSA (JLUSA). Mr. Martin is a national leader and
criminal justice reform advocate who spent six years in New York State prisons. Prior to founding
JLUSA, he was the vice president of development and public affairs at The Fortune Society and the codirector of the National HIRE Network at the Legal Action Center. Mr. Martin is also co-founder of
the Education from the Inside Out Coalition, an Echoing Green 2014 Black Male Achievement Fellow,
and a member of the National Urban Fellow’s 2012 America’s Leaders of Change program. Mr. Martin
serves on criminal justice advisory boards at the Vera Institute of Justice, the National Network for Safe
Communities, and the Harvard Kennedy School. He regularly contributes his expertise on criminal
justice reform issues to national news outlets such a MSNBC, Fox News, CNN, Al Jazeera, and CSPAN.
Mr. Martin received his BA from Canisius College.
Melissa Nemon, Owner/Founder
Nemon Consulting LLC
Dr. Melissa Nemon is a community-based researcher and evaluator working with local communities, state
and federal government agencies, international communities, and a variety of nonprofit, government, forprofit and NGO organizations from across the globe. She is a senior researcher at Brandeis University’s
Heller School for Social Policy and Management and is the owner and founder of Nemon Consulting LLC.
Previously, Dr. Nemon was the vice president of Community Impact at Granite United Way in New
Hampshire and an associate dean at Southern New Hampshire University.
Dr. Nemon received her PhD in community economic development from Southern New Hampshire
University, her MA in community social psychology from the University of Massachusetts-Lowell, and her
second MA in community economic development with a specialization in public policy from Southern New
Hampshire University.
Chrystal Owin, Interagency Criminal Justice Specialist
Office of Community Corrections
Chrystal Owin is an interagency criminal justice specialist with the Colorado Division of Criminal Justice’s
Office of Community Corrections. She is responsible for collaborating with other state correctional and
criminal justice agencies in order to deliver effective assessment training, provide research and evaluation,
and help to implement and measure the fidelity of evidence-based practices in community corrections
programs throughout Colorado. She began her career in community corrections in 1994 and has held
various positions prior to joining the Colorado Division of Criminal Justice.
Ms. Owin received her BA in social work from Colorado State University.
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Sonita Singh, Doctoral Student
Payson Center for International Development, Tulane University School of Law
Sonita Singh is a doctoral student at the Payson Center for International Development at Tulane
University Law School. She is evaluating three Second Chance Act Grant programs administered by the
U.S. Department of Justice’s Bureau of Justice Assistance: the Co-Occurring Disorders Integrated
Treatment and Reentry Program; the Statewide Recidivism Reduction and Violent Crime Prevention
Initiative; and the Louisiana Capitol Area Regional Reentry Initiative. Ms. Singh’s doctorate is focused upon
the theme, “Individual and Neighborhood-Level Resilience in Reentry.” Before pursuing her PhD, Ms.
Singh was a quantitative and qualitative evaluator and a researcher and program director on a wide range of
public health studies on three continents.
Ms. Singh received her MA in public health from Tulane University’s School of Public Health and Tropical
Medicine, and her BA from Tulane University.
Christopher Watler, Project Director
Harlem Community Justice Center
Christopher Watler is the project director of the Harlem Community Justice Center, the community court in
Harlem focused on housing, youth crime, and offender reentry. As director, he oversees day-to-day
operations and program development. Mr. Watler previously served as the Deputy Director of National
Technical Assistance, where he provided information and assistance on community justice initiatives. Before
working at the Center, he served as the Operations and Training Manager at the City Volunteer Corps and
as a Community Center Director for the Union Settlement Association.
Mr. Watler received his MPA from John Jay College of the City University of New York.
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COUNCIL OF STATE GOVERNMENTS JUSTICE CENTER
STAFF BIOGRAPHIES
Stephanie Akhter, Policy Analyst
Stephanie Akhter is a policy analyst with the Reentry Program at the CSG Justice Center. Prior to joining
the CSG Justice Center, Ms. Akhter was the director of programs at Career Gear, a nonprofit organization
that supports men who are low income in becoming stronger contributors to their families and
communities. In this role, she was responsible for overseeing the growth and success of three programs, as
well as for data analysis and reporting. She has also worked on program development and evaluation in
reentry and alternative to incarceration programs through internships at the Office of the Appellate
Defender and the Center for Court Innovation’s Midtown Community Court. She is a licensed master social
worker in the state of New York.
Ms. Akhter received her MS in social work from Columbia University and her BS in business administration
from Ramapo College of New Jersey.
Suzanne Brown-McBride, Deputy Director
Suzanne Brown-McBride is the deputy director of the CSG Justice Center. Previously, Ms. McBride served
as the executive director for two statewide victim assistance associations, the California Coalition Against
Sexual Assault and the Washington Coalition of Sexual Assault Programs. She acted as chair of both the
California Sex Offender Management Board and the Washington State Department of Corrections Victims
Council. Suzanne was also an appointee to the California Alliance to Combat Trafficking and Slavery and
the Washington State Sentencing Guidelines Commission. Prior to this, she worked on behalf of sexual
assault victims as a community education specialist and crisis line advocate. She is a 2010 recipient of the
Lois Haight Award of Excellence and Innovation, which honors a professional whose efforts have had a
significant impact on local, state, national, or international public policy development and implementation
that promote dignity, respect, rights, and services for victims of crime.
Ms. McBride received her BA in English and history from Pacific University.
Ronin Davis, Policy Analyst
Ronin Davis is a policy analyst with the Reentry Program at the CSG Justice Center. Prior to joining the
CSG Justice Center, Mr. Davis worked on the Strong Fathers, Stronger Families program at Seedco, where
he oversaw four community-based organizations that provide services to parents who are low income. He
has also worked on alternatives to incarceration for vulnerable populations through internships at the Legal
Aid Society and the Center for Court Innovation’s Midtown Community Court. Before moving to New
York, Mr. Davis worked in juvenile detention as a bond commissioner and community justice professional
at the Boulder County Juvenile Assessment Center in Colorado. He is a licensed master social worker in the
state of New York.
Mr. Davis received his MS in social work from Columbia University and his BA in psychology and English
from the University of Colorado Boulder.
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Daisy Diallo, Program Associate
Daisy Diallo is a program associate with the Reentry Program at the CSG Justice Center. Previously, Ms.
Diallo worked in community corrections for six years with the Advocate Program, Inc. in Miami, Florida.
There she served in a number of capacities, including as a probation counselor, group facilitator, quality
assurance and training initiative project manager, juvenile justice program coordinator, and reentry service
coordinator. As a reentry service coordinator, Ms. Diallo was charged with developing a local reentry
collaborative in Miami-Dade County and building an evidence-based reentry program to reduce recidivism,
promote public safety, raise awareness of reentry issues, and promote consumer access to direct services.
Ms. Diallo received her BS in psychology, her BFA in fine arts, and her MS in criminal justice with an
emphasis on public administration from Florida International University.
Jonathan Monsalve, Policy Analyst
Jonathan Monsalve is a policy analyst with the Reentry Program at the CSG Justice Center. Previously, Mr.
Monsalve was the director of Workforce Development and Fatherhood Programs at the Center for Court
Innovation’s Midtown Community Court, where he oversaw the successful design, implementation, and
execution of workforce and fatherhood curriculums; a tailored, cognitive behavioral therapy intervention for
non-custodial fathers; and a family-safety oriented, fatherhood-focused approach for clients with histories of
family violence or child maltreatment. Mr. Monsalve is also a certified mediator for the New York Peace
Institute, where he provides criminal court meditation services and community dispute resolution services in
Manhattan and Brooklyn.
Mr. Monsalve received his MS and BA in criminal justice from New Jersey City University.
Gerard Murphy, Deputy Director, National Initiatives
Gerard Murphy is the deputy director of National Initiatives at the CSG Justice Center. In this role, Mr.
Murphy coordinates activities among program areas and provides administrative oversight. In addition, he
directs the Law Enforcement Program. Prior to joining the CSG Justice Center, Mr. Murphy was the
director of Homeland Security and Development at the Police Executive Research Forum, a nonprofit
membership organization of law enforcement leaders. There, he managed a variety of grant-funded projects
focusing on research and technical assistance for law enforcement agencies; oversaw the development of
new project ideas; and authored twenty publications that provide policy advice and guidance to leaders in
law enforcement. He also spent 12 years with the Baltimore County Police Department as assistant to the
chief and director of Planning and Research, where he wrote agency policies and procedures, developed
strategic plans, conducted program evaluations, and directed the Baltimore County Police Foundation.
Mr. Murphy received his MA in public policy and administration from the University of Maryland,
Baltimore County and his BA from Providence College.
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Phoebe Potter, Program Director
Phoebe Potter is the director of the Behavioral Health Program at the CSG Justice Center. Previously, Ms.
Potter was a budget analyst in the U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ)’s Justice Management Division, where
she oversaw budget formulation and execution issues related to the Federal Bureau of Prisons, U.S.
Marshals Service, Office of the Federal Detention Trustee, and the U.S. Parole Commission. In this
capacity, Ms. Potter wrote budget requests supporting a number of sentencing reforms and reentry-related
initiatives at the federal level. During her tenure at the DOJ, she also served as a member of the Deputy
Attorney General’s Project Reentry Working Group.
Ms. Potter received her MA in public policy from Georgetown University and her BA in economics and
government from Hamilton College.
Elizabeth Seigle, Policy Analyst
Elizabeth Seigle is a policy analyst with the Juvenile Justice Program at the CSG Justice Center. Prior to
joining the CSG Justice Center, Ms. Seigle worked directly with youth at FEGS Health & Human Services in
New York City, serving as a coordinator for its Education and Youth Services division. In this role, she
developed paid internships for youth, trained and supported employers in their roles as internship mentors,
and provided career counseling and training for the interns themselves. Most recently, she served as
program manager at YouthBuild Boston in Roxbury, Massachusetts, where her primary role was managing
Civic Justice Corps, a reentry program funded by the U.S. Department of Labor that focuses on positive
education, employment, and life outcomes for youth involved with the juvenile justice system. She
collaborated with probation departments, schools, courts, and various social service agencies to build and
develop a cross-systems approach to Civic Justice Corps.
Ms. Seigle received her MS in program management and administration from Columbia University School
of Social Work and her BA in psychology from Kenyon College.
Bonnie Sultan, Policy Analyst
Bonnie Sultan is a policy analyst at the CSG Justice Center. In her role, Ms. Sultan provides technical
assistance to grantees under both the Justice and Mental Health Collaboration Program and the Second
Chance Act program, specializing in the intersection of criminal justice and behavioral health issues. Prior to
joining the CSG Justice Center, Ms. Sultan was an analyst in Santa Cruz County, California, where she led
the development and implementation of policies and procedures following statewide prison realignment.
Ms. Sultan has direct experience in working within a variety of correctional settings, and has taken part in
Alternatives to Incarceration policy development, RNR implementation, in-custody programming
procedures, and cross-agency training. She is also the criminal justice/mental health subject author for
Psychalive.org.
Ms. Sultan received her MA in sociology and criminology from George Washington University, her second
MA in forensic mental health counseling from John Jay College of Criminal Justice, and her BA in
psychology from Ithaca College.
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Lahiz Tavarez, Program Associate
Lahiz Tavarez is a program associate with the Reentry Program at the CSG Justice Center, where she
provides support for the National Reentry Resource Center. Prior to joining the CSG Justice Center, Ms.
Tavarez interned at SUNY Albany’s University Police Department (UAPD), later participating in UAPD’s
Advisory Committee, where she worked to create a safer environment for the university community. She
also interned with Albany County’s Crime Victim and Sexual Violence Center, acting as victim advocate at
Albany Criminal Court by providing assistance and resources to victims of crime. In addition, she interned
at the New York State Assembly as a legislative assistant.
Ms. Tavarez received her BA in criminal justice from SUNY University at Albany.
Cynthia Thaler, Program Associate
Cynthia Thaler is a program associate with the Juvenile Justice Program at the CSG Justice Center. Prior to
joining the CSG Justice Center, Ms. Thaler was a juvenile justice policy analyst with the New York City
Mayor’s Office of Criminal Justice. In this capacity, she served as a liaison to various citywide stakeholders
and analyzed data to inform juvenile justice policy decisions.
Ms. Thaler received her MA in public policy from Harvard Kennedy School and her BA in sociology and
Portuguese and Brazilian studies from Brown University.
Michael Thompson, Director
Michael Thompson is the director of the CSG Justice Center. He has worked on criminal justice policy
issues with the organization since 1997, getting his start with CSG’s Eastern Regional Conference. Mr.
Thompson has launched and overseen various national policy initiatives to improve outcomes for people
with mental illnesses in the criminal justice system; enhance the ability of people released from prisons and
jails to succeed in the community; and increase public safety, reduce spending on corrections, and improve
conditions in the neighborhoods to which most people released from prison return. These efforts have
prompted congressional hearings, federal legislation, national news coverage, and bipartisan legislative and
programmatic initiatives in states across the country. Prior to joining CSG, Mr. Thompson worked for three
years for the Office of the Court Monitor, established by a U.S. District Court judge, in San Juan, Puerto
Rico.
Mr. Thompson received his BA with honors from Middlebury College.
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Angela Tolosa, Deputy Program Director
Angela Tolosa is a deputy program director for reentry within National Initiatives at the CSG Justice Center.
Prior to joining the CSG Justice Center, Ms. Tolosa worked at the New York City Department of
Correction (NYCDOC) as the assistant commissioner for Skills Development and Program Services,
responsible for the oversight of NYCDOC’s provision of educational services, job training, grievance
resolution, and law library services for individuals in NYCDOC custody. In that capacity, she managed
relationships with NYCDOC stakeholders and partners, including the New York City Department of
Education and several community-based organizations. Additionally, Ms. Tolosa oversaw the operations of
the city’s first social impact bond-funded initiative, which seeks to reduce recidivism among adolescents in
NYCDOC custody. Previously, Ms. Tolosa worked as an executive director of the New York City’s
Department of Small Business Services, managing operations of Workforce1 Career Centers. She also
worked at the Center for Court Innovation in various capacities, most recently as the project director of
Midtown Community Court.
Ms. Tolosa received her JD from Brooklyn Law School and her BA in sociology from Brown University.
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