• Herschella G. Conyers , Board Chair

    Herschella Conyers is a nationally recognized expert in juvenile defense. She is recently retired as Lillian E. Kraemer Clinical Professor in Public Interest Law and the Director of the Mandel Legal Aid Clinic's Criminal and Juvenile Justice Project. Before joining the Law School, she served as an assistant public defender, supervisor, and deputy chief in the Office of the Cook County Public Defender from 1986 to 1993.

  • Veronica Williams, Vice-Chair

    Veronica Williams is the Founder and President of Mothers Against Wrongful Conviction (MAWC) in Lake County, IL.

  • Courtney Carson, Board Secretary

    Rev. Carson is the Assistant Vice President, External Affairs, and served as the Director of Essential Skills and Community Relations for Richland Community College in Decatur, IL.

  • David Reed, Board Treasurer

    Mr. Reed is a retired researcher whose credits include the earliest documentation of the racial injustice in automatic transfer policies. He was a founding board member of JJI and has served as Board Secretary and is currently Board Treasurer.

  • Julie Anderson, Board Member

    Ms. Anderson is a prominent advocate for justice policies grounded in principles of human rights and restorative justice. She serves as the Outreach Director for Restore Justice.

  • Joshua Brooks, Board Member

    Joshua Brooks MPA, is the Executive Director of the Justice Continuum in the Office of Firearm Violence Prevention at the IL Dept. of Human Services, and is the former coordinator for the Restorative Justice Hubs in Chicago.

  • Amy Campanelli, Board Member

    Ms. Campanelli is currently the Public Defender for Muskegon County in Michigan. Previously, Ms. Campanelli was the Public Defender of Cook County.

  • Brady Chalmers, Board Member

    Mr. Chalmers is an executive-level communication professional with significant experience crafting communications for high-level government officials and enterprise-level international charities.

  • Patrick Keenan Devlin, Board Member

    Mr. Keenan-Devlin is the Executive Director of the James B. Moran Center for Youth Advocacy.

  • Reginald King, Board Member

    Mr. King is an Executive with Creative Artists Agency. He was formerly a Senior Development Associate with Audent Global Asset Management and prior to that with Swiftarc Ventures. A native of Evanston, he is deeply committed to justice for all children and young adults in Illinois.

  • Scott Main, Board Member

    Mr. Main is the Assistant Director of the Illinois Juvenile Defender Resource Center, a division of the Office of the State Appellate Defender.

  • Gretchen McDowell, Past Chair and Board Member

    Ms. McDowell is the immediate past Chair of the JJI, and a past President of the Illinois Parent Teacher Association. She is also a past member of the Illinois State Board of Education.

  • Keyria Rodgers, Board Member

    Dr. Rodgers is a Visiting Clinal Instructor at the University of Illinois at Springfield, and has served as Director of Criminal Justice at Millikin University in Decatur, IL. She is a leading researcher and proponent of restorative justice.

  • Mike Rodriguez, Board Member

    Mr. Rodriguez is the former Executive Director of Enlace Chicago - he is an experienced community activist and non-profit leader.

  • Leo Smith, Board Member

    Mr. Smith serves as Director of Policy at Chicago CRED (Creating Real Economic Destiny).

  • Richard "Dick" Sullivan

    Mr. Sullivan is a retired partner of Accenture, Ltd., the international business consulting firm.

  • George Timberlake, Board Member

    Hon. George W. Timberlake was the Chief Judge of the Second Judicial Circuit of Illinois, and the immediate past chair of the Illinois Juvenile Justice Commission, as well as a past appointee to the Redeploy Illinois Juvenile Oversight Board.

  • Litesa Wallace, Board Member

    Ms. Wallace served three terms in the IL General Assembly and is a champion for children’s rights.

  • David Whittaker, Board Member

    CEO at Chicago Area Project

  • Elizabeth (Betsy) Clarke

    Founder and Interim Executive Director

    Elizabeth Clarke, J.D., is the founder, immediate past president and board treasurer, and current Interim Executive Director of the Juvenile Justice Initiative (JJI). In addition to JJI, Clarke co-founded the Midwest Juvenile Defender Center, and the North American Juvenile Justice Network, and was a founding member of the National Juvenile Justice Network. Prior to JJI, Ms. Clarke worked in the Cook County Public Defender’s Office and the Office of the State Appellate Defender.

  • Kyana King, Development and Administrative Assistant

    Kyana King has provided administrative support to the Juvenile Justice Initiative for over seven years, with responsibilities including managing the donor database and providing planning and support for JJI development events. Kyana works for JJI on a part time basis, as she also serves as an assistant director of student services at a therapeutic day school. In her limited free time, Kyana is also in her last year at Northeastern University, with an emphasis on criminal justice reform.

  • Ana Navarro, Mission Advancement Director

    Ana Navarro is an organizer, advocate, and change-maker working to speak up for the thousands of people unjustly imprisoned in America’s carceral and deportation centers. Ana  serves as a facilitator for Women Initiating a New Directive, is a Committee member for Organized Communities Against Deportation, and is a honored member of the Illinois Prison Project Ambassador Fellowship.