John Baldwin (IA)

John Baldwin was appointed Director of the Iowa Department of Corrections on April 25, 2007. Mr. Baldwin, a Ft. Dodge native, has been with the Iowa Department of Corrections since 1977 and served as Deputy Director of Administration since 1983. Along with former DOC directors Hal Farrier and Paul Grossheim, he helped establish the Department of Corrections when they split from the Department of Human Services in 1983.

Some of his accomplishments have included:
• Department leader over multiple building and expansion projects including new facilities at Newton, Ft. Dodge and Clarinda.
• Development of Iowa Offender Based Management System (ICON)
• Appointed to the Criminal Justice Information System Committee to develop a sharing plan of all offender and court data among all criminal justice agencies in the state.
• Overseeing the two year Durrant study of the Department of Corrections.

John received his undergraduate degree in Economics from the University of Iowa and an M.A. in Political Science and Public Administration from Iowa State University.

John is married with two grown sons.

Robert Bayer

Theodis Beck

Leann Bertsch (ND)

Governor John Hoeven appointed Leann K. Bertsch Director of the North Dakota Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation in July 2005, after serving as the Commissioner of the North Dakota Department of Labor from September 2004 through June 2005.

Prior to entering state government, Leann served as an Assistant State’s Attorney for Burleigh County from August 1996 through August 2004. Leann worked as an attorney for Legal Assistance of North Dakota from 1992 through 1996.

Leann served for 21 years in the North Dakota National Guard as an Assistant Judge Advocate until her retirement in 2007. Leann holds a Bachelor of Science degree from North Dakota State University and a Juris Doctor from the University of North Dakota School of Law.

Robert Brown Jr.

Harold Clarke (VA)

Harold Clarke grew up in the Canal Zone in Panama. After college in Nebraska, he joined the Nebraska Department of Corrections in 1974 as a counselor. He rose through the department, becoming warden at the Nebraska State Penitentiary in 1987 and the Director of Corrections in 1990, becoming the first employee promoted from within the agency to that position.

In August of 1990, he was appointed Director of the Nebraska Department of Correctional Services, a position he held until 2005, when he began his role as Secretary of the Washington State Department of Corrections. Last November (2007), Clarke took on yet another new role, this time on the East coast as Commissioner of the Massachusetts Department of Correction. On November 15, 2010, Harold was named the Director of the Virginia Department of Corrections.

He is currently serving as the immediate past president of the American Correctional Association and on the Executive Committee of ASCA. He is a former member of the Doane College Board of Trustees, former board chair of Lincoln Public Schools Foundation Board of Directors. He also served as president of the Association of State Correctional Administrators. His awards include the Legacy Award from the Association of Women Executives in Corrections in 2007, the Pioneer Human Services Partner of the Year Award in 2006, the Michael Francke Award from the Association of State Correctional Administrators in 1997, the Citizen of the Year Award from the Nebraska Association of Substance Abuse Directors in 1996 and the Dedicated Correctional Service Award in 1994.

Harold Clarke was appointed by Governor Robert F. McDonnell as Director of the Virginia Department of Corrections effective November 15, 2010, overseeing a Department comprised of three major operational areas: Operations, Community and Administration. At the time of his appointment, the Agency had 11,602 employees across the Commonwealth. As of December 31, 2010, the Department has 29 major institutions, 8 field units and 7 work centers overseeing 31,900 inmates, and 7 detention and 4 diversion centers as well as 43 Probation Districts overseeing 59,517 probationers.

Greg Cox (NV)

James “Greg” Cox began his correctional career in November of 1981 as a Correctional Officer for the Illinois Department of Corrections. He received his Bachelors degree in Political Science from Southern Illinois University at Carbondale, where he was awarded Dean’s List, in May of 1981.

During his career with the Illinois Department of Corrections, he was assigned to the Logan Correctional Center, the Lincoln Correctional Center, the Pontiac Correctional Center, and the Springfield Work Camp. During his twenty-two years there, he held the positions of Correctional Officer, Correctional Lieutenant, Correctional Captain, Major, Assistant Warden and he became a Warden in 1998. He retired from the Illinois system on June 30, 2003.

In December, 2003 Deputy Director Cox joined our Department as the Warden of Southern Desert Correctional Center. He became the Warden of High Desert State Prison on August 23, 2004.

In October of 2004, Director Crawford announced that she had selected Greg Cox to be the new Assistant Director of Operations, effective January 1, 2005.

Since his promotion he has implemented numerous facility enhancement programs and reporting systems for Nevada Wardens and their management teams. He strives for continuous improvement and encourages his staff to “think outside the box” and is always open to new ideas and suggestions.

Deputy Director Cox also has experience in the following areas: Media Coordinator, Liaison to the Illinois Emergency Management Agency, Liaison to the Nevada Statewide Evacuation Taskforce, Legislative presentations, and the administrator of a $31 million budget.

Furthermore, Deputy Director Cox is a member of the American Correctional Association, the Correctional Peace Officers Foundation, and the National Major Gangs Taskforce.

Additionally he has received Specialized Training from both the National Institute of Corrections and the Correctional Management Institute of Texas in Emergency Preparedness: Incident Command System for Corrections. He also attends the National Institute of Corrections Executive Forum for Deputy Directors every year and has received training from the American Correctional Association. Deputy Director Cox is a proponent of additional education and training for staff of all levels.

Christopher Epps (MS)

Commissioner Christopher B. Epps was appointed to his current post by Democratic Governor Ronnie Musgrove in August of 2002 and was reappointed by Republican Governor Haley Barbour on January 13, 2004. Epps, honored as the longest serving Commissioner in the history of the Mississippi Department of Corrections (MDOC), has held virtually every management and supervisory position in the agency since beginning his career with MDOC in 1982 as a correctional officer.

During his term as Commissioner, Chris Epps has paved the way for the agency to move forward. He appointed the first female Deputy Commissioner in corrections and the first female superintendent for a state prison in the history of Mississippi; has successfully raised the salaries of all MDOC employees; has significantly increased the number of inmates graduating in ABE, Vocational School, and Alcohol and Drug programs; and has led the agency’s effort to achieve full ACA accreditation, becoming the 14th state to receive the ACA Eagle Award. Commissioner Epps received an honorable discharge from the Mississippi Army National Guard after attaining the rank Lieutenant Colonel.

Currently serving as president-elect of the American Correctional Association and immediate past-president of the Southern States Correctional Association, Commissioner Epps also serves on the Emergency Response Interoperability Center Public Safety Advisory Committee for the Federal Communications Commission and the National Board of Directors for the Correctional Peace Officers Foundation. Epps is a graduate of Liberty University in Lynchburg, Virginia with a Master of Arts Degree in Guidance and Counseling. He received his Bachelor of Science Degree in Elementary Education from Mississippi Valley State University.

Hal Farrier

Thomas Faust (DC)

On October 11, 2011, Thomas N. Faust was named Acting Director of the DC Department of Corrections (DOC) by Mayor Vincent C. Gray. DOC, a major component of the District’s public safety and justice cluster, is one of the largest detention systems in the nation with responsibility for administering institutional and community-based correctional services.

Mr. Faust joins the District government as an accomplished public safety professional with over 34 years of experience in the field of criminal justice. From 1977 through 1990, he held multiple positions with the Arlington County Sheriff’s Department including Deputy Sheriff, Director of Administration and Chief Deputy. During this period, Mr. Faust provided leadership to a diverse team of public safety professionals and was intimately involved in all facets of Departmental operations including corrections, law enforcement, court security, and transport.

In 1990, Mr. Faust was elected to his first four year term as Sheriff of Arlington County, a highly esteemed position he held for three consecutive terms. As Sheriff, he managed a multi-million dollar budget and was responsible for oversight of a direct supervision detention facility housing a diverse population of male and female inmates. The sworn law enforcement and civilian employees under his supervision successfully carried out essential county-based judicial, corrections, and law enforcement functions.

During his tenure, Mr. Faust implemented a number of operational and programmatic protocols that led to the detention facility’s accreditation by the American Correctional Association and the National Commission on Correctional Health Care. As Sheriff he was credited with a number of major accomplishments including the successful planning, design and opening of the county’s new jail facility and justice center; creation of the facility’s first emergency response team; establishment of a jail based substance abuse treatment program; implementation of the first jail based industries program in the state, and creation of a community based safety program for senior residents.

As evidenced by his three time re-election to the position of Sheriff, Mr. Faust was seen as a proactive, inclusive and innovative public official with a commitment to quality service. He understood the importance of reaching out to residents and viewed his connection with the community as a critical component of his mission. Staff from the Department maintained an ongoing presence in the community with participation in neighborhood-based forums and meetings seen as essential to the effective exchange of information with residents throughout the county.

After leaving the Sheriff’s Office in 2000, Mr. Faust assumed the position of Executive Director/Chief Operating Officer (COO) of the National Sheriffs’ Association (NSA), a non-profit professional association representing over 20,000 members. As Executive Director/COO, Mr. Faust was responsible for day to day operations, finance/revenue generation, legislative and government affairs, policy development, and federal grant administration. Under his leadership, the organization’s assets were doubled, grant funding for law enforcement initiatives was increased, an online training program for jail-based correctional certification was launched, and direct assistance with Hurricane Katrina recovery was successfully coordinated and supported by Sheriff’s offices across the country.

Mr. Faust’s corporate experience includes work with Aramaic Correctional Services as a VP from 2007 to 2009 where he developed corporate marketing, outreach and quality assurance strategies. Most recently, as principal of Faust Consulting Services, he served as a criminal justice and corporate consultant for organizations offering a range of public safety and corrections related services.

Mr. Faust received a Bachelor of Science degree from Virginia Tech and a Master of Public Administration from George Mason University. He has served on the George Mason University Administration of Justice Advisory Board; the Northern Virginia Community College Criminal Justice Curriculum Advisory Board, and the National Institute of Corrections Large Jail Network. Mr. Faust also served as Past President of the American Jail Association.

Larry Fields

Robert Houston (NE)

Director Houston was appointed as Director by Governor Dave Heineman effective March 14, 2005. Immediately preceding his appointment, he was Director of the Douglas County Department of Corrections having served in that position since April 2003. He started his state corrections career in 1974 as a counselor at the Nebraska State Penitentiary. In the years that followed, he held progressively more responsible positions throughout the Agency to include Unit Manager at the Lincoln Correctional Center, Unit Administrator at the Nebraska State Penitentiary, Associate Superintendent at the Omaha Correctional Center, Deputy Warden at the Penitentiary, Warden at three institutions: Omaha Correctional Center, Lincoln Correctional Center, and Nebraska Correctional Youth Facility; from September 2002 to April 2003 he served as the Assistant Director for Programs and Community Services. Mr. Houston serves on many boards and committees including the Jail Standards Board, the Crime Commission, the Community Corrections Council, the Capitol Facilities Planning Committee, and the Interstate Compact for Adult Offender Supervision. He is the Co-Founder and Member of the Omaha’s Metropolitan Chief’s Association, Board President of the University of Nebraska Omaha/Lincoln (UNO/UNL) Criminal Justice Education Fund within the University of Nebraska Foundation, past president of the United State’s Deputy Warden’s Association and the Nebraska Correctional Association. In 2009, Mr. Houston was Chairman of the Charitable Giving Campaign for Nebraska State Government. He has served both as an auditor for the American Correctional Association (ACA), as a consultant for the National Institute of Corrections (NIC) and was recently appointed as a Commissioner of ACA.
Mr. Houston has a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from the University of Nebraska-Omaha and a Master of Science in Criminal Justice from the University of Nebraska where he served as a part time instructor from 1984 to 2005. He was recognized by the UNO as the College of Continuing Studies Instructor of the Year in 1998 and by the College of Public Administration and Community Service (CPACS) for Excellence in Community Service 2002, the Alumni Community Service Award in 2009, in 2011 the Hubert Locke Award, and the 2012 UNO Alumni Citation Award Recipient.

Nicholas Hun

Justin Jones (OK)

Justin has 34 years of criminal justice experience. He has served in numerous capacities since beginning his career with the Oklahoma Department of Corrections in September 1977, to include Probation and Parole Officer; Warden; Regional Director of Institutions and Deputy Director of the Division of Community Corrections. He was appointed Director of the Oklahoma Department of Corrections in 2005.
Justin serves on numerous boards and association committees. Below are just a few of the organizations which he serves:
Reentry Committee Chair for the Association of Correctional Administrators
Board of Directors for Council of State Governments Justice Center
Board of Directors for Big Brothers Big Sisters of Oklahoma
Board of Directors for Oklahoma Employees Credit Union
Board of Directors for Military Thunderbird Youth Academy
Commissioner for Correctional Accreditation for the American Correctional Association

Denny Kaemingk (SD)

Denny Kaemingk was appointed Secretary of the South Dakota Department of Corrections by Governor Dennis Daugaard on April 4, 2011. The Department of Corrections manages the state’s adult and juvenile correctional facilities, adult parole services, and juvenile aftercare. It has 845 employees and an annual budget of 98 million dollars.

Kaemingk served for nine years on the Board of Pardons and Paroles. He was starting his fourth year as chairman of the Parole Board when appointed as Secretary of Corrections.
Kaemingk’s law enforcement career began in 1976 as a patrolman in the Mitchell, SD Police Department. He later advanced to drug detective, special investigator for the Attorney General’s Office, Captain of Detectives and Communications/911 Supervisor before finally retiring from the police force in 2000. During his law enforcement career, Kaemingk was recognized as the Mitchell Jaycees Outstanding Law Enforcement Officer and Mitchell Exchange Club Outstanding Law Enforcement Officer of the Year.
He is a part-time Criminal Justice instructor at Dakota Wesleyan University in Mitchell, SD.

Kaemingk was the Chairman of the Abbott House Foundation, a private program that provides residential treatment services, therapeutic foster care and outpatient services to girls between the ages of 7 and 17 in Mitchell, SD. He also is Past President and Member of the Mitchell Area Safehouse Foundation, a member of the Mitchell Lions Club, Past Board Member of the South Dakota Lions Foundation and Lions Eye Bank, Coordinator of the Sight and Service Committee, Past member of the Mitchell Regional Habitat Public Relations Committee, Past Lay President of the Board of Directors of the First Reformed Church and member of the Mitchell Chamber of Commerce. He has received the Outstanding Lay Person Award from the South Dakota Pharmaceutical Association, Outstanding Young Lions Club Member Award and Lion of the Year Award and was named Melvin Jones Fellow of the International Lions Club Foundation.

Kaemingk and his wife Wyonne have two sons, Adam and Bryan and one grandchild, Eliot Claire.

Robert Lampert (WY)

Robert O. (Bob) Lampert is a Marine Corps veteran with more than 32 years of correctional experience, including military and state service. He came to Wyoming from the Oregon Department of Corrections, where he worked as superintendent of the largest correctional facility in the northwest and as assistant superintendent at Oregon’s only maximum-security institution. He began his position as director of the Wyoming Department of Corrections on November 10, 2003.

Before joining the Oregon prison system, Director Lampert retired from the Texas Department of Criminal Justice following a 20-year career that saw him rise through the ranks from correctional officer to senior warden. While in Texas, he worked at nine different facilities and was personally charged with developing and implementing several innovative programs for high-risk inmates.

During his first two years of service with the Wyoming Department of Corrections, Director Lampert was able to obtain nearly $139 million in funding for new construction and the expansion of existing facilities, the majority of which was spent on adding education, programming and treatment space. He was also successful in guiding the legislature through a site selection process and approval for a new 706-bed prison that is uniquely designed to house and meet the needs of inmates with the highest medical, mental health, substance abuse, sex offender, or other special treatment needs. He was also successful in increasing authorized staffing levels in the agency by 32%, gaining P.O.S.T. certification for correctional officers and supervisors, and obtaining statutory law enforcement retirement eligibility for parole agents.

Director Lampert was born in Newcastle, Wyoming and is a graduate of Steven’s High School in Rapid City, South Dakota. He holds Bachelor’s and Master’s degrees in criminology and corrections, as well as a master’s of business administration, from Sam Houston State University in Huntsville, Texas. He also earned a doctorate of jurisprudence from the University of Houston and is licensed to practice law in Texas.

James Le Blanc (LA)

James M. Le Blanc was appointed Secretary of the Department of Public Safety and Corrections by Governor Bobby Jindal and officially took over the position in January 2008. Secretary Le Blanc served as Acting Chief of Operations for the Department from June 2007 until his appointment. He served as Warden of Dixon Correctional Institute from 1995 to 2007. Le Blanc has worked for the state and the Department for more than thirty-five (35) years, serving as Undersecretary (1992 – 1995) as well as interim Director of Probation and Parole (1998 – 1999).

Secretary Le Blanc received a B.A. in Business Administration from Southeastern Louisiana University in December 1972, with minors in Marketing and Accounting. He also proudly served his country as a member of the United States Army from July 1969 to May 1971. A Vietnam veteran, he was honorably discharged.

As Warden of Dixon Correctional Institute (DCI) for twelve years, Le Blanc oversaw many “firsts” for the department – the first Youthful Offender Program, the first dialysis unit in the prison system and the first Faith and Character Based Dormitory program. The National Association of Wardens and Superintendents (NAAWS) unanimously voted Le Blanc its “Warden of the Year” for 2007-2008. Le Blanc accepted the award in August 2008.

In accordance with Governor Jindal’s goals for the state’s justice system, Secretary Le Blanc stresses the fundamental importance of public safety while giving all citizens the opportunity to live productive lives by emphasizing “reentry” as a major factor of the Department’s mission. Perhaps Le Blanc’s most important contribution over the last several years is the establishment of reentry programming at DCI. Reentry is his passion. Establishing valuable, real-world vocational, educational and life skills training for offenders in all institutions is the number one goal for the next four years, aside from the core mission of public safety. Reducing Louisiana’s number one (in the world) incarceration rate is a tall order, but Le Blanc’s enthusiasm for seeing offenders succeed is all the motivation this leader needs. While the Department’s overall recidivism rate is 48%, DCI’s five-year rate (the measuring stick in corrections) is around 35%. Replicating DCI’s success at institutions statewide and at the community corrections level (Probation and Parole) will result in significant savings to the state as well as safer communities, reduced violence and fewer victims of crime.

Secretary Le Blanc works closely with the Louisiana Sheriffs Association, the Louisiana District Attorneys Association and the Louisiana District Judges Association to forge a productive partnership between state and local criminal justice systems.

Bruce Lemmon (IN)

Governor Mitchell E. Daniels, Jr. appointed Bruce Lemmon to be Commissioner of the Indiana Department of Correction effective January 17, 2011.

Before being appointed to Commissioner, Bruce Lemmon served as the Superintendent of the Putnamville Correctional Facility in Greencastle, IN. While in his post as Superintendent, he made many improvements to the facility, such as doubling the size of both the CLIFF Unit and the PLUS Unit, initiating a recycling program, and establishing the Park and Furniture Program, Farm Fresh Dinner, and the Inmate to Work Mate Program. Commissioner Lemmon also increased the amount of jobs for the offender population during his tenure at Putnamville.

Lemmon began his career as a recreation coordinator in 1976 at the Rockville Correctional Facility. He has served in various capacities within DOC during his 35-year career including Supervisor of Work Release Services, Assistant Superintendent of the Indiana Girls School, Regional Director of Adult Operations, Superintendent of the Wabash Valley Correctional Facility and Deputy Commissioner. Lemmon also served as interim DOC Commissioner on two occasions.

Commissioner Lemmon is a veteran having served his country in the United States Army and was honorably discharged as a Specialist 5. He is an auditor for the American Correctional Association (ACA), and he holds a membership with the American Correctional Association (ACA), Indiana Correctional Association (ICA) lifetime member, National Major Gang Task Force (NMGTF), and the Certified Correctional Executive (CCE). Lemmon received the IDOC’s Distinguished Service Award in 2009.

Lemmon earned a bachelor’s degree from Indiana State University. He and his wife, Cindy, reside in Clay County. Together they have four children, Dustin, Brittany, Alexa, and Makenzie.

Brad Livingston (TX)

Brad Livingston has served as the Executive Director of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice (TDCJ) since November 1, 2004. In this role, he oversees the operations of one of the largest governmental entities of its kind, with approximately 40,000 employees statewide. TDCJ has oversight responsibilities that include state correctional facilities, parole and probation. Brad reports to the Texas Board of Criminal Justice, which is chaired by Oliver Bell, an appointee of Governor Rick Perry. In July of 2007 and again in June 2009, the Texas Public Employees Association presented him with the Agency Administrator of the Year award for his effectiveness in this role.

Brad joined TDCJ in October 1997 as the Deputy Director of the Financial Services Division. He was appointed Chief Financial Officer in June 2001 and assumed broad responsibility for the agency’s day-to-day business, fiscal, and administrative operations; he also had specific oversight authority for the Facilities, Information Technology and Manufacturing and Logistics Divisions. Brad continued as the agency’s CFO while serving as the Interim Executive Director for nine months.

Early in his tenure at TDCJ, Brad was a key member of the senior executive team within the agency. He provided direct fiscal leadership as well as being heavily involved in the day-to-day executive decision making process involving the wide range of operational and strategic issues inherent to a large criminal justice agency.

Brad has a broad range of governmental experience. Prior to joining TDCJ, he served in Governor Bush’s Administration as a Group Director in the Governor’s Office of Budget and Planning. In this capacity, he played a key role in developing, as well as presenting the Governor’s budget proposal to the Legislature. Before joining the Governor’s Office, Brad worked for the Legislative Budget Board, where he provided fiscal analysis and testimony, to the Texas Legislature, on budgetary and programmatic issues of various state agencies, including TDCJ.

Brad has a Bachelor of Arts Degree in Political Science, with honors from Metropolitan State College of Denver, and holds a Master of Public Affairs (MPA) from the University of Texas at Austin.

George Lombardi (MO)

Missouri Governor Jeremiah W. (Jay) Nixon nominated George A. Lombardi to the Director of the Department of Corrections on December 18, 2008. The nomination was confirmed on January 29, 2009. Lombardi became the 6th Director to lead the Department since Corrections became its own cabinet-level state agency in 1981.

Mr. Lombardi previously served as the Director of the Division of Adult Institutions for 18 years. He was responsible for 21 adult correctional institutions throughout Missouri encompassing 8,600+ staff and 30,500 inmates. He is a past Warden of two correctional institutions and a 33 year veteran of the Missouri Department of Corrections. Mr. Lombardi served on the Board of Directors and as Chairman of the Criminal Justice Task Force for the Missouri Association of Social Welfare. He is a past President of the Missouri Corrections Association and has served as an auditor for the Commission of Accreditation for Corrections. He has lectured on criminal justice matters at the American Corrections Association, Academy of Criminal Justice Sciences, colleges and universities and civic organizations. He has also co-authored two articles:

“Mainstreaming Death-Sentenced Inmates”
“Peer Interaction Training for Correctional Administrators”

Mr. Lombardi organized the first annual National Conference on Prisoner Reentry with Central Missouri State University. He was recognized at the December, 2002 Commencement at the Central Missouri State University with a Distinguished Alumnus Award. Mr. Lombardi has a B.S. and M.S. in psychology from the Central Missouri State University.

Gary Maynard (MD)

Gary D. Maynard brings more than 30 years of extensive correctional administrative experience to the job of Secretary of Maryland’s Department of Public Safety and Correctional Services. Since 1987 he has served as the Director of the corrections systems of three other states – Iowa, South Carolina, and Oklahoma.
Mr. Maynard was previously President of the American Correctional Association. He is a member of the Association of State Correctional Administrators where he serves as Director of the Southern Region, Chairs the Clearinghouse Committee and serves on the Executive, Performance Measures and Reentry and Community Corrections Committees.
Mr. Maynard was a member for 32 years of the Army National Guard of the United States and served as the Adjutant General of the Oklahoma Army and Air National Guard. He retired in 1995 as a Brigadier General, U.S. Army.
A few of the awards and recognition received include:
• Courage and Valor Award, Oklahoma Department of Corrections, 1997
• Roy Wilkins Meritorious Service Award, NAACP, 1993
• Distinguished Alumni, East Central University, Ada, OK, 1994
• Hall of Fame, Field Artillery Officer Candidate School, Fort Sill, OK, 1993
Mr. Maynard holds a Masters Degree from Oklahoma State University and a Bachelor’s Degree from East Central University in Ada, Oklahoma.

He and his wife Donna live in Towson, Maryland.

Kenneth McGinnis

Gary Mohr (OH)

Gary C. Mohr is director of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (DRC). Appointed by Governor John Kasich in January 2011, he is a 37-year corrections professional with a national reputation for innovative and efficient prison management. Throughout his career, Director Mohr has served in a number of corrections leadership positions in both public and private sectors.

In 2002, Director Mohr served as deputy director and superintendent of the Ohio Department of Youth Services. Previously, he was DRC deputy director for administration, as well as a deputy director in the agency’s Office of Prisons, where he supervised, mentored and advised a region of the state’s wardens. In addition, Director Mohr has served as warden at the Ross Correctional Institutional, Chillicothe Correctional Institution, and the Correction Reception Center.

From 1992-1994, Director Mohr served as director of the Governor’s Office of Criminal Justice, where he led the investigation into the cause of the 1993 Lucasville riot. Many of his team’s recommendations for preventive measures and improved conditions were incorporated into DRC’s standard operating policies and adopted by prison systems across the nation. He also chaired the Governor’s Task Force on Gun Violence.

In 2005, Director Mohr founded Mohr Correctional Insight, where he advised the Corrections Corporation of America in areas of staff leadership and development, and implementing unit management.

Director Mohr and his wife of 38 years have three adult children and four grandchildren. He is a resident of Chillicothe.

Alfred Murphy

Brian Owens (GA)

Mr. Owens was appointed Commissioner of the Georgia Department of Corrections by Governor Sonny Perdue in January 2009. As prisons chief, he oversees the fifth largest prison system in the nation, 200,000 felons in prison or on probation, 15,000 employees, and an annual budget of over $1.2 billion.

Mr. Owens began his career in criminal justice as a Parole Officer in 1993. He served as the Assistant Chief Parole and Chief Parole Officer in Fulton County.

In 1999, Mr. Owens led the Department of Corrections’ Office of Planning and Analysis before accepting the position of Executive Assistant. He has held his most recent position as Assistant Commissioner since 2005. Prior to beginning is career in criminal justice, Mr. Owens served five years in the Air Force.

Mr. Owens is a graduate of University of Georgia, and, lives with his wife, Sheri, and son, Evan, and daughter, Erin, in Forsyth, Georgia.

Andrew Pallito (VT)

Andrew Pallito has been with the DOC since 2001. Until 2006, he served as the Management Executive and was responsible for the finance, information technology and training needs (including the Vermont Correctional Academy) of the Department. Since 2006, he has served as the Deputy Commissioner and has had responsibility for all DOC operational functions.

Pallito has worked for the State of Vermont since 1992 and holds a bachelor’s degree from Saint Peter’s College in New Jersey.

Joe Ponte (ME)

Governor Paul LePage swore in Joseph Ponte as Commissioner of Maine’s Department of Corrections on February 24, 2011. The Governor nominated Ponte, 64, of Pahrump, Nevada and he was unanimously voted in by the Senate on February 15.

Ponte’s previous post was as warden for Corrections Corporation of America-Nevada Southern Detention Center located in Pahrump, Nevada. Ponte began his career in 1969 as a correctional officer at the Massachusetts Department of Corrections, where he promoted through the ranks to become warden at two different facilities and was later named assistant deputy commissioner. Ponte has also successfully led two facilities through the American Correctional Association accreditation process

Michael Quinlan

John Rees

John D. Rees began his career in Corrections as a caseworker at
the Kentucky State Reformatory in LaGrange in 1969. Three years later,
he was promoted to the position of director of the Division of Special
Institutions with the former Kentucky Bureau of Corrections. He served
in several capacities within the Kentucky Corrections system until 1976
when he left the state to work for the Oklahoma Department of
Corrections. He returned to Kentucky four years later to be warden at
KSR, a position he held until 1986.
From 1986 to 1998, he worked for Corrections Corporation of
America, a private correctional management firm. He managed
institutions in New Mexico, Texas, Louisiana and Tennessee before
becoming vice president of business development. He most recently has
worked as a private consult providing services for corrections and
criminal justice administration.
A native of Ft. Mitchell, Ky., Rees received his bachelor’s degree
in sociology and political science from the University of Kentucky and
his master’s degree in criminology and correctional administration from
Florida State University.
Rees has maintained professional memberships with state and
national correctional associations and in 2003, was named a Certified
Corrections Executive by the American Correctional Association.
He is married to Sue Nofsinger Rees and the couple has two adult
sons, Brennan and Christopher.

Evelyn Ridley-Turner

Ray Roberts (KS)

Mr. Roberts was appointed Secretary of Corrections by Governor Sam Brownback effective January 21, 2011.
Secretary Roberts was formerly the warden of El Dorado Correctional Facility, a position he had held since 2003. He began his career as a correctional officer at the Mississippi State Penitentiary in 1975. Since then he has served as a correctional counselor, staff development coordinator, deputy warden, director of faith-based ministry, warden of five correctional facilities and deputy secretary of facility management.
He joined the Kansas Department of Corrections as the deputy warden of operations at Lansing Correctional Facility in 1988.
Mr. Roberts earned his bachelor’s degree in criminal justice from the University of Southern Mississippi in Hattiesburg, Miss., and his masters of education degree in counseling and guidance from Delta State University in Cleveland, Miss.

Tom Roy (MN)

Governor Mark Dayton named Thomas Roy to lead the Department of Minnesota Department of Corrections on January 20, 2011.

Roy has spent his career in corrections, working with offenders, victims and communities. He previously served as Director of Arrowhead Regional Corrections, serving five Northern Minnesota counties.

Roy is a native of Northern Minnesota and a 1974 graduate of the University of Minnesota-Minneapolis where he received a B.A. in Political Science. Upon graduation he returned to the Arrowhead Region and began a career in probation and parole in Duluth as a pre-trial officer and in Carlton County, as an adult and juvenile officer and supervisor. In 1994 he was promoted to Chief Probation Officer for the five Arrowhead counties and in 2002 he took over as Executive Director for Arrowhead Regional Corrections. In addition to his work as a corrections administrator he has had involvement in numerous state and national initiatives and work groups, including: the American Probation and Parole Association as a Regional Representative and where he served on the Executive Board from 2007-2009. He currently is the chair of the Minnesota Interstate Compact Advisory Council which oversees the movement of convicted offenders to and from Minnesota.

Jim Rubenstein (WV)

Jim Rubenstein was appointed Commissioner of the West Virginia Division of Corrections in June 2001 by Governor Bob Wise after serving as Acting Commissioner since February 2001. Jim was re-appointed as Commissioner of the West Virginia Division of Corrections by Governor Joe Manchin, III on March 2, 2005 and is tasked with the responsibility to oversee the day to day operations of the Division of Corrections throughout the entire State of West Virginia.

Jim Rubenstein has over two-decades in the corrections profession. Mr. Rubenstein began his career with Corrections in 1973 as a Correctional Officer at the Forestry Camp for Boys. He also served as a Recreation Coordinator, a Correctional Officer, and a Counselor at the WV Industrial School for Boys. Mr. Rubenstein went on to serve as a Corrections Case Manager and Corrections Case Manager at Pruntytown Correctional Center. In 1994, Mr. Rubenstein was named Superintendent of Anthony Correctional Center. In late 1998, he was named Deputy Warden of St. Marys Correctional Center and was instrumental in the conversion of that facility from a state hospital to a medium security correctional institution. On June 1, 1999, Mr. Rubenstein was appointed to the position of Deputy Commissioner of Institutional Operations and served in that position until his appointment as Commissioner.

His qualifications and skills offer him a unique opportunity to bring insight and experience to the DOC. His career in corrections has prepared him with the management abilities, training and development skills, and interpersonal communications expertise necessary to promote programs, technology and training within the DOC.

Commissioner Rubenstein is affiliated with the following organizations: Member of the Association of State Correctional Administrators (ASCA), member of the American Correctional Association (ACA), Secretary for the Regional Jail and Correctional Facility Authority Board, member and former President of the WV Association of Correctional Employees (WV ACE), and member of Southern States Correctional Association (SSCA).

Ted Sakai (HI)

For nearly 27 years, Ted Sakai, 65, worked in a variety of executive positions in the State’s corrections system. From 1998 to 2002, he served as the Director of Public Safety. In that position, he provided leadership to the corrections and law enforcement entities. Among other assignments, he also served as Administrator of corrections programs and as the Warden of the Waiawa Correctional Facility, where he tightened security (no escapes for over two years) and expanded treatment programs for inmates. His accomplishments include the implementation of substance abuse and sex offender treatment programs for inmates; development of accountability systems for managers; development of strategic plans for the department; coordination of a multiagency approach for substance abuse treatment; implementing programs to minimize suicides by inmates; and developing policies and programs to reduce abuse of inmates by correctional staff.

Charles Samuels (FBOP)

Charles E. Samuels, Jr., was appointed as Director of the Federal Bureau of Prisons on December 21, 2011. As Assistant Director, Mr. Samuels directed all critical Bureau inmate management and program functions in the following areas: correctional services, security and emergency planning, witness security and victim witness operations, intelligence gathering and sharing, counter-terrorism initiatives, designations and sentence computations, gang management, inmate skills development and reentry initiatives, unit and case management, female offender programs, delivery of mental health and religious services, and sex offender certification reviews.
Charles Samuels began his career with the Bureau as a Correctional Officer in March 1988. Subsequently, he was selected for positions of increasing responsibility, including Case Manager trainee at FCI Talladega, Case Manager at USP Atlanta, Community Corrections trainee and Community Corrections Oversight Specialist at FCI Phoenix, Unit Manager at FCI Dublin, Program Review Division Examiner in Central Office, and Regional Correctional Programs Administrator and Executive Assistant for the Northeast Region. Mr. Samuels has served as Associate Warden at FCIs Otisville and Beckley, Ombudsman in Central Office, and Warden at FCIs Manchester and Fort Dix, prior to being named Senior Deputy AD of the Correctional Programs Division. He assumed his current position in January 2011.
In 2001, Mr. Samuels was selected Associate Warden of the Year for the Mid-Atlantic Region for his many contributions to correctional administration. In June 2006, he was appointed to the Senior Executive Service while serving as Warden at FCI Fort Dix.
Mr. Samuels is a native of Birmingham, Alabama. He received his B.S. in Social and Behavioral Sciences in 1987 from the University of Alabama (Birmingham). In addition, he graduated from the Harvard University Executive Education Program for senior managers in government in August 2007.

Wayne Scott

Richard Seiter

Dr. William Sondervan

Luis Spencer (MA)

Luis S. Spencer was appointed as the Acting Commissioner for the Department of Correction in January 2011. He was named Commissioner June 5, 2011. Prior to this appointment he was serving as the Acting Deputy Commissioner of Prisons.

He started his career in the Massachusetts Department of Corrections in 1980 as a Correction Officer. In 1982, he joined the United States Air Force where he received an honorable discharge in 1985 as a Sergeant. Upon his return to the Department of Correction in 1985, he quickly advanced through the ranks as a Correction Officer, Sergeant, Captain, Director of Security, and Deputy Superintendent. In 1995, he was appointed Superintendent of MCI Lancaster, a Co-Ed minimum/pre-release facility. Following this assignment he was appointed as the Superintendent to three other facilities. After serving 7 years as a Superintendent of MCI Norfolk, he was promoted to Assistant Deputy Commissioner of the Southern Sector. His duties included oversight of the nine correctional facilities which include facilities such as the Bridgewater State Hospital, Massachusetts Treatment Center for the Sexually Dangerous, Massachusetts Alcohol and Substance Abuse Center, and MCI Cedar Junction.

He has enhanced his professional background by attending the National Institute of Correction’s Executive Excellence Program for up and coming leaders in corrections, the Senior Executives Program at Harvard University/J.F.K. School of Government, and Labor Relations from Massasoit Community College.

Kim Thomas (AL)

On January 17, 2011, Governor Robert Bentley appointed Mr. Kim T. Thomas as Acting Commissioner of the Alabama Department of Corrections. An interest in criminology and corrections led Kim to study at Marshall University in West Virginia where he earned a Bachelor of Science Degree in 1983. Upon graduation, he relocated to Alabama and began his career with the Alabama Department of Corrections. Following his completion at the Correctional Academy, he rose through the ranks as a Correctional Officer, Correctional Sergeant, and Classification Specialist at a maximum security facility. While employed with the Department, Commissioner Thomas attended the Birmingham School of Law and received his Juris Doctorate in 1993. In April 1995, he was given the honor of providing legal representation to the Alabama Department of Corrections as an Assistant General Counsel. For the past six years, under Commissioners Donal Campbell and Richard Allen, he has served as General Counsel to the Department.

LaDonna Thompson (KY)

LaDonna H. Thompson, an 18-year veteran of the Kentucky Department of Corrections, made history when Gov. Steve Beshear named her commissioner, marking the first time a woman has been chosen for the top DOC post.
Thompson, 45, has spent the last two and a half years as Deputy Commissioner of the agency. While serving as a project manager, she was instrumental in implementing a statewide offender management system – a comprehensive project that combined three large, outdated systems to allow for a seamless flow of information.
As one of the original correctional officers at the Eastern Kentucky Correctional Complex, Thompson moved on to hold a position at Kentucky State Reformatory and Luther Luckett Correctional Complex in LaGrange. She made her way up through the ranks, working with the VINE program (Victim Information and Notification Everyday), inmate classification and population management divisions.
During her career in Corrections, Thompson received numerous awards, including three honors for distinguished service to the department. A recent graduate of the Leadership Kentucky class of 2007, her awards also include two for recommendations that resulted in fiscal savings for the Commonwealth. Thompson was a 2007 recipient of the “Breaking the Glass Ceiling” Award presented by the National Center for Women and Policing, and was selected as a participant in the 2006 NIC Executive Leadership for Women class.
A graduate of Morehead State University, Thompson received her degree in psychology and sociology. She and her husband Brian, a detective with the Louisville Metro Police Department, live in Bullitt County with their two sons, Seth and Christian.

George Vose

A.T. Wall (RI)

Prior to this appointment Mr. Wall served in the capacity of Assistant Director for a number of years. In this position he was responsible for the central management of Departmental operations and functioned as the Director’s second-in-command.

Mr. Wall’s career in corrections began in 1976 as a Probation Officer. After his graduation from Law School, he served as a Prosecutor in the Manhattan District Attorney’s Office and then joined the Vera Institute of Justice, where he was Director of a sentencing project for chronic offenders convicted by the New York City Courts. A native of Rhode Island, he returned to his home state in 1985 and worked in the Governor’s Office on policy issues in the areas of corrections and criminal justice. He was tapped by the Director of Corrections to join the Department in 1987 as Assistant Director. Mr. Wall was named Interim Director in 1999 and became Director in 2000.

Mr. Wall received a Bachelors of Arts Degree from Yale University in 1975 and his Juris Doctor from Yale Law School in 1980.

Odie Washington

Reggie Wilkinson

Dr. Reginald A. Wilkinson has been employed with the State of Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction (DRC) since September 1973. He has served in a variety of positions including superintendent of the Corrections Training Academy, warden of the Dayton Correctional Institution, and deputy director of prisons – south region. Former Governor George Voinovich appointed Wilkinson DRC director in February 1991. Governor Bob Taft reappointed him director in January 1999.
Director Wilkinson’s academic background includes a B.A. degree in political science and a M.A. degree in higher education administration, both from The Ohio State University. He was also awarded a doctor of education degree (Ed.D.) from the University of Cincinnati.
Dr. Wilkinson is President and Executive Director of the International Association of Reentry. He is also Past President of both the Association of State Correctional Administrators and the American Correctional Association. He is Vice Chair for North America of the International Corrections and Prisons Association. Wilkinson is, additionally, Director of the ICPA Centre for Exchanging Correctional Best Practices.
Wilkinson has authored numerous journal articles on a variety of correctional topics. He is editor of two books: Correctional Best Practices: Directors’ Perspectives and Best Reentry Practices: Directors’ Perspectives. As ACA president, he commissioned the publication of Best Practices: Excellence in Corrections. Dr. Wilkinson has written chapters in a number of books, a few of which include: Ohio Crime, Ohio Justice; Prison and Jail Administration: Practice and Theory; Frontiers of Justice, Volume 2; and The Full Spectrum: Essays on Staff Diversity in Corrections.
Director Wilkinson has, moreover, received many awards from a variety of organizations. A few of the associations he has received honors from include the National Governors’ Association, the American Correctional Association, the Association of State Correctional Administrators, the International Community Corrections Association, the National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice, the Volunteers of America, the Ohio Community Corrections Organization, and the Ohio Correctional and Court Services Association. He has also been appointed for a three-year term to the National Institute of Corrections Advisory Board by U. S. Attorney General John Ashcroft.

William Wrenn (NH)

William L. Wrenn was appointed Commissioner of the New Hampshire Department of Corrections in December 2005. His law enforcement career spans more than thirty years, all of that with the Hampton, New Hampshire, Police Department. He served as the town’s chief of police from 1995 until 2005.

The Commissioner was awarded a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice/Law Enforcement from Northeastern University and a Juris Doctorate from the Massachusetts School of Law. He is also a graduate of the New Hampshire Police Academy and the FBI National Academy.

Commissioner Wrenn resides in Hampton with his wife and family