About Me:

I am a dedicated Probation Director with over 30 years of experience in the juvenile and adult justice systems, committed to advancing equity, accountability, and opportunity within the field of probation.  My leadership has been shaped not only by decades of service, but also my one lived experience in the child welfare system, which continues to inform my deep empathy for youth and families navigating complex systems.

Throughout my career, I have led innovative reforms to improve community safety while reducing reliance on incarceration and detention.  I champion evidence-based and trauma-informed practices, cross agency collaboration, and culturally responsive approaches to supervision.  I believe in the power of second chances and the importance of building staff cultures rooted in purpose, professional growth, and compassion.

My personal journey has instilled a strong sense of purpose and urgency in my work, driving me to create systems that are fair, restorative, and truly rehabilitative. 

Professional Experience:

Over 30 years of professional experience includes serving in multiple capacities within the Pennsylvania (PA) juvenile and adult criminal justice systems. Currently, I serve as the Director of the Dauphin County Probation Services Department (overseeing the Adult and Juvenile Divisions). 

Previous and current professional experience:

• Juvenile Probation Officer and Juvenile Probation Supervisor in school-based, electronic monitoring and aftercare settings (1998-2005).
• Member of the Streets Crime Unit – Specialized police and probation partnership initiative (modeled after the Boston Night Light Program) that targets high crime areas of Harrisburg city.
• Deputy Director of Juvenile Probation (2005-2012)
• Juvenile Court Judges’ Commission Chief of the Year (2016).
• Developed and Implemented the first Quality Assurance Unit in the PA Juvenile and Criminal Justice Systems.
• National Rifles Association and ACT 158 Senior Master Certified Firearms Instructor.
• Expert Witness testimony for PA Senate and Congressional Hearings, as well as local, state, and national subject matter expert on juvenile justice and adult criminal justice relative to Evidence-Based Practices (EBP) and Officer Safety and Critical Incident Stress Management.
• Co-author and author of juvenile justice and criminal justice publications.
• Extensive experience in collaboration at the local, state and national level with major components and constituencies of the juvenile justice and adult criminal justice systems including juvenile and adult courts/probation and parole, juvenile detention/shelter, prison, law enforcement, prosecution and defense attorneys, victim advocates, child welfare, education, mental health, drug and alcohol, community-based child serving organizations and parent/family groups.

Juvenile Probation System Experience:

Current professional experience:

• Since 2008, served on the Executive Committee of the PA Council of Chief Juvenile Probation Officers (PCCJPO) holding the position of Chairperson for the Safety Committee.
• President, Pa Council of Chief Juvenile Probation Officers (2020-2023).
• Governor Appointed Chairman and Commission Member of the Pennsylvania Firearms Education and Training Commission (FETC).
• Governor Appointed Committee Member of the Pennsylvania Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency and Prevention Commission (JJDPC).
• Leadership team member for the State of PA’s Juvenile Justice System Enhancement Strategy (JJSES).
• Trainer for Pennsylvania Center for Juvenile Justice Training and Research (CJJT&R).
• County Commissioners Association Courts and Community Committee member.
• Non-voting member PA Juvenile Court Judges Commission.
• Chairperson for the Dauphin County Juvenile Division Critical Incident Stress Management Team.
• Chairman of the Dauphin County Juvenile Justice Leadership Committee, responsible for stakeholder education, organizational preparedness, implementation of structured decision-making instruments and processes, application of evidence-based interventions and services, and development of data collection processes and analytic protocols.

Adult Probation/Parole Experience:

Current professional experience:

• Since 2012, Chairman of Risk, Needs, and Responsivity Assessment Committee-PA Partnership for Criminal Justice Improvement Member (PPCJI).
• PA Strategic Planning Leadership Team for PPCJI.
• Evidenced-Based Practices Leadership Team- PA County Adult Probation and Parole Officers Association (PCCAPPOA).
• Chairman for the Safety Committee PCCAPPOA.
• Chairman for the Dauphin County Re-entry Coalition.
• Faculty member of PA Judicial Education Seminar and PA County Chief Adult Probation and Parole Officers Association providing instruction on Evidence-Based Practices 101, Risk, Needs, Responsivity Assessments, Aids in Sentencing using Risk, Needs and Responsivity Assessments in Sentencing, Officer Safety and Well-Being.
• Chairperson of the Dauphin County Adult Division CISM Team.
• Committee member of the Dauphin County Stepping Up Initiative.
• Treasurer of PCCAPPOA (2013-2016).

Consulting Services:

Assessment and evaluation of policies, procedures and practices of juvenile justice and adult criminal justice agencies, applying industry accepted standards and best practices. Includes review of internal operations, as well as external functioning within the context of local and/or state juvenile justice and adult criminal justice systems and provide technical assistance within community corrections.

Identification of evidence-based practices and programs based on risk-focused screening assessments. Conduct departmental and community readiness. Implementation and readiness of Quality Assurance (QA) programming to include Continuous Quality Improvement (CQI) practices.

Expertise in behavioral health services to provide support, guidance, and navigation towards treatment within the juvenile justice and adult criminal justice systems.

Review and evaluation of internal/external officer safety policies, procedures, and practices, applying industry accepted standards and best practices.  Providing technical assistance/training.

Review and evaluation of internal/external officer well-being protocols and programming, applying Critical Incident Stress Management best practices.

Review and evaluation of policies, procedures, and practices of Diversion programming in Juvenile Justice and Adult Probation, Parole and Corrections.

Review and evaluation of policies, procedures, and practices to assist with tailoring/imposing sentences based on the risk, needs, responsivities, and best interest of the community, applying evidence-based practices.

Data collection and analysis, to include EBPs and various operational components of the juvenile justice and adult systems.

Review and evaluation of policies, procedures, and practices of caseload management and resources, applying proven best practice strategies.

Review and evaluation of policies, procedures, and practices of racial and ethnic disparities within the Juvenile and Adult Criminal Justice Systems.

Provide specialized services to support the development of strategies that improve probation staff motivation, professional investment, and workplace engagement. This includes conducting targeted assessments through surveys and focus groups to identify areas of concern, satisfaction, and opportunity among staff.