Judge Steven Teske - Judge Steven C. Teske is the Chief Judge of the Juvenile Court of Clayton County, GA, and serves regularly as a Superior Court Judge by designation. He was appointed juvenile judge in 1999. Teske earned his Bachelor's, Master's, and Juris Doctor degrees from Georgia State University. He was a Chief Parole Officer in Atlanta, Deputy Director of Field Services of the Georgia State Board of Pardons and Paroles, and a trial attorney in the law firm of Boswell & Teske LLP. He also served as a Special Assistant Attorney General prosecuting child abuse and neglect cases and representing state employees and agencies in federal and state court cases.
Teske is a past president of the Council of Juvenile Court Judges and has been appointed by the Governor to the Children & Youth Coordinating Council, DJJ Judicial Advisory Council, Commission on Family Violence, and the Governor's Office for Children and Families.
He has written articles on juvenile reform published in Juvenile and Family Law Journal, Juvenile Justice and Family Today, Journal of Child and Adolescent Psychiatric Nursing, and the Georgia Bar Journal. He serves his community in numerous other capacities including past president of the Southern Crescent Humanity for Humanity and is currently on the advisory board.
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Judge Mark Ingram - Judge Mark Ingram has been a long standing advocate of restorative practices and conferencing, are working with their communities and the Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections to institute Restorative Practices in their communities and school districts. Judge Ingram is the Statewide Juvenile and Child Protection Judge for Idaho Supreme Court. He provides leadership and consultation to his fellow Juvenile Magistrates around the state. Judge Ingram has presented on numerous occasions on Restorative Practices at conferences such as Idaho Juvenile Justice Association, Idaho Prevention Conference as well as Judges Webinar, Juvenile Justice trainings and School In-Service
and local civic organizations as a guest speaker. He has worked tirelessly to increase education and awareness on the benefits of using restorative practices throughout Idaho. Judge Ingram currently holds the position as Magistrate in Lincoln County. He serves as the juvenile Judge in five counties in the 5th Judicial District. Prior to going on the bench in 2001, Judge Ingram practiced law in Burley, Idaho as a solo practitioner with an emphasis on mediation of child custody and family law matters. He was admitted to practice in Idaho in 1982 and worked as a deputy attorney general for the Department of Health and Welfare prior to 1986 when he went into private practice.
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Stephen Watt – A Wyoming native, Stephen began his career in 1979 as a Wyoming Highway Patrol Trooper. In March of 1982, he encountered Mark Farnham who had just robbed a bank in Colorado and was returning to Wyoming. Gun fire ensued between the two individuals. Mark Farnham subsequently was convicted of attempted second degree murder and sentenced to life. Stephen continued with his law enforcement career, eventually retiring in 2007. He began his political career as state legislator and served in the Wyoming House of Representatives for a total of three terms ranging from 2001 until 2015. For approximately three years after the shooting Stephen encountered numerous life struggles and eventually had the opportunity to meet with his shooter face to face. He came to forgive Mark for his actions, came to know him in a different light, and their friendship continues to this day. Stephen has participated in numerous speaking engagements around the county sharing his personal journey and the forgiveness he found for Mark.
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Melissa Westover - Melissa is the Restorative Justice Manager and Executive Director for the Estes Valley Restorative Justice Partnership. Melissa has worked in Restorative Justice since 2008 first as a volunteer then as Case Manager and now as the Manager/Executive Director. When Melissa came on staff, EVRJP had two very successful programs; the Community Group Conference Program and the Community Circles Program-a Path to Re-entry. Since being appointed as Restorative Justice Manager/Executive Director she has developed new restorative opportunities for the Estes Valley; First the implementation of school-centered preventative programs including; Student Support and Accountability Circles and Girls Circles, Secondly she developed the Restorative Community Mediation Program which assists citizens of the Estes Valley in resolving conflict in a restorative way. Melissa is a member of the Colorado Coalition of Restorative Justice Directors and has worked the Colorado Coordinating Council on Restorative Justice as a part of the design team for the 2012 and 2016 Restorative Justice Summits. She holds a BA in Elementary Education and an MA in Counseling Licensure and is a Licensed Professional Counselor.
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Captain Corey Pass – Cpt. Pass started work with the Estes Park Police Department in 1991, and throughout his career he has had the opportunity to lead nearly all units within the department. Captain Pass is currently over the department’s Community and Information Services Division. This division consists of the 911 dispatch center, Criminal Justice Records, Police Auxiliary, Restorative Justice and Front Window Volunteers. Prior to being promoted to Captain, Corey held the ranks of Police Officer, Master Police Officer, Corporal, Patrol Sergeant, Detective Sergeant and Professional Standards Sergeant. He has a strong belief in Community Oriented Policing and has been instrumental in the creation of programs including: Restorative Justice, Police Department’s Citizen Police Academy and the Safety Fair community event. Captain Pass is a progressive leader who has a strong background in adult learning. He has been recognized as an expert in the State of Colorado for instructing field training officers. He has a Bachelor of Science Degree in Criminal Justice with an emphasis in Police Administration and Management and a Master’s Degree in Organizational Leadership with an emphasis in change management.
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Cheryl O'Shell - Cheryl currently is the Restorative Practice Specialist for the Thompson Valley School District in Loveland, Colorado. She is a trained RJ facilitator and in her current position she has used a broad spectrum of restorative practices including Family Group Conferencing, Peace Circles, Restorative Mediation and the Peacekeeper Circle for elementary students. Working with fellow colleagues, she offers many of these services in collaboration with the Expelled and At-Risk Student Services (EARSS) grant. The school district is in its fourth year of the grant’s implementation. The school district’s Restorative Practices program has 4 primary goals: 1) reduce suspensions and expulsions; 2) reduce the number of discipline referrals; 3) build community in schools by fostering safety and belonging with keeping students in school and holding them accountable for their behavior in discipline issues; and 4) create opportunities for staff, students and families to resolve conflict and build effective communities, both in school and out of school.
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Raquel Clark - Raquel currently coordinators the Expelled and At-Risk Student Services (EARSS) Grant at Thompson Valley School District in Loveland, Colorado. Prior to her time with TSD Raquel worked at a residential treatment center for children and has coached high school soccer in Wyoming. She is Youth Mental Health First Aid USA Instructor and Check & Connect Mentor trainer.
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Laura Yaussi - Laura is a first grade teacher with the Thompson Valley School District in Loveland, Colorado. She has been using Peacekeeper Circles in her classroom the past 5 years and has assisted in training school staff in the restorative process of circles for the past 3 years.
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Catherine Childs - Catherine Childs is the director of juvenile and adult Restorative Justice Services for the 20th Judicial District Probation Department as well as principal, lead trainer and consultant with Restorative Solutions, Inc. in Boulder, CO Catherine has enjoyed a 30 year career in human and community justice services, and has committed the last twelve years of her professional development and career exclusively to restorative justice practices. Specializing in facilitator training and program development, implementation and evaluation in schools and criminal justice, she demonstrates a commitment to applying restorative values and practices to across the spectrum of prevention to intervention, from ending the school to prison pipeline to restorative innovation for serous and violent crime in pre-sentence, plea-bargaining and post-sentence capacities. Catherine holds a B.A. in Psychology from the University of Colorado at Boulder. Her professional development achievements include: multiple restorative justice facilitator trainings and train the trainer; former licensed trainer for IIRP; professional mediator certification; high risk victim-offender dialogue and CoSA training; as well as Motivational Interviewing (MI) and Non-Violent Communication (NVC),
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Greg Brown - Greg has been working the corrections field for over 29 year and has worked with both adult and juvenile populations in a variety of specialized programs. He has extensive experience in the supervision, treatment and management of juvenile and adult offenders, including domestic violence and sex offenders. In addition, greg has spent considerable time developing specialized programs including a gender specific female team of officers with expertise in women’s’ issues, problem solving courts, standards, policies, restorative justice programs and best practice for the community based management of high risk offenders Greg has working the JR field for over 25 years. His department has over 20 community volunteers that provide circles, dialogues, and programming focused on RJ principles and practices. Greg is also the Judicial Brant appointee to the State of Colorado Restorative Justice Council, a position he’s held since 2011. Currently, Greg serves at the Chief Probation Office for the 20th Judicial District in Boulder, CO. Greg holds a Master of Criminal Justice Administration, is a certified computer forensic examiner, and is a trainer for the National Criminal Justice Training center at Fox Valley, the National Law Enforcement and Corrections Technology Center, NIJ, DOJ, SMART, Crimes Against Children Dallas conferences, and Crimes Against Women Dallas conferences.
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Randi Losalu - Randi is the Victim Services Coordinator for the Wyoming Board of Parole providing post-conviction victim services to those victimized by Wyoming adult felony offenders. She provides information, notification, and advocacy through the Victim/Witness Notification Program ensuring and assisting victims prepare for and have a voice at parole hearings. She has focused her efforts on expanding services available to victims of Wyoming offenders through developing and offering restorative justice programs including the Offender Apology Letter Bank program and the Victim-Offender Dialogue (VOD) program. She is both the program manager and a facilitator for the VOD program, giving victims of severe violent crime the opportunity to face their offender in a safe and secure manner after thorough preparation.
Mrs. Losalu has received the “Partners in Advocacy” P.E.A.C.E Award from the Wyoming Coalition Against Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault, the Outstanding Advocate Award from the Cheyenne Police Department, and the Innovation Award from the Wyoming Division of Victim Services. She currently chairs the Association of Paroling Authorities International Victims’ Committee, is helping to establish a Wyoming Restorative Justice Council, and is on the planning committee for the Wyoming Annual Crimes against Children Conference. Prior to working with the Board of Parole, Mrs. Losalu lived in the Kingdom of Tonga during her Peace Corps service wherein she developed a restorative justice program. She has also worked for the late Senator Craig Thomas in Washington D.C. She obtained her Bachelor of Arts in both Criminal Justice and Psychology from the University of Wyoming in 2003. Mrs. Losalu resides in Cheyenne with her husband and three children.
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Rick Prince – Rick is the President of the Wyoming Restorative Justice Council as well as a facilitator with the Wyoming Board of Parole’s Victim Offender Dialogue program. He is also the Senior Associate Pastor and Vice President of Harvestime Ministries in Rawlins, Wyoming.
Rick's journey to Restorative Justice actually began in 1998 when, as a teenager, he was arrested and convicted of theft and burglary. Rick served five and a half years in the Colorado Department of Corrections with three years of mandatory parole. In 2006, he completed his sentence and moved to Wyoming. In 2010 Rick and his wife began participating in prison ministry in Rawlins Wyoming. By 2011 he had finished his educational requirements through Harvestime Ministries and he received his ordination. In 2012 Rick was voted in as the Senior Associate Pastor and Vice President of Harvestime Ministries.
Rick first discovered Restorative Justice in 2012 and immediately began researching everything he could find. He had his first training in Colorado with Restorative Justice Services in Fort Collins. He soon began speaking about RJ and was interviewed by the Wyoming Public Radio. This led to an invitation to join the not yet developed VOD program. Rick was trained and certified as a facilitator for this program.
In 2015 Rick began working on the creation of the Wyoming Restorative Justice Council. He surrounded himself with an amazing team of professionals and by November 2016 the Council became a recognized non-profit organization. Rick continues to lead the Council as they seek to advance Restorative Justice throughout Wyoming.
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Jolene Lux - Jolene is a Wyoming native, born number three of six girls. Being from a large family, she grew up sharing my room, toys and clothes with her sister Beckie, who was a year and nine months younger. Even though she was older, Beckie was bolder and took them on wonderful sister adventures. They grew up and got married. Jolene had two children and eventually became a bookkeeper. Beckie had dreams of becoming a nurse and would have had she not been murdered by her 15 year old stepson. Beckie always saw the best in people and enjoyed life, worked hard and sacrificed all she had for her family. After Beckie’s death, Jolene became involved in victim services in Wyoming and worked in that arena until 2008. Jolene and her daughter participated in the first VOD case for Wyoming on Beckie's 24th death date anniversary in 2014. For the last couple of years, Jolene has returned to her first career choice of bookkeeping.
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Sherry Myrick - Sherry is a daughter, a mother, and an aunt who enjoys taking care of other people. Because of her passion and love for people, she found it extremely difficult to lose her nephew to a direct act of violence. She was incredibly close to her nephew, who lived for his family and had unconditional love for others. Sherry participated in the WY VOD program and found it incredibly beneficial. Although she found it difficult to start the process, she is very grateful that the program exists and that she was able to participate in it. Through her participation, she was able to work through many difficult emotions and come out of the process with a completely forgiving heart. She is thankful for the opportunity to speak and hopes that through sharing her story she is able to help others in the future.
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Deb Witzel - Deb is the Colorado Coordinator for Restorative Justice and Adult Diversion in the State Court Administrator’s Office. Since 2009 Deb has served the Colorado Coordinating Council on Restorative Justice as their manager. She has worked with Representative Pete Lee to pass restorative justice legislation since 2011. She was Executive Director of the Longmont Community Justice Partnership (LCJP) from 2008 – 2013 where collaborations with law enforcement, schools and the criminal justice system were very successful. She has been a restorative justice practitioner, trainer and consultant since 2004. Deb’s leadership in restorative justice has inspired new programs, brought additional opportunities to the state and engaged new audiences in the rich potential for restorative practices. Whether supporting the implementation of restorative justice practices in judicial districts, schools or the community Deb’s enthusiasm and competence move people toward action and success.