LAUREN KRISAI
EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
As a Executive Director, Lauren oversees the organization’s vision and development, empowering and guiding JANF’s team to success across the country. Previously, Lauren served as the Director of Criminal Justice Reform at Reason Foundation, where she managed comprehensive state level criminal justice reform initiatives, authored and oversaw various research projects, and organized innovative events and activities. Her work has been cited in national publications including The Washington Post and The New York Times. Lauren has spoken about criminal justice reform at panels across the country.
SYRITA SIMPKINS
DIRECTOR OF EXTERNAL AFFAIRS
As the Director of External Affairs, Syrita serves as a liaison to JANF’s network of partners and stakeholders and manages special events.
Since the origin of the organization in 2015, Syrita has provided operational and program support throughout the years, focusing on financial management, grant management and funder compliance, Board and partner communications, event management, and more. She has demonstrated non-profit experience working alongside leadership and managing high-level stakeholder correspondence. Syrita enjoys connecting with new people, cultivating relationships, and convening various personalities and groups to build community engagement.
Prior to joining the Justice Action Network Foundation, she worked at the Association for Prosecuting Attorneys where she managed the day-to-day office operations, as well as small meeting and national conference planning. She was also a project assistant at the Pennsylvania Bar Institute where she supported the team with annual course and conference coordination for Pennsylvania’s CLE credit.
Syrita holds an MBA from the University of Maryland University College and a Bachelor’s degree from Bowie State University.
JOHN WILCOX
ADMINISTRATIVE DIRECTOR
As the Administrative Director, John Wilcox manages internal operations at the Justice Action Network Foundation. Previously, he led strategic planning, change management, and operations for PEAK Grantmaking, a national association dedicated to increasing knowledge and efficacy of grantmaking organizations. As program manager at the AARP Foundation, he managed a portfolio of private and federal grants that let community colleges and workforce investment boards across the country help unemployed older workers find jobs, learn skills and build financial independence. As deputy director and executive director of Corporate Voices for Working Families, he led a national coalition of Fortune 500 companies that brought business to the table with policymakers on issues affecting working families. At Corporate Voices, John developed and implemented policy and outreach campaigns that built support for policy change that helped working families by encouraging workplace flexibility practices, improving workforce training, and increasing access to EITC. Under his leadership, the organization’s partner companies led shifts in business behavior around workplace flexibility, workforce readiness, and work-life issues. John lives in Arlington, Virginia with his wife and two children.
JENNY CATCHINGS
SENIOR STATE POLICY MANAGER
As Senior State Policy Manager, Jenny Catchings works with lawmakers and coalitions across the country.
She previously served as a policy fellow for the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health based out of the University of Texas at Austin. In that role, Jenny worked on many healthcare issues that overlap with the criminal justice system, such as behavioral health crisis management, diversion from jails to health services, and mental healthcare workforce development. She also served as an early resolutions ombuds and policy researcher for the Washington State Office of the Corrections Ombuds based in Olympia, Washington.
Additionally, Jenny has worked in the Texas legislature during session as a policy analyst and hearing clerk for the House Committee on County Affairs, focusing especially on public health and county jail bills. In 2019-2020, she served as an instructor in the Texas Prison Education Initiative.
She holds a Bachelor of Arts degree in Communications from The Evergreen State College, and a Master of Public Affairs degree from the LBJ School of Public Affairs in The University of Texas at Austin.