ACJI Pop-up: Leadership by Design

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Johanna Leal has 20 years of experience designing and implementing innovative programs for justice and human services agencies including prisons, parole and probation, schools, courts and non-profit organizations. She has led large scale implementations of evidence-based practices including cognitive behavioral interventions, assessment driven case management, trauma informed care, gender responsive programming, restorative justice initiatives, workforce development programs and Motivational Interviewing. Prior to becoming a founding member of ACJI, she was the Associate Director of Reentry Programs with the Colorado Department of Corrections, Division of Adult Parole and was responsible for reentry programs inside prisons, parole and in the community. Johanna enjoys working at the intersection of systems to tackle complex issues important to communities and working with cross sector stakeholders to accelerate collective impact. She is passionate about accelerating community reinvestment initiatives through supporting innovative leaders and community capacity. She also loves applying implementation science and strength based coaching models to maximize program outcomes. She holds a Master’s degree in Educational Psychology from the University of Colorado at Denver, is member of the Motivational Interviewing Network of Trainers (MINT) and is a Goleman Emotional Intelligence Certified Coach (EICC).

Glenn Tapia is the Director of Leadership and Organizational Intelligence with the Alliance for Community and Justice Innovation (ACJI). Glenn has over 37 years of leadership and criminal justice experience in the public sector in Colorado to include 28 years in community supervision. His career includes 25 consecutive years with the State of Colorado in strategic oversight and advancement of Colorado’s community corrections systems Director of Probation Services for Colorado’s Judicial Department. Glenn has over 13 years of executive leadership and management experience in both the executive and judicial branches of government. Glenn’s tenured experience with the state policy process, strategic implementation of evidence-based practices and programs, and multi-level collaboration is augmented with advanced education and experience with academic instruction. Glenn has an ardent commitment to excellence in criminal justice administration that is centered in the application of science to public safety policy.

Dr. Alexandra Walker has more than 25 years of experience in the field of reentry and behavioral health. She offers a diverse background in evidence-based practices, training, program development, implementation science, and treatment modalities. Alex has worked on a myriad of federal, state, and local justice initiatives and research projects. Most recently she transitioned from the Colorado Parole Board as Vice Chair to co-found and run the Alliance for Community and Justice Innovation (ACJI). Having managed implementation efforts large and small across the correctional space, Alex brings a wealth of experience in both community based and institutional corrections. She is well versed in the development, implementation, and measurement of structured decision-making tools and is committed to helping organizations reach fidelity to their highest impact practices and programs. As the Director of Community Relations and Strategy for ACJI, Alex provides tools, strategies, research and evaluation supports for implementation efforts at the state and local level, coaches leaders on implementation and staff engagement efforts, and develops practices and resources for specialized populations with organizations across the country.