Professional of the Month

Susan Gagnon
Director of Adult Community Corrections
Maine Department of Corrections

For nearly three decades, Susan Gagnon has dedicated her career to strengthening community corrections, developing future leaders, and supporting the professionals who serve their communities every day. Susan began her career with the Maine Department of Corrections in 1997 as a Juvenile Probation Officer. Over the years, she advanced through increasingly significant leadership roles, becoming a Regional Correctional Manager in 2007 and a Regional Correctional Administrator in 2011. In 2013, she transitioned to the Adult Division of Probation and Parole, where she coordinated operations across a seven-county region, including programming, recruitment, and policy development. In 2019, Susan was promoted to Director of Adult Community Corrections, assuming responsibility for adult community corrections operations across all 16 Maine counties and serving as a member of the Department’s executive leadership team. Susan has recently retired from her position.

Her leadership has extended well beyond the day-to-day administration of community supervision. Susan’s responsibilities have included policy and initiative development, collaboration with community stakeholders, coordination of Maine’s Parole Board and Executive Clemency Board, and leadership within the Interstate Commission for Adult Offender Supervision. She has also served on the New England Council on Crime and Delinquency.

Susan’s commitment to the profession is also deeply connected to the American Probation and Parole Association. A graduate of APPA Leadership Institute Cohort 7, Susan returned to the program as a Leadership Institute coordinator and mentor, helping develop the next generation of community supervision leaders. In describing why she chose to give back to the program, Susan has emphasized the value of connecting emerging leaders with peers and national leaders while helping them build the skills necessary for advancement.

Throughout her career, Susan has championed issues that reach beyond operations and policy. Her work has included a particular focus on women in leadership, employee wellness, and staff support, including the introduction of therapy dogs Ruby and Zen for Maine Department of Corrections staff. Those efforts reflect a leadership philosophy centered not only on effective community supervision, but also on the people responsible for carrying out that work.

Outside of work, Susan describes herself as a devoted Boston Red Sox fan, traveler, wife, and grandmother of three. For Susan, family remains central, and her involvement with APPA has given her opportunities to build relationships and experience places across the country while continuing to serve the profession she has spent her career advancing.

APPA is proud to recognize Susan Gagnon as our Community Supervision Professional of the Month and to celebrate her years of leadership, mentorship, and service to the field.

Christopher B. Thomas
Director
East Texas CSCD

Christopher B. Thomas is a native of Jasper, Texas, and a graduate of Texas A & M University where he earned a Bachelor of Science degree in psychology. Chris began his career in July of 1993 with the 1st Judicial District Community Supervision and Corrections Department (CSCD) serving Jasper, Newton, Sabine, and San Augustine Counties. As an officer, Chris worked in the courts in all four (4) counties and supervised felony and misdemeanor offenders. He supervised the high-risk caseload for the majority of his career and was responsible for all sex offender registration and public notification.

In December 2008, Chris was appointed to serve as the Director of the department. On September 2, 2018, the department took in Shelby County CSCD and is now known as the East Texas CSCD. On December 1, 2022, Tyler County CSCD merged with the department to form a six county CSCD. Finally, on September 1, 2025, Panola County CSCD merged with the department to form the seven county CSCD which exists today.

Chris continues to serve as the department’s director and has been instrumental in bringing evidence-based practices including motivational interviewing into the department. He was also able to bring offender contract services back to the department after a seventeen-year hiatus which now includes four diversionary program grants. These contract services are being delivered in all seven counties, some of which had no programming available prior to their merging with East Texas CSCD.

In collaboration with Representative James White during the 2019 legislative session, the rural mental health initiative was expanded to cover three counties within Chris' jurisdiction. His department worked with the local mental health authority (Burke Center) to establish services within the offices at each location. On September 1, 2024, Jasper County switched to another mental health authority (Spindletop) which continued the services. Due to an excellent working relationship with the East Texas CSCD, the Burke Center elected to continue services in Newton and Tyler counties as well as expand to Sabine, San Augustine and Shelby Counties. Finally, while under a memorandum of understanding with Panola County CSCD, Chris was able to establish these same services within that department before they merged with East Texas CSCD. These services are now in all seven counties of his jurisdiction.

In 2022, Chris created a remote internal auditing system for the East Texas CSCD and expanded it in 2025. His staff works closely with Texas’ state regulatory agency to ensure the implementation of best practices in case management and its review. Under his direction and in conjunction with state agencies, a template for Case Plans was developed and has been implemented in multiple departments in the state.

In 2024, under Chris's direction, the East Texas CSCD piloted the Journey.do program through LifeLabs. Journey.do is a program designed for justice-involved individuals who need to strengthen their lives and remain on a positive path. Individuals learn how to build strong relationships, develop personal skills, and find supportive communities while also creating a healthy lifestyle. The personal development aspect of this program allows individuals to receive supportive reinforcement, guidance, and the potential for growth. The knowledge provided through this program assists individuals in protecting themselves from negative influences and building a solid foundation for a successful future. In implementing this program, the East Texas CSCD was the first adult probation department in the United States to do so. For Fiscal Year 2026, the Journey.do program was one of the diversionary program grants mentioned above. This grant is being implemented in collaboration with the Lavaca County CSCD and its ISF. Through the utilization of this program, the East Texas CSCD has seen tremendous success in the lives of those they serve.

In April 2026, Chris and the management team of the East Texas CSCD brought the use of AI in supervision to East Texas CSCD. Transcription of office visit narratives, pre-sentence investigation reports, and overall quality assurance are the products of this implementation.

Chris is a member of APPA, TCA and a lifetime member of TPA. He has served on TPA’s Finance Committee and was co-chair of the TPA Adult Legislative Committee for a total of six years. Chris has also served on the TPA board of directors as a member, parliamentarian under three presidents, vice president and president of the association. Currently, he is serving once again as president of the association. He is a past recipient of the Brian J. Kelly Award for outstanding adult administrator, the Roxane Marek Award for significant, long-standing contributions to the association, the President’s Award for significant contributions to the probation profession and the Charles W. Hawkes Lifetime Achievement Award for a lifetime of service to the association.

In addition to association work, Chris has served on numerous statewide committees including Field Committees for the Community Justice Plan, Fiscal Issues, Funding Committee, Strategic Planning Committee, Assessment Committee, Resource Advisory Committee and the Brian Collier Legislative Advisory Committee. Chris represented Region 2 on the Probation Advisory Committee (PAC) and was vice chair of the committee for two terms. Finally, in June of 2024 Chris was appointed to serve an unexpired term on the Judicial Advisory Council (JAC) for the state of Texas. He was reappointed to the JAC September of 2025 for a six-year term.

Mark Stodola
Probation Fellow
American Probation and Parole Association

Over the past 12 years I have had the honor of serving as the American Probation and Parole Association’s Probation Fellow. This position has allowed me the opportunity to present trainings on topics surrounding impaired drivers at national, regional and state conferences throughout the country. When I started this position, I had no concept of the true impact of this 100% preventable act on our communities and the factors that lead to individuals repeatedly driving under the influence of drugs and/or alcohol. We have made significant advances in understanding the unique risk factors of impaired drivers and now recognize that it is often much more complex than a substance use disorder.

There are a myriad of challenges that can make the curbing impaired driving a daunting task. At the same time, I have had the pleasure of working with hundreds of dedicated professionals who have made it their lives work to make the impaired driving a thing of the past.

Landon Robinette
Parole Officer
Ohio Department of Rehabilitation & Correction

Landon is a parole officer with the Ohio Adult Parole Authority, Akron Region, where he works daily with some of the most challenging caseloads, including individuals with severe mental health needs and sex offenses. Through this work, he has seen firsthand the toll the profession can take—not only on the individuals served, but on the officers who serve them. Early in his career, Landon experienced significant mental health strain and witnessed how easily burnout can take hold in this field. With a strong desire for longevity and a career he can retire from, he made it his personal mission to advocate for officer wellness and help break the stigma surrounding mental health in the profession.

Most recently, and entirely out of his own pocket, Landon designed and produced mental health awareness challenge coins for first responders. These coins are intentionally shared with colleagues who may need a reminder that it is okay to seek help. He has been humbled to see how far they have traveled—from inspiring officers in other states to encouraging those just beginning their law enforcement careers.

Landon also founded Beyond the Badge, an initiative originally created to give back to the community through donation drives, volunteer service, and relationship-building outside of work hours. What he did not anticipate was how deeply the initiative would contribute to his own healing and growth. Today, Beyond the Badge is a key component of his ongoing efforts to promote mental wellness and resilience within the profession and beyond it.

He is proud to have been named Akron Region Parole Officer in 2025, but his work extends far beyond individual recognition. Landon serves on multiple state and regional mental health committees, participates in local Crisis Intervention Team (CIT) and wellness initiatives, and presents in college classrooms to share the realities of community supervision while recruiting future officers.

Chantelle Smith
Quality Control Manager
Missouri Division of Probation and Parole

Chantelle recently co-chaired the American Probation and Parole Association’s Program Committee, which ranked submissions from our Call for Presenters for APPA’s 50th Anniversary Training Institute in New York City. With grace and charm, she ensured committee members were informed of their roles and responsibilities, making her leadership invaluable in shaping an outstanding program. In addition to her dedicated work in Missouri, Chantelle continues to share her talents with organizations like APPA, and we are grateful to collaborate with her. Known for her empathy, encouragement, and genuine support of others, Chantelle embodies the spirit of community corrections professionalism that inspires us all.

Laura Elliott
Assistant Director Community Corrections
Floyd County, IN

Laura Elliott is a powerhouse of dedication, intelligence, and integrity at Floyd County Community Corrections in Indiana. Brought on board during a transformative period for FCCC, Laura played a pivotal role in rebuilding the agency from the ground up. She was instrumental in crafting comprehensive policies and procedures and training staff - efforts that have left a lasting impact.

Nearly single-handedly, Laura rewrote FCCC's extensive policies and procedures handbook, demonstrating unmatched diligence and expertise. Her courtroom presence is second to none, and she mentors staff to ensure everyone is equipped to succeed under pressure. A tireless advocate for the FCCC program, Laura consistently goes above and beyond, pushing through challenges with grace and determination.

Laura Elliott doesn't just meet expectations - she exceeds them every single day. Her commitment, flexibility, and unwavering pursuit of excellence make her a true asset to the FCCC team and a most deserving recipient of this recognition.

Dr. R.J. Polisky
Past President and First Vice President
Board of Directors APPA

Dr. R. J. (“Randy”) Polisky is a Past President and first Vice President of the American Probation and Parole Association. He began his professional career as an adult probation and parole officer in Northern Virginia and Washington, D.C. During that time, he was also an institutional parole officer in one of Virginia’s prisons. He received a Special Commendation from the U.S. Department of Justice’s Attorney General’s Office in Alexandria, Virginia while working in Northern Virginia.

Dr. Polisky has been a staunch supporter of the work of line personnel and believes they play a significant role in community safety and the reform and rehabilitation of justice-involved individuals.

Deb Minardi
Administrative Office of the Courts and Probation
State of Nebraska

After more than four decades of serving communities in Nebraska, Ms. Deb Minardi is retiring from the Administrative Office of the Courts and Probation. A trailblazer for women in the field, she started her career as a probation officer in 1980 before being promoted to Chief Probation Officer in 1989, where she was the youngest Chief in Nebraska, and the only woman, who oversaw the state's largest judicial jurisdiction in Omaha. She served in the AOC for the last 18 years, most recently as Administrator. A longtime APPA member and supporter, Ms. Minardi has given back to the field in many ways including as Vice President on APPA's Executive Board and as a mentor in its Leadership Institute program. She says one of her proudest career moments was seeing Nebraska implement evidence-based practices in its community supervision programs. "I knew something better was out there than trail 'em, nail 'em, and jail 'em," she said. "That really energized me with hope for our future." Ms. Minardi plans to travel during her retirement and remain involved in the field.