Measuring Program Effectiveness

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Division Manager, Theresa Hart is a 29-year veteran of the Ventura County Probation Agency with experience in adult and juvenile services, court services, field services, special projects, and institutions. Ms. Hart currently manages the Adult Public Safety Realignment Division. This also includes oversight of programs. Ms. Hart is an agency instructor and a California Association of Probation Services Administrators member. She is also involved in numerous other committees, both county and statewide. Ms. Hart was recognized by her agency for officer safety as the recipient of the Officer Safety Award in 2007 and by the Ventura Management Council for Integrity as the recipient of the Management Council’s Integrity Award in 2011. Ms. Hart resides in Ventura County with her husband of 29 years. They have three adult daughters together, all loyal Los Angeles Dodgers fans.

Ms. Lightfoote has worked in the reentry field for 17 years focusing on providing evidence-based programming to justice-involved individuals. In her current role as Director, Program Outcomes, Fidelity & Innovation for GEO Reentry, she works to ensure that programs are producing positive outcomes, adhering to EBP, and being innovative by adapting to the needs of those we serve. Ms. Lightfoote is passionate about building staff skills and understanding of the “What Works” research. Prior to her current position, she served within GEO Reentry as Area Manager of non-residential reentry programs in Northern California, as Program Manager of the Napa County Community Corrections Service Center; and as Aftercare Coordinator in the California Department of Corrections San Diego Day Reporting Center. Ms. Lightfoote has worked with both youths and adults in the community and in institutional settings. As a result, she is highly experienced in working with diverse populations and criminal justice agencies. Ms. Lightfoote holds a Master’s degree in Criminal Justice Administration; a Bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice and Sociology.

Mr. Thurston is responsible for GEO Reentry’s nationwide implementation and oversight of the non-residential reentry centers and programs operated for county-level, state, and federal agencies. This includes contract compliance oversight and responding to escalated issues as necessary. Mr. Thurston has more than 30 years of industry experience. He has helped implement numerous research-based program models that incorporate the evidence-based principles of effective intervention. Many of these programs have achieved significant recidivism reductions—in some cases, a 50% reduction, as demonstrated by third-party evaluation studies. Mr. Thurston holds a Bachelor’s degree in International Relations and a Master of Business Administration degree, specializing in International Business.