I am currently an independent consultant, educator, writer, and public speaker on issues related to anti-oppression, social service provision, criminal justice reform and abolition, organizational capacity building/development, and community-centered approaches to justice, healing, and harm.

• 10+ years combined legislative advocacy, policy creation, campaign development, and community organizing experience

• 10+ years as a community educator and public speaker

• 10+ years experience in curriculum development for Criminal Justice and Social Justice oriented projects

• 8 years direct service case management and social services advocacy experience

• Verbal fluency and written proficiency in Spanish language

Oct. 2010 – June 2011

Women’s Policy Institute

Sacramento, CA

Criminal Justice Fellow, AB 2530 (Atkins, 2012) Ending Use of Shackles on Pregnant Prisoners

2007 – 2009

University of Chicago

Chicago, IL

M.A., Social Service Administration; Community Organizing and Public Policy

1999 - 2001

University of Washington

Seattle, WA

B.A., English; Creative Writing

• “Fighting Anti-Homeless Laws Through Participatory Action Research: Reflections from the San Francisco Coalition on Homelessness’ Criminalization Study.” With Herring, et al. In S. Greenbaum and P. Zinn (EDS), OUTSIDE THE IVORY TOWER: COLLABORATIVE RESEARCH AND COMMUNITY ACTION. New Brunswick: Rutgers University press. In press.

• “Pervasive Penality: How the Criminalization of Homelessness Perpetuates Poverty” – Social Problems, Society of the Study of Social Problems, Oxford University Press (Herring et al., Social Problems, 2019, 0, 1–19).

• “Punishing the Poorest” – SF Coalition on Homelessness, San Francisco, CA – June 2015.

• “EverydayAbolition.com” – Archival Blog –February 2013-2017.

• “The Budget for Humanity” - Californians United for a Responsible Budget, Oakland, CA – May 2011 & 2012.

• “Betraying The Model City” - Stop The Injunctions Coalition, Oakland, CA – February 2011.

• University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, North Dartmouth, MA – December 2018 to 2024 – course curriculum: “International Crime and Justice;” “Justice and Policy”; “Transformative Justice”; “Foundations in Multiculturalism for Counseling”

• University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, North Dartmouth, MA - June 2021 - August 2021 - Transformative Justice Certificate Project, Program Co-Director

• Episcopal Community Services, San Francisco, CA – October 2016 to December 2020 – Organization-Wide Restorative Justice Education and Implementation Project 

• Women's Policy Institute, Sacramento, CA – December 2013- December 2017 - “State Legislative Process and Policy Advocacy from Anti-Oppression Lens” 

• Women's Policy Institute, Riverside, CA – May 2015 & December 2017 - “County Legislative Process and Policy Advocacy from Anti-Oppression Lens”

• San Francisco State University, San Francisco, CA - Public Health Department Consultancy – September & December 2014 - “Public Health Policy and Curriculum from Anti-Oppression Lens”

• City University of New York Law School, New York, New York – First Year Orientation - August, 2014 – “Transformative Justice for Law Students”

• California State University East Bay, Hayward, CA – ASI Diversity Center - May 2013 – “Recognizing and Disrupting Moments of Oppression” and “Organizing Against Oppression”

• University of Illinois College of Medicine – Rockford, IL - Student Committee on Diversity and Inclusion Gathering – November 2020 – “Defining Intersectionality in Healthcare”

• Latinx Medical Student Association, Midwest Region – Annual House of Delegates Conference – September 2020 – “Intersectionality: From Theory to Practice”

• Bristol Community College, Fall River, MA – Women and Holocaust Conference – April 2019 – Plenary Panelist “Genocide of Trans Women”

• University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, North Dartmouth, MA – White Fragility Event – March 2019 – Keynote Speaker

• University of Portland, Portland, OR – ASDAH Conference –July 2018 - “Navigating the Intersections of Oppression”

• Bristol University, London, England - International Conference on Penal Abolition – June 2018 – “Transformative Justice, International Roundtable”

• University of Massachusetts, Dartmouth, MA - International Conference on Penal Abolition – July 2017 – “Restorative Justice as a Tool for Transformative Justice”

• Universidad Andina Simón Bolívar, Quito, Ecuador - International Conference on Penal Abolition – June 2016 – “No New San Francisco Jail Campaign”

• Universidad de Otavalo, Otavalo, Ecuador – June 2016 - “La Campana Contra El Carcel Nueva en San Francisco, CA”

• University of California, Berkeley, CA - Poverty & Homelessness Symposium – 2015 – 2017 - “Allyship in Policy Advocacy”

• University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Ontario - International Conference on Penal Abolition – June 2015 – “Everyday Abolition”

• University of California, Berkeley, CA - Pedagogy of Abolition Convening - October 2011 – “The Role of Activism” 

• University of California, Berkeley, CA - Making Cents: Forging A New California in a Time of Crisis - October 2011 – “Impact of the Budget Crisis Across Sectors” 

• Mills College, Oakland, CA - Incarceration, Education, and Families Symposium - February 2011– “Policy and Advocacy” 

• University of Illinois, Chicago, IL – May 2009 - Queertopia! Conference – “TJLP Research: Cook County Jail & Transgendered Prisoners”

• University of Chicago, Chicago, IL - February 2009 – “Progressive Organizational Structures”

• University of Illinois, Chicago – May 2008 - Queertopia! Conference – “Too Taboo? Transgender Rights In Prison” 

• Association for Size Diversity and Health Conference - July 2024 - “Transforming Organizational White Supremacy”

• Community Clinics of Los Angeles County - July 2020 to present - “Transformative Justice and Trauma Informed Care in Clinic Settings” annual presentation

• Society for the Study of Social Problems Annual Meeting, New York, New York – August 2019 - “CRITICAL DIALOGUE: Trauma, Transience, and Transformation: Community-Engaged Partnerships for Change” 

• Creating Change 2016, Chicago, IL – December 2016 – “Trans Liberation and Reproductive Justice, Cross-Movement Dialogue”

• L.A. County Department of Public Health, Los Angeles, CA – October 2015- “Health At Every Intersection: Centering Anti-Oppression in Public Health”

• American Library Association, San Francisco, CA – June 2015 - “Innovative Approaches to Address Communities in Need” 

• Toronto, Ontario Canada, November 2014 - “Building Community, Building Resistance: A Gathering for People With Experience Trading Sex and Our Allies”

• Project WHAT!, Children of Incarcerated Parents, Oakland, CA - Dec. 2011 – “Youth Lobbying 101” 

• Drug Policy Alliance, Los Angeles, CA - Nov. 2011 – “State-wide Plenary”

• Uniting Communities: National Training and Dialogue, NYC - Nov. 15-16, 2010 – “CR and INCITE! Statement on Gender Violence and the PIC” 

• United States Social Forum, Detroit, MI – June 2010 – “What is an Anti-Expansion Strategy?”

• Immigrants Forum, San Jose, CA – Nov. 2009 - “Show Me the Money: Changing the Inequalities in CA Tax Reform”  

• Solis Policy Institute, San Francisco, CA October 2021-April 2022, Trauma-Informed Policy Alum Mentor

• No New Washington Prisons, statewide Washington 2020-July 2022, Organizing Team

• LGBTQ Institute on Intimate Partner Violence, national U.S. June 2019-Sept 2021, Steering Committee Member

• Society for the Study of Social Problems Division Paper Award, NY, NY 2019: “Fighting Anti-Homeless Laws Through Participatory Action Research”

• Coalition on Homelessness, San Francisco, CA 2016-2017, Board of Directors 

• San Francisco Working Group to Re-Envision SF County Jails, San Francisco, CA 2016

• 2014 Berger-Marks Foundation Edna Award of Distinction for Women Leaders Under 35, Washington, D.C.

• Hospitality House, San Francisco, CA 2012-2015, Board of Directors 

• Harvey Milk Democratic Club, San Francisco, CA 2014 Executive Board - Vice President External Affairs

• Transformative Justice Law Project of Illinois, Chicago, IL 2008-2013, National Advisory Board Member & Co-founder