JENNA BOTTLER
PRESIDENT & EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
As President & Executive Director for the Justice Action Network Foundation, Jenna oversees the organization’s vision and development, empowering and guiding JANF’s team to success in D.C. and across the country. She comes to this effort from Pew Charitable Trusts, where she led comprehensive juvenile justice policy initiatives, and previously served the Center for Effective Justice at the Texas Public Policy Foundation, researching and educating policymakers on a variety of policy initiatives across the country.
LAUREN KRISAI
DEPUTY DIRECTOR
As a Senior State Policy Manager, Lauren focuses on the Justice Action Network Foundation’s expanding state work. 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.
DIANA RADEMACHER
COMMUNICATIONS & COALITIONS DIRECTOR
As Communications and Coalitions Director Diana Rademacher crafts and oversees JANF’s messaging and outreach strategy at both the federal and state levels while developing, maintaining and deploying relationships to achieve JANF’s goals. Prior to joining JANF, Diana led Americans for Prosperity’s policy and government affairs in Michigan, serving as Policy Director for the organization there for three and a half years. In that position, Diana was involved in the passage of the nation’s first state-level Clean Slate law to include felonies in automated record-sealing, created a co-response and grant program and secured $20 million in funding for its first iteration, and lead the state’s robust bipartisan pretrial coalition.
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.
NOAH BEIN
STATE POLICY MANAGER
Noah Bein is state policy manager for the Justice Action Network Foundation, where he works with coalitions across the country to promote criminal justice reform. Prior to joining JANF, Noah led technical assistance and legislative campaigns at the Pew Charitable Trusts resulting in the passage of bipartisan youth justice reforms in Utah, Kansas, and elsewhere. Noah began his career as a caseworker in the Washington, D.C. youth justice system. He holds a B.A. in history from Brandeis University and a master’s degree in public policy from New York University.
SYRITA SIMPKINS
EVENTS MANAGER
Syrita manages special meetings and events for the organization. With experience in event planning, project management and office administration, she oversees the coordination, design and flow of our events. Prior to joining the Justice Action Network Foundation, she was the executive assistant 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 on annual course and conference coordination for Pennsylvania’s CLE credit.
Her most notable projects with the organization include the coordination of Women Unshackled in 2017, which included the participation of Gov. Mary Fallin of Oklahoma, several members of Congress, and advocates. Following up on the conference’s momentum and the focus on female incarceration and dignity, Women Unshackled moved on to Austin the following year. Other projects include coordinating events and special programs with the University of Louisville (KY), press conferences, and other functions hosted by JANF and sister organization, Justice Action Network.
A current DC resident, Syrita was born and raised in Columbia, Maryland and holds a bachelor’s degree in Business Administration from Bowie State University, followed by an MBA from University of Maryland University College.
JC HENDRICKSON
FEDERAL AFFAIRS DIRECTOR
JC has more than 16 years of experience building and executing successful bipartisan policy change strategies in Washington. Prior to joining the Justice Action Network, JC was Senior Director of Policy and Advocacy for the International Rescue Committee, where he led bipartisan efforts on policies to support refugees and asylees at the state and federal levels. Before that, JC worked at The Pew Charitable Trusts where he led evidence-based federal criminal justice reform efforts. He got his start on Capitol Hill working as a legislative staffer for members of the House of Representatives. JC’s work has been featured in USA Today, The Washington Post, The Wall Street Journal, Newsweek, MSNBC, CNN, and NPR, among other outlets.
JC holds a Bachelor’s Degree from American University and a Master’s Degree from George Washington University
JENNY CATCHINGS
STATE POLICY MANAGER
As part of the state team, 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.
SAM FREER
COMMUNICATIONS & ADMINISTRATIVE ASSISTANT
Sam is the glue that holds JANF together, adeptly navigating the needs and preferences of the entire team, coordinating multiple internal and external schedules with grace, and executing on the day-to-day functions of the organization quickly and efficiently.