Board of Directors

Glenn E Martin | Chairman of the Board

Glenn E. Martin currently sits as the organization’s chairman of the Board of Directors. He is also the President and Founder of GEMtrainers.com, a social justice consultancy firm that partners with non-profits from across the United States to assist with fundraising, organizational development and marketing.

Glenn is a longstanding American criminal justice reform advocate and is the founder and former president of JustLeadershipUSA (JLUSA).

He also founded the campaign, #CLOSErikers, and co-founded the Education from the Inside Out Coalition, a national campaign working to remove barriers to higher education facing students while they are in prison and once they are released.

Martin regularly comments on criminal justice in the media, including CNN, CSPAN, Al Jazeera, and MSNBC.

Incarceration

Martin spent six years incarcerated in the New York prison system. In 1994, at the age of 24, Martin was convicted for an armed robbery of a New York City jewelry store and was sentenced to six years in prison. He was detained on Rikers Island for a year and served five additional years in the Wyoming Correctional Facility in Attica, New York for his role in several armed robberies.

Education

During his time in prison, Martin took college-level courses, stating he views his liberal arts education as a key turning point in his life. While at the Wyoming Correctional Facility, Martin earned an associates degree in social science from the Jesuit Canisius College based in Buffalo, N.Y. Though he had now earned a college degree, Martin still faced barriers to employment with his criminal record.

Release

In 2000, Martin was released from prison in upstate Attica, New York. At release, a correctional officer thanked him: “He said my being there helped pay for his boat, and that when my son came there, he would help pay for his son’s boat.”

Martin has worked with and founded various criminal justice reform non-profits. Martin also regularly comments on criminal justice issues. Martin has been critical of the disenfranchisement of felons in New York state, and in the United States. In 2014, Martin gave a guest lecture at Bennington College on criminal justice reform.

Legal Action Center

Upon release from prison, Martin began his career with the Legal Action Center (LAC). Martin eventually served as the co-director of LAC’s Helping Individuals with criminal records Reenter through Employment (H.I.R.E.) Network. Martin worked to address the obstacles facing ex-offenders who try to reconnect with their communities and society at large.

Martin discussed what he viewed as discrimination faced by people with criminal records, based on their criminal records and their race, noting that people of color are disproportionately represented in the American criminal justice system. Martin regularly spoke with media regarding criminal justice issues.

The Fortune Society

From 2007 until 2014, Martin served as Vice President of Development and Public Affairs for the Fortune Society, a group dedicated to helping people returning from prison to succeed with starting new lives. Half of Fortune Society’s staff members were formerly incarcerated, and one-third of the board members were formerly incarcerated. Martin regularly spoke with the national media about criminal justice issues.

Just Leadership USA

In November 2014, Martin founded a new organization, JustLeadershipUSA (JLUSA). JLUSA aims to cut the U.S. correctional population in half by 2030 through advocacy campaigns, leadership training, and member engagement.

Martin told Mic that he “believes the most compelling advocates of change are those who have been directly affected by incarceration.” Martin appeared on the Brian Lehrer show to discuss the purpose of prison.

JLUSA hosts training for formerly incarcerated leaders wanting to have a voice in the national debate over criminal justice and prison reform.

GEMtrainers

In April 2018, Martin founded a new organization, GEMtrainers, LLC. GEMtrainers offers discreet, transformational, and business-practical coaching for non-profit business leaders seeking to accelerate their performance and that of their organizations. They assist clients with strengthening their personal and organization positioning, brand story, visual identity, & messaging.

GEMtrainers, LLC helps clients to build new, effective brands for their advocacy campaigns, help tear down existing ineffective strategies and neutralize opponents who work to harm movements, by ruthlessly focusing on executing compelling co-created strategies that leave nothing to chance.

White House Experience

In early June 2015, Martin, along with other criminal justice reform activists, were invited to the White House to discuss mass incarceration and law enforcement issues.

Martin was flagged by the United States Secret Service as a security risk because of his criminal record, and required to have a special escort in order to enter the White House complex for the discussion.

Once cleared, Martin used the incident “to frame the topic for larger criminal justice reform.” Ultimately, Martin met with President Obama to discuss JustLeadershipUSA and his efforts to help shrink the criminal justice footprint in the lives of all Americans.

Awards

Never Be Caged “Closest to the Solution” Award (2019)
Working Families (2017)
Brooke Astor Award (2017)
Robert F. Kennedy Human Rights Award(2016)
VOCAL 2016 Gala Honoree (2016)
The Root 100 (2015)
Legal Action Center’s Arthur L. Liman Public Interest Award (2015)
Crisis to Triumph Award, SUNY Empire State College (2015)
Kentucky Colonel, Highest Honor bestowed by KY Governor Steve Beshear (2014)
Youth Represent (2013)
Hudson Link for College in Prison Brian Fischer Award (2010)

United States Probation Office of Southern Ohio Achievement Award (2010)
Exodus Transitional Community: Lonny McLeod Award (2009)
United States Probation Outstanding Commitment Award (2009)
Project Build Organization Community Reintegration Programs Award (2009)
The Laurie L. Scott Visionary Award (2008)
Kings County District Attorney Citation of Honor (2008)
National Offender Workforce Development Annual Policy Advocacy Award Winner (2007)
Citizens Against Recidivism Thurgood Marshall Advocacy Award (2007)

Reginald Hines | Vice Chairman

Reginald Hines retired from the Oklahoma Department of Corrections after thirty-eight (38) years.

A Langston University alumni, he served in numerous positions during his tenure, including warden and Deputy Director over the Division of Community Corrections.

After retiring he began working with juveniles as a facility administer supervising detention centers. He currently serves on the following boards:

President at RDH Correctional Consulting Services
President of The Oklahoma Chapter of The National Association Of Blacks In Criminal Justice (NABCJ)
President of the Board for the Working Together For Change Prison Ministry

DeShannon (De) Harris

DeShannon (De) Harris is a Certified Executive Coach, Certified Leadership Coach, Gallup-Certified Strengths Coach, Emergenetics Certified Associate, and Certified Coach of Excellence. She holds a Master’s in Business Administration and is pursuing a Doctorate in Business Administration, Leadership. Her doctoral research centers on organizational leadership behavior and employee engagement.

De is an accomplished Organizational Development Professional for the Tulsa County Health Department in Tulsa, Oklahoma, where she creates leadership development content and facilitates training sessions for a 75-member leadership team, playing a pivotal role in cultivating a strong organizational leadership culture. Throughout her career, she has spearheaded learning and development initiatives that have impacted over 5,000 employees, designing transformative onboarding and orientation programs that establish a strong foundation for employee success.

De specializes in developing strategic learning solutions that drive measurable results, foster sustainable organizational growth, and create high-performing, employee-centered work environments. Her expertise includes designing and delivering comprehensive leadership development programs that empower individuals, elevate teams, and align with organizational goals.

She is deeply committed to empowering others to lead authentically by integrating evidence-based leadership practices into her coaching and training. Her comprehensive understanding of diverse leadership styles enables her to design and deliver development programs that are both highly resonant and transformative, driving meaningful and lasting growth.

De’s dedication to inclusive and purpose-driven leadership has also led her to collaborate with UBFSF Founder Ivan Kilgore, developing leadership training initiatives for incarcerated individuals. This transformative work reflects her belief in second chances and her commitment to equipping others with the skills necessary for successful reintegration and lifelong growth.

A commitment to excellence and innovation guides her work, and a deeply rooted passion for developing leaders who inspire, influence, and make a meaningful impact.