WASHINGTON, D.C. — Crime and Justice Institute Executive Director Christine Cole has been elected to serve on the board of directors of the National Criminal Justice Association. Cole also serves as vice president of CJI’s parent organization, Community Resources for Justice.

Members of the Board of Directors and the Executive Committee for the 2018-2019 term were elected on July 22 at the 2018 National Forum on Criminal Justice in Fort Worth, Texas. The NCJA Board of Directors and the Executive Committee formulate and guide the policy and direction of the association.

NCJA is a national voice shaping and implementing criminal justice policy. Representing state, tribal and local criminal and juvenile justice practitioners, the NCJA works to promote a balanced approach to communities’ complex public safety and criminal justice system problems by coordinating juvenile justice, criminal justice and other federal programs to use limited federal funds most effectively. Its governing body is comprised of high-level state, territorial and tribal officials and regional representatives from across the country.

Based in Washington, D.C., the NCJA represents state, territorial, tribal and local governments on crime prevention and public safety issues. Its members represent all facets of the criminal and juvenile justice community, from law enforcement, corrections, prosecution, defense, courts, victim-witness services and educational institutions to federal, state and local elected officials. To learn more about NCJA please visit www.ncja.org.

Other newly-elected members joining Cole on the board include: Constance Kostelac, director, Bureau of Justice Information and Analysis, Wisconsin Department of Justice; Scott McLaren, deputy director, Delaware Criminal Justice Council; David Murtaugh, executive director, Indiana Criminal Justice Institute; Navin Puri, senior criminal justice planner, North Carolina Governor’s Crime Commission; Dan Spencer, director of Administrative Services, Arkansas Department of Law; John Tilley, secretary of the Kentucky Justice and Public Safety Cabinet and Anthony Vidale, deputy director, Arizona Criminal Justice Commission.

Also on the board are members of the newly-elected Executive Committee: Christian Kervick, executive director of the Delaware Criminal Justice Council was elected President of the NCJA Board of Directors and will lead the Executive Committee. Michael Schmidt, director of the Oregon Criminal Justice Commission was elected Vice President. Joining Kervick, Schmidt and Moore on the Executive Committee are four Regional Chairs: Glenn Fueston, executive director of the Maryland Governor’s Office of Crime Control and Prevention; Andrew LeFevre, executive director, Arizona Criminal Justice Commission; James Neal, director, Georgia Criminal Justice Coordinating Council; and Lori Pesci, deputy director, Summit County (Ohio) Division of Public Safety.