We have an experienced team of data engineers, criminologists, product designers, marketing professionals, and community connectors working to help develop data tools that help the public and their public servants reshape how the criminal justice system works.
The Board is responsible for devising policies and procedures that support best practices for MFJ.
We bring together experts nationwide to advise us on our work.
Come join the effort to make the criminal justice system transparent, accountable, and accessible.
Measures for Justice (MFJ) is committed to fostering diversity, equity, inclusion, and belonging in our workplace. We are committed to eradicating barriers to access and opportunity and strive to create a welcoming environment for people of all backgrounds. We know that only by bringing together our diverse perspectives can we begin to understand and innovatively tackle the complex issues we engage with. We acknowledge there is a lot of work to be done to ensure we are embodying these principles in our workplace and our work, and we are deeply committed to this ongoing practice. Our work is the data; our heart is the people.
At Measures for Justice you’ll have a unique opportunity to use your skills to help real people work together to reshape the criminal justice system.
Mac Systems Administrator I
Jackson joined Measures for Justice in 2022 as an IT Support Technician. His responsibilities include working with the Internal Ops team providing support to the organization, testing and maintaining hardware and software. Jackson brings 8+ years of professional technical experience across multiple platforms and device types.
Previous experience includes working at Pentagram Design as the IT Administrator, supporting a mixed Apple and Windows environment and for Apple as a Genius mac technician. In his free time, Jackson can be found tinkering with his PC in his office or at the disc golf course. Jackson has a B.F.A in Photography from SUNY Purchase College.
Senior Software Engineer II
Bill Stumbo strongly believes data can drive positive change and is excited with the opportunity to apply his experience and passion to help make meaningful data about the criminal justice system available.
Bill joined Measures for Justice in 2022 as a Senior Software Developer bringing over 30 years of software development and delivery experience. He has worked on projects encompassing the whole software delivery lifecycle from research to development, delivery and maintenance. Bill has been awarded 10 patents for work in software architecture and system processes.
Since 2016, Bill has also worked as an adjunct faculty member for RIT’s Department of Software Engineering. He has mentored senior projects and taught both Introduction to Software Engineering and Software System Requirements and Architecture.
Bill holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Purdue University and a Masters of Science in Computer Science degree from RIT.
VP of Engineering
Staff Software Engineer II
Lars Schumann joined Measures for Justice as a member of the Data Engineering team in November 2022. He is passionate about advancing how humans understand and interact with complex information to drive decision making.
Lars brings 20 years of development experience across a variety of industries. His previous work includes the creation of a highly scalable, cloud-based computational engine to conduct simulation of energy models of commercial buildings. He has also built and supported a data backup & recovery system in a highly available, large-scale cloud environment with thousands of servers capable of backing up data in the exabyte range. He has a MS in Computer Science from the University of Magdeburg and worked at the University of Michigan’s Virtual Reality Laboratory and 3D Lab and Cornell University’s Program of Computer Graphics.
Senior Software Engineer III
Hassan Jegan Ndow joined Measures for Justice in May 2022 as a Senior Software Engineer to work with the Software Engineering team. Hassan brings 8 years of experience in web and software development within the healthcare industry, and specializes in full stack development.
Hassan has a B.A. in Information Technology, with a concentration in Mobile App Development, from Rochester Institute of Technology.
Director of IT & DevOps
Rob Maurer joined MFJ as Director of IT & DevOps in April 2025, bringing over 25 years of experience in team leading, designing, building, and maintaining complex infrastructure and applications across cloud environments. Rob’s broad and deep technical experience supports the cross-functional development and operational needs of MFJ.
Prior to joining MFJ, Rob managed teams for emergency communications and firefighter scheduling systems. He is excited to continue to help our communities and institutions by improving transparency, accessibility, and accountability of the criminal justice system.
Rob has a Bachelor’s in Computer Science from the Rochester Institute of Technology. He lives in Rochester, NY and enjoys cycling, gardening, and spending time with his family, including his cats and rabbits.
Sr. Software Engineer III
Jarad joined Measures for Justice in May of 2022 as a Software Engineer to work with the Data Engineering team. He brings 9 years of development experience in both the web development and air traffic management industries. He most recently worked on a system designed to increase efficiency of air traffic control towers by optimizing the scheduling of planes leaving their gates.
Senior Software Engineer III
Mariana joined Measures for Justice in April 2022 as a Senior Software Engineer. She brings with her more than 10 years experience in software development and I.T.
Prior to MFJ, she worked as a Software Engineer at Change Healthcare and an Application Development Specialist at Nationwide Insurance.
Mariana has a B.A. in Computer Science Engineering from Universidad Valle de México which she attended in her hometown of Culiacán, Sinaloa. She has lived in 5 countries and speaks Spanish, English, and Portuguese.
Engineering Manager II - Application
Pat Gallant joined MFJ in 2024 as an Engineering Manager. Prior to joining MFJ he has close to thirty years experience in software development across the e-learning, legal research, and legal publishing spaces. He is passionate about the craft of building software and creating solutions to help solve interesting problems.
Pat graduated from Syracuse University with a B.S. in Computer Science and lives in the Rochester, NY area.
Platform Engineer III
Sem Vladyka joined the Internal DevOps team at Measures for Justice as a Platform Engineer in 2022. He is excited to make use of his automation expertise and passion for new technologies in his career path with MFJ.
Sem graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology with a Bachelors in Computing and Information Technology in 2020.
Senior Software Engineer III
Karl Berger joined Measures for Justice in 2022 to work with the Software Engineering team.
He brings several years of experience transforming and integrating large datasets across legal, financial, and healthcare analytics domains. Having seen the potential for population analytics to transform the healthcare industry, he is excited to join Measures for Justice on their mission to bring quality criminal justice data to the public.
Karl has a BS degree in Computer Science from the Rochester Institute of Technology.
Staff Software Engineer II
Ryan joined MFJ in July 2020 as a Senior Web Developer. He brings 12+ years of experience designing and building user-centered web and mobile applications, and is passionate about using technology to tell stories, enable exploration, and expand understanding.
Ryan has a B.A. in Digital Media Studies and Spanish Language & Literature, with minors in Computer Science & Leadership Studies, from the University of Denver.
Agency Success Manager
Rosaland Harrison joined Measures for Justice in 2022. As Agency Success Manager, she works closely with agency partners to understand their priorities, strengthen partnerships, navigate challenges, and support the successful implementation and long-term impact of Measures for Justice’s work.
With experience spanning alternative sentencing, nonprofit leadership, program development, and community advocacy, Rosaland has led teams, facilitated broad-based listening initiatives, and built partnerships among local governments, criminal justice agencies, and grassroots organizations. She previously managed a Pre-Trial Diversion Program and served as a U.S. Probation Officer in the Middle District of Alabama, bringing valuable insight into the criminal justice system and the communities it serves.
Rosaland holds a Master of Science in Foundations of Education and a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Troy University. She is also a graduate of the Southwest Alabama Police Academy.
VP of Civic Impact
Precious Freeman joined Measures for Justice in 2022. As the Director of National Engagement, Precious’ role is to develop and execute a robust model for dialogue and engagement among stakeholders.
For over a decade, Precious has worked to engage, inform, and empower marginalized communities in the deep south. Before joining MFJ, Precious worked as the Director of Development and External Relations for Woodlawn United in Birmingham, AL. She brings experience in spearheading community initiatives through her work as the Executive Director of the G.W. Carver Interpretive Museum, President of the Dothan Community Relations Group, and creator of Blueprint City®, a grass-roots, citizen-led initiative adopted as a top priority by the Mayor and City Commission of the City of Dothan, Alabama.
Precious has served as a member of the Dothan Housing Authority Commission and the National Commissioners Committee for the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials. She currently serves on the Leadership Alabama Commission on Race and Equity.
Assistant Director of Partnership Development
Katricia joined Measures for Justice in October 2022. As an Assistant Director of Partnership Development, Katricia is responsible for managing partner opportunities, stakeholder engagement and driving long-term impact of MFJ’s tools and products in communities.
Prior to joining MFJ, Katricia worked for Recidiviz as a State Engagement Manager, where she managed relationships with state Departments of Corrections and other criminal justice stakeholders to safely and equitable reduce the prison population. She also worked for the City of Birmingham Mayor’s Office, helping drive strategic initiatives within the Strategy Office and Office of Peace and Policy.
Katricia has a B.S. in Marketing from Alabama A&M University and an MPA from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).
Chief People & Administrative Officer
Jill Wesley joined Measures for Justice in January 2020 as the Director of People and Internal Operations. In her role at MFJ, Jill will be responsible for assisting with the development of the organization’s culture and people as well as overseeing human resources functions.
Prior to coming to MFJ, Jill served as the Director of Career Services at the College at Brockport. She holds a JD from Indiana University-Indianapolis, an MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a BA from Dartmouth College.
People Operations Business Partner
Rachel Snyder has over 10 years of nonprofit experience in program management, DEIB, and organizational development. She is a “People First” professional, and believes that people are the greatest asset and the foundation of any organization, and always ensures that people are central in her strategic planning. Prior to joining the team at Measures for Justice, she was an independent consultant, working with organizations such as Planned Parenthood of Central and Western New York, the James Beard Foundation, Genesee Land Trust, and Causewave Community Partners. When not at work, she enjoys live music, traveling, and reading.
Administrative Assistant II
Skye joined Measures For Justice in March of 2023 as an Administrative Assistant. After mastering a menagerie of jobs across different industries, she is excited to have found a spot at MFJ.
While she wears many hats in her administrative duties, you can bet that if there’s some fun activity for the staff – she’s behind it somehow. Taking care of the employees and ensuring they all get some time together (to celebrate, play trivia, or even volunteer locally) is her favorite part of the job.
In her free time she enjoys baking, reading a good book, and updating the 100 year old home she shares with her husband. She is looking forward to finishing her degree in Psychology with a Forensic Psychology focus. Skye hopes that in working here she can discover even more about the field she is so passionate about.
Director of Finance
Susan joined MFJ in 2023.
As Director of Finance, Susan is responsible for managing the financial operations and ensuring legal and regulatory compliance for the organization.
Prior to joining MFJ, Susan was the Chief Financial Officer for the Monroe Community College Foundation. Susan brings over 30 years of not-for-profit experience in finance/accounting. She was awarded the The SUNY Chancellor’s of Excellence in Professional Service in 2022 and The International Financial Executive of the Year in the category of Not-for-profit organizations in 2014.
Susan holds a BS in Accounting from University of South Florida and an MBA from the University at Tampa.
Administrative Director
Megan Critelli joined Measures for Justice in January 2022. she is an experienced Administrative Director with 20 years in higher education and operations management. At Measures for Justice, she partners with executive leadership to align strategy with day-to-day operations, ensuring organizational efficiency and impact.
Megan brings deep expertise in team leadership, project management, and process improvement, helping drive productivity, collaboration, and growth. She is committed to fostering strong teams and advancing the mission of nonprofit organizations through thoughtful, effective leadership.
Megan earned a BFA in Illustration, and a MS in Professional Studies from Rochester Institute of Technology.
Director of Research & Data Management
Raelynn Walker joined MFJ in the fall of 2016, after receiving her Masters of Science in Criminology from the University of Pennsylvania. She began at MFJ as a Research Associate and has since become a Research Fellow. Her main responsibilities are assembling, cleaning, and coding state court data. As a Research Fellow, she is also responsible for internal quality control projects, such as management of the storage and standardization of criminal statutes between states. She also supervises the Research Team internship program and co-supervises Research Associate trainings.
In addition to her Masters, Raelynn has a Bachelor’s degree from Denison University in Psychology with a dual minor in Sociology/Anthropology and French. She has interned at various positions within the criminal justice system, including the Erie County Sheriff’s Domestic Violence Unit and Buffalo City Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking Court, as well as conducting research in the Erie County Holding Center. Her research interests include fiscal and social impacts of the criminal justice system, and the complex interactions between those involved in or affected by interpersonal violence and the justice system.
VP of Research
Sema A. Taheri, Ph.D. joined MFJ in 2016, Sema leads the research department, driving the development and iteration of MFJ’s data collection methodologies, performance measures, and analytic frameworks that help jurisdictions understand how their systems operate and where data improvements are needed. Under her leadership, the data management, data stewardship, and data science teams manage a portfolio of projects to make data about courts, prosecutors, and law enforcement transparent, and to bolster the data literacy of communities and practitioners. Sema works closely with the Product & Design, Civic Impact, and Engineering teams to support cohesive internal processes that deliver successfully on MFJ’s products, and she collaborates closely with organizational leadership and external partners to translate complex data and research into actionable insights that support data-driven policies and practices.
Before joining MFJ in 2016, Sema conducted research and taught on how justice organizations interact with the populations they are designed to serve. Her academic work focused on organizational behavior in criminal justice, program evaluation across justice sectors, and bridging the gap between research and practice. She holds a Ph.D. in Criminology & Justice Policy from Northeastern University and an M.A. in Criminology & Criminal Justice from Loyola University Chicago.
Product Manager III
Associate Data Scientist
Christopher Kelly joined MFJ in January 2022. As a Research Associate, Christopher is responsible for assembling, cleaning, visualizing, managing, and analyzing state and local criminal justice data.
Prior to joining MFJ, Christopher worked as a Research Associate at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and the Lab for Economic Opportunities at the University of Notre Dame. In these roles, Christopher worked on experimental and quasi-experimental projects evaluating policies and programs designed to improve the criminal justice system and alleviate poverty. Previously, he was a graduate research associate at Arnold Ventures on the Criminal Justice Team. He also interned at the Vera Institute of Justice where he worked on national jail data collection and federal justice policy. Prior to this, he volunteered in an access to justice organization. Christopher holds a Master of Public Policy from Georgetown University, a Master of Science in Criminal Social Justice from Lewis University, and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
VP of Product & Design
Throughout her career, Dr. Gipsy Escobar has worked in the private, public, academia, and nonprofit sectors; all of which have taught her many important lessons she applies to her work in Product today. As Measure for Justice’s VP of Product and Design, she’s responsible for understanding the data needs of criminal justice agencies around three areas: quality, transparency, and community engagement. She works cross-functionally with engineers, researchers, designers, product professionals, and engagement specialists to translate these needs into solutions that improve the quality and use of data routinely collected by the system. She also provides subject matter expertise as a criminologist and researcher to ensure that the solutions MFJ develops are responsive to the complex needs of criminal justice stakeholders and follow best data practices.
As MFJ’s Director of Research and Analytics (2015-2018), Dr. Escobar incubated MFJ’s Research Team, and worked with national experts to design and validate a system of performance measurement for local criminal justice, and to develop a robust methodology to standardize the management of criminal justice data from varied sources across jurisdictions in the United States.
Currently, Dr. Escobar is also serving as Consulting Data Expert for the Fair Trials Index, an initiative to measure the right to a fair trial worldwide.
Dr. Escobar holds a PhD in Criminal Justice from the City University of New York Graduate Center and John Jay College.
Director of Data Science & Assessment
Mason joined Measures for Justice in 2018. As a Director of Data Science & Assessment, he assists with the development of MFJ’s methodologies and conducts statistical analyses to inform projects and research.
Mason earned his PhD in political science from the University of Rochester and holds a Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. His research interests focus on the mechanisms underlying the spread of information online. In his free time, he enjoys shooting pool and working on new recipes in the kitchen.
Director of Research & Data Stewardship
Shelby joined Measures for Justice in 2017 as a member of the Data Outreach team. During that time, she visited criminal justice agencies throughout the country to collect data at the county and state levels. In her current role as Director of Research & Data Stewardship, she assists with the development of the organization’s overall system for measuring local criminal justice performance and lends direction to MFJ’s contextual research projects.
Shelby earned an MA in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Missouri – St. Louis, where as a research assistant she examined a number of topics, including youth-involved gun violence and institutional responses to police use of force. Her work at MFJ is inspired by a commitment to bridge the gap between research and practice, and in particular, to help create systems that are just and equitable for all people.
Shelby lives in a small town outside of St. Louis, Missouri. In her free time, she enjoys spending time in her garden and exploring the outdoors with her family.
Director of Design (UX/UI)
Carly Simmons is a designer who joined Measures for Justice in 2019. As the UX/UI Designer, Carly is responsible for the user experience and visual design of MFJ’s products and tools – especially their Data Portal.
Carly’s background includes architecture and furniture making, and she has experience in design across sustainability, education, and public policy sectors. She most recently finished her MFA where she designed a suite of products for new mothers living in metropolitan areas who do not have strong support networks nearby.
Carly holds an MFA in Products of Design from the School of Visual Arts in New York City and a B.A. in Architectural Studies from Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, NY.
Product Owner III
Sami joined Measures for Justice in August of 2023 as a Product Analyst II.
She graduated from St John Fisher College with a BS in Marketing but has spent the better part of the last decade as an analyst in the private sector, health care and financial industries. She is passionate about advocating for the needs of stakeholders as well as team members and being a “bridge between worlds”
When not at work Sami is an active volunteer and board member of the Walworth Lion’s club and enjoys spending time in her garden
Sr. Research Associate II
Kayla joined MFJ in 2022, following 5 years with the Rochester Institute of Technology and the Monroe County Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) Initiative. As a Senior Research Associate, Kayla works with external agency partners to evaluate their data infrastructure, and to ensure data are valuable for agencies and transparent to local communities. To her projects, she brings her extensive experience building justice system datasets, from working with the Maryland Statistical Analysis Center and the Rochester Police Department’s Crime Analysis Center. Currently, Kayla is responsible for helping shape MFJ’s Policing Measurement project, and supporting the Justice Counts measurement project. She also contributes to the organization’s research agenda.
Kayla holds an M.S. in Criminal Justice Administration from Niagara University, and her research interests include program evaluation, evidence-based policy, and crime analysis. In her free time – and when she is not working on her house – Kayla can be found wandering Rochester’s abundance of hiking trails, and spending time with her two pups.
Product Owner II
Originally from Manhattan, Nakeia received her Bachelor of Science in Human-Centered Computing from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). Before joining MFJ, she worked at ProTranslating (Big Language Solutions), where she contributed to the development of user-focused translation software. With a strong background in agile methodologies, she emphasizes collaboration to achieve impactful outcomes.
Outside of work, Nakeia enjoys staying active with longboarding, trying new fitness routines, and perfecting her espresso-making skills.
Research Coordinator
Senior Research Associate II
Alexandra Ackles joined MFJ in June of 2019. In her role as a Research Associate, Alexandra helped to complete MFJ’s 20×2020 initiative by cleaning and coding state court data for Indiana and Virginia. She has also completed the cleaning and coding of data from the San Francisco County DA’s office and is currently working on a project with the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s office to assess the effects of their 2020 $0 bail policy.
Prior to joining MFJ, Alexandra graduated from SUNY Fredonia, where she majored in Criminal Justice and Psychology with a minor in Statistics. Alexandra went on to work as a Court Services Interviewer for Pretrial Services in Rochester, NY, and as a Supervision Officer for Pretrial Services in Dallas, TX, where she gained invaluable experience within the Criminal Justice system. She also has experience working as an investigator for Monroe County Child Protective Services.
Director of Marketing and Communications
Khyrunnessa joined MFJ in August, 2023.
As the Director of Marketing & Communications, she is responsible for managing the Marketing and Communications functions for the organization.
Prior to joining MFJ, she served as the VP of Marketing for a Fintech startup under the Urban One umbrella. Khyrunnessa brings over 20 years of hands-on strategic marketing experience. In 2019, she started her own real estate business and is currently an avid real estate investor.
Khyrunnessa holds a BS in Marketing from Wright State University and an MBA from Wright State University.
Revenue Coordinator
Melissa joined the Measures for Justice team in January 2024 as an Administrative Assistant and began her position as Revenue Coordinator in January 2026. Before coming to MFJ, she worked in higher ed for 10+ years as a Senior Staff Assistant for the School of Information at Rochester Institute of Technology.
Melissa is a graduate of Skidmore College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Foreign Languages and Literatures in Spanish. She’s a Rochester native and enjoys spending time with her family and friends, and tending to her ever-growing collection of houseplants.
Chief People & Administrative Officer
Jill Wesley joined Measures for Justice in January 2020 as the Director of People and Internal Operations. In her role at MFJ, Jill will be responsible for assisting with the development of the organization’s culture and people as well as overseeing human resources functions.
Prior to coming to MFJ, Jill served as the Director of Career Services at the College at Brockport. She holds a JD from Indiana University-Indianapolis, an MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a BA from Dartmouth College.
Chief Executive Officer
Michael J. Smith is a technology leader and operator focused on using data and software to improve complex public systems.
He co-founded Evertel, a secure communications platform for law enforcement, and led the company from concept to nationwide adoption in under five years before its acquisition by Genasys. Following the acquisition, he served as General Manager of Genasys’s SaaS division, leading a global team of more than 140 across product, engineering, sales, and customer success while overseeing the strategy and growth of the company’s public safety software platform.
Earlier in his career, Michael founded Raster, an innovation firm that built software, mobile, and IoT products for organizations including Cleveland Clinic, GoPro, Black and Decker, MGM, and the Jordan Brand. Through this work, he also partnered with the Spirit Project to develop technology designed to help reduce youth recidivism.
Trained in design thinking and user-centered innovation, Michael has spent his career building systems that translate complex data into tools that help institutions make better decisions and deliver better outcomes.
VP of Engineering
Chief of Staff
Robert Hutchison joined MFJ in 2016 while working on his Ph.D. in Criminology at the Pennsylvania State University. As MFJ’s Director of Research Management, he is co-managing the Research Team, overseeing the processing and management of MFJ’s data sets, internal data auditing, and publishing academic works to establish MFJ as a scientific resource.
Robert’s dissertation, “Shared History, Shared Decisions: Using Social Networks to Examine Court Communities,” takes a fresh look at the court communities’ perspective developed by Eisenstein, et al., by applying a social networks approach. Robert is looking at the impact of experience and relationships among prosecutors, judges, and defense attorneys upon case outcomes.
Robert’s previous work has produced reports to the Pennsylvania legislature and a publication in the Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency.
His research interests include social networks, courts, corrections, life course criminology, and criminological theory.
VP of Civic Impact
Precious Freeman joined Measures for Justice in 2022. As the Director of National Engagement, Precious’ role is to develop and execute a robust model for dialogue and engagement among stakeholders.
For over a decade, Precious has worked to engage, inform, and empower marginalized communities in the deep south. Before joining MFJ, Precious worked as the Director of Development and External Relations for Woodlawn United in Birmingham, AL. She brings experience in spearheading community initiatives through her work as the Executive Director of the G.W. Carver Interpretive Museum, President of the Dothan Community Relations Group, and creator of Blueprint City®, a grass-roots, citizen-led initiative adopted as a top priority by the Mayor and City Commission of the City of Dothan, Alabama.
Precious has served as a member of the Dothan Housing Authority Commission and the National Commissioners Committee for the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials. She currently serves on the Leadership Alabama Commission on Race and Equity.
Chief People & Administrative Officer
Jill Wesley joined Measures for Justice in January 2020 as the Director of People and Internal Operations. In her role at MFJ, Jill will be responsible for assisting with the development of the organization’s culture and people as well as overseeing human resources functions.
Prior to coming to MFJ, Jill served as the Director of Career Services at the College at Brockport. She holds a JD from Indiana University-Indianapolis, an MBA from the University of Wisconsin-Madison, and a BA from Dartmouth College.
Director of Research & Data Management
Raelynn Walker joined MFJ in the fall of 2016, after receiving her Masters of Science in Criminology from the University of Pennsylvania. She began at MFJ as a Research Associate and has since become a Research Fellow. Her main responsibilities are assembling, cleaning, and coding state court data. As a Research Fellow, she is also responsible for internal quality control projects, such as management of the storage and standardization of criminal statutes between states. She also supervises the Research Team internship program and co-supervises Research Associate trainings.
In addition to her Masters, Raelynn has a Bachelor’s degree from Denison University in Psychology with a dual minor in Sociology/Anthropology and French. She has interned at various positions within the criminal justice system, including the Erie County Sheriff’s Domestic Violence Unit and Buffalo City Domestic Violence and Human Trafficking Court, as well as conducting research in the Erie County Holding Center. Her research interests include fiscal and social impacts of the criminal justice system, and the complex interactions between those involved in or affected by interpersonal violence and the justice system.
Mac Systems Administrator I
Jackson joined Measures for Justice in 2022 as an IT Support Technician. His responsibilities include working with the Internal Ops team providing support to the organization, testing and maintaining hardware and software. Jackson brings 8+ years of professional technical experience across multiple platforms and device types.
Previous experience includes working at Pentagram Design as the IT Administrator, supporting a mixed Apple and Windows environment and for Apple as a Genius mac technician. In his free time, Jackson can be found tinkering with his PC in his office or at the disc golf course. Jackson has a B.F.A in Photography from SUNY Purchase College.
VP of Research
Sema A. Taheri, Ph.D. joined MFJ in 2016, Sema leads the research department, driving the development and iteration of MFJ’s data collection methodologies, performance measures, and analytic frameworks that help jurisdictions understand how their systems operate and where data improvements are needed. Under her leadership, the data management, data stewardship, and data science teams manage a portfolio of projects to make data about courts, prosecutors, and law enforcement transparent, and to bolster the data literacy of communities and practitioners. Sema works closely with the Product & Design, Civic Impact, and Engineering teams to support cohesive internal processes that deliver successfully on MFJ’s products, and she collaborates closely with organizational leadership and external partners to translate complex data and research into actionable insights that support data-driven policies and practices.
Before joining MFJ in 2016, Sema conducted research and taught on how justice organizations interact with the populations they are designed to serve. Her academic work focused on organizational behavior in criminal justice, program evaluation across justice sectors, and bridging the gap between research and practice. She holds a Ph.D. in Criminology & Justice Policy from Northeastern University and an M.A. in Criminology & Criminal Justice from Loyola University Chicago.
Senior Software Engineer II
Bill Stumbo strongly believes data can drive positive change and is excited with the opportunity to apply his experience and passion to help make meaningful data about the criminal justice system available.
Bill joined Measures for Justice in 2022 as a Senior Software Developer bringing over 30 years of software development and delivery experience. He has worked on projects encompassing the whole software delivery lifecycle from research to development, delivery and maintenance. Bill has been awarded 10 patents for work in software architecture and system processes.
Since 2016, Bill has also worked as an adjunct faculty member for RIT’s Department of Software Engineering. He has mentored senior projects and taught both Introduction to Software Engineering and Software System Requirements and Architecture.
Bill holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Computer Science from Purdue University and a Masters of Science in Computer Science degree from RIT.
People Operations Business Partner
Rachel Snyder has over 10 years of nonprofit experience in program management, DEIB, and organizational development. She is a “People First” professional, and believes that people are the greatest asset and the foundation of any organization, and always ensures that people are central in her strategic planning. Prior to joining the team at Measures for Justice, she was an independent consultant, working with organizations such as Planned Parenthood of Central and Western New York, the James Beard Foundation, Genesee Land Trust, and Causewave Community Partners. When not at work, she enjoys live music, traveling, and reading.
Chief Executive Officer
Michael J. Smith is a technology leader and operator focused on using data and software to improve complex public systems.
He co-founded Evertel, a secure communications platform for law enforcement, and led the company from concept to nationwide adoption in under five years before its acquisition by Genasys. Following the acquisition, he served as General Manager of Genasys’s SaaS division, leading a global team of more than 140 across product, engineering, sales, and customer success while overseeing the strategy and growth of the company’s public safety software platform.
Earlier in his career, Michael founded Raster, an innovation firm that built software, mobile, and IoT products for organizations including Cleveland Clinic, GoPro, Black and Decker, MGM, and the Jordan Brand. Through this work, he also partnered with the Spirit Project to develop technology designed to help reduce youth recidivism.
Trained in design thinking and user-centered innovation, Michael has spent his career building systems that translate complex data into tools that help institutions make better decisions and deliver better outcomes.
VP of Engineering
Staff Software Engineer II
Lars Schumann joined Measures for Justice as a member of the Data Engineering team in November 2022. He is passionate about advancing how humans understand and interact with complex information to drive decision making.
Lars brings 20 years of development experience across a variety of industries. His previous work includes the creation of a highly scalable, cloud-based computational engine to conduct simulation of energy models of commercial buildings. He has also built and supported a data backup & recovery system in a highly available, large-scale cloud environment with thousands of servers capable of backing up data in the exabyte range. He has a MS in Computer Science from the University of Magdeburg and worked at the University of Michigan’s Virtual Reality Laboratory and 3D Lab and Cornell University’s Program of Computer Graphics.
Director of Marketing and Communications
Khyrunnessa joined MFJ in August, 2023.
As the Director of Marketing & Communications, she is responsible for managing the Marketing and Communications functions for the organization.
Prior to joining MFJ, she served as the VP of Marketing for a Fintech startup under the Urban One umbrella. Khyrunnessa brings over 20 years of hands-on strategic marketing experience. In 2019, she started her own real estate business and is currently an avid real estate investor.
Khyrunnessa holds a BS in Marketing from Wright State University and an MBA from Wright State University.
Senior Software Engineer III
Hassan Jegan Ndow joined Measures for Justice in May 2022 as a Senior Software Engineer to work with the Software Engineering team. Hassan brings 8 years of experience in web and software development within the healthcare industry, and specializes in full stack development.
Hassan has a B.A. in Information Technology, with a concentration in Mobile App Development, from Rochester Institute of Technology.
Product Manager III
Director of IT & DevOps
Rob Maurer joined MFJ as Director of IT & DevOps in April 2025, bringing over 25 years of experience in team leading, designing, building, and maintaining complex infrastructure and applications across cloud environments. Rob’s broad and deep technical experience supports the cross-functional development and operational needs of MFJ.
Prior to joining MFJ, Rob managed teams for emergency communications and firefighter scheduling systems. He is excited to continue to help our communities and institutions by improving transparency, accessibility, and accountability of the criminal justice system.
Rob has a Bachelor’s in Computer Science from the Rochester Institute of Technology. He lives in Rochester, NY and enjoys cycling, gardening, and spending time with his family, including his cats and rabbits.
Sr. Software Engineer III
Jarad joined Measures for Justice in May of 2022 as a Software Engineer to work with the Data Engineering team. He brings 9 years of development experience in both the web development and air traffic management industries. He most recently worked on a system designed to increase efficiency of air traffic control towers by optimizing the scheduling of planes leaving their gates.
Associate Data Scientist
Christopher Kelly joined MFJ in January 2022. As a Research Associate, Christopher is responsible for assembling, cleaning, visualizing, managing, and analyzing state and local criminal justice data.
Prior to joining MFJ, Christopher worked as a Research Associate at the Harvard Kennedy School of Government and the Lab for Economic Opportunities at the University of Notre Dame. In these roles, Christopher worked on experimental and quasi-experimental projects evaluating policies and programs designed to improve the criminal justice system and alleviate poverty. Previously, he was a graduate research associate at Arnold Ventures on the Criminal Justice Team. He also interned at the Vera Institute of Justice where he worked on national jail data collection and federal justice policy. Prior to this, he volunteered in an access to justice organization. Christopher holds a Master of Public Policy from Georgetown University, a Master of Science in Criminal Social Justice from Lewis University, and a Bachelor of Science in Psychology from the University of Illinois at Urbana-Champaign.
Chief of Staff
Robert Hutchison joined MFJ in 2016 while working on his Ph.D. in Criminology at the Pennsylvania State University. As MFJ’s Director of Research Management, he is co-managing the Research Team, overseeing the processing and management of MFJ’s data sets, internal data auditing, and publishing academic works to establish MFJ as a scientific resource.
Robert’s dissertation, “Shared History, Shared Decisions: Using Social Networks to Examine Court Communities,” takes a fresh look at the court communities’ perspective developed by Eisenstein, et al., by applying a social networks approach. Robert is looking at the impact of experience and relationships among prosecutors, judges, and defense attorneys upon case outcomes.
Robert’s previous work has produced reports to the Pennsylvania legislature and a publication in the Journal of Research in Crime and Delinquency.
His research interests include social networks, courts, corrections, life course criminology, and criminological theory.
Senior Software Engineer III
Mariana joined Measures for Justice in April 2022 as a Senior Software Engineer. She brings with her more than 10 years experience in software development and I.T.
Prior to MFJ, she worked as a Software Engineer at Change Healthcare and an Application Development Specialist at Nationwide Insurance.
Mariana has a B.A. in Computer Science Engineering from Universidad Valle de México which she attended in her hometown of Culiacán, Sinaloa. She has lived in 5 countries and speaks Spanish, English, and Portuguese.
Administrative Assistant II
Skye joined Measures For Justice in March of 2023 as an Administrative Assistant. After mastering a menagerie of jobs across different industries, she is excited to have found a spot at MFJ.
While she wears many hats in her administrative duties, you can bet that if there’s some fun activity for the staff – she’s behind it somehow. Taking care of the employees and ensuring they all get some time together (to celebrate, play trivia, or even volunteer locally) is her favorite part of the job.
In her free time she enjoys baking, reading a good book, and updating the 100 year old home she shares with her husband. She is looking forward to finishing her degree in Psychology with a Forensic Psychology focus. Skye hopes that in working here she can discover even more about the field she is so passionate about.
Agency Success Manager
Rosaland Harrison joined Measures for Justice in 2022. As Agency Success Manager, she works closely with agency partners to understand their priorities, strengthen partnerships, navigate challenges, and support the successful implementation and long-term impact of Measures for Justice’s work.
With experience spanning alternative sentencing, nonprofit leadership, program development, and community advocacy, Rosaland has led teams, facilitated broad-based listening initiatives, and built partnerships among local governments, criminal justice agencies, and grassroots organizations. She previously managed a Pre-Trial Diversion Program and served as a U.S. Probation Officer in the Middle District of Alabama, bringing valuable insight into the criminal justice system and the communities it serves.
Rosaland holds a Master of Science in Foundations of Education and a Bachelor of Science in Criminal Justice from Troy University. She is also a graduate of the Southwest Alabama Police Academy.
Revenue Coordinator
Melissa joined the Measures for Justice team in January 2024 as an Administrative Assistant and began her position as Revenue Coordinator in January 2026. Before coming to MFJ, she worked in higher ed for 10+ years as a Senior Staff Assistant for the School of Information at Rochester Institute of Technology.
Melissa is a graduate of Skidmore College with a Bachelor of Arts degree in Foreign Languages and Literatures in Spanish. She’s a Rochester native and enjoys spending time with her family and friends, and tending to her ever-growing collection of houseplants.
Director of Finance
Susan joined MFJ in 2023.
As Director of Finance, Susan is responsible for managing the financial operations and ensuring legal and regulatory compliance for the organization.
Prior to joining MFJ, Susan was the Chief Financial Officer for the Monroe Community College Foundation. Susan brings over 30 years of not-for-profit experience in finance/accounting. She was awarded the The SUNY Chancellor’s of Excellence in Professional Service in 2022 and The International Financial Executive of the Year in the category of Not-for-profit organizations in 2014.
Susan holds a BS in Accounting from University of South Florida and an MBA from the University at Tampa.
Engineering Manager II - Application
Pat Gallant joined MFJ in 2024 as an Engineering Manager. Prior to joining MFJ he has close to thirty years experience in software development across the e-learning, legal research, and legal publishing spaces. He is passionate about the craft of building software and creating solutions to help solve interesting problems.
Pat graduated from Syracuse University with a B.S. in Computer Science and lives in the Rochester, NY area.
VP of Civic Impact
Precious Freeman joined Measures for Justice in 2022. As the Director of National Engagement, Precious’ role is to develop and execute a robust model for dialogue and engagement among stakeholders.
For over a decade, Precious has worked to engage, inform, and empower marginalized communities in the deep south. Before joining MFJ, Precious worked as the Director of Development and External Relations for Woodlawn United in Birmingham, AL. She brings experience in spearheading community initiatives through her work as the Executive Director of the G.W. Carver Interpretive Museum, President of the Dothan Community Relations Group, and creator of Blueprint City®, a grass-roots, citizen-led initiative adopted as a top priority by the Mayor and City Commission of the City of Dothan, Alabama.
Precious has served as a member of the Dothan Housing Authority Commission and the National Commissioners Committee for the National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials. She currently serves on the Leadership Alabama Commission on Race and Equity.
VP of Product & Design
Throughout her career, Dr. Gipsy Escobar has worked in the private, public, academia, and nonprofit sectors; all of which have taught her many important lessons she applies to her work in Product today. As Measure for Justice’s VP of Product and Design, she’s responsible for understanding the data needs of criminal justice agencies around three areas: quality, transparency, and community engagement. She works cross-functionally with engineers, researchers, designers, product professionals, and engagement specialists to translate these needs into solutions that improve the quality and use of data routinely collected by the system. She also provides subject matter expertise as a criminologist and researcher to ensure that the solutions MFJ develops are responsive to the complex needs of criminal justice stakeholders and follow best data practices.
As MFJ’s Director of Research and Analytics (2015-2018), Dr. Escobar incubated MFJ’s Research Team, and worked with national experts to design and validate a system of performance measurement for local criminal justice, and to develop a robust methodology to standardize the management of criminal justice data from varied sources across jurisdictions in the United States.
Currently, Dr. Escobar is also serving as Consulting Data Expert for the Fair Trials Index, an initiative to measure the right to a fair trial worldwide.
Dr. Escobar holds a PhD in Criminal Justice from the City University of New York Graduate Center and John Jay College.
Director of Data Science & Assessment
Mason joined Measures for Justice in 2018. As a Director of Data Science & Assessment, he assists with the development of MFJ’s methodologies and conducts statistical analyses to inform projects and research.
Mason earned his PhD in political science from the University of Rochester and holds a Master’s degree in Economics from the University of Wisconsin – Madison. His research interests focus on the mechanisms underlying the spread of information online. In his free time, he enjoys shooting pool and working on new recipes in the kitchen.
Director of Research & Data Stewardship
Shelby joined Measures for Justice in 2017 as a member of the Data Outreach team. During that time, she visited criminal justice agencies throughout the country to collect data at the county and state levels. In her current role as Director of Research & Data Stewardship, she assists with the development of the organization’s overall system for measuring local criminal justice performance and lends direction to MFJ’s contextual research projects.
Shelby earned an MA in Criminology and Criminal Justice from the University of Missouri – St. Louis, where as a research assistant she examined a number of topics, including youth-involved gun violence and institutional responses to police use of force. Her work at MFJ is inspired by a commitment to bridge the gap between research and practice, and in particular, to help create systems that are just and equitable for all people.
Shelby lives in a small town outside of St. Louis, Missouri. In her free time, she enjoys spending time in her garden and exploring the outdoors with her family.
Administrative Director
Megan Critelli joined Measures for Justice in January 2022. she is an experienced Administrative Director with 20 years in higher education and operations management. At Measures for Justice, she partners with executive leadership to align strategy with day-to-day operations, ensuring organizational efficiency and impact.
Megan brings deep expertise in team leadership, project management, and process improvement, helping drive productivity, collaboration, and growth. She is committed to fostering strong teams and advancing the mission of nonprofit organizations through thoughtful, effective leadership.
Megan earned a BFA in Illustration, and a MS in Professional Studies from Rochester Institute of Technology.
Director of Design (UX/UI)
Carly Simmons is a designer who joined Measures for Justice in 2019. As the UX/UI Designer, Carly is responsible for the user experience and visual design of MFJ’s products and tools – especially their Data Portal.
Carly’s background includes architecture and furniture making, and she has experience in design across sustainability, education, and public policy sectors. She most recently finished her MFA where she designed a suite of products for new mothers living in metropolitan areas who do not have strong support networks nearby.
Carly holds an MFA in Products of Design from the School of Visual Arts in New York City and a B.A. in Architectural Studies from Hobart and William Smith Colleges in Geneva, NY.
Assistant Director of Partnership Development
Katricia joined Measures for Justice in October 2022. As an Assistant Director of Partnership Development, Katricia is responsible for managing partner opportunities, stakeholder engagement and driving long-term impact of MFJ’s tools and products in communities.
Prior to joining MFJ, Katricia worked for Recidiviz as a State Engagement Manager, where she managed relationships with state Departments of Corrections and other criminal justice stakeholders to safely and equitable reduce the prison population. She also worked for the City of Birmingham Mayor’s Office, helping drive strategic initiatives within the Strategy Office and Office of Peace and Policy.
Katricia has a B.S. in Marketing from Alabama A&M University and an MPA from the University of Alabama at Birmingham (UAB).
Platform Engineer III
Sem Vladyka joined the Internal DevOps team at Measures for Justice as a Platform Engineer in 2022. He is excited to make use of his automation expertise and passion for new technologies in his career path with MFJ.
Sem graduated from the Rochester Institute of Technology with a Bachelors in Computing and Information Technology in 2020.
Product Owner III
Sami joined Measures for Justice in August of 2023 as a Product Analyst II.
She graduated from St John Fisher College with a BS in Marketing but has spent the better part of the last decade as an analyst in the private sector, health care and financial industries. She is passionate about advocating for the needs of stakeholders as well as team members and being a “bridge between worlds”
When not at work Sami is an active volunteer and board member of the Walworth Lion’s club and enjoys spending time in her garden
Senior Software Engineer III
Karl Berger joined Measures for Justice in 2022 to work with the Software Engineering team.
He brings several years of experience transforming and integrating large datasets across legal, financial, and healthcare analytics domains. Having seen the potential for population analytics to transform the healthcare industry, he is excited to join Measures for Justice on their mission to bring quality criminal justice data to the public.
Karl has a BS degree in Computer Science from the Rochester Institute of Technology.
Staff Software Engineer II
Ryan joined MFJ in July 2020 as a Senior Web Developer. He brings 12+ years of experience designing and building user-centered web and mobile applications, and is passionate about using technology to tell stories, enable exploration, and expand understanding.
Ryan has a B.A. in Digital Media Studies and Spanish Language & Literature, with minors in Computer Science & Leadership Studies, from the University of Denver.
Sr. Research Associate II
Kayla joined MFJ in 2022, following 5 years with the Rochester Institute of Technology and the Monroe County Gun Involved Violence Elimination (GIVE) Initiative. As a Senior Research Associate, Kayla works with external agency partners to evaluate their data infrastructure, and to ensure data are valuable for agencies and transparent to local communities. To her projects, she brings her extensive experience building justice system datasets, from working with the Maryland Statistical Analysis Center and the Rochester Police Department’s Crime Analysis Center. Currently, Kayla is responsible for helping shape MFJ’s Policing Measurement project, and supporting the Justice Counts measurement project. She also contributes to the organization’s research agenda.
Kayla holds an M.S. in Criminal Justice Administration from Niagara University, and her research interests include program evaluation, evidence-based policy, and crime analysis. In her free time – and when she is not working on her house – Kayla can be found wandering Rochester’s abundance of hiking trails, and spending time with her two pups.
Product Owner II
Originally from Manhattan, Nakeia received her Bachelor of Science in Human-Centered Computing from the Rochester Institute of Technology (RIT). Before joining MFJ, she worked at ProTranslating (Big Language Solutions), where she contributed to the development of user-focused translation software. With a strong background in agile methodologies, she emphasizes collaboration to achieve impactful outcomes.
Outside of work, Nakeia enjoys staying active with longboarding, trying new fitness routines, and perfecting her espresso-making skills.
Research Coordinator
Senior Research Associate II
Alexandra Ackles joined MFJ in June of 2019. In her role as a Research Associate, Alexandra helped to complete MFJ’s 20×2020 initiative by cleaning and coding state court data for Indiana and Virginia. She has also completed the cleaning and coding of data from the San Francisco County DA’s office and is currently working on a project with the Los Angeles County Public Defender’s office to assess the effects of their 2020 $0 bail policy.
Prior to joining MFJ, Alexandra graduated from SUNY Fredonia, where she majored in Criminal Justice and Psychology with a minor in Statistics. Alexandra went on to work as a Court Services Interviewer for Pretrial Services in Rochester, NY, and as a Supervision Officer for Pretrial Services in Dallas, TX, where she gained invaluable experience within the Criminal Justice system. She also has experience working as an investigator for Monroe County Child Protective Services.