CFYJ Board Welcomes Two New Members

The Campaign for Youth Justice is happy to announce our newest members to the Board of Directors, Jorja Leap and René Bryce-Laporte.

Jorja Leap has been a member of the UCLA faculty since 1992. As a trained anthropologist and recognized expert in crisis intervention and trauma response, she has worked nationally and internationally in violent and post-war settings. Dr. Leap has been involved with training and research for the United Nations and the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe as part of post-war development and conflict resolution in Bosnia and Kosovo. Closer to home, she worked with the families of victims of the 9/11 WTC disaster. Since that time, Dr. Leap has focused on gangs, youth development, juvenile and criminal justice, and reentry at the local, national and international level.  

René Bryce-Laporte is an experienced advocate, convener, facilitator, program designer, trainer, technical assistance provider and director of multi-site programs advancing social and economic opportunity for low-wealth individuals in America. Over nearly 17 years, he has developed significant and varied experience and contacts in the poverty-alleviation field. René serves as an independent consultant with expertise in workforce development, asset-building, financial education, strategic planning and meeting coordination and facilitation. René serves on the Board of Directors of the Winthrop Rockefeller Foundation. Before launching his consultancy, René served with Skills for America's Future (SAF), an initiative of the Aspen Institute. SAF promotes and encourages partnerships between business and community colleges to match education and training to jobs. He previously served as a Senior Associate at the Community Strategies Group at Aspen Institute working on asset-building, rural community development and collaborations with community foundations. Previously, René served as Financial Education Specialist at the now-defunct Pennsylvania Office of Financial Education, working with community-based financial education providers, public and private agencies, and Pennsylvania residents. 

About the Campaign For Youth Justice:
The Campaign for Youth Justice (CFYJ) is a national initiative focused entirely on ending the practice of prosecuting, sentencing, and incarcerating youth under the age of 18 in the adult criminal justice system. For additional information, please visit www.cfyj.org.