Carlos Gonzales is a graduate of the 1st Judicial District Adult Drug Court in 2001. He has maintained long-term recovery and has been an Alumni leader in New Mexico for 22 years. He is currently the Statewide Program Manager for the Administrative Office of the Courts in NM in charge of Alumni and Peer initiatives. He is a Licensed Adult Drug and Alcohol Counselor and a Certified Peer Support Worker. 

Carson L. Fox, Jr., J.D. is CEO of All Rise, the nation’s leading nonprofit advancing justice innovation to address substance use and mental health. A national leader in alternatives to incarceration for nearly 20 years, he has helped expand evidence-based programs like treatment courts. Before becoming CEO, he served as All Rise’s chief counsel and COO, where he led training initiatives, policy advocacy, and development of the Adult Treatment Court Best Practice Standards. He also helped launch the RISE conference and has been instrumental in elevating treatment courts as a proven justice intervention. Prior to joining All Rise, Mr. Fox was a prosecutor in South Carolina’s Eleventh Judicial Circuit, where he helped establish the state’s first drug court.

Dr. Jacqueline van Wormer is the County Executive for Innovative Justice and Planning and Analysis in Travis County and former Director of the Center for Advancing Justice at All Rise. She also serves as Affiliate Faculty at Washington State University. With a Ph.D. from WSU, she has held leadership roles across the justice system, including Regional Criminal Justice Administrator and Drug Court Coordinator. Dr. van Wormer has authored 20+ peer-reviewed articles and secured over $17.5 million in grants focused on justice reform. Her research spans opioid response, pretrial reform, risk assessment, and interagency collaboration. A national and international trainer, she has taught courses in courts, corrections, and program evaluation. She was named WSU’s 2017 Woman of Distinction for her contributions to criminal and juvenile justice reform.

Jacquelyn Lee, Ph.D., LCSW, is an associate professor in the School of Social Work at UNCW, where she has taught since 2012. Her research spans trauma, caregiving, workforce wellbeing, and curricular innovation, with a focus on mindfulness, self-care, and self-compassion. A recipient of the 2020 Chancellor’s Teaching Excellence Award, she has earned numerous teaching grants and fellowships in community engagement, diversity, and online learning. Dr. Lee co-developed the Self-Care Practices Scale and has authored over 20 publications. She teaches a cross-listed course on mindfulness and integrates resilience practices into her teaching. A licensed clinical social worker, she is trained in mindfulness-based interventions by leaders such as Jon Kabat-Zinn and Kristin Neff. Dr. Lee earned her Ph.D. from the University of Georgia and holds certificates in university teaching, ATOD, and gerontology.

Jane Pfeifer is a Senior Program Associate at Children and Family Futures, where she leads the Family Drug Court Mentor Court and Guidelines Projects, and provides training and technical assistance nationwide. With a background in justice system reform and collaborative justice, she has worked with public and private organizations on training, grant writing, and community resource development. Ms. Pfeifer has served as faculty for national organizations including the National Judicial College, National Council of Juvenile and Family Court Judges, and the National Drug Court Institute. She is also an adjunct professor at California State University–Chico. She holds bachelor’s degrees in Social Work and Psychology and a Master’s in Public Administration.

Dr. Jeanne M. Persuit is a Professor of Communication Studies and Director of the M.A. Integrated Marketing Communication program at UNCW. She teaches courses in IMC, public relations, advertising, and communication ethics. Her research focuses on the rhetoric and philosophy of IMC and communication ethics. She is editor of the Integrated Marketing Communication Series (Lexington Books) and author of Social Media and Integrated Marketing Communication (2013). Dr. Persuit also serves as Director of Marketing & Communication for the National Treatment Court Resource Center, funded by a $1.6 million DOJ grant. Before academia, she worked in IMC in the consulting engineering and manufacturing sectors. She is co-advisor of Pier 601 Creative, UNCW’s student-run IMC agency.

James (Jim) Eberspacher is the director of Impaired Driving Solutions, a division of All Rise providing training and technical assistance to treatment courts that serve individuals with impaired driving offenses. He has more than two decades of cumulative experience in treatment courts, corrections, policy development, and training/technical assistance. Prior to joining Impaired Driving Solutions, for seven years, he served as the Minnesota state treatment court coordinator and provided oversight in forming treatment court policy and strategic planning, state standards, funding, research, and delivery of training and technical assistance to treatment court teams. Prior to his role at the state level, he served as the coordinator for three treatment court teams in rural Minnesota and also worked as a probation officer.

Dr. Julie Marie Baldwin is a Research Professor in the Department of Justice, Law & Criminology at American University and an expert in translational and evaluation research on courts, substance use, and justice-involved subcultures. She is internationally recognized for her work on veterans treatment courts (VTCs), having visited over 60 and actively working with 24. Dr. Baldwin co-founded the Veterans Treatment Court Research Consortium and has published widely across journals, books, and reports. She serves as President of the Southern Criminal Justice Association and on editorial boards for leading journals. A recipient of the 2020 ACJS New Scholar Award, she earned her Ph.D. from the University of Florida and has held academic and research leadership roles at multiple institutions. Her work focuses on evidence-based justice reform, VTC fidelity, and interagency collaboration.

Kristina Pacheco, serves as a Tribal Law and Institute Tribal Wellness Specialist and is an enrolled member of the Pueblo of Laguna, and resides in the village of Paraje/Casa Blanca, NM. She is a licensed alcohol and drug abuse counselor in the state of NM and has over 20 years of experience in the field of substance abuse treatment and prevention. Prior to joining TLPI, she worked for the Pueblo of Laguna for 14 years; as a Supervising Probation Officer (2004-2010), Lead Counselor (2010-2014) and Behavioral Health Program Manager (2014-2019). In 2007, Kristina and the staff of the tribal court began the Pueblo of Laguna Healing to Wellness Court (HTWC). The HTWC was granted Mentor Court Status in 2017 by the National Association of Drug Court Professionals Drug Court Initiatives. Kristina also provided training and technical assistance to other Native communities as a consultant.

Dr. Lisa Callahan is a Senior Research Associate at Policy Research Associates (PRA), where she leads research, training, and technical assistance on behavioral health and the justice system. Her work includes trauma training for justice professionals and research on treatment courts, trial competence, and the effects of Medicaid expansion on jail recidivism. Dr. Callahan began her work with PRA at its founding and rejoined in 2008 after serving in the New York State Office of Mental Health. She is Professor Emerita at The Sage Colleges, where she developed the MA in Forensic Mental Health and taught for 18 years. She holds a Ph.D. in Sociology from The Ohio State University and completed an NIMH postdoctoral fellowship in Sociology and Psychiatry at the University of Wisconsin–Madison.

Michael Mooradian is a person in long-term recovery and a 2003 graduate of the Anchorage, Alaska, felony drug court.  He is a co-founder of the Alaska Therapeutic Court Alumni and a co-founder of the National Treatment Court Alumni Association.  He is certified by the state of Alaska as a Peer Support Professional III and is an Alaska State-certified Chemical Dependency Clinical Supervisor. He has provided alumni, peer support, and clinical treatment services for over 20 years. 

Michelle Gunn is a nonprofit leader dedicated to promoting resilience, social justice, and person-centered care. She has served on the QENO Advisory Council, the New Hanover County Health and Human Services Board, and currently serves on the board of the TIDES program. A graduate of UNC Wilmington with a B.A. in Sociology and a minor in Psychology, Michelle is pursuing a Master’s in Justice-Involved Care at Morehouse School of Medicine, to be completed in December 2024. Her work focuses on trauma-informed practices, holistic care, and systemic change for justice-involved individuals. Michelle is a passionate advocate for marginalized communities and is committed to expanding access to resources and creating environments where all individuals can thrive.

Sally MacKain, Ph.D., is a Professor of Psychology and Licensed Psychologist at UNC Wilmington, where she also serves as Director of Clinical Training for the PhD Program in General Clinical Psychology. She earned her Ph.D. from UNC Chapel Hill and completed a postdoctoral fellowship at UCLA’s Neuropsychiatric Institute. Her research centers on evidence-based recovery practices for individuals with mental illness and substance use disorders, particularly those involved in the criminal justice system. She has published on skills training in prisons and the impact of coercion on treatment engagement. Dr. MacKain teaches courses on ethical practice and cultural competence, and she advocates for reducing stigma and expanding access to effective care. She is co-editor of Drug Court Review and a treatment content reviewer for the National Treatment Court Resource Center (NTCRC).

Terrence Walton is the Executive Director and CEO of NAADAC, the Association for Addiction Professionals, which has supported addiction professionals for over 50 years. Prior to NAADAC, he served as COO of All Rise, leading national and international initiatives supporting treatment and justice professionals. He also directed treatment services at the Pretrial Services Agency for D.C., overseeing substance use and mental health programs, drug courts, and alternatives to incarceration. Earlier, he led adolescent outpatient treatment at Sasha Bruce Youthworks. Walton holds a B.A. in Psychology from Wright State University and an MSW from the University of Wisconsin Milwaukee. A former certified drug and alcohol counselor, he is a member of ISSUP and has dedicated his career to helping individuals, families, and communities recover from addiction.