Healing Communities Service Participants and Honorees

Rev. Dr. Harold Dean Trulear

Harold Dean Trulear is an ordained American Baptist minister and serves as Associate Professor of Applied Theology at Howard University, where he is also immediate past president of the Gamma of DC chapter of Phi Beta Kappa. He is also Director of the Healing Communities Prison Ministry and Prisoner Reentry Project of the Philadelphia Leadership Foundation. Designed by the Annie E. Casey Foundation, Healing Communities has been implemented in over 25 sites nationally, in partnership with such organizations as the Progressive National Baptist Convention, The General Board of Church and Society of the United Methodist Church and the D-Free Ministry. Dr. Trulear is on the pastoral staff of Praise and Glory Tabernacle in Southwest Philadelphia, and also serves as a Fellow at the Center for Public Justice in Washington, DC. He has taught religion, public policy and community studies in several institutions, including Yale University, the University of Southern California, Hartford Seminary, Eastern University and Vanderbilt University. From 1998-2001 he served as vice president of faith based initiatives at Public/Private Ventures, in Philadelphia, having come to P/PV from New York Theological Seminary, where he served six years as dean for first professional studies. A graduate of Morehouse College (BA) and Drew University (PhD), Dr. Trulear has authored over seventy published monographs, articles, essays, sermons and reviews, including African American Churches and Welfare Reform (Center for Public Justice) and Faith Based Initiatives with High Risk Youth (P/PV). He co-edited Ministry with Prisoners and Their Families: The Way Forward, with W. Wilson Goode and Charles E. Lewis. His writings on religion, culture and political affairs have appeared in PBS Religion and Ethics Newsweekly, the Center for Public Justice Capital Commentary, UrbanFaith.com, John Jay College of Criminal Justice' The Crime Report, and Prism: America’s Alternative Evangelical Voice.

Criminal Justice Research Award Nominee

Since 1997, Rev. Dr. Donald L. Perryman has served as Senior Pastor of The Center of Hope Community Church in Toledo, Ohio. Due greatly to his ability to wed Gospel Ministry with Social Ministry, the church has become a center for change in Toledo that reconnects holistic ministry in contemporary social, economic, and political life to our spiritual and cultural foundations. Pastor Perryman’s objective is to bring the light of the gospel to bear upon issues of diversity, liberation, inclusiveness, empowerment and social justice.

Dr. Perryman is also a founder of Center of Hope Family Services, Inc., a highly acclaimed 501c3, whose mission is to improve the life outcomes of individuals and families living in urban settings. The nonprofit operates a 21st Century Learning Center and Children’s Defense Fund Freedom School in partnership with Toledo Public Schools and several other core initiatives under Positive Youth Development and Adult and Family Support.

Dr. Perryman attended Payne Theological Seminary in Wilberforce, Ohio and subsequently earned his Doctor of Ministry degree from United Theological Seminary, Dayton, Ohio with a focus in Social Justice Ministry and Political Activism. He received both a Bachelor of Business Administration (B.B.A.) and Master of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Toledo.

In October, 2018, Dr. Perryman successfully defended his dissertation, earning his PhD from the Antioch University Leadership & Change Program in Yellow Springs, Ohio. His dissertation, “The Role of the Black Church in Addressing the Collateral Damage of Mass Incarceration,” synthesizes the myriad of practical interventions that churches can utilize to impact the current and formerly incarcerated, their families, the surrounding communities, systems, and legislation. Dr. Perryman’s research is an extension of his decades of advocacy related to criminal justice policy and systems reform.

In 2011, Dr. Perryman founded United Pastors for Social Empowerment (UPSE), a coalition of faith leaders working in collaboration with institutional representatives and other communities of practice to challenge the disparities affecting the poor, marginalized, and communities of color through public policy, community development and political empowerment. He is also a member of the Board of Managers for the Ohio Poverty Law Center and the Aspire Cradle to Career Network; and is a board member of the Neighborhood Health Association, the Mental Health and Recovery Services Board of Lucas County, and the University of Toledo President’s Council on Diversity.

Dr. Perryman is married to the former Willetta Marie Jamison. They are parents to three adult children: Marlon Perryman, Dr. Tracee Perryman, and Dr. Staci Perryman-Clark, and the proud grandparents of Jamison Inez Perryman-Clark.

Healing Communities Re-Entry Community Champions Award Nominee

Willie Knighten Jr., CDCA, a Toledo native, currently works in Behavioral Health as a mentor & Re-entry support specialist. Mr. Knighten spent 13 years in prison before being exonerated by former governor, Ted Strickland. Since his release he has strongly advocated for the following citizens and initiatives: at risk youth, returning citizens, substance abuse, and responsible fatherhood & healthy marriage. His story is told best by himself or by viewing his TED talk. Will’s diverse background and focus on community collaborations have led him to numerous volunteer opportunities and community leadership roles. Will holds a Chemical Dependency Counselor Assistant (CDCA) license, a national certification in gang outreach prevention. He is recognized as a member of the African American Leadership Caucus (AALC), the National Association of Blacks in Criminal Justice (NABCJ), and actively holds a seat as one of the board of directors for the Reentry Coalition of NW Ohio. He also has received a multitude of awards, including the Restored Citizens Award, and was nominated for the Jefferson Award. Willie is the owner-operator of Good G.A.M.E Mentoring LLC, a not for profit business dedicated to serving and improving the community in hopes of changing lives for the better. Willie is married with a blended family including seven children and six grandchildren.

Healing Communities Re-Entry Community Champions Award Nominee

Stanley Smith is the Special Projects and Outreach Specialist for the Lucas County Family and Children First Council. As a returning citizen, Stanley devoted much of his time to mentoring other returning citizens, with a focus on increasing fatherhood engagement. Stanley has volunteered with Lucas County Children Services, and then worked for Center of Hope Family Services as a Fatherhood Mentor. Since then, Stanley has become a certified facilitator in Getting Ahead in a Just Getting By World, Getting Ahead in the Workplace, Getting Ahead While Getting Out, Thinking for a Change, and Nurturing Fathers. Stanley uses his experience, authenticity, and compassion to engage diverse audiences.

Healing Communities Re-Entry Champion Award Nominee

Johnetta McCollough is the Executive Director of Treatment Accountability for Safer Communities (TASC). TASC provides effective intervention services to high-risk adult and juvenile offenders. As the community leader in offender intervention programming, TASC currently operates a number of offender specific initiatives and projects including: Forensic Linkage Programs in the County Jail, Home Choice, Lucas County Rapid Rehousing Project, two HUD Permanent Supportive Housing Projects, Juvenile and Family Treatment Courts, a federal 2nd Chance Act Grant focused on female ex-offenders and another focused on male ex-offenders returning to Lucas County. Mrs. McCollough holds a BA and MPA from the University of Toledo. She is a member of the Lucas County Children Services Board, founding board member of the Toledo School for the Arts, and is currently an advisor for the University of Toledo Paralegal Studies Program.

Healing Communities Re-Entry Champion Award Nominee

Amy Priest is a Licensed Independent Social Worker and a Licensed Chemical Dependency Counselor III. She possesses a Master of Social Work (MSW) from Eastern Michigan University and a Bachelor of Criminal Justice from Tiffin University. Amy currently serves as the Director of Programs and Services for the Mental Health and Recovery Services Board (MHRSB) of Lucas County. More than half of Amy’s career has been dedicated to working with individuals involved in the criminal justice system. As Amy’s career began in Lucas County over 18 years ago, she spent much of her time between the Lucas County Corrections Center and the Adult Probation Department doing assessments, referral and linkage, and case management for adults incarcerated or awaiting sentencing, as well as those being released from the Correctional Treatment Facility. Currently, she oversees several programs for offenders returning to Lucas County, including youth returning from the Department of Youth Services, adults returning from the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections, and inmates in the Lucas County Corrections Center.

Healing Communities Criminal Justice Reform Policy Award Nominee

Lucas County Commissioner Carol Contrada has established her career as a distinguished champion of criminal justice reform. Through her leadership, Lucas County was awarded $1.75 million from the John D. and Catherine T. MacArthur Foundation’s Safety + Justice Challenge to reduce the jail population at the county level while addressing racial and ethnic disparities. Lucas County’s reform initiatives have earned national recognition from the MacArthur Foundation because of its 50 percent reduction in new criminal activity by defendants released pretrial, and its 22 percentage rate for those incarcerated. Commissioner Contrada promotes effective strategies such as expedited case resolution, diversion of underserved populations, and coordinated probation practices throughout Lucas County’s five court jurisdictions. The Safety + Justice Challenge core team also works with law enforcement to interrupt the arrest-detention-incarceration cycle, and supports training in procedural justice, crisis de-escalation, and implicit bias training. Commissioner Contrada has presented on criminal justice reform issues, including “Pretrial Risk Assessment” at the National Association of Counties convention, “Innocent until Proven Poor” at the University of Michigan, “Coordinated Probation Practices” at the MacArthur SJC all- sites national meeting, and will lead a panel discussion on case management at the fall 2018 MacArthur SJC meeting.

Healing Communities Criminal Justice Reform Policy Award Nominee

Hon. Denise Navarre Cubbon was elected Lucas County Juvenile Court Judge in November, 2004. She became the Lucas County Juvenile Court Administrative Judge in April, 2007. Under Judge Cubbon;s leadership, Lucas County Juvenile Court (LCJC) has implemented numerous initiatives to assist families, youth and children who find themselves before the Juvenile Court in ways that improve create positive outcomes and improve lives. Judge Cubbon and LCJC have worked closely with the Annie E. Casey Foundation, which has provided technical assistance in their juvenile justice reform efforts. These efforts include The Lucas County Assessment Center, Family Navigator Program, and community programming such as Art Education Partnership with the Toledo Museum of Art, Boat Building, Girls Circles, and Boys Council. Under Judge Cubbon’s leadership, LCJC has developed a continuum of services to meet the needs of youth who come before the court by developing programming in the community. By doing so, LCJC is reducing the number of youth placed in long-term placements outside the home, and is increasing the number of youth participating in diversion efforts which can assist them and their families in making positive life changes. Most recently, Judge Cubbon led Lucas County in applying to become a model site for exploring structural racism and addressing racial equity in the justice system. W. Haywood Burns Institute chose Lucas County as one of two communities in the nation for this project.