CCYJ President and CEO, founded the Center for Children & Youth Justice in 2006. She served on the Washington State Supreme Court from 1999 to 2007 before retiring to lead the Center full-time in January 2008. She was a King County Superior Court judge from 1989 to 1999, served as Presiding Judge of the 51-member Superior Court for two years, and was the Chief Judge of King County Juvenile Court from 1994 to 1997. Before joining the bench, Justice Bridge was the first female partner at the Seattle law firm of Garvey Schubert Barer.
Recognized statewide and nationally as a leading advocate for foster care reform, domestic violence victims, truancy prevention, juvenile justice reform and a host of other issues, Justice Bridge also serves the community as a dedicated volunteer and philanthropist. She has been a member of the Boards of many nonprofit organizations, including YouthCare and the YWCA. In 1999, she helped establish and fund the Pacific Northwest's first court-based child care center at the Regional Justice Center in Kent, offering a safe place for parents and guardians with business before the court to leave young children.
Among her many awards as an advocate for children and youth are the 2010 Advocacy Spirit Award from the National Network for Youth, the 2009 Strategies for Youth Award from the Washington State Lieutenant Governor, the Passing the Torch Award from Washington Women Lawyers, the Seattle Civil Rights Champion Award from Lambda Legal, the Distinguished Alumna Award from the University of Washington School of Law and the Judge of the Year Award from the King County Bar Association. Justice Bridge also has been inducted into the Washington Generals for special service to the citizens of the State and into the Warren E. Burger Society of the National Center for State Courts.
"Our kids deserve a fighting chance to become strong, self-sufficient and thriving members of the community," Justice Bridge says. "More unified, better informed child welfare and juvenile justice systems will give them that chance."
Michael Curtis
CCYJ Managing Director, is responsible for the overall management and coordination of the Center's programs and projects. He joined the Center in December 2006 as its first employee following a 31-year career in juvenile justice. He began his career as a court officer and probation officer in the Tri-Cities at the Benton and Franklin Counties Juvenile Justice Center, where he served for 11 years before working with judges in juvenile and family courts for 15 years. Just prior to joining the Center, Michael was an analyst with the King County Superior Court Juvenile Court Services, where he was the lead staff member involved in the creation of Family Treatment Court program.
Daniel Carew
Daniel is Project Coordinator for the Suburban King County Coordinating Council on Gangs, a CCYJ initiative that brings local leaders together to develop a coordinated and collaborative response to youth violence and gangs. Daniel's job is to guide and support a council of key decision makers, including mayors, police chiefs, school superintendents and court representatives, as they develop a master plan for South and East King County. "This is an area that has seen a great deal of growth, and with it, the migration of gang activity from Seattle," he says. "We need to collaborate so that everyone is adequately prepared to not only react to gang violence, but to prevent it." As a Teach for America teacher in the South Bronx, Daniel worked with court-involved youth and gained an understanding of why some young people are attracted to gang life. He has a Bachelor of Arts degree from Northwestern, a Master of Science degree for teachers from Pace University in New York, and is working toward his law degree at the University of Washington. A former CCYJ intern, he's excited to work for an organization that is changing systems as well as lives. "This is the perfect fit for me," he says.
Gina Cumbo
Project Coordinator, manages the Center's truancy intervention and child welfare systems reform efforts. An attorney with experience in criminal law, disability law and working with children and youth, Gina joins CCYJ after serving as Assistant Regional Counsel for the Social Security Administration. She also worked as a staff attorney at the Snohomish County Public Defender Association. Ginaholdsanundergraduate degree from Fairhaven College of Western Washington University. She earned both her law and master of social work degrees at the University of Michigan. "I feel privileged to be part of an organization committed to researched-based interventions. I believe that CCYJ's thoughtful, deliberate approach to advocacy will improve outcomes for all young people involved in the juvenile justice and child welfare systems."
Leila Curtis
Truancy Project Coordinator, is tasked with facilitating statewide truancy reform efforts and prevention/intervention strategies under the guidance of the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office and the Washington State Becca Task Force, chaired by Justice Bridge. A licensed attorney and certificated teacher in Washington state, Leila is committed to helping kids recognize and access opportunities through education. She has served in various capacities in both law and education, namely as a law clerk to The Honorable Gerald L. Knight in Snohomish County Superior Court and as education director of the North Seattle Boys and Girls Club. Her experience also includes work in education and truancy for various public and private entities, including the Prosecuting Attorney's offices in King and Pierce counties, Seattle Public Schools, and Columbia Legal Services. Leila earned both her law and master in teaching degrees from the University of Washington. "Truancy is usually a sign of a bigger problem. Often, our kids are faced with challenges in their schools, families or communities that affect their ability to go to school. It's important to address truancy through a holistic lens and provide ongoing support to our youth in their educational endeavors. I am honored and excited to support the efforts of the King County Prosecuting Attorney's Office and Becca Task Force, which have been champions and innovators in finding ways to keep youth engaged in school and out of the criminal justice system."
Terri Kimball
Terri is the coordinator for Project Respect, a CCYJ-led initiative in partnership with YouthCare, to develop a statewide protocol for responding to commercially sexually exploited children. Terri's job is to guide the two-year project, including working with law enforcement, court personnel, service providers and others to craft a coordinated, statewide response to cases involving prostituted children. "This protocol is critical for helping young victims quickly receive the services they need to heal from the violence they have experienced," she says. Terri was involved in a recent local government effort to identify and carry out strategies to help these child victims - as many as 300 to 500 a year in King County - some as young as 12. "CCYJ is the best organization to continue this important work," she adds. "These young people aren't old enough to consent or have a choice. They're victims who need support, compassion and services." Terri brings 30 years of experience in health and human services, and non-profit and government leadership. Before coming to CCYJ in 2011, she directed the City of Seattle's Domestic Violence and Sexual Assault Prevention Division, where she guided the development of policies, practices and services to improve victim safety and offender accountability.
Coordinator of our Lawyers Fostering Independence program, Cheryl will work to provide free civil legal services to young people who have been in foster or kinship care. Hired in January 2011, Cheryl is the first permanent staff member to lead the program, which had been staffed by Perkins Coie attorneys through the law firm's community fellowship program. Cheryl's job is to recruit and train pro-bono attorneys before matching them with clients, meet and work with potential clients, host monthly legal clinics and track cases. One of her goals is to expand the program to serve more foster youth in and beyond King County. Cheryl received her law degree from the University of Washington, and has a Bachelor of Science in Public Administration from the University of Arizona, where she graduated summa cum laude. Her experience includes work as a volunteer attorney advising students in the Legislative Advocacy Clinic at the UW School of Law, and a fellowship with the Immigrant Families Advocacy Program, recruiting volunteer attorneys to represent low-income survivors of domestic violence. "My job as LFI coordinator is to make it easy for attorneys who are busy and have limited resources, but who want to make a difference. I'm creating an avenue for public service with a program that's helping former foster youth overcome the legal barriers to independence and success."
Carla C. Lee
Carla serves as Project Coordinator for the Juvenile Justice Reform Initiative, a statewide effort to improve the way the juvenile justice system serves at-risk youth and young offenders. Carla is providing oversight and support for projects in four counties - Clark, Benton-Franklin, King and Spokane - as part of the national Models for Change Initiative. Now that many plans have been put into practice, one of Carla's primary goals is to ensure that successful projects can be sustained and expanded. "We want to shift the focus of the juvenile justice system from punishment to intervention, prevention and rehabilitation," she says. Before coming to CCYJ in May, Carla worked with the Washington State Bar Association (WSBA) Board of Governors, WSBA's governing body, on a number of social justice initiatives. She's thrilled to work with an organization dedicated to "fundamental fairness" within the juvenile justice system. "Youth represent our future," she says. "We need to do everything we can to give them the tools needed to succeed as functional adults."
Nicholas is a Research & Development Analyst. He studies a variety of legal issues for the Center, including working on Project Respect, the Center's new partnership with YouthCare to develop a statewide protocol to combat the commercial sexual exploitation of children. Another major area of concentration is truancy research. "I've always been interested in youth advocacy, and in fact wrote I wanted to work in that field in my law school entrance essay," Nicholas says. "I graduated and passed the bar in 2011, and I feel extremely fortunate to be doing this right out of school." Nicholas earned his law degree from the University of Washington and a Bachelor of Arts in politics and community studies from the University of California, Santa Cruz. Between his degrees, Nicholas spent two years teaching and advising middle and high school students. He also logged two years as a teacher with the Peace Corps in the Republic of Georgia, assisting in English instruction and developing a 200-page textbook on ecological conservation. "Having a positive impact on young people is something that was always really important to me, because your youth - your economic well-being, your mental and physical health - it's all the foundation for the rest of your life," Nicholas says. "It's where I can make a difference."
Jennifer Rose is Project Coordinator for the Philanthropist's Forum. Founded by CCYJ in 2009, the Forum convenes individual and institutional grantors in the fields of child welfare and juvenile justice. Through the generous support of the Forum, Jennifer was hired in January of 2011 to guide and manage the unified efforts of Forum members. Her role is to guide the Forum in the development of its mission and enable the Forum to achieve goals, benchmark progress and cultivate strategic partnerships. "The Forum has the resources and the commitment to affect real change in child welfare and juvenile justice policy," she says, "They have thought very deeply about these issues and are prepared to find innovative solutions to problems that have never really been effectively addressed." Before coming to CCYJ, Jennifer served as a Chief Community Officer for the New York City Department of Education where she assisted over 45 schools to enhance community engagement and parent involvement. She has also worked at the Midtown Community Court, the nation's first community court, where she managed programs aimed at curbing recidivism among low-level criminal offenders. Jennifer served in the Peace Corps in Guatemala and holds a B.A. in Spanish and Latin American Studies from Colby College, and a Master's in Public Administration from New York University.
CCYJ Mental Health Projects Coordinator, oversees initiatives related to infant, child, youth and family mental health. An attorney with extensive legal and policy experience in child welfare and education, Kelly holds an undergraduate degree from the University of Virginia and earned her law degree from New York University. Before coming to the Center, she worked in the Governor's Office as an education ombudsman and legal analyst for the Office of the Education Ombudsman. Kelly has worked directly with youth and families involved in the child welfare system, both as an attorney and as the manager of the King County Family Treatment Court. She has also served as a policy analyst with the RAND Corporation, Washington Appleseed Center on Law in the Public Interest and the University of Washington's Center on Reinventing Public Education. "Our challenge in mental health advocacy is to find effective ways for courts, schools and mental health providers to work together and support youth with mental health issues," says Kelly.
Hathaway Burden is our Projects Assistant. She helps with research, creates and develops databases, and provides important support for the work we do. Hired in 2010, Hathaway brings experience in advocacy, family court issues, and international social justice. Before coming to CCYJ, she wrote a strategic marketing plan for The Peacemaker Program, Inc., a non-profit dispute resolution and child advocacy agency in Utica, NY. She has also worked with the American Bar Association Rule of Law Initiative (Latin America and Caribbean Division) and the World Justice Project - both initiatives to advance legal reform as an antidote to poverty, human rights abuses and other world problems. Hathaway received her BA from Hamilton College where she graduated magna cum laude with double major in International Relations and Hispanic Studies. She is fluent in Spanish. "I'm thrilled and honored to be working in an environment where everyone is working so passionately for such a good cause," she says.
Ina is our other Projects Assistant for CCYJ, including help with research, fundraising, grant applications and our annual Norm Maleng Advocate for Youth Award Breakfast. Before joining us in mid-2011, Ina was an intern with the Orange County Public Defender Juvenile Delinquency Division, where she interviewed clients, conducted legal research, wrote trial reports and helped attorneys in preparing and investigating cases. Ina's experience also includes coordinating fundraising events for St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and volunteering with People of Color Against AIDS Network. She graduated from the University of Washington in 2011 with a BA degree in Law, Societies and Justice as well as a BA in Interdisciplinary Visual Arts. She plans to return to school for her law degree. "Working in juvenile justice, I interviewed many young repeat offenders. Many had lived in foster care or had histories of abuse, and weren't getting the help they needed from the system," Ina says. "I believe in CCYJ's mission to change the system so young offenders don't become habitual offenders. Providing opportunities to these young people will help them develop and learn the skills they need to become responsible adults."Maria Howard
Maria's duties as Executive Office Manager include overseeing CCYJ's office operations and providing executive support to Justice Bobbe J. Bridge and administrative support to the CCYJ Board of Directors and project staff. Hired in May 2010, Maria came to CCYJ with more than 12 years experience in legal administrative services, including more than a decade as a legal secretary for corporate law firms. She holds a Bachelor of Arts, Law and Justice Degree, with a specialization in law enforcement, from Central Washington University and is fluent in Spanish. Maria's interest in law started in childhood, when she came to know and look up to the Chief of Police in her hometown of Toppenish. She's thrilled to be working for CCYJ: "My passion has always been in criminal law and youth justice, and this is a perfect fit," she says. "Youth who have been in the juvenile justice and child welfare systems need the skills and resources to succeed in the community. These young people are our future."