VISTA: Meet our Members

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2024-2025 AmeriCorps VISTA Cohort

Solomon Broadnax

VISTA Leader, National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA)- Washington, D.C. Solomon Broadnax serves as the VISTA Leader at the National Legal Aid & Defender Association (NLADA), where he oversees a national service program dedicated to advancing access to justice for underserved and marginalized communities. In this role, Solomon provides guidance and support to AmeriCorps VISTA members working across the country, helping them maximize their impact and achieve sustainable results in their host sites.
With a steadfast commitment to public service and equity, Solomon brings a wealth of experience in economic development, data analytics, and project management. During his tenure at the Coalition for Nonprofit Housing and Economic Development (CNHED), he authored a comprehensive Small Business Lenders Guide and spearheaded data analytics initiatives that fostered economic growth in local communities. At Walker’s Legacy, Solomon played a pivotal role in creating programming tailored to empower underserved Black women entrepreneurs, equipping them with tools to achieve financial independence and business success.
Currently preparing to pursue law school with aspirations of becoming a public defender, Solomon is passionate about addressing systemic inequities in the legal system. His goal is to advocate for marginalized populations and ensure that justice is not only accessible but equitable for all. Solomon’s dedication to supporting communities, coupled with his expertise in strategy and development, underscores his belief in the transformative power of public service to create lasting change. He is from NYC where he graduated with an economics degree from Hunter College.

Christina Leonard

Development and Community Relations VISTA, Office of the Appellate Defender- New York, NY Christina Leonard is a dual US-UK citizen, born in New York but raised in London, England. She attended Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, graduating in May 2023, with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and double minors in Rhetoric and French. At Bates, Christina served as the Executive Managing Editor of the student newspaper, The Bates Student.
Christina will be serving as the Development and Community Relations VISTA at the Office of the Appellate Defender, one of New York City’s longest-standing organizations dedicated to providing appellate representation for indigent New Yorkers convicted of felonies. Driven by a strong sense of fairness, Christina is committed to advocating for full and equal access to justice. Following her service year, she plans to attend law school.

Molly Finucane

Data Operations Fellow, James B. Moran Center for Youth Advocacy - Evanston, IL
Molly Finucane recently moved to Chicago from Athens, Ohio after graduating from Ohio University. There, she received a bachelor's in political science and a minor in history. She will be serving as a data operations fellow at the Moran Center for Youth Advocacy in Evanston, IL, an organization that provides free legal services to youth in the juvenile justice system. Her work will involve re-imagining qualitative analysis practices, assisting in the development of a new database, and overhauling the organization's web presence. When not working, Molly enjoys reading, cross-stitching, and attending live concerts.

Returning VISTA Members

Connor Hollenback

Database Systems Manager, Santa Barbara Public Defender- Santa Barbara, CA

Conor McCambridge

Reentry Coordinator, Delaware County Public Defender’s office - Media, PA

Jalena Jones

Resource & Grant Data Development Researcher, Santa Barbara Public Defender- Santa Barbara, CA

 

Natifah Tolbert

Police Accountability Fellow, Neighborhood Defender Service, - Los Angeles/Orange County, CA

Ryan Goetz

Data Systems Coordinator, Santa Barbara Public Defender- Santa Barbara, CA

Class of 2022-2023

  • Connor Hollenback Public Defender of Santa Barbara
  • Conor McCambridge Delaware County Public Defender
  • Jalena Jones Santa Barbara Public Defender
  • Latagia Copeland-Tyronce, MSW, CADAS Neighborhood Defender Services, Detroit
  • Murphy Boccher Neighborhood Defender Services, Harlem
  • Stephanie Castillo Office for Appellate Litigation in NYC
  • Jack Mok Center for Appellate Litigation, NY
  • Zoe Muse-Markle Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office
  • Wyatt Ensley Orleans Public Defenders
  • Vince Cunningham Riverside County Office of Public Defender
  • Dawn Ippolito Delaware's Office of Defense Services
  • Alexander Saltzman
  • Abigail Hustead Office of the Appellate Defender in NYC
  • Wil Sanders NLADA 
  • Erika Tugas Marcia Evans Neighborhood Defender Services
  • Jack McGinn West Virginia’s Public Defender Services
  • Natifah Tolbert Ryan Goetz Santa Barbara Public Defender

Class of 2021-2022

  • Aidan Bassett, Santa Barbara Public Defender’s Office
  • Lauren Bosserman, AmeriCorps
  • Bryan Burzon, AmeriCorps
  • Ashley Conyers, Law Office of the Public Defender, Augusta, GA
  • Peter Gaber, Augusta Judicial Circuit's Office of the Public Defender
  • Elizabeth Hansen, Office of the Appellate Defender in NYC
  • Grant Hoffman
  • Jade Mapp, Books Beyond Bars at the Center for Appellate Litigation
  • Jack Mok, Center for Appellate Litigation
  • Dalton Oberfoell
  • Daniel Odunukwe
  • Gracie Western, Office of the Appellate Defender
  • Julia Wicker, Office of State Public Defender
  • Loïs Vincent, Orleans Public Defenders Office

Class of 2020-2021

 

  • Isabelle Appleton - Center for Appellate Litigation, New York, NY
  • Elizabeth Barnes - Augusta Judicial Circuit Office of the Public Defender, Augusta, GA
  • Emma Baylor - Office of the Public Defender, Maryland
  • Kristen Brown - Office of the Alternate Defense Counsel, Colorado
  • Jess Gaughan - Pima County Public Defender, Tuscan, AZ
  • Daniel Goldstein - Orleans Public Defender, New Orleans, LA
  • Nichele Hudson - Public Defender Services, Connecticut
  • Batya Kemper - Santa Barbara County, Public Defender, Santa Barbara, CA
  • Shantih Kleen - Public Defender Services, West Virginia
  • Alex MacDonald - Office of Appellate Defense, New York, NY
  • Donna Marain - Augusta Judicial Circuit Office of the Public Defender, Augusta, GA
  • Jason Masino - Office of the Alternate Defense Counsel, Colorado
  • Maisy Menzies - Contra Costa County Public Defender, Richmond, CA
  • Noah Mlyn - Orleans Public Defender, New Orleans, LA
  • Betsy Molgano - Aurora Public Defense, Aurora, CO
  • Logan Montel - Pima County Public Defender, Tuscan, AZ
  • Cara Netzer - Public Defender Services, West Virginia
  • Sarah Rothschild - Santa Barbara County, Public Defender, Santa Barbara, CA
  • Luis Vivaldi - Office of Appellate Defense, New York, NY

Class of 2019-2020

 

  • Thomas Bacher - Public Defender Service Corporation, Guam
  • Pietro Bartoli - Center for Appellate Litigation, New York, NY
  • Daniel Breen - Montgomery County Public Defender, Norristown, PA
  • Dametrick Evans - Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender, Chicago, IL
  • Kellianne Elliot - NLADA, DC
  • Breonna Hendricks - City of Atlanta Public Defender, Atlanta, GA
  • Aimee Hernandez-Meza - Brooklyn Defender Service, Brooklyn, NY
  • Sonya Joseph - NLADA, DC
  • Wan Qi Kong - Orleans Public Defender, New Orleans, LA
  • Meagan McDaniel - 13th Circuit Public Defender, Greenville, SC
  • A'Narris Monger - Michigan State Appellate Defender Office, Detroit, MI
  • Trung Nguyen - Solano County Public Defender, Fairfield, CA
  • Grace Ortez - Office of Appellate Defense, New York, NY
  • Amanda Paison - Santa Barbara County, Public Defender, Santa Barbara, CA
  • Lizzie Sluchak - Office of the Public Defender, Maryland
  • Coulter Ward - Orleans Public Defender, New Orleans, LA

Class of 2018-2019

  • John Brogden - Wisconsin Public Defender, Madison, WI
  • Andrea Dowlen - Montgomery County Public Defender, Norristown, PA
  • Julio Gomez -Public Defender Service Corporation, Guam
  • Deondra Henderson - City of Atlanta Public Defender, Atlanta, GA
  • Carly Jones - Public Defender Service Corporation, Guam
  • Shannon Kelley - Office of the Public Defender, Maryland
  • Anna Ladd - NLADA, DC
  • Cynthia Mar - Alameda Public Defender's Office, Oakland, CA
  • Daniel Mangoubi - Lubbock Private Defender's Office, Lubbock, TX
  • Grace Ortez - Office of Appellate Defense, New York, NY
  • Amanda Paison - Santa Barbara County, Public Defender, Santa Barbara, CA
  • Yamilex Pena - Lubbock Private Defender's Office, Lubbock, TX
  • Tanisha Pierrette - Orleans Public Defender, New Orleans, LA
  • Jen Santangelo - Maricopa Office of the Public Defender, Phoenix, AZ
  • Kameryn Sessoms - NLADA, DC
  • Celcise Stany - Defender's Office of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, MT

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