Meet the Staff

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Stephanie Armand is the Program & Special Projects Administrator and has been with Harris County since 1993. She supports the Criminal Justice Coordinating Council, the Safety + Justice Challenge Grant, and specializes in business processes in the criminal justice system. Stephanie has a B.S. in Criminal Justice from the University of Houston.

Colin Cepuran has been a Research Policy Analyst with JAD since September 2020. At JAD, he specializes in policy related to pretrial policy, violence prevention, and emergency response. He received a PhD from Cornell University, and a BA from Kalamazoo College

Brandi Ebanks Copes joined the JAD team in January 2020 serving as the Racial Disparity and Fairness Administrator. She received her MPA from Cornell University, and a BA from Loyola University New Orleans.

Bryonne “Bree” Cummings has been the ODonnell Consent Decree Project Manager since September 2020. She received her MA at Avila University in Kansas City where she also earned her certificate in Project Management.

Karen Evans has been the Community Engagement Manager with the JAD team since March of 2020. She specializes in promoting community solutions to racial and ethnic disparities in the criminal justice system. Karen has a BA in Political Science with a minor in Pre-Law from Alcorn State University.

Mike Giordanelli has been the Budget and Grants Manager with JAD since October 2020. He earned a BS in Computer Science and a Major in Mathematics from Trinity University.

Veronyka James has been with JAD since November 2020. Veronyka serves as the Survivor of Crime Researcher/Specialist. She received a PhD and MA from Indiana University of Pennsylvania, and a BA from the University of Redlands.

Lindsey Linder has been a Justice Policy Research Analyst with JAD since October 2020. At JAD, she specializes in policy related to indigent defense and alternatives to incarceration. She received a JD from Southern University Law Center, and a BA from the University of Louisiana at Monroe.

Laura Lucas has been with JAD since September 2020. Laura serves as JAD’s Communications and Media Relations Manager. She has a BA in communications and media production from the University of Houston.

Alex Oulapour joined JAD in March 2021 as Senior Applications Architect. He has a BS in Computer Science from McNeese State University.

Kristina Vera Robertson has been with JAD since October 2020. At JAD she is the Executive Assistant to the Director and works on different design elements and print for JAD. She has a BA in graphic design from Art Institute of Houston.

Matthew M. Sweeney has been a Research Policy Analyst with JAD since September 2020. At JAD, Matthew specializes in law enforcement policies, procedures, and oversight. He received his PhD in Criminology and Criminal Justice, with a specialization in Terrorism Studies, from the University of Massachusetts Lowell.

Naomi Walker has been with JAD since it was created by Commissioners Court in October 2019 and with Harris County since 2000. She serves JAD as the Administrative Services Manager and is responsible for HR matters, payroll and office management.