Committee Information
APAI’s operational body consists of an Executive Committee which includes the President, Vice President, Secretary, Treasurer, U.S Regional and International Vice Presidents. The President, Vice President, Secretary and Treasurer are elected; all remaining positions are appointed.
Executive Committee
President | Jonathan Ogletree | Chair, Kansas Prisoner Review Board | Topeka, Kansas |
Vice President | Kecia Rongen | Chair, Washington Indeterminate Sentence Review Board | Olympia, Washington | Treasurer | Laura Pisaturo | Chair, Rhode Island Parole Board | Cranston, Rhode Island |
Secretary | Francis Abbott | Executive Director, Louisiana Board of Pardons & Committee on Parole | Baton Rouge, Louisiana |
Immediate Past President | David Blumberg | Chair, Maryland Parole Commission | Baltimore, Maryland |
Regional Vice Presidents
Northeastern USA | Mary Jane Ainsworth | — | Vermont |
Central USA | Scott Widmer | — | Columbus, Ohio |
Southern USA | Benita Murphy | Chairperson, West Virginia Parole Board | Charleston, West Virginia |
Western USA | Jennifer Shaffer | Executive Officer, Board of Parole Hearings | California |
International | Sylvie Blanchet | Executive Vice-Chairperson, Parole Board of Canada | Canada |
International | Thando Tsetewa | Special Advisor to Minister of Justice & Correctional Services, African Correctional Services | Gauteng, South Africa |
International | Martin Jones | The Parole Board of England and Wales | London, England |
International | Alistair Spierling | Manager, New Zealand Parole Board | New Zealand |
Northeastern USA — Connecticut, Delaware, District of Columbia, Maine, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania, Vermont, Rhode Island, U.S. Parole Commission and all U.S. Military Parole Boards.
Central USA — Illinois, Indiana, Iowa, Kansas, Michigan, Minnesota, Missouri, Nebraska, North Dakota, Ohio, Oklahoma, South Dakota, Texas and Wisconsin.
Southern USA — Alabama, Arkansas, Florida, Georgia, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maryland, Mississippi, North Carolina, Puerto Rico, South Carolina, Tennessee, Virginia, Virgin Islands and West Virginia.
Western USA — Alaska, Arizona, California, Colorado, Guam, Hawaii, Idaho, Montana, Nevada, New Mexico, Oregon, Utah, Washington and Wyoming.
International
APAI Committees
Professional Development
To determine and approve all official APAI education.
Jennifer Shaffer, Chair | California |
David Blumberg | Maryland |
Jessica Dillard | Texas |
Carleton Giles | Connecticut |
Fred Hyun | Hawaii |
Jeannie Wark | Kansas |
Kecia Rongen | Washington |
Martin Jones | England and Wales |
Jennifer Zamkus | Missouri |
Crime Victims
To elevate the awareness of crime victims issues in the post conviction processes and to ensure that the professional development opportunities offered, facilitated and supported by the Association contain sufficient content relative to victims and survivors of crime and their role in the parole and reentry process. One of the current assignments of the Victims Committee is to develop a Model Protocol for paroling authorities to ensure victim participation in the parole process.
Libby Hamilton, Chair | Texas |
Francis Abbott | Lousiana |
Lorie Brisbin | — |
Jeralita Costa | Washington |
Martin Jones | Europe |
Lydia Newlin | Minnesota |
Shalandra Robertson | Georgia |
Elizabeth Rothwell | Canada |
Thando Tsetsewa | Africa |
Membership
To promote and encourage a strong, viable and sustainable membership.
Francis Abbott, Chair | Louisiana |
Sylvie Blanchet | Canada |
Matt Degnan | Rhode Island |
Scott Widmer | Ohio |
Martin Jones | Europe |
Benita Murphy | West Virginia |
Jennifer Shaffer | California |
Alistair Spierling | New Zealand |
Thando Tsetsewa | Africa |
Public Relations/Communications
Francis Abbott, Chair | Louisiana |
Zane Duncan | Tennessee |
Steve Hayes | Georgia |
Kecia Rongen | Washington State |
Standards/Resolutions
To Promote the Use of Best Practices in Parole
Mark Keating, Chair | Kansas |
Christopher Barnett | Georgia |
Dan Fetsco | Wyoming |
Mike Keeler | Nevada |
Benita Murphy, Chair | West Virginia |