National Convening Program Books 2015 YEO National Convening Program Book | Page 23

Detailed Agenda
FRIDAY | JULY 24, 2015

Van Jones

Dream Corps and CNN
Van Jones is the president and co-founder of Dream Corps. Current
initiatives, #cut50 and #YesWeCode, create innovative solutions to “close
the prison doors and open the doors of opportunity.” A Yale-educated
attorney, Van has written two New York Times Bestsellers: The Green
Collar Economy, the definitive book on green jobs; and Rebuild the Dream,
a roadmap for progressives. Van is a correspondent for CNN and regular
guest on political talk shows. In 2009, Van worked as the green jobs advisor
to the Obama White House. There, he helped run the inter-agency process
that oversaw $80 billion in green energy recovery spending.

Maria Chappelle-Nadal
Missouri State Senate

Maria Chappelle-Nadal is a member of the Missouri State Senate,
representing District 14. She was first elected to the chamber in 2010.
Beginning in the 2015 session, Chappelle-Nadal serves as minority whip.
On April 6, 2010, Chappelle-Nadal was elected to the University City School
Board. Chappelle-Nadal earned her B.A. in political science/sociology from
Georgia State University. Her professional experience includes working
as director of communications for Lieutenant Governor Joe Maxwell. In
August 2014, Chappelle-Nadal took to the streets to challenge the police
response in the aftermath of the shooting of Michael Brown. ChappelleNadal joined protests in Ferguson and has regularly tweeted about the events.

Marc Mauer

The Sentencing Project

YEO National Convening | 2015

Marc Mauer is one of the country’s leading experts on sentencing policy,
race, and the criminal justice system. He has directed programs on criminal
justice policy reform for more than 30 years and serves as executive
director of The Sentencing Project, a national nonprofit organization
engaged in research and advocacy on criminal justice policy. Mauer has
written extensively and testified before Congress and other legislative
bodies. His critically acclaimed book, Race to Incarcerate, was named a
semifinalist for the Robert F. Kennedy Book Award, and he is the co-editor
of Invisible Punishment, a collection of essays that examine the social
costs of incarceration. Mauer frequently lectures before a broad range of national and international
audiences, appears regularly on television and radio networks, and has served as an adjunct faculty
member at George Washington University and Payne Theological Seminary. Mauer is the recipient of
the Donald Cressey Award for contributions to criminal justice research, the Alfred Lindesmith Award
for drug policy scholarship, and the Maud Booth Award for correctional services.

22