Chief Probation Officers of California

Stephanie Anderson is the Probation Foster Care Specialist at the Chief Probation Officers of California (CPOC). In 2018, she joined CPOC and assisted with the implementation of the Continuum of Care Reform and has worked on the implementation of Family First Prevention Services Act (FFPSA) and other foster care policy matters. Prior to this role, she was an Arts in Corrections (AIC) Program Manager at the California Arts Council, where she assisted in the expansion of art programs in all the California state institutions.

Dr. Kelvin L. Banks is an Associate Director at CEPP, where he works primarily on the APPR initiative. A national expert on the criminal justice system, including pretrial services, Dr. Banks is the lead technical assistance provider for several APPR localities and manages APPR’s training agenda, which has reached over 4,000 participants. Dr. Banks was formerly the Director of Pretrial Services for Harris County, Texas, and for the Third Judicial Circuit Court of Michigan in Detroit (Wayne County), and he served for many years as a Clinical Probation Officer.

Holly Benton has served as Chief Probation Officer for the County of Santa Barbara Probation Department since 2023.

Michael Casteel has worked with Orange County Probation Department since 2006. Over the course of the last 18 years Michael has embraced the change that has swept across the law enforcement community and has become a leader that inspires those around him with a commitment to excellence and dedication to the community.

Spencer began his career with the Probation Department in 1999 as a Juvenile Institutions Officer at the Santa Barbara Juvenile Hall. Over the past 25 years, he has held a variety of assignments in the Facilities, Juvenile and Adult divisions, giving him a broad base of experience and knowledge. His dedication to collaboration with the local justice system partners and County stakeholders has been instrumental in the implementation of new County criminal justice initiatives and innovative programs.

Retired Juvenile Division Director; Santa Cruz County Probation Department. Robert Doty is a consultant at Robert S. Doty Consulting, LLC.  He specializes in consulting on Juvenile Justice projects for  California Probation Departments, County System partners,  and Community-Based Organizations. His focus is on  supporting and guiding system improvements to enhance  outcomes for youth and families.

Leianna Eissinger, Deputy Probation Officer III, began her career with the El Dorado County Probation Department in South Lake Tahoe, as an intern fifteen years ago. After her internship, she was hired at the Juvenile Treatment Center and expanded her knowledge of the juvenile justice system. Raising two young children as a single mother she attended college courses for several years, earning the accreditation required for employment with the probation department.

Commissioner English attended The George Washington University Law School. After law school, Commissioner English clerked for the Hon. Alan B. Johnson, judge for the Federal District Court for the District of Wyoming. During his clerkship, he worked on a wide variety of cases, including a challenge to the gray wolves of Yellowstone Park’s status on the endangered species list.

Aryanna Figueroa is a Youth Services Specialist with Imperial County Probation Department’s Project ASPIRE. Aryanna is currently in the process of earning a master’s degree in clinical mental health counseling at Grand Canyon University and is a San Diego State University alum. She obtained a bachelor of science degree in criminal justice and minor in public administration. Aryanna also has an Associate of Science degree in Administration of Justice, Sociology, Social Science, & Behavioral Science from Imperial Valley Collage.

Vanessa Fuchs is the Sonoma County Chief Probation Officer. She has served in that capacity for 20 months but has been with the Department for over 25 years. The vast majority of her time with the Department has been in Juvenile Services, spending 17 years in Institutions, both at the Juvenile Hall and becoming the first female Director of the all-male Probation Camp. She graduated cum laude with distinction from Sonoma State University with a Sociology major and Criminal Justice minor. In 2015, she completed the American Probation and Parole Association’s Leadership Academy.

SPO Stewart Grace has been a dedicated member of Sacramento County Probation for over 21 years serving in the Youth Detention Facility, Juvenile Court/Intake, Adult Community Corrections/Adult Intake, Adult Court, and the Sacramento Valley Hi-Tech Crimes Task Force. He currently manages a unit within the Probation Pretrial Division. As the Department’s pretrial subject matter expert, he played a key role in the initial Pilot program, researching and developing operational procedures.  He was a member of the pretrial implementation team as it transitioned from pilot to a model program.

Marguerite Harris is a Chief Deputy Probation Officer for the San Luis Obispo County’s Probation Department and has served as the Superintendent of Department’s Juvenile Hall since 2016. Marguerite started her career in probation in 1997, as a Juvenile Institutions Officer for Santa Barbara County. She was hired by San Luis County Probation Department in 2001 as a Juvenile Services Officer. Marguerite was promoted through the ranks having a variety of assignments in the Juvenile Divisions.

The Honorable Maria D. Hernandez was appointed to the bench as a commissioner in 2006 and appointed by Governor Arnold Schwarzenegger as a judge in 2009. She was elected as assistant presiding judge of the Superior Court of Orange County in 2021 and then elected as presiding judge in January 2023. Prior to serving on the bench, she worked as a senior deputy public defender in Orange County.

Pretrial Division Director for Santa Cruz County Probation.  I have a BS in Administration of Justice and a Doctor of Jurisprudence.  I have been with the County of Santa Cruz for over 35 years and at the Probation Department for the past 21 years serving in multiple capacities as a DPO, Supervisor and ADD.

Chris is a seasoned veteran with over two decades of dedicated service in the criminal justice sector, working in positions including equivant Supervision and Pretrial COO, Customer Success Manager, Implementation Lead and previously as a practitioner in the field of Community Corrections.

Timothy Lin is a Licensed Clinical Social Worker with over 15 years of experience providing services to children, adolescents, adults, and families within the clinic, school, community, residential, and shelter settings. Currently serving as an Assistant Vice President within Sycamores, Timothy oversees the organization’s Short-Term Residential Therapeutic Program (STRTP), Foster Family Agency (FFA) and Intensive-Services Foster Care (ISFC), Multidisciplinary Assessment Team (MAT), and Service Area 3 Community-Based Mental Health Services.

Sr. Deputy Probation Officer (Sr. DPO) Gabo Ly has been a dedicated member of Sacramento County Probation for over 20 years serving in the Youth Detention Facility Special Needs Unit and Adult Community Corrections AB 109 Intake Unit before transitioning to the Pretrial Division in 2019. She provided case management support to higher risk clients while assisting with the development of the Pretrial procedure manual.

Rosemary Lamb McCool serves as Deputy Director at the Chief Probation Officers of California (CPOC), where she primarily focuses on juvenile justice policy and assists in overseeing the association’s day-to-day operations. With nearly eleven years of experience at CPOC, Rosie previously worked on public safety policy at the California State Association of Counties. She began her career as an Executive Fellow in Attorney General Bill Lockyer’s Office through the Capitol Fellows Program, relocating from southern California to Sacramento.

Jessica Nowlan is a social entrepreneur and movement leader with a focus on building the resources and structures required to realize liberation. During her seven-year tenure as Executive Director of Young Women’s Freedom Center, Jessica supported the organization’s growth from 5 to 45 staff members and 1 to 5 locations and increased the annual budget by over 1700%. Jessica also drafted and launched a Freedom Charter with a base of over 400 formerly incarcerated women, young women, and trans people of all genders. Jessica was the 2019 – 2021 Leading Edge Fellow.

Samuel Palomares, Supervising Probation Officer at Santa Cruz County Probation Department since 2014. He brings 15 years of experience in the field starting as a Juvenile Institutional Officer in 2009 and becoming a Deputy Probation Officer in 2011. Samuel Palomares has been assigned to a variety of assignments in both the Juvenile and the Adult Division. In 2022 He was promoted to Supervising Probation Officer overseeing the General Supervision population within Santa Cruz County. Samuel Palomares is a graduate of California State University of Fresno.

Division Director II Juan Preciado has 26 years of experience with the San Bernardino County Probation Department.  He has worked in both the Juvenile Detention and Field Services arena as well as Adult Investigations and Adult Field Operations.  In addition, his experience includes oversight over the departments Research Unit within the Administrative Bureau and is a long-standing member of the Departments Adult Workbook and Strategic Plan Committee.      Director Preciado leads a division with additional specialized programs including Housing, Community

Brandie has had 15 years of experience as a Victim Advocate, both at the Fresno County Probation Department and the Fresno Police Department’s Domestic Violence and Financial Crimes Unit, availing her the unique opportunities to work with victims, deputy probation officers and detectives alike.  She has been at the James Rowland Crime Victim Assistance Center since 2021 as a domestic violence victim advocate.

Robert Reyes was appointed as the Chief Probation Officer for San Luis Obispo County on October 17, 2020. As the Chief Probation Officer, Robert implemented the Department’s 1st canine service program for the detection of narcotics and firearms to improve public safety, partnered with local hotels to serve unhoused probationers, and established a professional parent, wraparound foster home program for probation youth. Robert currently serves on the Executive Committee of CPOC as the Central Region Chair and is a member of CPOC’s Legislative, Juvenile Services, and Training committees.

Marcia Rincon-Gallardo is Chief of the Systems Change and Equity Division. She leads a team of managers, analysts, and support staff to provide technical assistance on youth justice innovation to counties while developing relationships with youth leaders, community, youth justice stakeholders and local governments. Ms. Rincon-Gallardo designs, identifies, and disseminates policies and strategies to increase equity for youth of color and end the incarceration of youth, and of subgroups such as girls and gender expansive youth.

Michelle Roldan, Deputy Probation Officer with Imperial County Probation Department. Michelle worked as a Youth Service Specialist for approximately two years with Imperial County Probation Department’s Project ASPIRE as a Youth Services Specialist. Michelle earned a bachelor’s degree in criminology from Barry University in Miami, Florida and was a full-time student athlete, as the team captain for four years.

Lindsay Rosenthal is the initiative director of Ending Girls’ Incarceration. She leads Vera’s efforts to end the incarceration of girls and gender expansive youth nationwide, by reforming punitive law enforcement practices and creating pathways to sustainable, in-community well-being, safety, and justice. Previously, Lindsay was a policy and advocacy fellow at the Ms. Foundation for Women.

Jennifer Skeem is a Professor of Public Policy and Social Welfare at UC Berkeley, where she directs the Risk-Resilience Lab.  Skeem is psychologist who writes and teaches about the intersection between behavioral science and criminal justice. Her research is designed to inform efforts to prevent violence, improve decision-making about people involved in the justice system, and achieve effective and equitable justice reform.

Melinda Taylor is a Senior Victim/Witness Advocate with seven years of experience in the Fresno County Probation Department James Rowland Crime Victim Assistance Center.  Melinda has numerous years of experience as a Madera County Deputy Probation Officer and then as a Police Officer with her alma mater, California State University of Fresno. She has also served many years in local missions’ outreach. This unconventional career path has fortified Melinda with diverse perspectives and the wherewithal to assist victims of crime in overcoming the many obstacles they are forced to face.

Lindsey has been working in education since 2010 in which time she has worked in multiple positions and capacities including Paraprofessional roles in special education, as a District Autism Specialist and in her current role as the Behavior Intervention Services Manager for the San Luis Obispo County Office of Education. Lindsey is a Board Certified Behavior Analyst (BCBA) and works in supporting multi-tiered systems of support specifically targeting social-emotional and behavioral supports.

Matt Wechter is the Supervising Attorney for the Pretrial Advocacy and Community Connections (PACC) Team at the San Diego Public Defender. This new team has been formed to address client needs early and often after arrest through arraignment, and to establish CBO and county partnerships to assist with client stability after release in the pretrial phase.

Jamica Walker is a Deputy Probation Officer for the San Francisco Adult Probation Department, currently serving in the Community Success Service. Jamica has dedicated over 15 years to supporting youth and justice involved adults. Prior to her current role, she was a Juvenile Probation Officer at the San Francisco Juvenile Probation Department for 5 years, where she helped to develop the new Secure Track program and was responsible for supporting and supervising youth and transitional age young people committed to the county’s Secure Youth Treatment Facility.

The Honorable Benjamin Z. Wirtschafter, a judge for the Superior Court of California, County of Yuba, brings a wealth of legal experience to his role. Elected to the bench in 2012, he currently presides over a diverse range of cases, including criminal, infraction arraignment, misdemeanor, and traffic court cases. Prior to his election to the bench, Judge Wirtschafter served as a public defender in Yuba County since 2004. He also served two terms on the Marysville City Council in 2004, was re-elected in 2006, and served until 2010.