In her role as a Program Coordinator, she is responsible for building out systems, processes, and resources to support our policy work. She is passionate about our Pathways to Freedom work and feels deeply connected to the fight to reunite loved ones.

Simelia has a robust background in both the policy and legal fields. She formerly worked in sentence reform, advocating for case review for individuals experiencing long-term incarceration. She has lobbied, written policy, and organized on both the statewide and federal levels to create access, funding, and change across a variety of subject areas.

A combination of her own life experience, passion, and education, brings her to this work. Her main policy interests include decarceration, family reunification, and family preservation within the carceral system.

In her free time, Simelia enjoys cooking, reading, spending time outdoors, and traveling.