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Collaborative Council

The Collaborative Council is comprised of judges, lawyers, law enforcement, advocates, agency leaders, and other stakeholders who advise on the projects and strategies undertaken by the Commission.  The Council meets three times per year on Zoom and assists the Commission by sharing information about issues that affect judicial and court practices in cases involving persons with mental illness or intellectual and developmental disabilities. Councilmembers serve on the JCMH’s many committees and also connect the JCMH to local and statewide events. Collaborative Councilmembers are also invited to attend JCMH Commission Meetings. Many Commissioners began their service with the JCMH as members of the Collaborative Council.

  • Hon. Sheila Garcia-Bence
    Judge, Cameron County Criminal Court No. 4
  • Kelsey Bernstein
    Chief of Government Relations, Texas Council of Community Centers
  • Hon. Elizabeth Berry
    Chief Public Defender, Concho Valley Public Defender’s Office
  • Catherine Bialick
    Deputy Associate Commissioner, Office of Forensic Services and Coordination, Texas Health & Human Services Commission
  • Amanda Britton
    Director of Community Engagement, Permian Basin Behavioral Health Center
  • Dr. Virginia A. Brown
    Research Scholar in Social Justice and Population Health, The Hastings Center
  • Hon. Sarah Bruchmiller
    Judge, 368th District Court
  • Sonja Burns
    Mental Health Advocate
  • Angel Carroll
    Principal Consultant, Angel Carroll Consulting Group
  • Jason Castillo
    Policy Specialist, Hogg Foundation for Mental Health
  • Hon. Jennifer Cates
    Judge, Canyon Municipal Court
  • Dr. Uche Chibueze
    Assistant Director of Health Services, Harris County Juvenile Probation Department
  • Hon. Brad Clark
    Judge, Tarrant County Criminal Court No. 5
  • Armando Colombo
    President and CEO, The Menninger Clinic
  • Hon. Adolfo Cordova
    Judge, 197th District Court
  • Bill Cox
    Director of Public Defense Improvement, Texas Indigent Defense Commission
  • Leah Davies
    Cause Programs Director, CLEAN Cause Foundation
  • Colleen Davis
    First Assistant County Attorney, Burnet County Attorney’s Office
  • Hon. Karen Diaz
    Justice of the Peace, San Patricio County Precinct No. 4
  • Dana V. Drexler
    Deputy Division Director - Disability & Elderly Law Division, Harris County Attorney’s Office
  • Cpt. Shawn Edwards
    Program Director, Burleson Health Resource Center
  • Hon. Drue Farmer
    Board Chair, StarCare Lubbock
  • Eric Fox
    Law Enforcement Liaison, Central Counties Services
  • Tucker Furlow
    Deputy County Administrator, Hays County
  • Lori Gallo
    Forensic Social Worker, Managed Assigned Counsel, Bexar County
  • Krishnaveni Gundu
    Co-Founder & Executive Director, Texas Jail Project
  • Rachel Hampton
    Chief Mission Officer, Lone Star Justice Alliance
  • Hon. James C. Henderson
    Judge, Grayson County Court of Law No. 1
  • Michaela Himes
    TBD
  • Hon. Echo Hutson
    Judge, Montgomery County Court at Law No. 4
  • Hon. Sandra Jackson
    Judge, Dallas County, 302nd Judicial District Court
  • Lee Johnson
    Chief Executive Officer, Texas Council of Community Centers, Inc.
  • Windy Johnson
    Program Manager, Texas Conference of Urban Counties
  • Hon. Raquel “Rocky” Jones
    Judge, Dallas County, 203rd Judicial District Court
  • Louise Joy
    Member, Reed Claymon, PLLC
  • Leah Kelly
    Family Engagement Specialist, Texas System of Care
  • Hon. Evelyn Keyes (Ret.)
    Former Justice, First Court of Appeals
  • Sgt. Michael Krogmann
    Crisis Intervention Team Sergeant, Round Rock Police Department
  • Hon. Kirsten Legore
    Judge, Guadalupe County Court at Law No. 2
  • Jonathan Lemuel
    Director of Forensic Services, Bluebonnet Trails Community Services
  • Dr. Scott LePor
    Medical Director, Texas Juvenile Justice Department
  • Patricia Lerma
    Doctoral Student; Research & Teaching Assistant, University of Texas Health Rio Grande Valley
  • Katrina LeVert
    County Attorney, Fort Bend County Attorney’s Office
  • Christopher C. Lopez
    Assistant General Counsel, State Hospital, Texas Health and Human Services Commission
  • Hon. Lela Mays
    Judge, 283rd Judicial District Court
  • Rosie Medina
    Chief Juvenile Probation Officer, El Paso County Juvenile Probation Department
  • Kristin Meeks
    Senior Policy Analyst, Texas Indigent Defense Commission
  • Joanna Mendez
    Assistant Adjunct Professor, Steve Hicks School of Social Work, University of Texas at Austin
  • Ofc. Brittany Moreno
    Mental Health Officer, Sugar Land Police Department
  • Kyle Morris
    Assistant Criminal District Attorney, Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney's Office
  • Jeff Murray
    Domestic Security Strategist, National Threat Assessment Center, United States Secret Service
  • Hon. Rita Noel
    Student Support Services, Denison Independent School District
  • Dr. Evan Norton
    Deputy Executive Director, Texas Juvenile Justice Department
  • Dr. Patricia Ortiz
    Assistant Professor, Psychiatry Clerkship Director, Texas Tech Health El Paso
  • Dr. Keely Petty
    Training Coordinator, WestCare
  • Ofc. Terry Qualls
    Crisis Intervention Coordinator, McKinney Police Department
  • Chris Ritter
    Chief Legal Counsel, State Bar of Texas
  • Trish Rivera
    Rural Health Specialist, Texas Department of Agriculture
  • Michelle Romero
    Associate Director, Texas Medical Association
  • Melissa Schank
    Executive Director, Texas Criminal Defense Lawyers Association
  • Jonas Schwartz
    Program Manager, Texas Workforce Commission
  • Melissa Shearer
    Director, Travis County Mental Health Public Defender's Office
  • Mike Shirley
    Chief Prosecutor, Montgomery County District Attorney
  • Hon. Mike Smith
    Judge, Brown County, 35th District Court
  • Dr. Sandra Smith
    Chief Programs Officer, One World Recovery Network
  • Cpt. Scott Soland
    Captain of Jail Operations (Ret.), Fort Bend County Sherriff's Office
  • Tressa Surratt
    Assistant Public Defender, Harris County Public Defender's Office
  • Hon. Nancy Tanner
    County Judge, Potter County
  • Jennifer Toon
    Executive Director, Lioness Justice Impacted Women's Alliance 
  • Haley Turner
    Deputy Executive Commissioner of Community Services, Texas Health and Human Services Commission
  • Hon. Ryan Kellus Turner
    Executive Director, Texas Municipal Court Education Center
  • Hon. Brian Keith Umphress
    Judge, Jack County
  • Sally Uncapher
    Assistant District Attorney, Bexar County District Attorney's Office
  • Shena Ureste
    Chief Executive Officer, Texana Center
  • Krista Varney
    Public Policy Coordinator, Texas Council on Family Violence
  • Kyle Walker
    Legal Systems Manager, Ending Community Homelessness Coalition (ECHO)
  • Nicole Weaver
    YES Waiver Manager, Mental Health and Substance Use Programs, Texas Health and Human Services Commission
  • Thea Whalen
    Executive Director, Texas Justice Courts Training Center
  • Hon. Deborah Wigington
    Judge, Comal County Court at Law #3
  • Hon. Angela Williams
    Justice of the Peace, Williamson County Precinct No. 2
  • Thomas Wilson
    Assistant District Attorney, Civil Division, Smith County District Attorney's Office
  • Thomas “Jay” Wooten
    Chief Public Defender, Galveston County Misdemeanor Mental Health Public Defender’s Office
  • Dr. Andrea Wright
    Chief of Forensic Medicine, Office of Forensic Services and Coordination, Texas Health & Human Services Commission
  • Hon. Michael York
    Justice of the Peace, Lee County Precinct #2

Membership as of August 2026.