Commissioners

Dr. Almeida is a licensed psychologist in the state of Texas and a Licensed Specialist in School Psychology.

Hon. Devon Anderson is the CEO of Justice Forward, a nonprofit dedicated to breaking the cycle of incarceration and funding essential programs for individuals in 23 Harris, Galveston and Fort Bend County Specialty Courts.

Nelda Cacciotti is an Assistant Criminal District Attorney for the Tarrant County Criminal District Attorney’s Office and is the Chief of the Mental Health Unit.

Shandra Carter was named the Executive Director of TJJD in December 2022.

Judge DuBose serves on the 38th District Court in 2008 for Uvalde and Real counties.

Alyse Ferguson is the President of Operations for AKA Home, providing residential rehabilitative services for persons with mental illness and is Of Counsel with Rosenthal, Kalabus & Therrian Law Firm.

Sonja Gaines serves as the Deputy Executive Commissioner for Behavioral Health Services at the Texas Health and Human Services Commission (HHSC).

Stephanie Greger serves as Deputy General Counsel for Texas Governor Greg Abbott.

Judge Matt Hand was elected to Potter County Court at Law #2 (Amarillo) in 2018. Prior to moving to the bench, Matt was a shareholder with Brown & Fortunato, PC.

Dr. Blake Harris is a licensed clinical forensic psychologist and the Director of the Veterans Mental Health Department (VMHD) for the Texas Veterans Commission.

Dr. Harvey serves as the Mental Health Statewide Coordinator & Associate Commissioner in the Texas HHSC Office of Mental Health Coordination.

Judge Hellums (Ret.) served on the 247th District Court in Harris County, and on the Supreme Court Permanent Judicial Commission on Children, Youth, and Families.

Senator Huffman chairs the Senate Committee on Finance, the Senate Special Committee on Redistricting, and is a member of the Senate Committee on Criminal Justice. 

Judge Dave Jahn is the presiding judge of Denton County Probate Court No. 1.

The Honorable Tyra Jones McCollum was elected as the Presiding Judge for Fort Bend County Court at Law No. 2 in November 2022.

Judge Kazen is Presiding Judge of Bexar County Probate Court #1.

Andy Keller, PhD, is the CEO of the Meadows Mental Health Policy Institute and a psychologist with more than 20 years of experience in behavioral health policy.

Adrienne Kennedy, a retired educator/researcher, is the Immediate Past President of NAMI, the National Alliance on Mental Illness.

Sue Kurita is presiding judge of El Paso County Court at Law Number Six, since 1998 when the court was created.

Beth Lawson is the Chief Executive Officer of StarCare Specialty Health System, the local mental health and IDD authority for Lubbock, Lynn, Cochran, Crosby and Hockley counties.

Chief Mike Lee is the Chief Deputy of the Harris County Sheriff's Office. 

238th District Court Judge Elizabeth Byer Leonard and a team of stakeholders established a mental health court that seeks to divert the mentally ill from the Midland County Jail and assist them in maintaining healthy lifestyles.

Pamela H. Liston is the City Attorney of Decatur, Texas. She is also of counsel to the law firm of Messer Fort, PLLC, Associate Judge for the Town of Fairview, and the former presiding judge of the Rowlett Municipal Court of Record.

Licensed Psychiatrist, Dr. Octavio N. Martinez, Jr. is Executive Director of the Hogg Foundation for Mental Health and professor of psychiatry at Dell Medical School, among other positions.

Stacey Mathews was appointed as Judge of the 277th District Court in Williamson County, Texas in 2013 by Governor Rick Perry. 

Beth Mitchell is the Litigation Coordinator with Disability Rights Texas (DRTx), the non-profit federally authorized Protection and Advocacy agency for Texas that protects and advocates on behalf of persons with disabilities.

District 78 Rep. Joe Moody is the Chair of the Criminal Jurisprudence Committee, whose legislative work spans veterans’ issues, mental health, education & equality, and criminal justice reform.

Magdalena Morales-Aina, LPC-S, LPCC, currently serves as the Director of the El Paso County Community Supervision and Corrections Department (El Paso County CSCD).

Hon. Brandy Mueller was first elected judge of a misdemeanor criminal court bench in November of 2010 and then elected Judge of the 403rd Criminal District Court, in Austin, Texas.

Justice of the Peace, Pct. 1 Judge Roxanne Nelson has served as magistrate at the Burnet County Jail, Indigent Defense Coordinator, and Mental Health Liaison.

HCDAO Assistant District Attorney Denise Oncken is also Bureau Chief over the Special Victims and Mental Health Bureau.

Dallas County District Attorney’s Office Mental Health Division Chief Lee Pierson works the underlying issues in an effort to reduce recidivism, costs to the County and time spent in jail instead of treatment.

Judge Larry Phillips, serves as judge of the 59th District Court. Governor Abbott appointed Phillips to that position on May 1, 2018, and he was later elected to a full term.

Cyndi Porter Gore was appointed as Presiding Judge for the Allen Municipal Court in January 2017 after serving as the Court’s Alternate Judge for over 7 years.

Vickie Rice is the Special Programs Division Chief for the Dallas County Public Defender’s Office.

Andrea Richardson was selected as Chief Executive Officer of Bluebonnet Trails Community Services in 2008,

449th Judicial Court, Hidalgo County, Judge Renee Rodriguez-Betancourt develops and implements initiatives designed to improve interactions between the justice system and juvenile cases.

Scott Schalchlin is the Deputy Executive Commissioner for the HHSC Health and Specialty Care System, where he is responsible for overseeing the operations of 10 state hospitals and 13 state-supported living centers across Texas.

Texas Tech University School of Law Prof. Brian Shannon is a board appointee for StarCare Specialty Health System and has served on boards including Advocacy, Inc. and NAMI-Texas.

Eric Smith is a nationally recognized mental health advocate, public speaker, and consultant.

Matt Smith is the Assistant Executive Director for the Williamson County Juvenile Services Department in Georgetown, Texas.

Hon. Selena N. Solis is the Judge of the 243rd District Judicial Court in El Paso, Texas.

Chief Standridge currently serves as the Police Chief in San Marcos, TX, where he oversees a civil service municipal agency. 

Charles A. Stephens is Presiding Judge of the Comal County Court at Law #2 and of the Comal County Veterans Treatment Court.

Judge Victor Villarreal was appointed by Webb County Commissioners Court to serve as Judge of Webb County Court-at-Law II in April, 2017.

Julie Wayman is the Director of Mental and Behavioral Health in the Texas Education Agency's Office of School Safety and Security Division of Safe and Supportive Schools.

Judge Cynthia Wheless is the Presiding Judge of the 417th District Court in Collin County.

Steve has served as the General Counsel for the Texas Hospital Association since 2018.

Brandon S. Wood is Executive Director of the Texas Commission on Jail Standards.

Judge J.R. Woolley serves Waller County as the Justice of the Peace, Precinct 2.

Wayne Young is Chief Executive Officer of The Harris Center for Mental Health and IDD.

April Zamora is the Director of the Reentry and Integration Division of the Texas Department of Criminal Justice.