Gerry Castles
Gerry Castles is a retired law enforcement officer serving nearly 29 years. He retired as a sergeant from the Springfield Police Department (SPD). During his career, he was a field training officer for over 10 years, field training sergeant, member of E.R.T. (swat), member of Statewide W.M.D. S.R.T. (a W.M.D. swat), Honor Guard, N.P.O. as an officer and supervisor, C.I.T. team member and later coordinator, watch supervisor and Street Crimes Unit supervisor. As an NPO and CIT sergeant, he was co-founder of SPD’s co-response teamed with mental health program, and founder of SPD’s homeless outreach team (H.O.T.). He was a department training instructor for firearms and less lethal. Gerry is currently certified as an instructor for officer mental health, well-being and crisis intervention. He is a member/co-founder of Sangamon Valley Critical Incident Stress Management Team.
Calvin Christian
Calvin Christian is a lifelong resident of Sangamon County, with brief periods spent in Missouri for job assignments in the banking industry. He has five children—three boys and two girls—who mean the world to him. Over the years, he has been vocal both in and out of court, successfully advocating for transparency in police internal affairs records, which were once sealed but are now open for public review as a result of his numerous lawsuits against the Springfield Police Department.
Sunshine Clemons
Sunshine Clemons is a community advocate who co-founded the local Black Lives Matter SPI chapter in Springfield driven by the hurt and anger that the murders of Alton Sterling and Philando Castile incited. These tragic events inspired a rally that led to the creation of the local chapter in 2016. In every space Sunshine operates, her goal is to use her combined 20+ years of legislative, state government and community engagement experience in an emotionally intelligent, collaborative, equitable and forward-thinking way. She works to ensure that she is serving her community and fulfilling her commitments in ways that bring honor to her personal and professional values and standards. Sunshine is also a member of Springfield Call to Action, League of Women Voters, Springfield Police Community Review Commission, Springfield Equal Justice Project & Heartland Housed Strategic Board among other groups.
Veronica Espina
In 1999, Veronica Espina came to the United States as Rotary Scholar and Ambassador of Peace & Good Will, after receiving a Rotary International Scholarship that allowed her to enroll as graduate student at the University of Illinois Springfield (UIS) -- She graduated from UIS with a M.A. in Community Arts Management, and a Graduate Certificate in Management of Nonprofit Organizations. She has been a UIS adjunct faculty since 2001. Before coming to the US, Veronica lived in Santiago, Chile, where she was a journalist with a B.A. in journalism and a postgraduate in Art History and Philosophy. She is the founder, Co-Chair, and Board President of the Springfield Immigrant Advocacy Network (SIAN), since 2016. Through SIAN, she conducts Know Your Rights workshops about immigrants’ rights and develops antiracism curricula. She has been a board member of the Springfield Coalition on Dismantling Racism (SCoDR) since 2016. Veronica is a member of the Springfield Chapter of the ACLU.
Kathryn Harris
Kathryn Harris is a retired library administrator and has served most recently as the Interim Director of the local public library and now serves as a Trustee. Before she retired, she also had training in personnel management and development. Kathryn is involved in the community as a Rotarian, active in her church and also serves on the Board of the ALPLM (gubernatorial appointment) and have served 12 years on the board of our local African American History Museum. She was also 2020 SJ-R First Citizen. Kathryn was also President of the Abraham Lincoln Association and continues to serve on its Board.
JoAnn D. Johnson, co-chair
Colonel JoAnn D. Johnson retired from the Illinois State Police in 2018 after 29 years of service. She began her law enforcement career in 1989 as a Trooper with the Illinois State Police (ISP) in the Chicagoland area. During her tenure with the department, she worked Patrol, General Criminal Investigations, and Narcotics Investigations. Colonel Johnson served as the Operations Lieutenant in Patrol, the Curriculum Section Supervisor at the ISP training academy, and the Chief of the Office of Equal Employment Opportunity. She was appointed as Lieutenant Colonel of the Division of Internal Investigation in 2013 and was later appointed to Colonel of that division in 2016 where she served until her retirement. Additionally, Colonel Johnson received her Bachelor of Science in Administration of Justice from Southern Illinois University-Carbondale, and a Master of Art’s in Organizational Leadership from Lewis University. She is a graduate of the Northwestern University Center for Public Safety, School of Police Staff and Command Class #282. Colonel Johnson’s current role is Master National Instructor for Fair & Impartial Policing, LLC. In this role she travels around the country and internationally training law enforcement officers, city, state and federal employees, and private security specialists in the science of implicit bias. JoAnn currently resides in Springfield with her husband and two daughters.
Jerry Kruse, co-chair
Jerry Kruse, MD, MSPH, is dean and provost of Southern Illinois University School of Medicine and CEO of SIU Medicine, the faculty practice plan of SIU School of Medicine. He is a tenured professor of family and community medicine and medical education. In 2019 he declared that SIU School of Medicine would become an anti-racist institution. With the leadership of the Office of Equity, Diversity and Inclusion he has been intentional about implementing this commitment across the entire organization. A national advocate for innovation in medical education and the advancement of health care systems, Dr. Kruse is a thought leader in family medicine. He has held major positions with many national organizations to represent primary care and graduate education, address quality issues and advance the health care workforce. He embraces the rapid changes in technology and communication, in health care delivery, in medical education, and in biomedical research. His focus is to fulfill the Triple Aim + 1: medical education and health care that are more effective, efficient, equitable and enjoyable for all. Another goal is to improve health not just for individuals, but for populations, particularly for the 66 counties in Illinois that is the service area of SIU School of Medicine.
Shadia Massey, co-chair
Shadia Massey was born to Charlene Alexander and Raymond Massey on June 30th, 1981 in Springfield. She is 43 years old and still a resident of Springfield, IL and has been for most of her life. Shadia's father served in the U.S. Army allowing her to spend most of her childhood from state-to-state, country to country. She graduated high school here in Springfield 1999 with her high school diploma and also gave birth to her first child (her son) that same year. The following year she gave birth to her first daughter in 2000, as a young mother she decided to stay home and love on her babies. In 2002, she had her third and last child (baby girl), with the crazy world we live in, Shadia chose to continue to stay home with her children until the last one was headed to kindergarten. With her children in school, she decided to return to school to make a better living for her kids as by receiving her CNA license in 2008; becoming a bartender shortly after as well. Today, 16 years later I am still an active CNA as well as a bar manager. In 2014, she became a daughter of the ELK’s Sarah Price Temple 1267 which is still active today as well. As of today, Shadia has three adult kids and four grandchildren. She enjoys spending her free time with family and friends. Shadia is a beloved cousin of Sonya Massey.
Sontae Massey
Sontae Massey is a management and customer service advocate currently serving as the asset manager at the Springfield Housing Authority. He has decades of experience in sales and customer service in Springfield with excellent skills in conflict resolution, mediation, problem solving and communication. Sontae is also trained in cultural competence and diversity. He is the quintessential family man and raised by an entire Massey Village. He is a representative of the way he was raised, serving on the commission to carry on the Massey way of leadership. Sontae is a beloved cousin of Sonya Massey.
Susan Phillips
Rev. Susan Phillips pastors First Presbyterian Church, Springfield, and together they celebrate being Open and Affirming, a Matthew 25 Church, and an Earth Care Congregation. Her nearly forty years of ministry includes creative worship design, community building, anti-oppression advocacy, and trauma mitigation. She co-chairs the IL Poor People’s Campaign and serves the Interfaith Association and SCODR. She attended Grinnell College and Candler School of Theology at Emory University. Born in Springfield, MO, she has served churches in Iowa, Wisconsin, & Illinois. Her daily spiritual disciplines include parenting insightful young adults, interfaith dialogue with her artistic spouse, and talking to strangers.
Kristin Rubbelke
Kristin Rubbelke is a social worker and policy advocate with a strong background in racial justice initiatives. As a former co-chair of the NASW-IL Racial Justice Task Force, formed after George Floyd’s death, she helped develop police reform recommendations. Kristin has led listening sessions on racial equity, passed legislation mandating implicit bias training for healthcare providers, and facilitated client discussions on the Illinois Legislative Black Caucus's efforts to end systemic racism. With a master’s in social justice and extensive legislative advocacy experience, Kristin is dedicated to ensuring that all community members are protected and supported through equitable policing and community resources.
Bob Wesley
Bob Wesley is 75 years of age. He retired from SIU School of Medicine in 2018. He is a former Chair of the Sangamon County Democratic Party and former president of the Central Illinois ACLU. Bob is a Marine Corp veteran of the Viet Nam war. He is a member of Frontiers International, the American Legion Post 32, and the Community Health Roundtable. He is a former board member of the Parent Place and a current board member of SPARC. Bob has a Master’s Degree in Sociology/Anthropology earned in 1975 from then Sangamon State University. He is married and has three stepchildren from a previous marriage.
Brian Wojcicki
Brian Wojcicki was born and raised in the Springfield area, and after spending nearly a decade in Chicago to start his legal practice, he chose to return home to contribute to the growth and well-being of the community. In addition to his professional work in government relations and law, he has been active in various local organizations since moving back, including board service with The Outlet youth mentoring group and leadership on the boards of Springfield Ball Charter School and Downtown Springfield Inc.