2022 OJACC Achievement Award Recipients
OJACC created four awards to be given to Ohioans whose work has contributed to the improvement of community corrections.
Representative C. J. McLin Award
The late Representative C.J. McLin, Jr., during his tenure in the General Assembly, actively worked to improve community corrections through funding and legislative change. The award is given annually to an elected official in Ohio who has worked towards the improvement of community corrections in Ohio.
Awarded to: Senator Nathan Manning
Nomination information: Senator Nathan Manning has been instrumental in driving reform of criminal justice in the state of Ohio through his work on the Ohio Recodification Committee and in his role as both Chairman of the Ohio Senate Judiciary Committee and the Ohio Senate Finance Committee. In his past legislative work, Senator Manning sought to utilize his work on the Ohio Recodification Committee to enact many overdue changes needed to the Ohio Revised Code. Senator Manning’s passion has had a profound impact on criminal justice inOhio and his insight into needed changes remains a core focus of his leadership as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Senator Manning has also been a vital supporter of community corrections, whether it be to provide alternative services to people in lieu of jail or prison or to divert people from an already overburdened prison system. In 2021, Senator Manning participated in the Ohio Justice Alliance for Community Corrections (OJACC) virtual legislative reception. During Senator Manning’s remarks, he referred to OJACC’s Platform Paper and impressed those in attendance with his knowledge, and acknowledged many of the areas needing additional legislative changes.
Senator Manning is a true leader in every sense of the word and looks for ways to back up his vision through action. OJACC is very appreciative of Senator Manning’s commitment to a more just and effective criminal justice system in Ohio which emulates the CJ McLin Award’s intent.
Senator Nathan Manning is serving his first term in the Ohio Senate representing the people of the 13th Senate District, which includes Huron and Lorain counties. He joined the Senate after serving two terms in the Ohio House of Representatives. He also previously served as a prosecutor for the city of North Ridgeville and currently owns the law firm Manning & Manning in North Ridgeville with his sister, Allison.
After graduating from North Ridgeville High School, Senator Manning received his bachelor’s degree in Political Science from Denison University and earned his Juris Doctor degree from Capital University Law School.
Previous Recipients:
| Hon. Teresa Ballinger |
Honorable David T. Matia |
Honorable Jim Slagle |
| Senator Merle Kearns |
Sheriff James A. Telb |
Honorable Charles E. Brown, Jr. |
| Commissioner John Dowlin |
Honorable James D. Henson |
Honorable Nancy R. McDonnell |
| Representative Cliff Skeen |
Honorable Elinore Marsh Stormer |
Honorable James A. Shriver |
| Chief Justice Thomas J. Moyer |
Honorable Thomas E. Louden |
Honorable John Trebets |
| Speaker Vernal G. Riffe |
Honorable James Ray |
Representative Tracy Maxwell Heard |
| Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton |
Honorable James DeWeese |
Senator Rob Portman |
Lieutenant Governor Mike DeWine
Honorable G. Haas
| Senator Charleta B. Tavares |
Judge Sherrie Miday |
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Honorable John M. Durkin
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Honorable Luann Cooperrider
| Judge Linda Tucci Teodosio
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Dr. Bennett J. Cooper Award
Dr. Bennett J. Cooper was the first Director of the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction in Ohio. During his lifetime he has created many improvements in public policy towards corrections. He has worked on a national level to try to institutionalize needed changes. This award is given to a correctional administrator or policy maker who has shown a lifetime commitment to the improvement of community.
Awarded to: Christopher Galli, ODRC Bureau of Community Sanctions Assistant Chief
Nomination information: Throughout his career, Chris Galli has never wavered from his focus on providing the best services to those in need of our help and services.
As ODRC, Chief of the Bureau of Community Sanctions, Chris learned the complexities of different CCA Programs quickly, Halfway Houses and Community Based Correctional Facilities funded under his purview of responsibility. During his tenure, he has continually worked to improve program effectiveness. Through
his immersion in evidenced-based practices and leading his department to become well-versed in research, he has challenged providers to focus on improving each year. Chris has also been instrumental throughout the pandemic in focusing on working with each provider in Ohio to keep their staff and clients safe and has been innovative in obtaining and sharing protective equipment with providers throughout the state. He is sometimes teased that he acts like the money is his, but he provides strong fiscal leadership that benefits providers while also keeping the taxpayers in mind. Chris makes himself available to providers, probation staff, judges, and other stakeholders and is never afraid to roll up his sleeves to help solve a problem.
Community Corrections is better as a result of his efforts. He is to be credited for, his leadership and steadfast commitment to our field.
Christopher Galli earned his Bachelor of Arts Degree in Sociology from The Ohio State University in 1994. He earned a Master of Science Degree in Human Services Management from Franklin University Graduate School in 2000. Chris began his career as a resident advisor in the Franklin County Community Based Correctional Facility. He then worked in the Franklin County Work Release program before joining the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction as a parole officer. He has worked in a number of roles with the Division of Parole and Community Services in the Department including, sex offender specialist, unit supervisor, and administrative assistant to the APA Regional Administrator before joining the Bureau of Community Sanctions as Assistant Chief in January 2008. He was promoted to Chief of the Bureau of Community Sanctions in January 2013.
Previous Recipients:
| Commissioner Marilyn Brown |
Phillip Nunes |
Maureen O’Connor |
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| Geno Natalucci-Persichetti |
Grafton S. Payne II |
Lynn Grimshaw |
Sandra Cannon |
| Reginald A. Wilkinson |
Honorable Lynett M. McGough |
Edward Rhine |
Karhlton Moore |
| Loran Alexander |
Ralph Starkey |
Linda Janes |
Senator Bill Seitz |
| James Kura (posthumous) |
Randy J. Gorcz |
Candace Peters |
Hon. Nancy A. Fuerst |
| Joseph Janesz
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Jill Goldhart
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Terry Collins
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Sara Andrews
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Dr. Simon Dinitz Award
Dr. Simon Dinitz, through his work at the Ohio State University, has dedicated his life to improving the knowledge base of corrections. He has served on state and national commissions whose purpose was to improve corrections. As an educator he has also been responsible for training many correctional practitioners in the state. This award is given to a community correctional practitioner who has made contributions to the improvement of community corrections in Ohio.
Awarded to: Scott Fulton, Licking County Administrator of Adult Court Services
Nomination information: For the past 22 years, Scott Fulton has dedicated his life to probation services, serving most recently as Chief Probation Officer for Licking County and currently as the Administrator of Adult Court Services. It is an honor to work with him. His level of commitment to the field and his willingness and ability to help advance all things probation has been impressive. Scott has served on multiple boards and organizations and continues to be an impactful leader in every sense of the word.
Scott has been the Chair of the Licking County Community Corrections Planning Board since being appointed in 2003 and he has been involved in the planning and development of numerous incentives in Licking County, including the Crisis Intervention Team (CIT), the Licking County Intervention for Treatment (L.I.F.T) Drug Court, the Bridges Out of Poverty Guiding Coalition, and many others. Scott has been appointed to the Supreme Court of Ohio’s Advisory Committee on Specialized Dockets, the Commission on Specialized Dockets, and the Regional Judicial
Opioid Initiative. He has also served on the Community Corrections Act (CCA) Standards Committee, Probation Officer Training Standards Committee, and the Bureau of Community Sanctions Grants Workgroup with the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Corrections. Scott serves on the Ohio Chief Probation Officers Association Executive Board as the CCA Trustee. As program director in 2007, Scott led the Licking County Municipal Court Intensive Supervision Program (ISP) to receive the Cliff Skeen Award for the best ISP program in the State of Ohio and was a finalist for the Cliff Skeen Award in 2011. He also received the Art of Recovery Award from the Licking-Knox Mental Health and Recovery Board in 2018.
Scott truly deserves recognition for his work over the years. He has tackled projects big and small with a confident, compassionate determination. His knowledge of probation is well past comprehensive, and he is always willing to mentor newer col-
leagues. He clearly understands the collaborative nature of our work and is a team player in every sense of the definition
Previous Recipients:
| Misty Cromwell |
Veronica Perry, CPO |
Jennifer Burnside |
George Pownall, Ph.D. |
| Eugene Gallo |
Tony Ingram |
Anne Connell-Freund |
Ed Dimond |
| Wendy Niehaus |
Denise Robinson |
Donna Martin-Hamparian |
George Farmer |
| Gayle E. Benson |
Merel Pickenpaugh |
Mary Spottswood |
Dr. Edward J. Latessa |
| Linda Modry |
Gayle Dittmer |
Bud Hite |
James J. Lawrence |
| Mike Cantrell |
Gary Yates |
Brian Lovins |
William D. Kroman |
| Daniel Peterca
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Christopher T. Lowenkamp
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Melissa Litteral
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Juli A. Tice
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James Wichtman Award
Jim Wichtman was one of the founders of the Ohio Community Corrections Organization, now known as the Ohio Justice Alliance for Community Corrections. Jim dedicated his career to the progressive development of community corrections with great passion and commitment. In 2006, the OJACC Board of Trustees voted to create an award in Jim’s name to honor an OJACC Board Member who has dedicated themselves to OJACC’s mission.
Awarded to: Kysten Palmore, ODYS Deputy Director of Community Engagement and Reentry
Nomination information: Kysten Palmore led OJACC as president through the uncertainty of the pandemic. Much of how we operated as an association had to change in order to continue with the mission of OJACC. Kysten steered OJACC in the move from in-person to online meetings, trainings, and even a legislative reception and strategic planning retreat. A feat some were not sure could be achieved. She did this all with a can-do attitude. The work of OJACC continued without missing a step under her leadership. When OJACC was able to return to an in-person conference in 2021, it was done with concern for the safety of all in attendance and was responsive to the rapidly changing needs of community corrections. Kysten’s commitment to pushing forward with the mission of OJACC during these difficult times exemplifies the meaning of the James Wichtman Award.
Beyond Kysten’s leadership in OJACC, she serves as the Deputy Director of Community Engagement and Reentry for the ODYS. For the preceding decade, she served as the Reentry Coordinator for the Franklin County Office of Justice Policy and Programs, where she was responsible for developing, planning, and coordinating innovative, evidence-based reentry initiatives. Prior to this role, Kysten spent a year volunteering with the Ohio Department of Rehabilitation and Correction as a researcher and teaching a graduate-level social welfare policy and programs course at The Ohio State University College of Social Work. Kysten has a Bachelor of Arts degree in Criminal Justice from Capital University and holds the following degrees from The Ohio State University: Master of Public Policy and Management, Master of Social Work Administration, and Juris Doctor. She is a graduate of the National Association of Counties High Performance Leadership Academy.
Previous Recipients:
| Terry Grabowski |
Anne Connell-Freund |
Sharon Weitzenhof |
| Justice Evelyn Lundberg Stratton |
M. Phillip Nunes |
Scott Sylak |
| Honorable Kenneth Spicer
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Kristina Hawk
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Corey Schaal
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Nomination information: Senator Nathan Manning has been instrumental in driving reform of criminal justice in the state of Ohio through his work on the Ohio Recodification Committee and in his role as both Chairman of the Ohio Senate Judiciary Committee and the Ohio Senate Finance Committee. In his past legislative work, Senator Manning sought to utilize his work on the Ohio Recodification Committee to enact many overdue changes needed to the Ohio Revised Code. Senator Manning’s passion has had a profound impact on criminal justice inOhio and his insight into needed changes remains a core focus of his leadership as Chairman of the Senate Judiciary Committee.
Nomination information: Throughout his career, Chris Galli has never wavered from his focus on providing the best services to those in need of our help and services.
Nomination information: For the past 22 years, Scott Fulton has dedicated his life to probation services, serving most recently as Chief Probation Officer for Licking County and currently as the Administrator of Adult Court Services. It is an honor to work with him. His level of commitment to the field and his willingness and ability to help advance all things probation has been impressive. Scott has served on multiple boards and organizations and continues to be an impactful leader in every sense of the word.
Nomination information: Kysten Palmore led OJACC as president through the uncertainty of the pandemic. Much of how we operated as an association had to change in order to continue with the mission of OJACC. Kysten steered OJACC in the move from in-person to online meetings, trainings, and even a legislative reception and strategic planning retreat. A feat some were not sure could be achieved. She did this all with a can-do attitude. The work of OJACC continued without missing a step under her leadership. When OJACC was able to return to an in-person conference in 2021, it was done with concern for the safety of all in attendance and was responsive to the rapidly changing needs of community corrections. Kysten’s commitment to pushing forward with the mission of OJACC during these difficult times exemplifies the meaning of the James Wichtman Award.