Board Profile
Dorothy Harris, CJM, MBA
Major Charleston County Juvenile Detention Center North Charleston, South Carolina
Hello, my name is Major Dorothy Harris, CJM, MBA. I am the Major at the Charleston County Juvenile Detention Center. I have been in corrections for twenty-three years and over the Juvenile Detention Division for approximately four years. I served on the Jail Manager Certifications Commission and graduated from the National Jail Leadership Command Academy.
I decided to enter the field of corrections and make it my career because...
I needed a job with benefits due to raising two kids by myself. It was a spur-of-the-moment application submission that has turned into a rewarding career. It also was a way to make a difference in the lives of others. This job is not for the faint of heart and can by trying at times. My career has allowed me to build on the strengths I have as well as allowing me to work on my weaknesses. Communication is and will always be one of the most important assets you will need in this profession.
My favorite way to relax is...
reading and playing with my grandkids.
One item from my personal "bucket list" is to...
to take an Alaskan cruise with my two sisters.
My motto is...
"If you take care of your people, they will take care of you."
I am most proud of...
my mom and my kids.
The most unusual job I’ve ever had was...
working at a factory where I made the elastic that goes into Hanes underwear.
I felt it was important to be a member of AJA and serve on the board because...
I want to make a difference by sharing ideas and developing relationships with people who know the challenges and struggles of working within the field of corrections but have managed to overcome some of the hurdles they have faced. Corrections/detention officers are sometimes overlooked and undervalued. Yet, they are heroes, as they see the good, the bad, and the ugly and remain professional through it all. Serving on the AJA Board is a way to showcase the empathy, hard work, and dedication we all endure on a daily basis.
Three people living or deceased I'd invite to dinner are...
Barack Obama, Maya Angelou, and my family.
The hardest thing I've ever done is...
bury my youngest son.
My favorite meal is...
grilled chicken and Brussel sprouts.
You would be surprised to learn that...
I am a wine collector.
One piece of advice that I would give anyone considering correction as a career is...
this job can be rewarding and challenging at times. At the end of the day, the individuals we deal with on a day-to-day basis are human beings who have made some poor choices. I have found if you treat those in your charge with respect, you will normally get the same respect. I would advise anyone entering the field to learn as much as they can from their Field Training Instructors and realize that what we see on television is not what happens in reality. You can make a difference, one person at a time.
AJA Board of Directors
President Shawn C. Laughlin, MCJ, CJM Commander
Broomfield Police Detention & Training Center Support Services Division
Broomfield, Colorado slaughlin@broomfield.org
President-Elect Leslie Hood, CJM
Lieutenant
Shelby County Sheriff’s Office Columbiana, Alabama
lhood@shelbyso.com
1st Vice President Anthony Yeber, MPA, MSCJ, CJM Captain/Bureau Supervisor
Special Operations Bureau
Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department
Miami, Florida
Anthony.Yeber@miamidade.gov
2nd Vice President Shaun Klucznik, CJM, CCE Major/Jail Administrator
Judicial Services Bureau Commander
Hernando County Sheriff’s Office
Brooksville, Florida
sklucznik@hernandosheriff.org
3rd Vice President Elsie Judon, MS, CJM
Lt. Colonel/Director of Operations
Broward Sheriff's Office
Elsie_Judon@sheriff.org
Secretary Sam Davis, MA, CJM Major/Jail Administrator (Retired)
Ingham County Sheriff’s Office
Official's Specialist
Michigan High School Athletic Association
East Lansing, Michigan samdavis8224@gmail.com
Treasurer Eddie K. Lance Jail Administrator (Retired) Transylvania County Sheriff’s Regional Sales Manager Southern Software, Inc Seneca, South Carolina elance@southernsoftware.com
Immediate Past President Louis A. Quiñones Jr., MS, CJM Chief of Corrections
Orange County Corrections Department
Orlando, Florida
Louis.QuinonesJr@ocfl.net
1–Year Term
Laura Bedard, PhD, CJM
Chief of Corrections
Seminole County Sheriff’s
Office Sanford, Florida lbedard@seminolesheriff.org
Sonya J. Gillespie
Chief, Employee Relations Denver Sheriff Administration Denver, Colorado sonya.gillespie@denvergov.org
Lisa Peck, CJM Lieutenant Detention Division
Mesa County Sheriff's Office Grand Junction, Colorado lisa.peck@mesacounty.us
2–Year Term
Denise Diamond, CJM
Captain
Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office
Portland, Oregon denise.diamond@mcso.us
Jonathan Ede, MSCJ, CJM
Captain
Travis County Sheriff’s Office
Austin, Texas
jonathan.ede@traviscountytx.gov
Mark Foxall, PhD, CJM Community Service Association Director
Master of Science Program Coordinator
Director, London Study Abroad Program
University of Nebraska, Omaha School of Criminology and Criminal Justice
Omaha, Nebraska
markfoxall@unomaha.edu
Diana Knapp, MS, CCE
Director
Jackson County Department of Corrections
Kansas City, Missouri
dknapp@jacksongov.org
3-Year Term
Jeffrey M. Begue, CJM
Captain
Stark County Sheriff's Office
Canton, Ohio
290@starksheriff.org
Dorothy Harris, MBA, CJM
Major
Charleston County Juvenile Detention Center
North Charleston, South Carolina
dharris@charlestoncounty.org
Fred W. Meyer, MA, CJM, CCHP
Deputy Chief (Retired)
Managing Director, NCCHC Resources
National Commission on Correctional Health Care
Las Vegas, NV
fredmeyer@ncchcresources.org
Jared Schechter, MS, CJM, CCM
Colonel, Jail Administrator
Sedgwick County Sheriff’s Office
Wichita, KS
jared.schechter@sedgwick.gov
Parliamentarian Mané Martirosyan, MSSW, CSW
Executive Administrator
Louisville Metro Department of Corrections
Louisville, Kentucky
mane.matirosyan@louisvilleky.gov
Sergeant-at-Arms Stefanie Bush, CJM
Captain/Assistant Jail Administrator Scott County Sheriff’s Office - Jail Division Davenport, Iowa Stefanie.Bush@
scottcountyiowa.gov
Medical Advisor
Marc Stern, MD, MPH
Affiliate Assistant Professor
University of Washington, School of Public Health
Hans Rosling Center for Population Health
Seattle, Washington
marcstern@live.com
Chaplain Linda Ahrens, MBA, BGEA Founding Volunteer Chaplain for Staff Cook County Sheriff's Office Chicago, Illinois lindaahrens_1@yahoo.com
Executive Director Chris D. Daniels, MPA, CAE American Jail Association Hagerstown, Maryland chrisd@aja.org