Board Profile
Linda Ahrens
Volunteer Chaplain Cook County Sheriff's Office Department of Corrections Chicago, Illinois
Hello, my name is Linda Ahrens. I’m 74, retired from a career in marketing and communications, was born near Detroit, lived in Yugoslavia, Australia, Montana, and the past 38 years in Chicago. I’m a volunteer chaplain dedicated SOLELY to staff of the Cook County Sheriff’s Office Department of Corrections in Chicago.
I decided to enter the field of corrections and make it my career because...
Initially, as a volunteer to spiritually encourage inmates. Then in 2017, the Sheriff’s office offered me the amazing opportunity of being a roving volunteer chaplain to all its 4,000 staff. It’s been an exciting privilege to meet, get to know, and support these hard-working, persevering people who accomplish work that few could do.
My favorite way to relax is...
Walking outdoors, seeing God’s creation change daily; after an inspiring 2022 Tucson trip, I began painting desert scenes on sheets of Styrofoam, which is fun and relaxing.
One item from my personal "bucket list" is to...
a new one, since May of 2022: to be a useful chaplain to the AJA until the appointment ends in 2023.
My motto is...
Trust God, Obey Him, and Talk to Him All the Time!
I am most proud of...
my parents’ resilience, the God-provided brilliance of our nation’s Founding Fathers, and the sacrifice of Jesus’ martyred disciples, who spread His word.
The most unusual job I’ve ever had was...
was in the 1970s: digging trenches for drainage, painting tin roofs, and other construction work as I renovated small houses in Sydney, Australia where I lived for 11 years. I was “flipping” houses long before the term was created—back when moving toilets from the outhouse to inside the home was a new thing!
I felt it was important to be a member of AJA and serve on the board and commission...
God opened this opportunity, and any path He opens, I try to take, with trust and joy. It is an honor to support the AJA’s work with prayer and its members with a confidential, listening heart.
Three people living or deceased I'd invite to dinner are...
Jesus, Abraham Lincoln, and my dear dad
The hardest thing I've ever done is...
is live life without trusting Christ as my savior. Until age 39 and unchurched, I was fearful, grumpy, judgmental, and constantly tried different worldly things to fill a void in my life: travel, all kinds of jobs and relationships, and partying. Then I learned of His love so great that He paid for all my sin, to provide me with eternal life. My search ended. He changed my nature into one of expectant trust and filled my emptiness in a way in which no career, money, material thing, entertainment, or human being can fully satisfy
My favorite meal is...
T-bone steak with a salad and baked potato.
You would be surprised to learn that...
I used to be an acupuncturist, raised chickens, chopped wood to heat my cabin home in Montana, and created and sold a dating service.
One piece of advice that I would give anyone considering correction as a career is...
Know the Lord first and daily seek His guidance because He loves you, died for you, wants to protect your mind, spirit, and family, hopes you’ll accept Him as Savior—and promises to be with you always! Blessings on all of you wonderful Correctional Staff!
AJA Board of Directors
President-Elect Darren Sieger, MS, CJM Director Broward Sheriff’s Office Department of Detention Fort Lauderdale, Florida darren_sieger@sheriff.org
President-Elect Louis A. Quiñones Jr., MS, CJM, CCE, CPM Chief of Corrections Orange County Corrections Department Orlando, Florida Louis.QuinonesJr@ocfl.net
1st Vice President Shawn C. Laughlin, MCJ, CJM Commander Broomfield Police Detention & Training Center Support Services Division Broomfield, Colorado slaughlin@broomfield.org
2nd Vice President Robert Leslie Hood, CJM Lieutenant Shelby County Sheriff’s Office Columbiana, Alabama lhood@shelbyso.com
3rd Vice President Anthony Yeber, MPA, MSCJ, CJM Captain/Facility Supervisor Turner Guilford Knight Correctional Center Miami-Dade Corrections and Rehabilitation Department Miami, Florida anthony.yeber@miamidade.gov
Secretary Sam Davis, MA, CJM Major/Jail Administrator (Retired) Ingham County Sheriff’s Office Adjunct Staff, School of Criminal Justice Michigan State University East Lansing, Michigan samdavis8224@gmail.com
Treasurer Eddie K. Lance, CJM Jail Administrator (Retired) Transylvania County Sheriff’s Office Internal Sales Specialist Southern Software Southern Pines, North Carolina elance@southernsoftware.com
Immediate Past President Mandy Lambert, CJM Major/Director of Support Services (Retired) Prince William-Manassas Regional Adult Detention Center Manassas, Virginia alambert@pwcgov.org
1–Year Term
Denise Diamond Captain Multnomah County Sheriff’s Office Portland, Oregon denise.diamond@mcso.us
Mark Foxall, PhD, CJM Community Service Associate 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
Melissa McClellan, CJM Captain Jail Administrator–Corrective Services Division Oakland County Sheriff’s Office Pontiac, Michigan mcclellanm@oakgov.com
2–Year Term
Stefanie Bush, CJM Assistant Jail Administrator Scott County Sheriff’s Office- Jail Division Davenport, Iowa Stefanie.Bush@ scottcountyiowa.com
Kevin Jones, CJM, NCCE, CCE, CJE Major/Detention & Court Services Bureau Commander Charles B. Webster Detention Center Richmond County Sheriff’s Office Augusta, Georgia KJones@augustaga.gov
Shaun Klucznik, CJM, CCE Major/Jail Administrator Judicial Services Bureau Commander Hernando County Sheriff’s Office Brooksville, Florida sklucznik@hernandosheriff.org
Lisa Peck, CJM Lieutenant, Detention Division Mesa County Sheriff’s Office Grand Junction, Colorado lisa.peck@mesacounty.us
3-Year Term
Laura Bedard, PhD, CJM Chief of Corrections Seminole County Sheriff’s Office Sanford, Florida lbedard@seminolesheriff.org
Sonya Gillespie Chief, Employee Relations Denver Sheriff Administration Denver, Colorado sonya.gillespie@denvergov.org
Elsie Judon, MS Major, Assistant Director of South Operations Broward Sheriff's Office Ft. Lauderdale, Florida elsie_judon@sheriff.org
Henry Reyes, MAM, MPA, CJM, CCE, NCEE Chief Deputy/Assistant Jail Administrator Tarrant County Sheriff's Office Fort Worth, Texas hreyes@tarrantcounty.com
Parliamentarian Wayne Dicky, CJM, CCE Sheriff Brazos County Office of Sheriff Bryan, Texas wdicky@brazoscountytx.gov
Sergeant-at-Arms Jeffrey M. Begue, CJM Lieutenant Stark County Sheriff’s Office Canton, Ohio 290@starksheriff.org
Chaplain Linda Ahrens, BA, MBA, BGEA Volunteer Chaplain for Staff Chicago, Illinois lindaahrens_1@yahoo.com linda.ahrens@ccsheriff.org
Executive Director Chris D. Daniels, MPA, CAE American Jail Association Hagerstown, Maryland chrisd@aja.org