SLC Steering Committee

Mark A Vasquez

Mark Anthony Vasquez

Mark Anthony Vasquez serves on the Statewide Leadership Council's Steering Committee, managing outreach. He was raised in the border communities of South Texas and is active in local and regional efforts to resist the over-saturation of law enforcement and the criminalization of marginalized communities on the border. Formerly convicted himself, Mark is determined to cultivate a voice of resistance for the system-impacted and continues to work to introduce programs and local initiatives to derail the targeting and over-incarceration of what are some of the most under-represented and impoverished communities in South Texas. Committed to the struggle against border injustice, Mark is co-founder of The John Manuel Project, created in 2018 as a family-run organization, which advocates for those held captive beneath the full weight of the criminal legal system in the Rio Grande Valley.

Cynthia Simons

Cynthia Simons, RPS, MHPS

Cynthia is the Grant Me The Wisdom Foundation (GMTW) Women's Justice Director at TCJE and the organization's representative in the SLC, where she serves as Treasurer. As a formerly incarcerated woman, Cynthia hopes to protect women’s rights and ensure that women have access to resources and rehabilitative services before, during, and after interactions with the system. At TCJE, Cynthia works to end mass incarceration and support women and families who have been impacted by the justice system; she coordinates the Texas Women’s Justice Coalition in support of trauma-informed programming and gender-responsive reforms. She also oversees the Statewide Leadership Council (SLC) on behalf of TCJE, coordinating with the Steering Committee to support and expand the advocacy work of system-impacted Texans. Cynthia holds Re-Entry and Mental Health Peer Specialist Certifications.

Bill Wallace

Bill Wallace

Bill Wallace is the President of the Statewide Leadership Council's Steering Committee. He is the founder of Tomorrow's Promise Foundation, whose mission is to mold, guide, and mentor youth into the best versions of themselves by connecting them to a better life through access to resources and opportunities. Bill holds a Bachelor's Degree in Business Management and Master's Degree in Humanities.

Latecia Hill

Latecia Hill

Latecia Hill serves on the Statewide Leadership Council's Steering Committee, managing communications; she has been an SLC member for over three years. Inspired by her lived experience, Latecia founded and serves as Executive Director of the Gateway Alliance Project (GAP). The GAP is a group of system-impacted leaders pursuing bold reform of justice policies and practices to support a successful reentry journey for formerly incarcerated women, and to provide alternatives to diversion for at-risk young adults.

Savannah Eldrige

Savannah Eldrige

Savannah Eldrige is a registered nurse and the founder of Be Frank 4 Justice, which works to education and empowerment of justice involved individuals and their families. Be Frank 4 Justice was formed in veneration of Savannah’s brother Frank. In her effort to aid him through his appeal process and support him during his incarceration, Savannah recognized barriers in the post conviction process, and its’ sometimes devastating impact on all involved. Since then, she has been committed to creating clearer pathways for post-conviction relief, and advocating for the rights of justice involved persons and their loved ones. Savannah works as a registered nurse in the San Antonio area. She is the co-founder of Coalition to Abolish Slavery-Texas, Texas Incarcerated Families Association Board Chair, and a member of the Academic Consortium on Criminal Justice Health.