staff
"Alone we can do so little, together we can do so much."-Helen Keller
meet our team
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richard grahamexecutive directorRichard came to JIFF as Executive Director on March 24, 2014, after serving six years on the Executive Board of JIFF as Secretary. His professional background has been in national account sales and management. For three years he served on the East Memphis Board of Young Life. He and his wife, Frances, have been married for 30 years, and have two wonderful daughters, Natalie and Katelyn. Richard’s passion is to give youth a chance, seeing they are not the problem, but the solution to transforming change in families.
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Keusi donaldprogram directorKeusi Donald is the Program Director for our Early Intervention Program, Evening Reporting Center, and our JIFF Case Mentoring Program. He has worked in youth development for many years. Keusi was formerly employed by the Memphis Leadership Foundation as the Program Manager of MARRS (Mediation Restitution Reconciliation Services) - which merged into JIFF and became the Early Intervention Program. Outside of JIFF, Keusi and his wife work alongside each other to serve the youth and families in their community. He has mentored and discipled hundreds of youth, young adults, and men.
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kaitrin valenciaoperations and process managerKaitrin Valencia came to JIFF in July, 2018 after serving on our Board. She is a licensed attorney in Illinois and Tennessee, an author, worked for 18 years in Chicago’s juvenile court as a top administrator, and also has a plethora of ministry and Christian non-profit management experience. She is passionate about and has expertise in juvenile justice reform, including juvenile detention alternatives and the implementation of evidence based programming. As an expert in female responsive programming, she volunteers much of her time combatting human trafficking both locally in Memphis and nationally. She and her husband, Emilio, have three children and enjoy mentoring, writing, and teaching.
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shelia medlinfinance managerShelia serves as JIFF’s Finance Coordinator with well over 20 years experience in handling the bookkeeping needs of JIFF. She has been married to her husband, David, for over 43 years. They have two children, a daughter, Cristi, and a son, Matthew. They are the proud grandparents of 8 grand-children (4 girls and 4 boys) and one great-grandson. Shelia counts it a privilege to serve God through the ministry of JIFF standing alongside a dedicated team of HIS servants.
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hannah mcdanielmarketing managerHannah comes to us from Knoxville, Tennessee. She attended the University of Tennessee and graduated with her degree in Sociology and Criminology. Hannah is passionate about advocating for our youth and uses this passion to share their stories through social media, events, marketing, and communications. Hannah and her husband, Mark, live Downtown, and they love being involved in their community and working together to create the best Memphis there can be.
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jefferson walkerassistant program managerJefferson Walker is our Early Intervention Assistant Program Manager. He graduated from the University of Tennessee at Chattanooga with a degree in Early Childhood Education. He comes to JIFF from Memphis Athletic Ministries where he was a middle school youth coordinator and Up2Us coach. Prior to that, he served for 4 years at Kids Across America, an urban youth sports camp located in Missouri.
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ronald frazierlead case managerRonald has been fully committed to serving the greater Memphis community since arriving in 2005 from the south side Chicago. Faith, character and integrity have been his driving force while serving in the mental health arena, providing an insurmountable amount of time, energy, and effort into community service projects, and fundraiser initiatives via fraternal relations (Prince Hall Masons). Ronald came over to JIFF in late 2015 as a case mentor, and has been on absolute fire for the JIFF mission of bringing an end to "the destructive cycle of juvenile crime”.
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case managers
james austinJames grew up in Memphis with seven siblings. He loves to play sports (football and basketball) and was star athlete growing up. James got into some trouble early in his teen years and in the process received Jesus Christ as his Lord and Savior. Now God has set him on the to help others not make the same mistakes. James is a Case Manager in JIFF Case Mentoring Department.
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nick butler
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Willie DixonWillie was a long-term faithful mentor for JIFF graduates and came on staff in November, 2018 after being employed with the City of Memphis. He has a dual degree from Mississippi Valley State University in Business/Social Work with a minor in Education. Outside of JIFF, Willie is a member of The Downtown Neighborhood Association, 100 Black Men, South Main Association, and a manager in the Arts world. Willie is a Case Manager in JIFF's Early Intervention Program and our Education Department.
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Stephen mcdowellStephen was born and raised in the Indianapolis area before moving on to pursue his dreams of playing college basketball. He graduated from the University of Tennessee-Chattanooga with a degree in Finance. After receiving awards and championships he entered a European Professional league. Each summer, he returned to his hometown and hosted basketball clinics in an effort to give back. Stephen's mission is to fuse his passion for financial literacy with his athletic background to develop the seeds God's placed within those he mentors in a manner that brings glory to God’s Kingdom. Stephan is a Case Manager in JIFF Case Mentoring Department.
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Justin SearcyJustin joined JIFF as a part time Case Manager in March, 2019 after being a faithful mentor to a JIFF graduate. He is a Case Manager in our Evening Reporting Center.
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DIONYSUS SISSON"Coach D" - as Dionysus is affectionately known - grew up in Chicago where he was immersed in gangs and violence that led him to periods of incarceration. Coach D had a radical transformation from this life of pain, violence, and crime as a direct result of an ever-growing relationship with Jesus Christ. Coach's background affords him a unique ability to mentor and disciple youth from an understanding, strong, and loving perspective. He has history of facilitating gang invention in schools and was the Children's director of his church. Coach D is a Case Manager in the JIFF Case Mentoring Department.
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Clarence Walker
Clarence Walker was one of our most faithful volunteers in our Early Intervention Program where he was a group mentor. He faithfully came to every group and was JIFF's Volunteer Mentor of the year in 2018. Clarence joined the JIFF staff in April, 2019 and he is currently a Case Manager for the Evening Reporting Center.
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dorothy jonesfamily care coordinatorDorothy is a native Memphian. She attended The University of Memphis and graduated with a degree in Organizational Leadership. Dorothy was formally employed by Americorps to work with high school students at an alternative school. She was also a long time volunteer at St.Jude Children’s Research Hospital in the Child Life Specialist area. She and her husband, Andre, have two children and are committed to doing their part to make Memphis a better place.
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kesha mcclurefront desk receptionistKesha serves us at the front reception desk. She has been with JIFF for over two years. She is often the first voice you hear when you call and the first face you see when you visit JIFF. Kesha enjoys working at JIFF because of the friendly interactions with fellow employees. It is also enjoyable because of the impact that JIFF has on the young adults they serve.
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david medlinfacility maintenance SUPERVISORSince retiring from BellSouth after 30 years of service, Dave now stays quite busy handling the repair and maintenance needs around the JIFF building. His background includes serving in the Air Force and Air National Guard as well as many years at the phone company. Come by and you might just see Dave on the roof changing air-conditioning filters, out back checking the oil in one of JIFF’s vans, or dressed-out in his coveralls painting one of our many offices. He always has a smile on his face while he works to keep JIFF in tip-top shape!
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becky pearceadministrative assistantBecky has lived in Memphis her entire life and is dedicated to serving her community. Her professional background includes working as a teacher at Treadwell, an officer for the Memphis Police Department, and a Probation Counselor in Juvenile Court for 33 years. As an Administrative Assistant, Becky assists the Program Manager and keeps records for Juvenile Court. Becky has two sons and is a very proud "Nana" to her granddaughter.
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Tonya watsonvolunteer coordinatorTonya Watson joined our team as JIFF's Volunteer Coordinator with over ten years of experience in Shelby County's Juvenile Court working with opportunity youth. Tonya has three kids, and she is passionate about equipping our most marginalized populations with the tools they need to follow a positive path.
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