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Todd N. Dumas

Todd N. Dumas is currently a Principal at Mercury Investment Partners with senior investment responsibilities in the media and technology sectors. Formerly, Todd was an Associate at JP Morgan Partners in New York, the private equity arm of JP Morgan, where he executed venture and leveraged buyout transactions in the media, telecommunications and consumer industries; he was also a member of the team responsible for evaluating investment opportunities in Asia. Mr. Dumas began his career as a corporate attorney in New York, representing domestic and foreign private equity funds in connection with venture capital equity investments in technology, telecommunications & entertainment. Todd holds a BS from Drexel University and the University of Pennsylvania and a JD from New York University School of Law.

Norris Henderson

Norris Henderson is the co-director of Safe Streets/Strong Communities and promotes community organizing and advocacy campaigns to transform the criminal justice system in New Orleans to one that is fair, safe and accountable to all citizens regardless of race and economic status. Norris has had tremendous success in his work impacting public policy and public discourse about police accountability, public defense for poor and indigent people, and reforming the notorious Orleans Parish Prison (OPP).

As someone who was wrongfully incarcerated for 27 years, Norris shares first hand experience of racism and brutality of the criminal justice system with communities of color across the city. Self-taught in criminal law during his 27 years in prison as a paralegal, advocate and organizer. He is clear that only by working together can communities of color protect themselves from one of the most brutal criminal justice systems in the country and rebuild together a diverse New Orleans rich in culture and community.

Since his release in 2003 he continues to provide valuable insight into the concerns, questions and needs of prisoners, the formerly incarcerated and their families. In 2004, Norris incorporated Voice of the Ex-Offender (VOTE), a nonprofit organization designed to educate, organize and mobilize formerly incarcerated persons about their right to vote in Louisiana.

Todd Jackson

Todd Jackson is a Shareholder with Sigman Lewis & Feinberg where he represents employees in class action cases involving overtime pay, pension benefits, and employment discrimination.

Mr. Jackson is serving, or has served as co-counsel in numerous class actions, including overtime cases against IBM and Computer Sciences Corporation on behalf of technology workers, Perdue Chicken on behalf of processing workers, against Masco Contractors on behalf of construction workers, and against Farmers Insurance and American Families Insurance on behalf of insurance claims representatives. Mr. Jackson has represented classes in ERISA cases, including ESOP litigation against Kelly-Moore Paint and Corrections Corporation of America. Mr. Jackson is a frequent speaker at legal conferences on employee benefits law and wage and hour law. Mr. Jackson is a chapter editor of the ABA’s “Employee Benefits Law” and has presented numerous articles on ERISA fiduciary rules and wage and hour litigation.

Prior to joining the firm, Mr. Jackson served as a law clerk to the Honorable Judith Keep of the United States District Court for the Southern District of California. Mr. Jackson is a graduate of Johns Hopkins University and of Boalt Hall School of Law at the University of California at Berkeley.

Evelyn Lynn

Evelyn Lynn is an organizer at Safe Streets/Strong Communities. Originally from Western North Carolina, she made New Orleans her home in April of 2005 when she joined the Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana as a Campaign Manager. Prior to her work in New Orleans, she served as a Regional Director for the Service Employees International Union-Local 1199, Media Justice Coordinator for Chica Luna and the Training and Technical Assistance Coordinator for the Citizens Committee of New York. In her 15 years in grassroots organizing she has worked with groups that specialize in youth leadership, racial justice, media advocacy, LGBT rights and anti-prison issues. She has provided training and technical assistance to dozens of organizations nationwide.

Shannon Wight

Shannon Wight is the Associate Director for the Partnership for Safety and Justice. The Partnership for Safety and Justice unites those most affected by crime, violence, and the criminal justice system (survivors of crime, people convicted of crime, and the families of both) to advance approaches that redirect policies and resources from an over-reliance on incarceration, to effective strategies that reduce violence and recidivism, and increase personal and community safety.

Prior to joining the Partnership for Safety and Justice, Shannon served as Policy Director for Innocence Project New Orleans (IPNO), working on all aspects of IPNO's policy agenda that aims to prevent wrongful convictions from happening in the future. She is currently focusing on The Juvenile Initiative, which works to identify and exonerate wrongfully convicted children within IPNO’s service area, and on better evidence preservation practices in Louisiana. Shannon worked as a Trial Assistant for the public defender's office in Portland, Oregon before moving to the Deep South in 1994 to investigate death penalty cases in Louisiana for 3 years. In 1997, she co-founded the Juvenile Justice Project of Louisiana where she worked as a youth advocate.

Derwyn Bunton

As Executive Director, Derwyn is the Chief Executive Officer for JRS. In addition, Derwyn currently trains and supervises the lawyers and youth advocates working at JRS. He represents the office on various boards and committees, including the Louisiana Supreme Court Juvenile Court Rules Committee and the Louisiana State Bar Association Right to Counsel Committee.