Thank you, Jeniece!

November 2024

Jeniece Jones stepped down from her role as Executive Director of the Public Justice Center on November 30, 2024, after serving in the role since January 2022. With the PJC board and staff, Jeniece led transformative change in her three years at the PJC that broadened our impact – allowing us to serve our communities more effectively and address critical issues on a deeper level – and strengthened our capacity to drive social justice and racial equity in powerful ways. These changes include:

• Growing the PJC from a $2.9 million organization with 27 staff to a $4.4 million organization with 34 staff. As a result, the PJC added capacity and expertise to the National Coalition for a Civil Right to Counsel, Education Stability Project, Workplace Justice Project, Health and Benefits Equity Project, and the development team.
• Diversifying funding to fuel the PJC’s growth and build sustainability, including securing one of only six grants awarded nationwide by the U.S. Department of Labor Women’s Bureau in 2022, increasing the breadth of state funding, and passing legislation before the 2023 Maryland General Assembly to provide a steady baseline of funding through FY27 to implement Maryland’s tenant access to counsel law.
• Facilitating a comprehensive review of and update to the PJC’s salary scale and personnel policies by the board and staff to make the policies more inclusive and equitable.
• Finalizing and beginning to implement a Race Equity Action plan focused on four priorities: 1) a transformative justice process that can be used to build community and address conflicts and harm within the PJC, 2) restorative justice culture and practices within the PJC, 3) anti-racist community engagement practices, and 4) supervision practices that incorporate racial equity considerations in one-on-one and team meetings, in problem-solving conversations, and in supporting staff experiencing racism in the course of their work.
• Expanding the scope of our advocacy in coalition with allies for systemic change, including to ensure equitable implementation of Maryland’s tenant access to counsel law, strengthen Maryland’s family and medical leave insurance program, secure reimbursement to households for stolen cash assistance benefits, hold government agencies accountable to the Maryland Public Information Act, and more.

In her role as Executive Director, Jeniece also served on the boards of Economic Action Maryland and Center for Urban Families and on the Executive Committee for the Maryland Access to Justice Commission, where she helped organize race equity training.

She will return to Cincinnati, OH, to lead Caracole as Chief Executive Officer, an AIDS service organization providing comprehensive HIV prevention, harm reduction, housing, and case management services, where she will build on her commitment to driving public policy work that advances health equity, dignity, community wellness, and housing stability. We are grateful for Jeniece’s leadership and wish her well as she embarks on this impactful new chapter.

Jeniece reflected, “I am confident that PJC is on a strong path forward, and I am proud of all we have built as a team. Thank you for the privilege of being part of this journey—I look forward to seeing the incredible work that lies ahead.”

Colette Colclough, chair of the PJC Board of Directors, commented on Jeniece’s tenure: “Jeniece Jones has been a guiding force for justice for the boots-on-the-ground citizens of Maryland, a leader who has transformed challenges into opportunities and ideals into actionable change. Her tenure as Executive Director of the Public Justice Center has been marked by unwavering integrity, compassion, and a commitment to equity. It has been an honor to work alongside her, witnessing her brilliance and dedication inspire others to create a more just and inclusive society. Her legacy will continue to illuminate the path forward for years.”