Amite Dominick, PhD
Founder & President
As a system impacted, woman of color, Dr. Amite Dominick Founded TPCA in July 2021. Dr. Dominick has worked in advocacy since 2015. Although she began her prison advocacy in 2015 when her then-husband was incarcerated, she has been an impacted family member throughout her lifetime. Dr. Dominick has worked with legislators to file all historic bills that requested Humane temperatures within the Texas Prisons, provided expert testimony before the Texas state legislatures, co-authored research reports, conducted various training of advocacy for impacted family members, and organized events to bring awareness events to the community. She has been profiled in various publications, other media sources, and presented at major conferences and events. Prior to Dr. Dominick being both a founding member and vice president of TPAA (May 2018 to June 2021), she was a Board Member of Texas CURE.
Dr. Dominick obtained both her Bachelor's of Clinical and Counseling Psychology and a Master’s Degree in Psychology from San Jose State University and a Doctorate degree in Psychology, from Loma Linda University in California. Her major areas of concentration included Experimental, Biological, and Social Psychology.
Dr. Dominick is a former Assistant Professor of Clinical Psychology at Argosy University, Farmers Branch, Texas, and an Adjunct Professor at the University of Wisconsin, Parkside, Moreno Valley Community College, Riverside Community College, and San Bernardino Community College at Crafton Hills.
Dr. Dominick is a Co-founder Climate and Incarceration Research Collective (CIRCol) and Committee Chair for Conditions of Confinement for The National Trauma Education and Policy Institute
Dr. Dominick is passionate about seeing changes made to the inhumane conditions in Texas prisons. As President & Founder of TPCA Dr. Dominick is committed in every way to whatever this fight takes.
Andrea Cedillo
Board Secretary
Director of Compassionate Release Campaign
andrea.michelle@tpcadvocates.org
Andrea was a marketing director of a multimillion-dollar company, a leader in the restaurant franchisor and manufacturer of specialty food products industry. In that capacity, she secured advertising capital and oversaw the forecasting, budgeting, and operations of an advertising and marketing team.
As Andrea raised a family and sustained major life changes, her career took on a transition into the legal profession. Having worked with attorneys, former Judges, county officials, and several members of the Texas House of Representatives, she honed her skills in the legal profession and community service.
Andrea is now an empty nester. She felt it was time to continue to follow her dreams. She continued her education and added a degree in Culinary Arts and a degree in Pastry Arts. She currently owns a bakery in San Antonio, Texas. When she is not baking and making customers happy with eclairs and customized cakes, she is working on her second passion of being an advocate.
As a formerly incarcerated person, Andrea is passionate about the work of TPCA. “It is not work when you love doing what you are doing. Helping customers is a passion, but helping the incarcerated is a must.”
Shameka Gray
Board Treasurer
ShaMeka believes compassion is one of the most empowering gifts a person can give themselves and others, as compassion promotes meaningful connections, facilitates problem-solving, and improves health and wellbeing. In a lifelong commitment to local volunteerism and advocacy for domestic abuse victims and homeless outreach through various non-profit organizations, ShaMeka releases the judgment of others and refuses to turn away from challenging situations in supporting and uplifting those struggling to transform their lives.
ShaMeka’s educational accomplishments from Dallas College are in medical and business management, and she has a distinguished professional corporate career with over 20 years of leadership experience. ShaMeka is the Founder and CEO of a successful business recently certified as a Women–Owned Small Business, making ShaMeka’s organization eligible to compete for Federal contracts of goods and services. While ShaMeka is exceptionally proud of her educational and professional accomplishments, she believes raising her three children as a single mother was one of her most outstanding achievements.
As a system impacted women, ShaMeka’s core values and commitment to the empowerment and education of those who are system impacted and bring awareness of their needs to the public aligns with the mission of Texas Prisons Community Advocate
ShaMeka is a fighter and will continue to fight for the rights of impacted persons and all those who need to have their voices heard and amplified. In her downtime, you can find ShaMeka in one of her greatest joys; spending time with her grandchildren and watching kid-friendly animated television shows and movies.
Jessica Dickerson
Board Member
Director of Law of Parties Campaign
jessica.dickerson@TPCAdvocates.org
Jessica Dickerson became involved in advocacy in 2020 after finding out that most Texas prisons don’t have air conditioning. This was a surprise, and the lack of humanity shown to Texas prisoners spurred her to action. She began by volunteering at Beat the Heat events, which were eye-opening and further cemented her commitment to advocating for AC.
Jessica’s passion is research and community education. She believes that more hasn’t changed within the criminal justice system because the public doesn’t understand that what happens behind prison walls connects and affects their communities. When they understand, they will become part of the movement advocating for positive change in our criminal justice system.
When she is not volunteering with TPCA, Jessica and her writing partner and illustrator, who is incarcerated, write and publish children’s books. Their recent works, Garrison’s Visitation Day and Alex’s Courage, address the trauma that children endure when they have a parent who becomes incarcerated. These books led to the formation of the Garrison and Friends Project. Through the arts, the project’s goal is to affect the statistic that says the children of incarcerated people are six times more likely to become incarcerated themselves.
In her free time, Jessica spends time with her children and with her five grandchildren. They are the light in her life!
Jane Corley is a Texas attorney who retired in 2022 from working for the State of Texas as an appeals judge.
She has practiced criminal defense law, authored a critically acclaimed lawyer practice guide, and taught paralegals all aspects of civil and criminal law and writing coursework. Prior to entering law school, Jane was a newspaper and magazine reporter in San Francisco, California, and Amarillo, Texas.
She currently researches and writes grant proposals for TPCA. She and her husband live in Dallas and have two grown children, one cat, one dog, one chicken, and a grand-cat.
Jane Corley
Board Member
jane.corley@tpcadvocates.org
DAWN E. FREEMAN, MBA
Board Member
dawn.freeman@tpcadvocates.org
Dawn E. Freeman is an accomplished non-profit leader, speaker, consultant, and legislative policy advocate who is nationally recognized for her expertise on social change and community-based leadership. She has worked closely with numerous high-profile companies, non-profits, and government agencies to create and inspire lasting cultural change within organizations and communities across the United States. She has appeared on national television and her writings have been published in a range of major news outlets. Dawn is the Principal owner of Forth Dawn LLC, a management consulting firm, to bring the social justice expertise, training methods, and technology systems that she has developed over the last decade to a range of client-partners in the corporate, non-profit, and public sectors. Freeman began working collaboratively with a Texas State Representative on criminal justice reform legislation in 2020, and worked in that office in the capacity of Chief of Staff and Legislative Director during the 88th legislature. Ms. Freeman holds an M.B.A. with a specialization in Accounting and B.A. in Business Administration with a specialization in Management from Saint Leo University. She is the proud mother of three children and resident in the Dallas-Fort Worth Metroplex in Texas.
TPCA Staff
Kathy Dunbar, MA
Director of Support for Impacted Friends and Family Support & Women's and Death Row Specialist
kathy.dunbar@TPCAdvocates.org
Kathy Dunbar is TPCA's Director of Support for Impacted Friends and Family Support & Women's and Death Row Specialist. She works with affected families, incarcerated people, TDCJ officials, lawmakers, and other organizations to promote TPCA's agenda, inform campaigns, and direct and inform policy change. As Director of Family Support Kathy leads a team of volunteer Family Mediators and provides education, support and advocacy to system impacted friends and family members of incarcerated individuals. Kathy is passionate about advocating for changes to the inhumane conditions in Texas prisons, along with reforming the Law of Parties and abolishing the death penalty. She is willing and able to speak up for people who feel they have no voice. Her work in advocacy spans over 6 yrs and her previous volunteer advocacy includes working on a variety of topics. Prior to her work with TPCA she volunteered for other organizations from 2018 to early 2021. Kathy began her efforts with TPCA as a member of the social media team and assisted in a variety of projects and continues to work tirelessly in her current role as Director with TPCA where she manages our team of volunteer Mediators for Families and Friends, develops resources for currently incarcerated individuals, developing curriculum and training for impacted family and friends. Kathy is instrumental in driving TPCA's policy and program recommendations for TDCJ based on her communication with incarcerated individuals and their family members.
Ms. Dunbar has a bachelor's degree in Psychology from Open University and obtained her Master's Degree in Forensic Psychology from the University of Coventry. Kathy's heart for marginalized individuals is seen in her advocacy and in her work as a healthcare professional in a residential unit for individuals with intellectual disabilities.
In her free time, Kathy spends time with her horse, Buddy.
Brittany Robertson
T.A.S.C Chair
Director of
Incarcerated Support
brittany.robertson@TPCAdvocates.org
Ms. Robertson began her advocacy fourteen years ago while doing personal research on the prison systems of California and Texas. Four years ago, she renewed her interest when she was asked questions about a California case called the Ashker cases that lead to a system wide hunger strike to end indefinite solitary confinement. The next round of research caused her to realized that the issues in Texas had become much worse. She was compelled to action by this fact and because of her guardianship of a child who is system-impacted. Her personal experiences showed her just how deep and far-reaching the impact of incarceration are and lead her to create Texas Prison Reform. TPR started with partnerships with 12 incarcerated people and now has 47 currently incarcerated partners that advise TPR on its direction. These incarcerated partners also teach proper grievance writing, do legal research, and monitor and report policy violations. When asked why she works on Texas prison issues despite not living here, she simply states, "It's really that bad," but with effort, it can change. As a Director and Campaign Chair with TPCA where she develops resources for currently incarcerated individuals and supervises letter responses, assists in developing curriculum as well as manage a team of volunteer Support for Incarcerated Persons Mediators. Ms. Robertson joins her efforts with TPR with the mission of TPCA for humane conditions and together Ms. Robertson and TPCA will accomplish great things .
Janet Delk, MBA
Events Coordinator
janet.delk@TPCAdvocates.org
David Ruiz
Reentry Specialist
David.Ruiz@TPCAdvocates.org
Janet Delk has joined TPCA in the new position of Events coordinator and will be responsible for event planning and development for the group. She brings with her several years of experience in coordinating large-scale events that focus on awareness and engagement and hopes to work with the organization to increase awareness of the injustices that are currently being perpetrated on the incarcerated population at TDCJ.
As a survivor of Peripartum Cardiomyopathy, Janet’s journey to advocacy began in the areas of health disparities and maternal mortality rates while supporting the Deputy Secretary of Health in Florida. After moving to Texas and experiencing firsthand the injustices of the Texas Department of Justice via an imprisoned loved one, her advocacy focus shifted from Maternal Health to the conditions and treatment of those incarcerated in the Texas Prison System.
Janet holds a Bachelor's degree in Business Management from Flagler College in Florida, as well as a Master's In Business Administration from West Texas A&M. She currently resides in Pearland Texas with her son and has a daughter at Sam Houston State University.
David Ruiz has a work history that includes case management working, parole, and probation within the criminal justice system. Mr. Ruiz has also worked in the medical field in nursing and medical billing. As a directly impacted formerly incarcerated individual he is passionate about helping other incarcerated people. His experience in the staffing industry allows him to exercise his passion towards in helping others in their endeavors to be productive members of society by advising on job and educational referrals. David is currently the process of attaining a degree in Business Administration with a minor in Project Management. Mr. Ruiz is here to help guide formerly incarcerated persons in the process of paroling with job and educational leads. I feel like its time to try to make a change! If we are not their voices who is.