Sr. Suzanne Jabro, CSJ
Chief Executive Officer

Sister Suzanne Jabro, CSJ, is  the founder and executive director of the Center For Restorative Justice Works, a community-based non-profit organization that innovates gender-responsive solutions to the issues impacting women in prison and their families. The agency's flagship program, Get On The Bus, mobilizes grassroots communities throughout California to send more than 1,000 children of prisoners to visit their parents in prison for Mother's and Father's Days. Sr. Suzanne is a nationally recognized leader in the development and evolution of prison ministry. She led two Roman Catholic Diocesan Detention Ministry Departments, and built the Archdiocese of Los Angeles' program into the largest in the country. She also has more than 25 years of direct-service experience serving as a prison chaplain and co-director of a residential program for ex-offenders.

Thomas J. Clough
Chairman of the Board

Tom Clough practices patent law and, is a member of St. Patrick’s parish, Arroyo Grande, CA. He is active in life, social justice and hospital/care center ministries. He works with Maryknoll Missioners in education/mission programs and is a member of an Affiliates chapter on the Central Coast. He was a member of the Board of the Newman Catholic Community, CalPoly, and on the planning committee for the Center for Action and Contemplation.

Jonathan Edison
Member

Jonathan Eddison is a highly experienced and sophisticated former transactional lawyer who is now Executive Director of Community Dreams, Inc. in Austin, Texas.  A graduate of Georgetown University Law Center, Mr. Eddison has been General Counsel of public companies, Senior Counsel of Epson America and a principal or counsel of several start-up companies.  He also worked in the General Counsel’s office of the SEC and was Of Counsel at Gibson, Dunn & Crutcher.

Mr. Eddison’s unusually broad experience advising CEOs and corporate executives in different industries, corporate cultures and companies ranging from entrepreneurial start-ups to large public companies gave him a “virtual MBA” in management and strategic planning.  He serves on the Boards of the Design High School, Los Angeles and the Los Angeles Small Schools Center in addition to Community Dreams and CRJW.  In Austin, Eddison is a strategic advisor to the Board and founders of Truth Be Told, an innovative program for women in state prisons in Texas.  Mr. Eddison has a passion for and commitment to social justice and its underlying theology and Biblical foundation.

Debbie McDermott
Secretary / Member

Debbie McDermott is the Associate Director for Restorative Justice Ministries at the California Catholic Conference (CCC).  She directs the work of a statewide CCC Restorative Justice Committee, acts as liaison with state and federal governments on behalf of Catholic chaplains and the incarcerated; convenes and collaborates with diocesan restorative justice ministry directors and is the general editor of RestoreJustice.com.   She is committed to systemic change and healing justice to improve the lives of people who are living behind bars and their families, victims of crime and their families and people who are working in the criminal justice system.

Kelly Kester-Smith
Treasurer

Kelly Kester-Smith is the President of YES! Communications, a consulting firm providing fund development strategies and products to nonprofit organizations throughout Southern California. Since its founding in 1999, YES! Communications has helped clients to design and implement successful campaigns yielding more than $15 million in foundation and government grants. Prior to founding her own company, Ms. Kester-Smith led a nonprofit incubator organization that provided technical assistance to nonprofit start-ups.