Rev. Dr. Sharon White-Harrigan

Executive Director

Meet Sharon White-Harrigan, a true trailblazer, visionary, and thought leader who leads with faith and hope. She is the inaugural Executive Director of the Women’s Community Justice Association (WCJA). She is dedicated to healing, safety, and driving change through engagement with systems-impacted, directly impacted, and community members. WCJA provides opportunities for New Yorkers to heal and transform at each stage of systems involvement. Sharon's leadership spans various direct service fields such as reentry, domestic violence, homelessness, mental health, substance usage, trauma, job readiness, employment, and healing. She has also been instrumental in policy advocacy efforts, notably in partnership with leading the campaign to pass NY’s Domestic Violence Survivors Justice Act in 2019.

Sharon wears many hats - she's a faith leader, motivational speaker, adjunct professor, consultant, and therapist to name a few. She's also an executive and co-founder of Women Building UP (WBU), an advisory member of the Survivor’s Justice Project (SJP), and a strategic consultant to the Women & Justice Project (WJP). Sharon draws upon her expertise as a licensed practitioner, and survivor of many things including 11 years of incarceration. She holds a Doctorate in Ministry, a Master’s Degree in Social Work, a Bachelor’s Degree in Social Work and Criminal Justice a Thomas W. Smith Fellow, and an Associate's Degree in liberal arts. She's also the proud recipient of numerous awards and honors for her incredible work.

Keith McKay

Sr. Director of Finance

As native New Yorker and a graduate of Pace University (BBA), Keith’s journey has led him to carving out a meaningful path to WCJA. Leveraging his expertise in finance, operations, and human resources, he’s transitioned from for-profit industries to the nonprofit sector by chance, and he has dedicated almost nine years to supportive housing, and now in advocacy. Passionate about social justice for disadvantaged communities, especially for women impacted by domestic violence and incarceration as a result of DV, Keith is very proud to be part of the WCJA team and community. He looks forward to helping make a difference in the lives of those New Yorkers affected by mass incarceration.

Tashoy Miller

Director of Administrative + Member Affairs

Tashoy is a force to be reckoned with, bringing not only passion but also a proven track record of success to the fight for incarcerated women. Though new to the formal advocacy field, her upper-level management experience translates seamlessly, fueling her ability to spearhead initiatives, manage projects, and connect with various stakeholders. This combined with her strong communication, presentation, and leadership skills makes her a powerful advocate, ready to make a significant impact.

Driven by a fierce commitment to dismantle systemic injustice, Tashoy champions the cause of incarcerated women, amplifying their voices and advocating for their freedom. She brings a wealth of experience from upper-level management roles, where she excelled in spearheading initiatives, project management, and client relations. Her proven track record demonstrates a steadfast commitment to optimizing organizational performance and exceeding objectives.

Tashoy is committed to amplifying the voices of marginalized communities and is particularly passionate about advocating for women and Black communities. Her unwavering dedication fuels her ongoing fight for justice, and she remains steadfast in her pursuit of creating a more equitable and just society.

 

Leah Faria

Director of Community Engagement 

Leah Faria (She/Her) is a mother, daughter and sister who has dedicated over twenty years advocating for communities most impacted by the Criminal Legal system. Leah is a survivor of both domestic and State violence and uses her direct experiences as a way to educate, build community, network and organize within vulnerable Black and Brown communities. She is an instrumental leader of the Rikers Island initiative where during bi-weekly visits she provides support and resources to the women and gender expansive people detained at the Rose M. Singer Center, bringing them a sense of hope in what so often feels like a hopeless situation.

Jay Edidin

Director of Advocacy + LGBTQIA+ Initiatives

Jay Edidin comes to WCJA from a lifetime of advocacy and organizing, from growing up in the nuclear freeze movement of the 1980s to agitating for consent training on college campuses and radical trans inclusion in queer liberation. After seventeen years as a writer and editor, Jay left publishing to pursue a passion for human rights, culminating in a MA from John Jay College of Criminal Justice accompanied by seminal research on the impact of diagnostic criteria on the evolution of the Autistic self-advocacy movement. He believes that any true queer liberation must also encompass the abolition of mass incarceration.

Rose Harris

Director of P.I.E.R Initiatives

For the past 20 years, Rose Harris has worked to educate, uplift, and edify women. Rose has worked to educate women at maximum-security facilities on HIV and AIDS testing and management, and her commitment to fighting that epidemic is matched only by her belief in second chances. Rose is passionately committed to re-entry work, supporting women who are returning from jail and prison. In addition to her work at WCJA, Rose is an ordained Evangelist and the Assistant Director of the Sons and Daughters Ministry; and is pursuing a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology from the University of Phoenix.

Tashan Rivers

COMMs + Tech Manager

While Tashan is new to advocacy, that doesn't stop him from fighting for the good cause. It is almost a guarantee that Tashan has his camera with him wherever he goes because he is passionate about photography. A few articles featuring his work have been published. In addition to his love of photography, he brings a wealth of knowledge and expertise to WCJA. During the pandemic, he captured crucial moments at rallies. 

Akiana Smith

Community Court Peer Navigator Manager

Akiana Smith is a native New Yorker and a natural-born activist. With a career spanning various roles, she has worked as a community organizer, educator, and facilitator of anger management groups for men returning from prison. Currently, she serves as the Community Court Manager at the Women's Community Justice Association, a non-profit dedicated to advocating for the rights of women in detention and campaigning for the closure of Rikers Island.

Akiana leverages her voice as a powerful tool to bring awareness to injustices. She earned her Bachelor's degree in Human Services and Community Justice, with a minor in counseling, from John Jay College of Criminal Justice and is on the path to completing her master's degree.

She is a proud mother of two empowered daughters, Aleyah and Lauryn, and is deeply committed to amplifying the voices of marginalized communities. Akiana is particularly passionate about advocating for women and Black communities. Her unwavering dedication fuels her ongoing fight for justice, and she remains steadfast in her pursuit of creating a more equitable and just society.

With a proven track record of success, Akiana brings both passion and experience to her advocacy efforts. She is a force to be reckoned with, dedicated to ensuring that every voice is heard and every individual has the opportunity to thrive.

Board of Directors

Rita Zimmer, Board co-chair, Founder of HousingPlus
Carole Eady, Board Director, HRA Specialist
Connie Temple, Board Secretary
Joan Montach, Board Director
Kandra Clark, Board Director, Vice President of Policy at Exodus Transitional Community
Serena Liguori, Board Treasurer, Executive Director of New Hour for Women and Children – LI
Sharon White-Harrigan, Board Director, Executive Director of WCJA
Yolanda Johnson-Peterkin, Board Co-Chair, Executive Director at MOCJ