Executive Director

Sandi Byrd is the Executive Director of CCJF. Sandi is a licensed attorney who brings more than 25 years of legal experience to this role. She began her legal career in the public sector as an assistant public defender then established her own law firm that focused on criminal defense. Sandi represented clients charged with everything from low-level traffic offenses to murder. Sandi has also worked in the private sector gaining valuable experience in civil litigation. She has served on various nonprofit boards for many years and brings her vast professional and volunteer experiences with her to lead CCJF in assisting the community in removing barriers and changing their life trajectories.

President

Jen Claypool is a founding board member and the President of the Board of Directors. Jen is also a Staff Attorney for the Office of General Counsel at the Department of Veterans Affairs. For the entirety of her legal career, Jen has served at all levels of government--City, State, and Federal--but her true passion is social justice. Jen volunteered as a parent representative at her twins' elementary school, located in the Beverly neighborhood of Chicago. Jen was also one of the founding members of a parent-led organization, Responsibly Addressing Cultural Equity in Education, or RACEE, which was formed to address systemic racism at the same local elementary school with the goal of empowering parents and community members to meaningfully engage in the work needed to facilitate and sustain racial equity in education. Jen’s legal acumen, demonstrated success in protecting the interests of community stakeholders, and skill at building relationships among diverse groups of people will help lead CCJF in becoming the foremost provider of legal services in the Humboldt Park community. Jen graduated with honors from both Seattle University School of Law and Washington University in St. Louis.

Secretary

Jose Ramos is a dedicated advocate for community development who is from the Humboldt Park neighborhood. As a Senior Acquisitions Analyst at Community Initiatives Inc., he assists in the revitalization of distressed, vacant, and abandoned properties throughout Chicagoland. With a Bachelor's degree in Urban Planning from the University of Illinois and a Master's degree in Real Estate from Roosevelt University, Jose brings a wealth of knowledge to his work.

Treasurer

A founding board member of the Chicago Community Justice Foundation, Steven Barrow currently serves as a Client Director at Dell Technologies and has 14 years of experience in the Technology Sector. Steven is dedicated to enhancing capabilities across nonprofits, governments and large enterprises, and works to leverage technology to drive forward organizational missions and goals. A resident of Humboldt Park and Chicago's west side for over a decade, Steven combines his professional expertise with a passion for social justice. Steven graduated with honors in Economics from Lake Forest College.