The BSCC Board

Linda Penner, Chair of the Board of State and Community Corrections

Linda Penner has served as a member of the Board of State and Community Corrections since 2012 and its predecessor, the Corrections Standards Authority Board, from 2007 until 2012. Governor Edmund G. "Jerry" Brown appointed her chair of the BSCC in 2013. As Chair, Ms. Penner has led work on some of the agency's most complex rehabilitative grants, including Proposition 47, the Adult Rehabilitative Grant program and the federal Justice Assistance Grant. She represents the Board at stakeholder meetings across California.
Ms. Penner served as Chief Probation Officer for the County of Fresno from 2005 to 2012. Through her stewardship the department transitioned to Evidenced-Based Practices for recidivism reduction while ensuring community safety. Ms. Penner created a culture of integrity and professionalism through fairness and equity to both the courts and to system-impacted individuals. Ms. Penner recognized that public safety services include rehabilitation services, and through her leadership Fresno County Probation initiated policies, practices and services to reduce crime through assessment-based accountability programs.
As Chief, Ms. Penner led the local effort introducing the concepts of Public Safety Realignment through innovative supervision and service programs designed to reduce recidivism, including a multiagency supervision team and evidence-based services.
Early in her career Ms. Penner held multiple positions at the Fresno County probation department, including probation division director, services manager, probation officer and group counselor. She also has been a member of the State Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention since 2007. Additionally, she chaired the Fresno County Community Corrections Partnership for two years.
In 2011, Ms. Penner served as the president of the California Probation Officers Association of California, working closely with Governor Brown on the design and implementation of the groundbreaking Public Safety Realignment legislation that has influenced justice reform nationwide.

Kathleen Allison, Secretary, California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR)

Kathleen was appointed by Governor Gavin Newsom as Secretary of CDCR on October 1, 2020. In her over 30 years at CDCR, she ahs held several leadership roles, including most recently Undersecretary of Operations. Prior to that, she was Director of the Division of Adult Institutions from 2016 to 2018; Deputy Director of Facility Support from 2012 to 2016; and Associate Director for the Female Offender Programs and Services from 2011 to 2012. Ms. Allison also served in several positions at the California Substance Abuse Treatment Facility in Corcoran from 2002 to 2011, including Warden; Chief Deputy Administrator; Correctional Administrator; and Correctional Health Services Administrator II. She also held several positions at Avenal State Prison (ASP) from 1987 to 2002, including Community Resource Manager and Senior Medical Technical Assistant. Ms. Allison Began her career as a Medical Technical Assistant at ASP in 1987. She is a licensed Registered Nurse.
Ms. Allison has experiences nearly all aspects of corrections in her tenure at CDCR, from health care and custody operations, to fiscal administration, rehabilitative programs, mental health services, and community relationships. Most recently as Undersecretary, she has been critical in the response of CDCR to the COVID-19 pandemic in some of the state's 35 prisons. Those efforts have included the suspension of intake, visiting and volunteering, the expedited release of eligible inmates, the reduction of the prison population to its lowest level in 30 years, and the response to the outbreak in San Quentin State Prison. Ms. Allison has overseen the evolution of the Department over the past three decades, including the implementation of various criminal justice reforms, such as the voter-approved initiatives Proposition 36, Proposition 47, and Proposition 57. She has also successfully led the development of policies and programs that focus on rehabilitation, restorative justice, and successful reentry, which have made prisons safer for staff and incarcerated people and has strengthened partnerships with both governmental agencies and community organizations to create a system focused on public safety, personal accountability, and positive change. Ms. Allison is known to her colleagues as a dedicated, compassionate and knowledgeable leader.

Guillermo Viera Rosa, Director, Division of Adult Parole Operations, CDCR

Guillermo Viera Rosa was appointed to Director of Division of Adult Parole Operations (DAPO) at the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation (CDCR) in June 2020. Prior to this appointment, Mr. Viera Rosa served as the Undersecretary of Operations since November 2019. He was the Director of the Division of Correctional Policy Research and Internal Oversight from January 2018 through December 2019. Mr. Viera Rosa was formerly the Director of DAPO, where he served in several positions since 2000, including Regional Parole Administrator, Associate Director, Parole Administrator, Parole Agent Supervisor, and Parole Agent. Mr. Viera Rosa also served in several positions at the Board of Parole Hearings from 2004 to 2009, including Deputy Commissioner, Correctional Counselor Supervisor, and Parole Agent Specialist. He was an instructor at the Riverside County Office of Education, Deputy Probation Officer at the San Bernardino County Probation Department, and US Pretrial Officer with the US Central District Court prior to working at CDCR.

Dean Growdon, Sheriff of Lassen County

Dean Growdon is a 24-year veteran of the Lassen County Sheriff’s Office, and a life-long resident of California. He was born in Redding and raised in the small mountain town of Westwood in Lassen County. He began his law enforcement career with Lassen County in 1994 and held a wide range of assignments in both Custody and Operations Divisions before he was elected Lassen County Sheriff-Coroner in 2010. When away from work, Sheriff Growdon coaches high school basketball, participates in a number of service organizations, and spends time recreating in the outdoors with his family. Sheriff Growdon is an officer with the California State Sheriff’s Association, and he holds a Masters Degree in Criminal Justice Management from the University of Nevada, Reno.

Shannon D. Dicus, Sheriff, San Bernardino County

Shannon D. Dicus was appointed as the 36th Sheriff-Coroner for San Bernardino County on July 14, 2021. San Bernardino County has over 2 million residents and is the nation’s largest county geographically spanning more than 20,056 miles. The Department oversees the unincorporated county areas, operates the county jail systems, provides marshal services in the county courts and contracts law enforcement services to 14 of the 24 incorporated cities within the county. The Department consists of 2007 sworn personnel, 2073 professional employees and 1552 volunteers, with an annual budget of over $800 million dollars.
Shannon was raised in a law-enforcement family and has lived in San Bernardino County for over 40 years. Shannon always knew he wanted to go into law enforcement and became a Sheriff’s Explorer Scout while still in high school. After graduating, he enlisted in the United States Army and was assigned to the 101st Airborne Division where he served as a Military Police Officer at Fort Campbell, Kentucky, and in Sinai, Egypt. After his military service, Shannon worked for the Department of Veterans Affairs Police Department in Loma Linda, California until he was hired by the San Bernardino County Sheriff’s Department in 1991. Shannon graduated the 106th Basic Academy session and has since held positions at every rank within the Department. His past assignments include Corrections as well as Patrol in Barstow, Apple Valley, Victorville City, and the Victor Valley Station. He has also worked specialized details to include Narcotics, SWAT, and Criminal Intelligence. More recently, Shannon served as the Department’s Undersheriff, where he oversaw day-to-day operations, as well as the Internal Affairs, Civil Liabilities and Bureau of Administration Divisions. Shannon has a bachelor’s degree in Criminal Justice from California State University San Bernardino and a master’s degree in Communications from California Baptist University.
As a longtime resident of San Bernardino County, Shannon is devoted to the citizens of the county and is always looking for new and innovative ways to better serve them. Shannon believes in developing progressive programs that not only assist the public, but also those reentering society. Shannon has led the way in instituting programs focusing on inmate rehabilitation and reentry, department crisis/mental health response and county homelessness; to name a few. Shannon also takes great pride in being part of developing the Department’s NextGen Info Exchange. This program focuses on communicating with our younger community members (ages 16-35) where they can voice their concerns and ask questions about important issues that are vital to their generation. Through all this, Shannon maintains his priorities of improving community relationships, public confidence and affecting positive change from within the Department.

Cindy Chavez, Santa Clara County Supervisor

Recently appointed by the Governor to the BSCC, Supervisor Cindy Chavez represents more than a half million people in East, Central and South San Jose. She serves as Chair of Bay Area Air Quality Management District and is a member of the CalTrain Board of Directors. As a commissioner she represents Santa Clara County on the Metropolitan Transportation Commission, and she serves on the Valley Transportation Authority Board of Directors.
Supervisor Chavez’s policies have played a vital role in Santa Clara County’s response to the COVID-19 pandemic providing outreach to ensure all county residents have access to vaccines. Ms. Chavez worked to expand and improve services for abused children at the new Children’s Advocacy Center; to provide comprehensive services and resources for Santa Clara County’s foster youth; to make expansive structural changes so school children in disadvantaged areas will have digital and broadband services; and to provide health care for all children. In collaboration with non-profit agencies in the County, Board President Chavez led a movement to get a 400 percent increase in funding for survivors of sexual assault, human trafficking and gender-based violence. The funding provides services including affordable housing, mental health, job training, education and childcare.
In 2016, Ms. Chavez was instrumental in getting a $950-million affordable housing bond passed for Santa Clara County. Additionally the County, working with the City of San Jose and non-profits, launched the Heading Home program to help house the county's homeless families. Soon the Affordable Housing Units for Seniors will open in San Jose. Due to Supervisor Chavez's tireless efforts, many projects are underway to address homelessness and affordable housing.
Inspired by the 100th anniversary of women's right to vote in August 2020, Ms. Chavez worked to mobilize and register voters and underscore the need for an accurate 2020 Census. She organized a pre-pandemic march to mark the anniversary milestone and bring attention to inequities that remain for women and people of color.

Kirk Haynes, Chief Probation Officer of Fresno County

Chief Kirk Haynes, a 27-year veteran of the Fresno County Probation Department, is a graduate of the University of Oregon, and United States Marine Corps Reserve veteran. During his Probation career, Chief Haynes worked multiple assignments in the Adult, Juvenile, and Institutional Divisions. He led the department’s efforts in the design and implementation of the Community Corrections Performance Incentive Act of 2009 (SB 678), and the department’s AB 109 program established by the California Public Safety Realignment Act of 2011.
A primary tenet of this historic legislation was the introduction of Evidence-Based Practices (EBP). He quickly became the department’s leader in EBP and has spent countless hours training staff and representing the department’s goals and strategies to the Courts, and other justice and community-based partners. As Chief, he is committed to deploying innovative interventions with good research support that encourage positive quantifiable outcomes.
Chief Haynes is a strong advocate for developing staff’s ability to provide effective supervision through identifying the individual risks and recognizing cultural inequities impacting those we supervise in the community. He encourages a continual reexamination of the department’s service delivery, which is fundamental to sound culturally sensitive, evidence-based practice development. He continually reinforces how the work of Probation directly correlates to public safety, striking the balance between Probation’s multi-faceted role as law enforcer, protector of victims, and advocate for the clients they serve.

Kelly M. Vernon, Chief Probation Officer of Kings County

Kelly M. Vernon is the Chief Probation Officer of Kings County. She has been with the department for 28 years and has served in a myriad of line, supervisory and management assignments ranging from Juvenile Facilities, Field Supervision and Court Services. In January of 2015, Chief Vernon was sworn in as the eleventh Chief in Kings County. Chief Vernon received her bachelor’s degree from California State University, Fresno in Criminology/Corrections. Chief Vernon is an active member of the Chief Probation Officers of California (CPOC), serving on several committees and is currently the Central Region Chair. Chief Vernon is a member of several local committees and collaborative workgroups and strongly believes in community safety through rehabilitative efforts and accountability. Chief Vernon resides in Hanford with her two children Delaney and Greyson

Janet Gaard, Retired Judge, Yolo County

Janet Gaard was appointed to the Yolo County Superior Court in 2008. She presided over criminal, juvenile, civil, and family law cases, and she served as the court's Presiding Judge and Assistant Presiding Judge. For many years, she presided over the court's collaborative courts, and, in 2019, she was awarded the Yolo Outstanding Mental Health Community Service Award from the local chapter of the National Alliance on Mental Illness. Gaard began her legal career in 1983 as a staff attorney for the Third District Court of Appeal. In 1984 she joined the California Office of the Attorney General, where she remained until her judicial appointment. She served as a Deputy Attorney General in the Criminal Division; Special Assistant Attorney General and Director of Legislative Affairs; and Chief Assistant Attorney General for the Division of Public Rights.

Andrew Mills, Chief of Police, City of Palm Springs

Andrew Mills was appointed the Chief of Police for the City of Palm Springs in November 2021. Prior to that he was Chief of Police for the City of Santa Cruz, With nearly four decades of law enforcement experience, he has strived to become a community-centric and effective crime fighter. He compassionately confronts some of society’s most challenging problems openly and transparently.
Mills was the 2000 recipient of the Police Executive Research Forum’s Gary P. Hayes award for his contributions to improving the quality of police service nationally. Mills managed one patrol team that won the Herman Goldstein Award for Excellence in Problem-Oriented Policing and three others that were finalists. His work in the field is documented in several publications by PERF and the COPS Office. Chief Mills has authored and published in several other periodicals.

Scott Budnick, Founder of Anti-Recidivism Coalition

Scott Budnick is the founder of the Anti-Recidivism Coalition (ARC), an organization of very high-achieving formerly incarcerated young adults who work to support one another, while stopping the flow of men and woman into the criminal justice system.
Mr. Budnick grew up in Atlanta, Georgia and graduated from Emory University in 1999 with degrees in Business and Film. He began his film career working in casting and as an Assistant to director Todd Phillips for DreamWorks. He went to work for TriStar Pictures chairman, Mike Medavoy at Phoenix Pictures, and worked first-hand in the development of over forty films. He later returned to work with Phillips and was chosen as Executive Vice President of Phillips’ Production Company producing projects under the Green Hat Films banner, now based at Warner Bros Studios. He has produced such films as the The Hangover series, Old School, Project X, Starsky and Hutch, School for Scoundrels, and Due Date.
Mr. Budnick is a fierce champion for children in need. For his work with youth in the criminal justice system, Governor Jerry Brown named him California’s Volunteer of the Year for 2012. He also received the Volunteer of the Year award from the Los Angeles County Supervisors and was interviewed by Chelsea Clinton for NBC Nightly News, Making a Difference series. He is a teacher and sits on the advisory board for InsideOUT Writers, is a board member of the Los Angeles Conservation Corps, and is a member of the advisory board for the Loyola Law School, Center for Juvenile Law and Policy.
In addition to the above, Mr. Budnick works closely with the Los Angeles Probation Department, the Los Angeles Sheriff’s Department and the California Department of Corrections and Rehabilitation, in giving incarcerated youth a path to education, success and rehabilitation before their release. He can often be found walking the tiers of California jails and prisons on his nights and weekends, giving hope and words of advice to the many incarcerated youth who have been through his classes.

Vacant, A community provider or advocate with expertise in effective programs, policies, and treatment of at-promise youth and juvenile offenders, appointed by the Senate Committee on Rules.

Norma Cumpian, Women's and Non-Binary Services, Associate Director, Anti-Recidivism Coalition

Norma Cumpian, the Anti-Recidivism Coalition’s (ARC) Women and Non-Binary Services Manager, joined ARC in March 2016 as a Life Coach after nearly five years working in the criminal justice reform and nonprofit sector. As a formerly incarcerated woman, Norma has firsthand experience in the many challenges of reentry, making her a compassionate and effective guide for young people learning to navigate society after coming home from prison.
Norma is a fierce advocate for incarcerated women and girls. She has traveled to the California State Capitol to educate legislators, spoken on panels, and presented in numerous classrooms in order to affect change for incarcerated women, mothers, and girls and to create a fairer justice system for all. In 2019, she co-designed and launched ARC’s first Women and Non-Binary Services department to better serve the needs of 1,300+ formerly incarcerated members, as well as 50+ incarcerated women through inside programming at the California Institution for Women in Corona, CA. In all of her work, Norma seeks to carve out spaces to ensure that everyone’s voices are heard and valued.