EXPONENTIAL YEARBOOK 2023
Event Details: Humble Beginnings View and bid on silent auction and hoodie sale. 5-6 Meet & Greet reception. 6-6:45 Sit down dinner 6:45-7:10 Jerome Dillard, Welcome! 7:10-7:30 Keynote Speaker, Desmond Meade 7:30-8 Tamra Oman & Dennis Franklin, Awards Presentation Farewell from the EXPO Family! 8-9 Music provided by MC Scott
EXPO Yearbook:
Director’s Message Welcome to this space! Desmond Meade 2023 Awards Winner Bios
2023 Sponsors Family Photos
Director’s Message
Welcome, we are happy you are here, you belong! welcome partnerships to work towards a more just, equitable world that increases health, wellness and THRIVING communities in Wisconsin and across the nation. We welcome all who have been impacted by the criminal legal system into this space. To join us for fellowship, celebration and connection. At EXPO we use our truth, our stories in combination with the love we have for each other and our communities to bring about systems change. We develop relationships and
Jerome Dillard EXPO of Wisconsin
Keynote Speaker: Desmond Meade
Florida Rights Restoration Coalition
Desmond Meade As President and Executive Director of FRRC, which is recognized for its work on voting and criminal justice reform issues, Desmond led the FRRC to a historic victory in 2018 with the successful passage of Amendment 4, a grassroots citizen’s initiative which restored voting rights to over 1.4 million Floridians with past felony convictions. Amendment 4 represented the single largest expansion of voting rights in the United States in half a century and brought an end to 150 years of a Jim Crow-era law in Florida. Recognized by Time Magazine as one of the 100 Most Influential People in the World for 2019, Desmond presently leads efforts to empower and civically re-engage local communities across the state, and to reshape local, state, and national criminal justice policies. His work has resulted in being named Floridian and Central Floridian of the Year 2019.
2023 Awards
Ramiah Whiteside Changemaker: John Tate II Ally Individual of the Year: Carmella Glenn Ally Organization of the Year: Nehemiah EXPO Woman of the Year: Heleema Berg EXPO Man of the Year: Aaron Hicks
Heleema Berg
EXPO Woman of the Year
Heleema has overcome many struggles in her lifetime. Born and raised in St. Louis, Mo. Heleema came to Wisconsin as a teenager. Her lived experience includes poverty, teen pregnancy, domestic violence, substance, and sexual abuse in her younger years that spilled over into her adult life causing her to be confined 6.5 years of overall incarceration in both prisons and county jails. Heleema received her HSED while at John Burke Center in 2010. Released in 2010 Heleema faced many battles to turn her life around to become an upstanding citizen in her community. Heleema began to unofficially meet with recently released and formerly incarcerated individuals, as well as individuals still incarcerated to offer support and insight on troubleshooting life after incarceration. Heleema began a Human Services program at Northeastern Wisconsin Technical College in Green Bay, WI. In hopes of gaining a more professional aspect to giving back. Heleema began to volunteer at local shelters, and pantries, and continue to attend trainings geared towards multiple community issues, such as domestic violence, sexual assault, trauma-informed care, child maltreatment, and substance abuse issues. In December 2021 Heleema graduated with an associate degree in Human Services, as well as a Substance Abuse Counseling Certificate. In January of 2022 Heleema began a new journey at a mental health, substance abuse correctional facility in Wisconsin, as a Recovery Support Specialist, where she offers her life experience to others in their own journey, offering hope, insight and motivation, sending a message that anything is possible with change and determination. Heleema brings her own personal motto: Do not let anyone put you in a box, including yourself, as you can do anything you want if you work hard for it and never give up, change is possible.
Aaron Hicks
EXPO Man of the Year
Aaron is a dedicated community advocate with a passion for helping others. His journey towards community service began during his time of incarceration, where he witnessed the struggles faced by individuals that mirrored his own experiences. Recognizing the opportunity to make a positive impact, Aaron started sharing his personal triumphs and offering guidance to fellow inmates, drawing from his own journey of personal growth and spiritual discovery. During his quest to support others, Aaron pursued extensive training and earned certifications in nationally accredited programs such as Walking the Line and Within My Reach, specializing in relationships. He also completed a life coach training program through the Nehemiah Center for Urban Leadership, equipping him with valuable skills to guide and empower individuals. To further broaden his expertise, Aaron obtained certifications as a Crisis Intervention Partner (CIP) through the National Alliance on Mental Health Illness (NAMI), Attic Correctional Services, and the UW-Madison Police Department. He also completed Core Correctional Practices (CCP) training through the University of Cincinnati Corrections Institute. Aaron's commitment to creating meaningful change extends beyond his training. He actively contributes to multiple organizations, including MOSES and EXPO, where he collaborates with a group of formerly incarcerated individuals working towards the cessation of mass incarceration in Wisconsin. Aaron's involvement with these organizations is a testament to his dedication to social justice and his belief in the transformative power of community action. Driven by a genuine desire to uplift others and armed with a unique blend of personal experiences, spiritual growth, and professional training, Aaron continually strives to make a difference in the lives of those he has the privilege to serve."
Carmella Glenn
EXPO Ally of the Year
Carmella Glenn is from Madison Wisconsin and has worked in social justice for more than 20 years. She is the mother of 4 boys, two birth two bonus and she has one grandson. She has been married to her husband for 12 years. Carmella has a degree in Criminal Justice and Culinary Arts. She used both of those degrees to Direct, grow and supervise Just Bakery for 10 years. Just Bakery is an employment training initiative for those with barriers to employment. She is a Certified Peer Specialist, a Certified Peer Specialist trainer and is currently the Violence Intervention Coordinator for Public Health Madison and Dane County. She is also a proud system disruptor.
Nehemiah
EXPO Ally Org of the Year
Nehemiah, led by a staff of 23 and supported largely through community donations, services and grants, provides youth education and leadership, re-entry support and services for the formerly incarcerated, Black history education for non-Black allies, and cross-cultural leadership development. Across three decades, Nehemiah has evolved to meet the changing needs of Madison’s Black community. “What we've always done is that we've listened to the community, listened to the trends and we've listened to participants in our programs,” he said. “The growth of Nehemiah has come not because people fit into our programs, but because our programs grew to expand with pressing community needs.”
John Tate II
Ramiah Whiteside Changemaker
Tate said the appointment and opportunity to serve the state is an honor. "Either we believe that people are redeemable or we don’t," said Tate. "Hardness or softness on crime should have no relevance on whether we believe that there is redemption for individuals." -John Tate II
2023 Sponsors
Thank you to all of our sponsors and supporters, we are only able to do this work because of your generosity and faith in our efforts.
Family Photos
Thank you for coming! No family is perfect... we argue, we fight. We even stop talking to each other at times, but in the end, family is family, and we are tight. The love will always be there...
EXPO of Wisconsin
Good trouble...
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