April Amey Advisory
Board Member
Thomas Porter-Smith
Board Co-Chair
April is a survivor of incarceration in the California prison system and a survivor of domestic violence. She founded Mothers Educating Mothers at the California Institution for Women, CIW, in Corona, CA. The group helps women fight for their parental rights: custody, visitation, and decision on placement of their children. They also support women to navigate the court system. Prior to her incarceration Amey worked ten years as a nurse and is working to regain her license as Licensed Vocational Nurse, (LVN). Amey is a policy advocate and community activist. Since her release, she has worked as a reentry case manager, a parental and peer educator, and an advocate for family reunification. She is currently working at a transitional housing project
Thomas is a pre-and post-prison advocate. Thomas spent thirty-five years locked-up in the California prison system. Since his release, in 2017, Smith has provided resources and navigation support to other reentering into society. He developed a board of parole hearing packet, which has helped 250+ men, and women to be suitable for parole; men and women sentenced to life in prison and/or who had a three strikes conviction. He currently works Amity Foundation in Los Angeles.
Mary Sutton, Ph. D.
Board Co-Chair and Founder
Vanessa Cain Advisory
Board Member
Mary Sutton has been an activist for most of her life, beginning in the anti-apartheid movement in Minneapolis and continuing in Los Angeles through local and statewide coalitions to stop prison and jail expansion. She designed Collective REMAKE while completing her MA in Urban Sustainability at Antioch University Los Angeles and recently earned her Ph.D. in Leadership and Change at Antioch University.
Vanessa is the creator of Food + Art, and also director of Five Points Youth Foundation. “Art + Food was born out of a need for fresh, sustainable and healthy food choices in South Los Angeles, which suffers from inequalities in healthcare and nutritional resources. The “Art + Food” program provides local resident with events that offer farm-to-table, vegetable-rich, vitamin-dense cuisine, prepared with an artistic, creative flare. Council District 8 has one the highest rates of nutrition-related diseases, including diabetes, childhood obesity, high blood pressure, and cancer.”
Enisa Jakupovic
Board Member
Enisa hos an MA in Urban Sustainability from Antioch University Los Angeles with a focus in sustainable textiles procurement. She also has an MA in Tourism and Hospitality from Aalborg University, Copenhagen with a focus in the sustainability of tourism. Enisa works to raise awareness about environmental problems caused by the production, use, and disposal of plastics, synthetic products, and textiles. She shares strategies to divert products out of the landfills and oceans and develop sustainable procurement strategies in workplace environments.