VISTA: Meet our Members

You are here

Home

2025-2026 AmeriCorps VISTA Cohort

Solomon Broadnax

VISTA Leader, National Legal Aide & Defender Association

Solomon serves as a VISTA Leader at the National Legal Aid and Defender Association, where he supports member organizations through program coordination, data tracking, and cohort development. His work focuses on strengthening systems, improving operational efficiency, and supporting individuals doing critical public service work. Solomon brings a background in research, program support, and project management, with a strong interest in building practical solutions that help organizations better serve their communities. He plans to attend law school in the fall.

Christina Leonard

Development and Community Relations VISTA Fellow, New York Office of the Appellate Defender

Christina Leonard is a dual US-UK citizen, born in New York but raised in London, England. She attended Bates College in Lewiston, Maine, graduating in May 2023, with a Bachelor of Arts in Psychology and double minors in Rhetoric and French. At Bates, Christina served as the Executive Managing Editor of the student newspaper, The Bates Student. Christina will be serving as the Development and Community Relations VISTA at the Office of the Appellate Defender, one of New York City’s longest-standing organizations dedicated to providing appellate representation for indigent New Yorkers convicted of felonies. Driven by a strong sense of fairness, Christina is committed to advocating for full and equal access to justice. Following her service year, she plans to attend law school.

Mellani Aguilar

Data and Technology Capacity-Building Associate VISTA, Santa Barbara Public Defender's Office

Mellani Aguilar is in her second year as an AmeriCorps VISTA. In her first year, she supported a nonprofit in Los Angeles by building an optimized ATS/CRM system with a matching algorithm and client portal to help low-income seniors find roommates, along with a case management system for healthcare case managers. She also developed dashboards, tracking systems, and automations to enhance staff and management operations. In her current role at the Santa Barbara Public Defender’s Office, Mellani will assist project leads with capacity building initiatives and help create technology solutions that enhance and expedite service delivery. She will also work on data pipelines to improve the quality of data that inform and support staff, clients, and other stakeholders.

Connor Hollenback

Community Engagement and Data Capacity-Building Associate, Santa Barbara Public Defender's Office

Connor was born and raised on the Central Coast of California, and lives in his hometown of Ventura. He has been lucky enough to live in a several places across the country as well as abroad, and has worked in a number of different fields. In his spare time, you might find him studying Chinese, painting, woodworking, watching Survivor with his fiancé, or playing with his dog. Connor previously completed one term as an AmeriCorps VISTA member with the Santa Barbara Public Defender. Having enjoyed his first VISTA term so much, he will be rejoining the IT team in the same role. During the next year, Connor will be focused on providing project support to the IT team, assisting in increasing the data capacity of the office, as well as developing community engagement and communication.

Noah Vinogradov

Reentry Coordinator VISTA

Noah is from the Philadelphia area and is a recent graduate of Georgetown University, where he earned a degree in Culture and Politics with a minor in Music. He joined AmeriCorps with a strong interest in public service and was particularly drawn to the opportunity to serve with NLADA. Through academic and professional experiences, Noah has focused on understanding challenges within the U.S. criminal legal system, with a specific interest in diversion programs and alternatives to incarceration. During his service, he looks forward to supporting individuals in need and gaining hands-on experience that will help inform his future career path, including the possibility of pursuing law school. Outside of work, Noah is actively involved in music, enjoys running and spending time outdoors, and values meaningful conversations with friends.

Elijah Wright

Community Resource and Grant Data Development VISTA, Santa Barbara Public Defender's Office

Elijah will serve as an NLADA VISTA member with the Santa Barbara Public Defender’s Office. Originally from Seattle, he spent the past three years living and studying in the United Kingdom and graduated from Newcastle University with a degree in Digital Cultures and Media. His academic work focused on the relationship between technology and society, with an emphasis on using digital tools to improve organizational effectiveness. During his service, Elijah looks forward to supporting a public defender office committed to providing high-quality legal representation. He is especially interested in applying his background in digital systems and media to support team operations and service delivery. Outside of work, Elijah enjoys traveling and is a dedicated Seattle sports fan.

 

Jason Huang

Community Resource Data Capacity VISTA, Santa Barbara Public Defender's Office

Jason is originally from Elk Grove, California, this VISTA member is a graduate of the University of California, Berkeley, where they earned a degree in Computer Science with a minor in Data Science. Their decision to serve as a VISTA is grounded in an interest in strengthening systems and improving access to information and resources through thoughtful use of data and technology. During their service, they are excited to apply their technical background to support operational improvements and help organizations work more effectively. They are especially interested in continuing to build skills in data analysis, automation, and emerging technologies while learning from experienced colleagues. Outside of work, they enjoy trying new recipes, exploring local spots, and are always up for a good karaoke session.

Class of 2022-2023

  • Connor Hollenback Public Defender of Santa Barbara
  • Conor McCambridge Delaware County Public Defender
  • Jalena Jones Santa Barbara Public Defender
  • Latagia Copeland-Tyronce, MSW, CADAS Neighborhood Defender Services, Detroit
  • Murphy Boccher Neighborhood Defender Services, Harlem
  • Stephanie Castillo Office for Appellate Litigation in NYC
  • Jack Mok Center for Appellate Litigation, NY
  • Zoe Muse-Markle Los Angeles County Public Defender's Office
  • Wyatt Ensley Orleans Public Defenders
  • Vince Cunningham Riverside County Office of Public Defender
  • Dawn Ippolito Delaware's Office of Defense Services
  • Alexander Saltzman
  • Abigail Hustead Office of the Appellate Defender in NYC
  • Wil Sanders NLADA 
  • Erika Tugas Marcia Evans Neighborhood Defender Services
  • Jack McGinn West Virginia’s Public Defender Services
  • Natifah Tolbert Ryan Goetz Santa Barbara Public Defender

Class of 2021-2022

  • Aidan Bassett, Santa Barbara Public Defender’s Office
  • Lauren Bosserman, AmeriCorps
  • Bryan Burzon, AmeriCorps
  • Ashley Conyers, Law Office of the Public Defender, Augusta, GA
  • Peter Gaber, Augusta Judicial Circuit's Office of the Public Defender
  • Elizabeth Hansen, Office of the Appellate Defender in NYC
  • Grant Hoffman
  • Jade Mapp, Books Beyond Bars at the Center for Appellate Litigation
  • Jack Mok, Center for Appellate Litigation
  • Dalton Oberfoell
  • Daniel Odunukwe
  • Gracie Western, Office of the Appellate Defender
  • Julia Wicker, Office of State Public Defender
  • Loïs Vincent, Orleans Public Defenders Office

Class of 2020-2021

 

  • Isabelle Appleton - Center for Appellate Litigation, New York, NY
  • Elizabeth Barnes - Augusta Judicial Circuit Office of the Public Defender, Augusta, GA
  • Emma Baylor - Office of the Public Defender, Maryland
  • Kristen Brown - Office of the Alternate Defense Counsel, Colorado
  • Jess Gaughan - Pima County Public Defender, Tuscan, AZ
  • Daniel Goldstein - Orleans Public Defender, New Orleans, LA
  • Nichele Hudson - Public Defender Services, Connecticut
  • Batya Kemper - Santa Barbara County, Public Defender, Santa Barbara, CA
  • Shantih Kleen - Public Defender Services, West Virginia
  • Alex MacDonald - Office of Appellate Defense, New York, NY
  • Donna Marain - Augusta Judicial Circuit Office of the Public Defender, Augusta, GA
  • Jason Masino - Office of the Alternate Defense Counsel, Colorado
  • Maisy Menzies - Contra Costa County Public Defender, Richmond, CA
  • Noah Mlyn - Orleans Public Defender, New Orleans, LA
  • Betsy Molgano - Aurora Public Defense, Aurora, CO
  • Logan Montel - Pima County Public Defender, Tuscan, AZ
  • Cara Netzer - Public Defender Services, West Virginia
  • Sarah Rothschild - Santa Barbara County, Public Defender, Santa Barbara, CA
  • Luis Vivaldi - Office of Appellate Defense, New York, NY

Class of 2019-2020

 

  • Thomas Bacher - Public Defender Service Corporation, Guam
  • Pietro Bartoli - Center for Appellate Litigation, New York, NY
  • Daniel Breen - Montgomery County Public Defender, Norristown, PA
  • Dametrick Evans - Law Office of the Cook County Public Defender, Chicago, IL
  • Kellianne Elliot - NLADA, DC
  • Breonna Hendricks - City of Atlanta Public Defender, Atlanta, GA
  • Aimee Hernandez-Meza - Brooklyn Defender Service, Brooklyn, NY
  • Sonya Joseph - NLADA, DC
  • Wan Qi Kong - Orleans Public Defender, New Orleans, LA
  • Meagan McDaniel - 13th Circuit Public Defender, Greenville, SC
  • A'Narris Monger - Michigan State Appellate Defender Office, Detroit, MI
  • Trung Nguyen - Solano County Public Defender, Fairfield, CA
  • Grace Ortez - Office of Appellate Defense, New York, NY
  • Amanda Paison - Santa Barbara County, Public Defender, Santa Barbara, CA
  • Lizzie Sluchak - Office of the Public Defender, Maryland
  • Coulter Ward - Orleans Public Defender, New Orleans, LA

Class of 2018-2019

  • John Brogden - Wisconsin Public Defender, Madison, WI
  • Andrea Dowlen - Montgomery County Public Defender, Norristown, PA
  • Julio Gomez -Public Defender Service Corporation, Guam
  • Deondra Henderson - City of Atlanta Public Defender, Atlanta, GA
  • Carly Jones - Public Defender Service Corporation, Guam
  • Shannon Kelley - Office of the Public Defender, Maryland
  • Anna Ladd - NLADA, DC
  • Cynthia Mar - Alameda Public Defender's Office, Oakland, CA
  • Daniel Mangoubi - Lubbock Private Defender's Office, Lubbock, TX
  • Grace Ortez - Office of Appellate Defense, New York, NY
  • Amanda Paison - Santa Barbara County, Public Defender, Santa Barbara, CA
  • Yamilex Pena - Lubbock Private Defender's Office, Lubbock, TX
  • Tanisha Pierrette - Orleans Public Defender, New Orleans, LA
  • Jen Santangelo - Maricopa Office of the Public Defender, Phoenix, AZ
  • Kameryn Sessoms - NLADA, DC
  • Celcise Stany - Defender's Office of the Confederated Salish and Kootenai Tribes, MT

NLADA Mutual Insurance Co., RRG