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Retired Attorney
Ken Matthews is a native Oklahoman who first came to Colorado in 1974, following graduation from the University of Oklahoma.
He served as a US Army officer for 3 years and returned to OU, where he received his law degree.
Ken has practiced law in Norman, Oklahoma (oil and gas), Colorado Springs (general civil litigation), and Denver where he had a Family Law Practice in partnership with his wife Leslie. Ken retired from the practice of law after 36 years in May, 2015.
Ken was a rugby player, coach, referee, and administrator for 35 years; playing while in college and law school, the US Army, and with both the Colorado Springs Grizzlies and the Denver Barbarians rugby clubs. He coached Denver East High School rugby club for 8 years during which East was State Champion on multiple occasions.
Ken and Leslie have owned property in Salida since 2006, were part-time residents for some years, and became full-time residents following retirement. Believing retirement is an opportunity to give to the community, Ken serves on the Board of Directors of Chaffee Housing Trust, Full Circle Restorative Justice, on the administrative committee for A Little Help and Salida Stories, and volunteers his time and expertise to the Alliance Against Domestic Violence.
High School Student
Peer Mediator
Hi I’m Bowman Russell. I have lived in Salida since the age of 1. I’m 16 years old and attend Salida High School as a sophomore. I enjoy playing competitive sports and enjoy school. After high school, I am wanting to go to CU Boulder to study engineering.
I believe restorative justice is a process that is very positive and transformational. That is why I decided to join FCRJ. FCRJ has done many great things for the community and for the empowerment of victim. It is FCRJ’s goal to provide a platform for offender accountability while separating them from their act, and helping them see impacts of their choices.
JD began his involvement with FCRJ as a community volunteer in 2011. He quickly developed a passion for the work, stepping into roles as co-facilitator and surrogate victim. He completed two levels of Facilitator Training in 2014 and 2015, and assumed additional responsibilities as FCRJ’s financial manager. He joined the board of directors as Treasurer in 2014 and left that position in 2017 to assume a staff position as Senior Advisor and Finance Director. In July 2018, he was named Executive Director.
In addition to his restorative justice work, JD is a Professional Mediator and a contractor with the Colorado State Office of Dispute Resolution (ODR) for the 7th Judicial District. In August 2018, he completed his training for Professional Coach Certification through Integral Coaching Canada™. JD manages his mediation and coaching practices through his company, Point of Connection LLC (https://www.pointofconnectioncoaching.com/). JD also serves a Trustee for the Town of Poncha Springs, Colorado.
Prior to his work in restorative justice, mediation and coaching, JD operated an international trading company specializing in innovative financial products for commodity exporters. He also had a long career as a corporate executive at CoBank and Archer Daniels Midland Company (ADM). JD has a Master of Science Degree in Agricultural Economics from Colorado State University. For the past ten years, he has called the beautiful Upper Arkansas River Valley of Colorado home.
Harriet Alexander Airfield - Chaffee County
Zechariah is the Airport Manager at the Salida Airport. He has grown up in Salida, CO and joined the FCRJ Board in 2016.
“I love getting involved with the youth and community, and trying daily to make the world a better place. I have seen firsthand problems with the judicial system, and truly believe that justice does not always mean punishment.”
Minister, Writer
Forrest brings a varied background to our board. He has been a freelance and staff writer for various publications for thirty years. He currently writes for Writers on the Range (a service of High Country News), the Colorado Central Magazine, as well as a weekly column in The Weekly Register Call Newspaper.
Whitman serves on various boards and committees in the Ark Valley, including the Ark Valley Humane Society and Salida Sunrise Rotary. He has served as an ordained minister and still performs wedding ceremonies. He served as a two-term county commissioner and on various Railroad Boards. (He’s worked for four railroads and enjoys our local rail riders groups).
When serving as a volunteer mediator with High Country Mediation Service a few years ago, he came to love processes like FCRJ. He’s happy to help keep FCRJ going strong.
Horizons Exploratory Academy
Bio & Picture Coming Soon
Boys & Girls Club Salida
Bio and Picture Coming Soon
Expert RJ Practitioner
Co-Founder, Pikes Peak RJ
Member, State RJ Council
Lynn Lee has been working in Restorative Justice for the past 16 years as a community volunteer, victim advocate, facilitator, trainer and director.
She is a retired special education teacher and holds a masters degree in education administration. Lynn was the chair of the Pikes Peak Restorative Justice Council beginning with its inception in 2007 through 2015. She continues to be an active board member. Lynn is the coordinator for the Manitou Springs Restorative Justice Project, working closely with the court and police department.
She has successfully facilitated over 500 restorative justice conferences and has worked with the courts, schools, Colorado Dept. of Corrections and Colorado Youth Corrections in implementing and facilitating restorative justice and restorative practices. She is a recipient of the 2013 Pikes Peak Restorative Justice Leadership Award and the Peace Alliance 2015 Restorative Justice Peacebuilding Award. Lynn facilitated the first high risk victim offender dialogue in the Colorado Dept. of Corrections and continues to successfully facilitate high-risk victim offender dialogues in the Colorado prison. Lynn was appointed to the Colorado State Restorative Justice Council in 2013 and continues on the board, assisting in implementing RJ legislation around the state of Colorado.
In bringing Restorative Justice/Restorative Practices to schools, I hope to bring preventative strategies in working with children, families and staff. One of the strategies that can be useful is a Circle, i.e. a structured dialog process that builds connections and empathy, while honoring the uniqueness of each child. Circles are safe spaces for each child to be heard with compassion, caring and respect. It is an opportunity for each participant to speak his/her truth respectfully and work towards a resolution or greater understanding.
Public Defender
I’m a lawyer who has worked as Public Defender for 19 years. I’ve dedicated my life’s work to defending the rights of the poor and low-income members of our community; working to safeguard that that they be treated equally, with dignity, and respect within the criminal justice system. I’m also a wife and mother of two daughters. I love spending weekends hiking with my dog, watching my daughter’s soccer games, and skiing and rafting with family and friends.
Former County Commissioner
Bio and Picture Coming Soon
Judy was born in Rutherfordton, North Carolina. She moved to Salida a few years ago in October.. She has volunteered for Sunshine Shelter and AADA along with her current volunteering for Full Circle Restorative Justice. .
She has three children – all of whom are very accomplished in their chosen fields. Her son Bob, has a Phd and is a professor at Clemson University. Judy’s other son, Greg, is a lawyer in Salida and her daughter is a Phd professor in Hong Kong.
Judy received her AB Degree at the University of North Carolina and her JD Degree at William and Mary University/Marshall Wythe School of Law.
Before she went to law school, she was a junior high teacher in San Diego, California. She also worked in a personal business she and her husband created. After her time in law school she practiced law in Virginia Beach, was a special judge for mental commitment hearings and a lawyer mediator.
Wherever Judy has lived, she has contributed greatly to her community. She has volunteered in Salida ever since she has moved here. In Virginia Beach she served on the planning commission and was Vice Chair for 7 year. She also served on the board of the SPCA for 17 years, 3 of which she was president and for another year was secretary. Judy served on the founding Board of VA. Beach Free Health Clinic and also was a Crisis Hotline volunteer. Judy was also a part time photography model in Virginia Beach.
After 20 years in business, Andy decided to change careers. For a year he was an elementary teacher and after that he got his Phd in education and became a Business professor at Southern Oregon University.
He bought his home in Salida in 2008 and started living here full time after moving from Oregon in 2011. He was convinced to attend FCRJ facilitator training by a close friend after moving here. Andy is a lead facilitator in FCRJ and is active in many circles. He also works with prisoners because he believes engaging with them is a good use of his experience with kindness, passion and helping people who need it.
Volunteering with FCRJ and working in the prison is very gratifying for Andy. He believes in repairing relations instead of punishment. Andy enjoys working with youth and helping them in any way he can.
Karen Latvala has explored different paths in her life as an elementary teacher, wife, mother, office worker, and life coach, developing interpersonal and compassionate skills along the way.
She’s very interested in creating peace and harmony in the world, which led to her Full Circle Restorative Justice a few years ago, where she became involved with the school and jail programs.
She has been trained in High Risk Offender Dialogue, and was recently trained as a facilitator in the Volunteer Offender Education Group (VOEG) that will be working with inmates in the Buena Vista Prison.
Other interests include volunteer work with Hospice and with KHEN Radio.
She has enjoyed living in Coaldale, Colorado since 1998 with her husband Lyle.
Born and raised in Denver, Colorado, Ruth Phillips looked forward to leaving the city and experiencing life in a small mountain town.
So after graduating from college with a degree in special education, she was offered a job to begin a program for kids with learning disabilities in the elementary school in Salida.
Thirty years later she retired and began volunteering with a variety of programs helping others facing life’s challenges by working with Hospice, The Red Cross, and Ark-Valley Humane Society.
Her recent interest in FCRJ came about when she was invited to bring her certified therapy dog, Abby, to play a role in the circles. She is just beginning her facilitator training and participated in the Volunteer Offender Education Group (VOEG) that will be working with inmates in the Buena Vista Correctional Facility.
She has lived in Salida with her husband, Greg, for 42 years.
Greg Phillips has always loved the mountains and outdoor activities that Colorado has to offer. These interests led him to Salida where he taught elementary school for 30 years.
After retiring, he became more involved in developing a path geared toward compassion and serving the needs of those most underserved.
This led him to work with organizations such as Hospice, The Red Cross, Ark-Valley Humane Society, and FCRJ. He is being trained to work as a facilitator and participated in the Volunteer Offender Education Group (VOEG) that will be working with inmates in the Buena Vista Correctional Facility.
He has lived with his wife, Ruth, in Salida for 42 years.
Abby has been a certified therapy dog with the Alliance of Therapy Dogs, a national organization, for 4 years. She’s a 7 year old border collie and also competes in agility competitions in Colorado.
Her therapy work includes visiting nursing homes, schools, and Restorative Justice Circles. She loves people and seems to have a sixth sense in determining who is most in need of unconditional love and attention.
Ripleigh Potts was born in raised in Salida where she learned to ski, mountain bike, kayak, raft, snowboard, and love nature.
She was first introduced to restorative justice in 7th grade when her extended learning class did a project on restorative justice. Ripleigh loved the idea that there were other options rather than just the judicial system. She later came in contact with restorative justice again when there was an incident involving her brother and instead of pressing charges, her family went through the restorative justice process and loved it.
Ripleigh later became involved with restorative justice again during her sophomore year of high school.
She is very passionate about dancing and hopes to pursue a career in it. She is also on the high school mountain bike team, swim team and drama club.
Ripleigh is 15 years old and has lived in Salida her whole life.
From points East to Colorado in 1969, ski patrolled winters and built (and flipped) houses summers. Emt training led to BS in nursing. 17 years ICU and the last 9 in ER. Then back to flipping houses til retirement. Two years with Mentor Plus program. Buddhist practitioner.
