John Howard Association of Illinois

Daniel Hoffman has been the Office Manager for the John Howard Association since 2008. Prior to working at JHA, Dan worked in the retail, corporate, and distribution management fields. Dan graduated from Northern Illinois University with a B.S. in Human Resource Management and a minor in Psychology. His knowledge in office administration coupled with his strong organizational and interpersonal skills build a strong foundation for JHA. Dan will likely be your first contact with JHA whether you have questions about the organization or volunteer activities. Dan can be contacted at 312.503.6300 or via email at dhoffman(at)thejha.org

John Maki is the Executive Director of the John Howard Association of Illinois (JHA). In 2012, Governor Pat Quinn appointed John to the board of the Illinois Criminal Justice Information Authority. John is a lawyer and has represented wrongfully convicted people before the Illinois Prisoner Review Board in clemency proceedings. Before he began working for JHA, John was a new media consultant and organizer for several Midwest-based innocence projects, including the Center on Wrongful Convictions at Northwestern University School of Law. He has also worked in homeless prevention both as a community organizer and media consultant and as a teacher at the high school and college level. John can be contacted at 312.503.6305 or via email at jmaki(at)thejha.org

Maya Szilak is an attorney and John Howard Association's Policy and Research Specialist. She earned her Bachelor's Degree from Tulane University, New Orleans, and her law degree from Loyola University, Chicago. Prior to joining the John Howard Association, she served as a judicial law clerk in the Illinois Appellate Court, First Judicial District. Subsequently, she worked for eight years as an Assistant Appellate Defender in the Office of the State Appellate Defender, representing indigent clients in criminal appeals before the Illinois Appellate Courts and the Illinois Supreme Court, and in clemency proceedings before the Illinois Prisoner Review Board. Maya can be contacted at 312.503.6302 or via email at mszilak(at)thejha.org

Gwyneth Troyer is the Director of the John Howard Association's Prison Monitor Project. Prior to joining the John Howard Association, Gwyn practiced law in a boutique civil litigation firm, primarily representing whistleblowers in cases involving corporate fraud in government contracts. She earned her B.A. from Reed College and her J.D. from Northeastern University School of Law. Gwyn can be contacted at 312.503.6304 or via email at gtroyer(at)thejha.org.

Jennifer Vollen-Katz is an attorney and the Director of the John Howard Association's Juvenile Justice Project. She earned her Bachelor's Degree from St. Lawrence University, New York, her law degree from the Georgetown University Law Center, Washington D.C., and her master’s degree in criminal justice policy from the London School of Economics, London, England. Prior to joining the John Howard Association, Jennifer was a lecturer in law and a clinical supervisor at the University of Chicago Law School, Mandel Legal Aid Clinic, Federal Criminal Justice Project. Jennifer was also a staff attorney with the Federal Defender Program of Northern Illinois, representing indigent clients in criminal cases in the Northern District of Illinois. Jennifer can be contacted at 312.503.6303 or via email at jvollen(at)thejha.org.

Christie Callahan is the Director of the Recidivism Reduction Project. She earned her Bachelor's Degree in International Business and Master's Degrees in both Higher Education (Santa Clara University) and Divinity (Chicago Theological Seminary). Prior to joining the John Howard Association, she taught college level international Economics in Germany. Upon returning to the U.S., Christie wrote and administered Champaign County High School District's first School-to-Work Program. Subsequently, she has been a Parish Pastor serving the community through an on-site Food Pantry and Clothes Closet which also offered utility assistance to low-income families. Most recently, she has worked as a Correctional Officer and as a Chaplain for IDOC. Christie can be reached at 312.503.6307 or via email at ccallahan(at)thejha.org.

Phillip Whittington is the Prison Response Coordinator for the John Howard Association. In 2012, he earned a Bachelor's Degree in Political Science from Loyola University of Chicago. JHA receives approximately 3,000 letters, emails, and phone calls from inmates and their families annually. Mr. Whittington draws upon more than two decades of experience with the various facets of the criminal justice system to answer inquiries about a wide range of subjects.