As a social motivational speaker with an impactful story, Mr. Tracey L. Fisher is often invited to speak at schools, churches, community centers, and many organizations. His mission is to be a resource for Philadelphia’s youth and citizens in equipping them with the decision-making tools necessary for leading successful lives. His strong vision and commitment to social justice is evidenced in his personal accomplishments of implementing meaningful mentoring programs for Philadelphia citizens of all ages. He has created and developed “Gateway to Re-Entry,” which seeks to assist people returning home from prison, “Gateway to No-Entry,” which focuses on youth prevention, and “Dream Your Dream Tour,” which encourages Philadelphia’s youth to follow their dreams.
Perseverance, positive thinking and education are at the center of the philosophy he hopes to spread to Philadelphia’s youth and citizens. In fact, Mr. Fisher is currently continuing his own education at Harcum College.
Wayne Jacobs, Executive Director for X-Offenders for Community Empowerment, is responsible for planning and executing the statewide work plan. As one of the founding members of XCE, Mr. Jacobs has extensive experience in advocacy, program planning and drafting policy regarding issues affecting the formerly convicted.
He was responsible for the organizing, outreach and advocacy for the Up Against the Law pardons clinic in 2003. His history of activism dates back to his junior high school years as part of the movement to integrate hiring for the construction of Strawberry Mansion High School. Since that time, he has been in such movements as the Unemployment Project (Board member), Prisoners Against Violence (Co-founder), Jobs For Peace Campaign, and the Martin Luther King Anti-Apartheid Coalition.
Mr. Jacobs also worked as legislative assistant to State Representative Andrew Carn and Jewell Williams. Presently, he is serving as constituent services staff in the office of State Representative Elect Leslie Acosta as a specialist dealing with the PA Department of Corrections, the PA Board of Probation & Parole, and the PA Board of Pardons. He will be providing policy recommendations and media responses regarding issues impacting the FICP community.
From 1986 to the present, Mike Robinson has conducted hundreds of professional development workshops, sermons, lectures and motivational presentations for corporations, churches, community agencies, political forums, colleges, school districts, professional associations and conferences. He is an in-demand national speaker who has conducted hundreds of workshops and motivational presentations, serving over 100,000 youth and adults.
Presently, he is the Director, Community Outreach & Hiring/Office of Human Resources, Temple University and the organizer of the "Annual Neighborhood Job Fair" at Temple University, one of the largest job fairs held in the city of Philadelphia, PA. He also collaborates with two ex-offenders agencies in the city: Mayor's Office of Re-Integration Services and Connection Training Services, to assist with career coaching and job placement of returning citizens.
Loraine Ballard Morrill, Award Winning News and Community Affairs Director at iHeartMedia describes Mike Robinson as “someone I know I can always count on." His commitment to serving the Philadelphia community is impressive and much needed.
Reverend Michelle Anne Simmons Director Why Not Prosper, Inc.
Reverend Michelle Anne Simmons, a single mother of two children, has overcome many challenges throughout her life. It is through her faith in God that she has persevered and is able to share her story. She has received a number of awards for her leadership, advocacy, heroism, and humanitarianism that have afforded her opportunities to travel the world, sharing her experience and ministering to others.
In 2003, Rev. Simmons opened Why Not Prosper House, a transitional house for female ex-offenders. She founded the organization believing in the importance of giving women a hand up, not a hand out. Through Why Not Prosper, she provides a mentoring and graphic arts program for female ex-offenders and two resource centers that she's established offer women access to parenting and life skills classes as well as a variety of employment services. Her motivation to launch Why Not Prosper stems from her own experiences facing much adversity in her adolescent and early adult years, including abuse, legal problems and substance use. With the help of Christianity and self-help programs, she became inspired to both turn her life around and to help others.
Rev. Simmons is currently pursuing a Ph.D in Psychology from Walden University. She holds a Master’s Degree in Clinical and Counseling Psychology and a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Services from Chestnut Hill College. She is also a Certified Allied Addictions Practitioner and a Human Services Board Certified Practitioner.
The focus of her next project is to build a larger housing facility to accommodate more women and with the help of God this mission will be accomplished.
Cyndi Zuidema is the Reentry Coordinator for the United States Attorney’s Office in the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. Cyndi earned her Bachelor of Arts in Psychology from Temple University. Cyndi began her career at The Inside-Out Prison Exchange Program, an international non-profit organization based at Temple University that brings college students together with incarcerated men and women to study as peers in semester long courses behind prison walls. Through this and other community-based programs, she worked for programs that serve the Pennsylvania Department of Corrections, Philadelphia Prison System, and Philadelphia School District prior to coming to the Department of Justice. In her current role, Cyndi coordinates two programs that assist people coming out of Federal and State prison, Supervision to Aid Reentry and The Project Safe Neighborhoods Offender Call-In Program. She is also co-chair of the Philadelphia Reentry Coalition.