Saint Paul – Governor Tim Pawlenty today announced the appointment of Mary Claire Picard, Kathryn S. Richtman, and Emily Tischer, and the reappointment of Amanda Dionne, Sarah Dixon, and Judge Kathryn N. Smith to the Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee (JJAC). In addition, the Governor appointed Richard Gardell chair of the JJAC.

Dionne, of Crystal, is an undergraduate student in her first year at Augsburg College in Minneapolis after graduating from Cooper High School in Crystal where she was a member of the National Junior Honor Society. She has worked with YouthCARE (Cultural Appreciation and Racial Equity), and the Young Women’s Mentoring Program in Minneapolis, and served as a tutor for at-risk youth. Dionne, who has been a member of the JJAC since 2006, is reappointed as a youth member to a four-year term that expires on January 12, 2012.

Dixon, of Duluth, is the executive director of the Minnesota Alliance With Youth, which hosts the AmeriCorps Promise Fellows program. Previously, she was the founding board chair of Faribault’s Community of Promise Collaborative, and has over 20 years of experience working in all areas of adolescent health and development, including intervention and treatment, counseling, education, and community-wide youth development. Dixon, who has been a member of the JJAC since 2002 and chair since 2004, is reappointed as a member to another four-year term that expires on January 2, 2012.

Gardell, of Minneapolis, is the president and CEO of 180 Degrees, Inc., a community-based non-profit organization that provides correctional services. Previously, he was a police officer for 31 years with the St. Paul Police Department. Gardell has been a member of the JJAC since 2003, and serves as the primary Minnesota appointee to the Federal Advisory Committee on Juvenile Justice. He succeeds Sarah Dixon as chair of the JJAC.

Picard, of St. Paul, is a student at St. Paul Technical College and Community ALC High School. She previously attended St. Paul Conservatory for Performing Artists and Gateway, ALC. Picard is also a waitress at Carbone’s in St. Paul, and a member of the Giovanni Opera Choir. Picard, who replaces Kari Schuch as a youth member of the JJAC, is appointed to a four-year term that expires on January 2, 2012.

Richtman, of St. Paul, manages the juvenile delinquency section of the Ramsey County Attorney’s office’s prosecution division, where she is responsible for the prosecution of all juvenile delinquency cases. She has been an assistant Ramsey County Attorney since 1992, and has 19 years of experience as a prosecutor. Richtman co-chairs the American Bar Association’s Juvenile Justice Section, as well as the Minnesota County Attorneys Association Juvenile Law Committee, is a founding member and chair of the Hmong Youth Task Force, and a member of the Ramsey County Youth at Risk Committee. Richtman replaces Steve Hubbard as a member of the JJAC to complete a four-year term that expires on January 25, 2009.

Smith, of Willmar, is an Eighth Judicial District trial court judge in Kandiyohi County, a position she has held since 1997. She is the lead judge on the Kandiyohi County Children’s Justice Initiative Team, chaired the Supreme Court Juvenile Delinquency Rules Committee from 2001 to 2007, and is an active member of the Minnesota District Judges Association. Smith is also a member of the Kandiyohi County Family YMCA Board of Directors and chairs the Mentor Committee. Smith, who has been a member of the JJAC since 2004 and chairs its Disproportionate Minority Contact Subcommittee, is reappointed to another four-year term that expires on January 2, 2012.

Tischer, of Rochester, is an undergraduate student at Augsburg College in Minneapolis, where she has been on the Dean’s List since beginning her education at Augsburg in the fall of 2005. She is an intern with Hennepin County Juvenile Probation, is a campus resident assistant, vice president of Phi Alpha Social Work Honor Society, and a member of the Campus Outreach Leadership Team. Tischer replaces Donald Schoenrock as a youth member of the JJAC to complete a four-year term that expires on January 5, 2009.

The Juvenile Justice Advisory Committee awards grants and carries out the state plan of the federal Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act. The committee consists of 18 members appointed by the Governor.