Leadership Through Lived Experience: My Journey on the FICGN Governance Committee
*”The most powerful leadership tool you have is your own personal example.” — John Wooden*
The Call to Service: Overseeing Transformation
When I first received the invitation to serve on the governance committee for the Formerly Incarcerated College Graduate Network (FICGN) and oversee its board of advisors, I recognized it as both an extraordinary honor and a profound responsibility. This was not simply another board position—it was an opportunity to help guide an organization fundamentally reshaping the landscape of higher education, criminal justice reform, and second-chance opportunities in America.
The FICGN stands as one of the most innovative and necessary organizations in today’s social justice movement. Founded by and for individuals who have navigated both the criminal justice system and higher education, the network represents a revolutionary approach to creating systemic change through lived experience, academic achievement, and collective advocacy.
As someone overseeing the governance committee and the board of advisors, I’ve had a unique vantage point to witness and facilitate this transformation—working at the intersection of policy, education, and human potential. This role has become one of the most meaningful commitments of my professional life, consistently challenging my perceptions and expanding my understanding of what effective system change requires.
The Governance Architecture: Building for Impact and Inclusion
One of my first responsibilities upon joining the governance committee was to help restructure the network’s advisory framework to better serve its ambitious mission. This required thoughtful consideration of how to balance various elements:
Centering Lived Experience
From the outset, our committee established a foundational principle: those with direct experience of incarceration and higher education would maintain majority representation and decision-making authority across all governance structures. This wasn’t simply about representation—it was about ensuring authentic leadership grounded in the very experiences the organization seeks to transform.
We developed a tiered governance model that includes:
1. **The Leadership Council**: Composed entirely of formerly incarcerated college graduates who set the network’s strategic direction and priorities
2. **The Governance Committee**: A smaller operational body (which I serve on) that implements the council’s vision and oversees various advisory boards
3. **Specialized Advisory Boards**: Focused on specific areas including higher education policy, campus initiatives, research, and development
This structure ensures that while the network benefits from diverse expertise, its core identity and direction remain firmly anchored in the leadership of those with lived experience.
Building Cross-Sector Collaboration
As the overseer of the board of advisors, one of my key contributions has been recruiting and engaging leaders from across sectors—higher education, criminal justice, philanthropy, corporate America, and policy—to create a multidimensional support ecosystem.
This required careful curation to ensure advisors brought not just prestigious credentials but genuine commitment to the network’s transformative mission. I developed a rigorous selection process that evaluates potential advisors on several dimensions:
– Demonstrated commitment to educational equity and criminal justice reform
– Willingness to examine and challenge their own assumptions and biases
– Specific expertise or resources that address identified network priorities
– Ability to serve as effective ambassadors to their respective spheres of influence
Through this process, we’ve assembled an extraordinary advisory board that includes college presidents, foundation executives, corporate leaders, policymakers, and community organizers—all united by their commitment to creating educational pathways for justice-impacted individuals.
Governance With Accountability
Perhaps most importantly, I’ve worked to establish governance mechanisms that ensure accountability flows in multiple directions:
– **Upward accountability**: Regular reporting to the Leadership Council composed of formerly incarcerated graduates
– **Horizontal accountability**: Transparent decision-making processes across committees and working groups
– **Downward accountability**: Clear communication channels to membership and consistent solicitation of feedback
– **External accountability**: Metrics-based evaluation of program impacts and outcomes
These mechanisms prevent the governance structure from becoming disconnected from those it serves—a critical consideration for any organization working with marginalized communities.
Strategic Initiatives: From Vision to Implementation
As the overseer of the board of advisors, a significant portion of my role involves translating the network’s bold vision into strategic initiatives with measurable impact. Several key initiatives have emerged from this work:
The National Campus Chapter Initiative
One of our most transformative programs has been establishing FICGN chapters on college campuses nationwide. These chapters serve multiple functions:
– Creating supportive communities for currently enrolled formerly incarcerated students
– Advocating for institutional policy changes regarding admissions, financial aid, and support services
– Educating campus communities about the value formerly incarcerated students bring to academic environments
– Building pipelines between correctional facilities and higher education institutions
Under my guidance, the board of advisors developed a comprehensive chapter playbook, sustainable funding models, and an expansion strategy that has seen chapters established at over 35 campuses in just two years. Each chapter receives ongoing support, professional development, and direct connections to the national network.
The success stories emerging from these chapters have been remarkable. At one public university in the Midwest, the FICGN chapter successfully advocated for the removal of questions about criminal history from initial applications, resulting in a 42% increase in admissions of students with justice involvement. At another campus in California, the chapter established a dedicated resource center that has helped increase the graduation rate of formerly incarcerated students by over 60%.
The Policy Impact Collaborative
Recognizing that individual success stories, while powerful, are insufficient to create systemic change, I helped establish the Policy Impact Collaborative—a strategic initiative that leverages the collective expertise of our membership and advisory board to influence policy at institutional, state, and federal levels.
This collaborative has achieved significant victories:
– Worked with congressional allies to expand Pell Grant eligibility for incarcerated students
– Partnered with state higher education authorities to implement fair chance admission policies across multiple state university systems
– Developed model campus policies regarding housing, employment, and support services for formerly incarcerated students
– Created accountability metrics for institutions receiving funds for prison education programs
Each policy initiative is guided by a simple principle: those most affected by these policies must be central to their development. Under my oversight, the board of advisors ensures that policy advocacy remains grounded in the actual experiences and needs of formerly incarcerated students rather than theoretical approaches.
The Research Justice Initiative
One of the most innovative programs I’ve helped develop is the Research Justice Initiative. This program addresses a fundamental problem in criminal justice and higher education research: the people being studied rarely have agency in how research questions are framed, data is gathered, or findings are interpreted.
Through this initiative, we’ve:
– Established a research ethics framework specifically addressing studies involving justice-impacted populations
– Created a participatory research model where formerly incarcerated individuals serve as co-investigators rather than simply research subjects
– Developed partnerships with major research universities to implement these approaches
– Published groundbreaking studies on educational outcomes, employment trajectories, and institutional practices
This initiative represents a fundamental reimagining of how knowledge is created in this field—shifting from research “on” formerly incarcerated students to research “with” and “by” these scholars.
Leading Through Challenges: Navigating Complex Terrain
Overseeing the governance committee and board of advisors for an organization as innovative as FICGN comes with unique challenges. Three particular areas have required thoughtful navigation:
Balancing Institutional Partnerships and Radical Vision
One ongoing tension in our work involves balancing partnerships with traditional institutions while maintaining a commitment to transformative change. Many potential institutional partners—universities, foundations, government agencies—are intrigued by our work but hesitant to embrace its more radical implications.
I’ve developed what we call “the both/and approach”—helping the organization maintain its visionary edge while creating strategic entry points for institutional partners. This involves:
– Creating tiered partnership models that allow institutions to engage at different levels
– Developing clear principles that guide all institutional relationships
– Establishing metrics that evaluate partnerships based on tangible impacts rather than symbolic gestures
This approach has allowed FICGN to work effectively with traditional institutions without compromising its core values or mission.
Addressing Diverse Perspectives Within the Network
While all FICGN members share the experience of incarceration and higher education, they represent tremendous diversity in terms of race, gender, geography, type of conviction, length of sentence, academic discipline, and political perspective.
As governance committee member and overseer of the advisory board, I’ve worked to create decision-making processes that honor this diversity while allowing for effective action. This includes:
– Regular listening sessions with different constituency groups within the network
– Transparent decision-making frameworks that consider multiple perspectives
– Intentional diversity in committee composition and leadership
– Conflict resolution protocols that address disagreements respectfully and productively
These approaches have allowed the network to maintain unity of purpose while honoring the diverse experiences and perspectives of its membership.
Securing Sustainable Resources
Perhaps the most persistent challenge has been developing sustainable funding models for this work. Despite its demonstrated impact, the FICGN operates at the intersection of criminal justice reform and higher education—two areas where funding can be siloed and restrictive.
Under my guidance, the board of advisors has developed a diversified funding approach that includes:
– Multi-year foundation partnerships focused on specific program areas
– Fee-for-service models for institutions implementing our campus programs
– Corporate partnerships aligned with workforce development goals
– Individual donor programs that engage directly with our membership
– Government grants for specific research and program initiatives
This diversified approach has allowed the network to grow sustainably while maintaining program integrity and independence.
Transformation Through Governance: Measuring Impact
As someone deeply committed to data-informed decision making, I’ve helped the governance committee implement robust impact assessment across all network activities. These assessments evaluate impact at multiple levels:
Individual Transformation
At the individual level, we track outcomes for formerly incarcerated students engaged with our programs, including:
– Academic persistence and graduation rates
– Employment outcomes and career progression
– Leadership development and civic engagement
– Peer mentorship and network expansion
The results have been remarkable, with network members achieving graduation rates approaching 85%—significantly higher than both general student populations and other formerly incarcerated students without network support.
Institutional Change
At the institutional level, we measure how our campus chapters and partnerships transform policies and practices:
– Changes to admission policies regarding criminal history questions
– Establishment of dedicated support services for justice-impacted students
– Faculty development programs on inclusive teaching practices
– Campus climate improvements regarding formerly incarcerated students
Across our partner institutions, we’ve documented over 120 specific policy changes directly resulting from FICGN advocacy and support.
Systemic Impact
At the systemic level, we evaluate broader transformations in the landscape of higher education and criminal justice:
– Policy changes at state and federal levels
– Shifts in public narrative and media coverage
– Increased representation of formerly incarcerated scholars in academic positions
– Growth in research funding directed toward educational programs for justice-impacted people
Through rigorous assessment, we’ve demonstrated that investments in the education of formerly incarcerated individuals yield extraordinary returns—not just for these individuals but for institutions, communities, and systems.
Personal Transformation: The Privilege of Service
While I’ve focused primarily on the organizational aspects of my role, I would be remiss not to acknowledge how profoundly this work has transformed me personally. Overseeing the governance committee and board of advisors for FICGN has fundamentally reshaped my understanding of leadership, equity, and human potential.
I’ve learned that genuine leadership often means creating the conditions for others to lead—particularly those whose voices have been systematically marginalized. I’ve witnessed the extraordinary expertise that emerges from lived experience when given the platform and resources to flourish. And I’ve seen how organizations built on authentic community leadership can achieve impacts that traditional approaches cannot.
Perhaps most importantly, I’ve developed a deeper understanding of how educational opportunity and criminal justice reform intersect with broader issues of racial equity, economic justice, and democratic participation. These connections have informed not just my work with FICGN but my approach to leadership across all professional contexts.
Looking Forward: The Road Ahead
As the FICGN continues to grow in impact and influence, the governance committee and board of advisors face exciting opportunities and challenges:
National Expansion
We are currently implementing a strategic expansion plan that will establish FICGN chapters in all 50 states by 2027, with particular focus on regions with high incarceration rates and limited reentry supports.
Policy Transformation
Building on our previous policy successes, we are developing a comprehensive federal policy agenda focused on removing barriers to education and employment for justice-impacted individuals.
Research Leadership
We are establishing a research institute led by formerly incarcerated scholars that will set the standard for ethical, community-based research on higher education and criminal justice.
Sustainable Infrastructure
We are building the organizational infrastructure needed to support this growth while maintaining our commitment to authentic leadership and community accountability.
The Invitation: Join This Transformative Work
If you’re reading this and feeling inspired to engage with this work, know that there are many ways to contribute:
– **Academic institutions** can partner with FICGN to establish campus chapters and implement more inclusive policies
– **Employers** can develop hiring pathways for formerly incarcerated graduates
– **Policymakers** can work with our advocacy team to remove educational barriers
– **Philanthropists** can invest in programs with demonstrated impacts
– **Individuals** can challenge stereotypes and advocate for educational access in their communities
Serving on the governance committee and overseeing the board of advisors for the Formerly Incarcerated College Graduate Network has been one of the most profound privileges of my professional life. It has shown me what is possible when we reimagine our approaches to education, justice, and human potential—when we recognize that those who have experienced our systems’ greatest failures often hold the keys to their transformation.
In a society that often defines people by their worst moments, the FICGN stands as living testimony to the power of second chances, educational opportunity, and authentic leadership. Through education, community, and collective action, we are not just changing individual lives—we are reimagining justice and opportunity in America.
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*This blog post reflects my personal views and experiences as a member of the governance committee and overseer of the board of advisors for the Formerly Incarcerated College Graduate Network. To learn more about the network’s work or to get involved, please visit the official FICGN website.*
