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Michael Dempsey was appointed Executive Director of the IDOC’s Division of Youth Services in May 2009. Mr. Dempsey began his assignment with the Indiana Department of Correction as Superintendent of the Pendleton Juvenile Correctional Facility in June 2006. Prior to moving to Indiana, Mr. Dempsey served as the Superintendent of the Kansas Juvenile Correctional Complex for approximately two and a half years. He began his career in corrections with the Missouri Department of Corrections, starting as a Corrections Officer at the Missouri State Penitentiary in 1985. Since that time, Mr. Dempsey has held positions as a Correctional Sergeant, Lieutenant, Captain and Major. He has also held positions as Correctional Training Officer, Internal Affairs Investigator, Assistant Superintendent and Associate Superintendent.

Mr. Dempsey holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Public Administration and Criminal Justice and has been actively involved with the American Correctional Association (ACA) as a member and certified auditor. He has also been involved with the Counsel of Juvenile Correctional Administrators (CJCA), working with the performance-based standards which are now being implemented in all IDOC Juvenile Correctional Facilities.

Timene Farlow is the Deputy Commissioner for Juvenile Justice Services at the Philadelphia Department of Human Services. Prior to being appointed to this role in April 2009, she held a variety of other leadership positions with the Agency including: Director of Court and Community Services, Director of provider Relations and Evaluation of Programs and Director of Professional Services at the Youth Study Center, the city's secure juvenile detention center. It was her many years of experience in this latter role which stirred her interest and passion for gender responsive programming and services for girls and which has made her a staunch advocate for this uniquely vulnerable population.

Robert E. "Gene" Christian is the Executive Director of the Oklahoma Office of Juvenile Affairs. He is the agency’s 4th Executive Director since its creation on July 1, 1995. He joined the Office of Juvenile Affairs on September 1, 2006.

He received his Bachelor of Business Administration Degree from the University of Oklahoma in 1980 and his Jurist Doctorate from the University of Oklahoma School of Law in 1983.

Director Christian served as District Attorney for District Six of the State of Oklahoma, which includes Caddo, Jefferson, Grady and Stephens Counties, for 16 years. Before becoming the District Attorney for the Sixth District, Christian worked as a Staff Attorney for the Oklahoma House of Representatives specializing in the areas of criminal justice, public safety and taxation.

OJA is a stand-alone state agency responsible for juvenile justice services at both the local and state level, including prevention, probation, institutional and aftercare services for juvenile offenders and at-risk youth throughout the state.

Also, as the Director of OJA he serves as a Commissioner on the Oklahoma Commission of Children and Youth, the Governor’s Transformation Advisory Board, Oklahoma Child Death Review Board, the Domestic Violence Fatality Review Board and he or his designee serves on various other state boards and committees involving youth.

Sharon Harrigfeld is the Director of the Idaho Department of Juvenile Corrections. She has worked in the juvenile justice field for thirty years beginning her career monitoring jails and lockups for compliance with the Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention Act.

She has her Master’s Degree in Counseling and has been in private practice working with adolescents and adults with addiction issues. In addition, she has run private non-profit organizations addressing the substance abuse needs of adults and adolescents and worked in a residential treatment facility.