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Board of Directors
Stewarding the Mission With Care and Integrity
Strategic leadership in service of our mission.
Guiding the Vision and Strengthening the Mission
Beyond the Bars’ Board of Directors play a pivotal role in both shaping the vision of the program and overseeing that it is carried out. The board is made up a mixture of leaders from all different parts of the city with different careers. One constant is that they are leaders who are driven to provide a strong program for our youth.
Chairperson of the Board
In loving memory of Khalia Robinson, whose leadership and care continue to shape our community. The Khalia Robinson Studio stands in her honor — a space dedicated to creativity, healing, and opportunity for future generations of artists.
Co-Vice Chairperson of the Board
Co-Vice Chairperson of the Board
Deep Shah is a Philly born native who grew up in the far Northeast area of Philadelphia and currently resides in Francisville. Deep graduated from Villanova University with a Bachelors of Science with majors in Accountancy and Management Information Systems. Deep is a Certified Public Accountant licensed in the State of Pennsylvania and has worked as a tax consultant at KPMG for over two years.
Treasurer
Founder and Executive Director of The Center for Returning Citizens (TCRC) in Philadelphia
J. Jondhi Harrell, JUST LEADERSHIP FELLOW USA 2016, is the Founder and Executive Director of The Center for Returning Citizens (TCRC) in Philadelphia. TCRC offers comprehensive services for prisoners and formerly incarcerated people in the areas of re-entry, pre-entry, and advocacy. He plays a leadership role in numerous organizations, including the National Committee of Alternatives to Violence Re-Entry Program, the Formerly Incarcerated and Families Working Group of Decarcerate PA, the Coalition against Mass Incarceration (CAMI Philly), the Re-Entry Coalition of Philadelphia and the Quaker Network to End Mass Incarceration. Jondhi is co-founder of the Transitional Services Coalition and the BLOC Party (Build Lobby Organize Campaign), the movement to forge returning citizens of Philadelphia and Pennsylvania into a cultural, social, political, and economic coalition. He is a frequent guest lecturer on the topics of Mass Incarceration, Social Injustice, The New Underground Railroad, and Re-building Black America at universities, colleges, churches, organizations and community events. Jondhi has a Bachelor’s Degree in Human Service Management from the University of Phoenix and is a Master’s in Social Work candidate at Temple University.
Director of Data Team
Director of Curriculum Team
Julius Brown (He, Him, His) is a radical educator focused on intersectional equity. As a radical music educator, Julius creates social-action directed, student-centered, democratic environments of creativity that deconstruct hegemonic structures of oppression with student-empowered leadership and artistry. Julius believes the identities of students should be validated and affirmed in content, structures, and systems through the lens of equitable proportionality.
Julius works on the national scale by envisioning, planning, and promoting large scale professional development opportunities for music educators. He is in high demand as a clinician and instructional coach surrounding anti-racist and intersectionally equitable approaches teaching.
Julius is also a faculty member of Cultural Connections By Design, where he teaches anti-racism, and DEI to corporations, educational organizations, and individuals. He creates self-interrogating, vulnerable environments that combine internal exploration with external action within anti-racism/anti white oppressorship.
Julius is a past recipient of the National Harriet Ball Excellence in Teaching Award, and has been teaching in K-12 Public Education for over 18 years.
Pat Cassidy is a touring member of the Districts, a Philadelphia based band that has performed at festivals and venues across the world. PAt has used his connections within the greater Music Community to set up various fundraising opportunities such as benefit shows and Live Track EPs.
Music Outreach Fundraising Director