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Speaker Biographies

Heather Rice-Minus, President and CEOHEATHER RICE-MINUS

President and CEO

Heather Rice-Minus is the president and CEO of Prison Fellowship. Previous to this role, Heather was Prison Fellowship’s executive vice president of strategic initiatives. In this position, she led teams that built partnerships with churches, helped strengthen relationships between incarcerated parents and their children, fostered partnerships with donors at every level, and advocated for restorative criminal justice reform. Prior to that, Heather led Prison Fellowship’s advocacy team and was a leading voice behind the passage of the First Step Act.

A sought-after public speaker on the intersection of faith, justice, and incarceration, Heather has addressed audiences at national conferences and events including Wilberforce Weekend, Q Ideas Conference, and more. She has also contributed to Christianity Today, Slate, CBN News, The Marshall Project, PBS' Religion & Ethics NewsWeekly, and many other media outlets.

Previously, Heather managed prison reform advocacy efforts at the National Religious Campaign Against Torture and taught English in East Africa.

She graduated cum laude from Colorado State University with a degree in liberal arts and social work. After earning her J.D. from George Mason University’s Antonin Scalia Law School, she became a member of the Virginia State Bar, a member of the American Enterprise Institute’s Leadership Network and Faith & Public Life Ideas Council, and a Colson Fellow.

She resides in Southeast Washington, D.C., with her husband and two daughters.


KATE TRAMMEL, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, ADVOCACY & LEGALKATE TRAMMEL

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, ADVOCACY & LEGAL

Kate Trammell oversees Prison Fellowship’s legal department and leads the advocacy team to change culture and law through leveraging research, grassroots mobilization, and legislative campaigns. Kate oversees the development of policy positions on criminal justice issues and directs the organization’s advocacy initiatives designed to bring justice that restores to those impacted by crime and incarceration at the state and federal level.

Trammell has contributed to stories on crime and incarceration in the New York Times, Christian Post, Business Insider, and a variety of regional publications.

Previously, Kate worked as a magistrate for the Supreme Court of Virginia. She is a graduate of Liberty University School of Law with added studies in international law and comparative criminal procedure and is a member of the Virginia State Bar. She resides in Maryland with her husband and two children.


CODY WILDE, SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, CORRECTIONAL PROGRAMSCODY WILDE

SENIOR VICE PRESIDENT, CORRECTIONAL PROGRAMS

Cody Wilde oversees Prison Fellowship’s correctional programming in approximately 1,200 prisons across all 50 states. Cody previously served as an Academy director at Lino Lakes Correctional Facility, as a regional director for the Midwest and Great Lakes territory, and as national director of operations for the Academy team.

Originally from North Dakota, Cody is a former officer in the United States Army. He received his undergraduate degree in history from Northwestern College in St. Paul and holds graduate degrees in theology and international affairs from Bethel Seminary and the Bush School of Government at Texas A&M University. He is a student in a business management certificate program at the University of Texas, Austin.

Cody is married with three children and lives in the Minneapolis-St. Paul area, where he serves on the elder board at his local church.


JERMAINE WILSON, MISSION AMBASSADOR, PRISON FELLOWSHIPJERMAINE WILSON

MISSION AMBASSADOR, PRISON FELLOWSHIP

Jermaine Wilson is a mission ambassador at Prison Fellowship. He has also served as a two-time mayor of Leavenworth, Kansas (2019 and 2022). As a servant leader, his passion for helping others stems from his humble beginnings and troubled childhood.

Jermaine spent seven years behind bars—four of them as a juvenile. While incarcerated as an adult, he participated in biblically based programs through Prison Fellowship and experienced the life-transforming power of God’s Word. With renewed purpose and vision, Jermaine no longer saw himself as a failure and a mistake.

After his release from prison, Jermaine created a nonprofit organization, Unity in the Community, to establish trust between citizens and law enforcement. When his criminal record was expunged, he increased his political and civic involvement. In 2017, he was elected city commissioner for Leavenworth, Kansas. In 2020, he became the first formerly incarcerated person to serve on the Kansas Sentencing Committee.

Jermaine is an ordained minister, husband, and father of five children.

Prison Fellowship Media Contact

SUSAN MERRIMAN, Director of Communications and Thought Leadership

As the Director of Communications and Thought Leadership for Prison Fellowship, Susan Merriman manages all facets of media relations and press engagements. She brings more than 20 years of experience in public relations, executive counsel, marketing communications, investor relations, and brand management to her position. Proficient in strategic communications, she has worked across the spectrum of organizational sizes, from innovative start-ups to global Fortune 500 corporations. Susan also founded and ran a successful public relations and marketing agency for clients in the high-technology industry.

For interview requests, please contact Susan Merriman at 703.554.8698 or [email protected].

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