Chief of Staff, Community Justice Solutions
Lisa Bailey Vavonese is Chief of Staff at Community Justice Solutions (CJS), a venture of the Center for Justice Innovation. In this role, Lisa oversees the department-wide implementation of the strategic vision for CJS, leading key initiatives to secure its sustainability and extend its national reach. She also oversees core operational processes within CJS and develops partnerships with funders and partners, including policymakers and the media.
Previously at the Center, Lisa was the director of Research-Practice Strategies, pairing researchers with practitioners to conduct original research and provide expert assistance to jurisdictions across the country. Her areas of expertise include public defense and the protection of constitutional rights.
Prior to joining the Center, Lisa served as Director of the Reentry Clinic at the Center for Community Alternatives in Syracuse and as an Assistant Public Defender in Monroe County, New York. Her work also includes assisting refugees in Tanzania with resettlement applications, advocating for survivors of domestic violence in Malaysia, and conducting legal research for judges at the International Criminal Tribunal for the Former Yugoslavia in The Hague.
Lisa received her B.A. from Hartwick College and her J.D. from the State University of New York at Buffalo Law School.
