Dr. Carmen Gomez
Carmen Z. Gomez, PhD is a respected Judicial and Criminal Justice professional with over 26 years of experience in the system. She currently serves as the Deputy Commissioner for Pretrial Services for the Massachusetts Probation Service. She holds a PhD in Philosophy with a concentration in Law, Policy, and Society. She has served as an adjunct professor at several colleges and universities, and as a consultant to local, state, and federal entities providing expertise in the areas of sex crimes, and serial killings.
She serves as an APPA Leadership Institute Coordinator and is on the Board of Directors of the National Association of Probation Executive, Enroot, Cambridge Community Services, and the Governor’s Criminal Record Review Board. She is the Co-Founder of the Foundation for Non-Violent Action.
She organized the Massachusetts Trial Court’s first annual Women’s History Month Celebration in 2021 and every year after. A continuation of her dedication to advancing women’s rights and securing recognition for their contributions. She is a national speaker and a thought leader in the areas of Racial Justice, Women’s Rights, Leadership Capacity, and Wellness.
She is the recipient of the 2020 Amplify Latinx Latina Leader for the category of Government, and Public Policy, 2019 Martin Luther King Spirit Award, 2018 Mutual of America Community Partnership – Rosie’s Place, 2017 Mutual of America – United States Mint Liberty Coin, 2017 Excellence Award Massachusetts Trial Court, 2017 Women of Distinction, 2015 One of the 100 Most Influential Hispanics in Massachusetts, 2012 Excellence Award Massachusetts Trial Court, and Distinguished Alumna in Liberal Arts, Humanity, and Education.
She has devoted most of her life to public service, civil rights, wellness, leadership, and community engagement. She is committed to creating and supporting systems that embrace diversity, equality, inclusion, access, and a fair and just legal system.
Amy Nechtem
The HONORABLE AMY L. NECHTEM is the Chief Justice of the Massachusetts Juvenile Court Department. As Chief Justice, she advances the administration and management of policy and practice affecting juvenile justice and child welfare matters in the courts throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts. Chief Justice Nechtem was named a Top Woman in Law by Massachusetts Lawyers Weekly, is a recipient of the Massachusetts Judges Conference Judicial Excellent Award and received the 2021 US Department of Health and Human Services, Children’s Bureau Champion Award for persistent service on behalf of children, youth, young adults, and families.
Chief Justice Nechtem is the Past President of the National Association of Women Judges (NAWJ), the country’s leading voice for women in the judiciary. Chief Justice Nechtem established the NAWJ Child Welfare Juvenile Justice Standing Committee focused on advancing judicial practices nationally. Chief Justice Nechtem co-chaired the committee responsible for NAWJ’s Strategic Plan designed to strengthen NAWJ as a national driver of innovation and excellence in the judiciary. Chief Justice Nechtem was awarded the Justice Joan Dempsey Klein Award given to honor a judge who brings distinction to her office and exemplifies the mission of NAWJ, to promote the judicial role of protecting the rights of individuals under the rule of law through strong, committed diverse judicial leadership, fairness and equity in our courts, and equal access to justice.
Chief Justice Nechtem speaks nationally and internationally on an array of topics relating to judicial leadership, systems change, and issues facing women, youth, and families. She attended the International Judicial Academy on International Law and Courts in The Hague, Netherlands. Chief Nechtem is a member of the Casey Family Program 21st Century Child Welfare System Steering Committee, a national team focusing on prevention, safety, stability, and permanency for the youth in the system.
Chief Justice Nechtem was a member of the Audrey Hepburn Children’s Fund Judicial Resource Project, a national group of focused professionals from the judiciary, medical, and social services fields, working to provide resources for judges who make decisions involving the lives of children and families affected by maltreatment and abuse. As a result, Chief Nechtem created Pathways, a multidisciplinary judicial case management system; Upstream, child welfare sequential resource mapping; and Family Treatment Courts, all now national models.
Chief Justice Nechtem served as an Assistant District Attorney in Boston for many years prosecuting child abuse and major felony cases. Chief Justice Nechtem is a graduate of Simmons University where she received the Outstanding Community Service Award and graduated with honors from Suffolk University Law School where she currently serves as the Vice Chair of its Board of Trustees.
Coria Holland
Coria Holland is an experienced, accomplished, and driven Director of Communications and Spokesperson with a demonstrated history of working in the public relations and communications industry. As the Communications Director, Ms. Holland handles both internal and external Communications as well as marketing for the Massachusetts Probation Service (MPS), a department of the Massachusetts Trial Court.
Ms. Holland responds to both daily media and public inquiries. She is skilled in Media Relations and Media Relations training, message development, crisis communications, social media, journalism, marketing, and event planning. She has built an effective internal agency communications network utilizing print, electronic, and online avenues to communicate important information to some 2,000 staff operating in 120 locations statewide. Through Ms. Holland’s work, she has projected a positive image of the importance of the mission and the high standard of performance by MPS. Ms. Holland pioneered a positive social media presence for the MPS, including outlets such as LinkedIn, X (formerly Twitter), Instagram, and various podcasts.
As Communications Director, she has built a positive working relationship for the agency with print, broadcast, and online networks locally, nationally, and internationally. Ms. Holland also specializes in creating informative and interesting publications and marketing materials. She is experienced in writing Opinion Editorials, speech writing, news and feature writing, and publicity. Ms. Holland regularly contributes articles about MPS to the Court Bulletin, the Trial Court’s newsletter.
Ms. Holland is a proud graduate of Hampton University in Virginia where she majored in Journalism and Mass Media Arts. After graduation, Ms. Holland worked for several daily newspapers, including The Springfield Republican, The Beverly Times, and The Worcester Telegram & Gazette before working in Northeastern University’s Public Relations Office as a Media Relations Specialist. Ms. Holland is a member of several local and national journalism and Communications associations, including the Public Relations Society of America (PRSA), the National Association of Black Journalists (NABJ) and serves on the board of the Boston Association of Black Journalists (BABJ) where she organizes panel discussions featuring local newsmakers.
Jennifer Brady
Jennifer Brady is Criminal Justice professional with twenty-six years of service with the Norfolk County Sheriff’s Department as a Corrections Officer, the Norfolk District Attorney’s Office as a Victim Witness Advocate, and the Massachusetts Trial Court with the Probation Service.
She has served as the Chief Probation Officer in the Hingham District Court for the last eight years. Jennifer has been part of several initiatives and systems changes to advance Evidence Based Practices and Diversity, Equity, Inclusion efforts. She has been awarded three Trial Court Excellence Awards and she is a graduate of the ADL Glass Leadership Institute as well as the Trial Court Leadership Capacity initiative.
Ms. Brady holds a master’s degree in Criminal Justice and bachelor’s degree in Sociology. She has been a trainer and national speaker on issues related to leadership, evidence-based practice, and CBT. Jennifer has been part of numerous committees that have contributed to the agency’s advancement. She has an established quality performance record and the skills to utilize variable and applicable leadership and management styles to serve teams efficiently.
She is committed to professional development and creating a strong culture that impacts employee performance and engagement that creates an environment of dignity and respect for the individuals and communities we serve.
Martha Soto
Martha has served the Massachusetts Trial Court since 2013, first a per diem interpreter, later as a staff interpreter and currently as a Regional Coordinator of Interpreter Services.
In her role as Regional Coordinator, Martha ensures that all LEP (limited English proficient) individuals, at every Trial Court facility and virtual platform within her region receive equal and meaningful language access to justice through the facilitation of the highest quality of judiciary interpretation and translation services.
She supervises staff interpreters and provide oversight to per diem vendor interpreters in the field; serves as the point of contact to the courts’ language access liaisons, provides interpretation and translation services, and mentors new per diem and staff interpreters.
She holds bachelor's degrees in business administration and in preschool education. She completed Boston University's Interpreter Studies Program receiving Certificates in Community, Legal, and Medical Interpreting. She is certified as a judiciary interpreter by the NCSC.
Jessica Roman Alvarez
Born and raised just outside of Boston, MA, Jessica, a first-generation Latinx, has charted a professional journey grounded in education and advocacy. Graduating from Boston University with a degree in Sociology and Criminal Justice, she discovered her passion for dismantling oppressive societal systems through navigating her own familial experiences. This realization fueled her commitment to fostering change and empowerment for others.
Embarking on her career, Jessica initially dedicated herself to teaching early education, High School Equivalency Test (HiSET), and English for Speakers of Other Languages (ESOL) classes. Her hands-on experience in the educational realm fueled her desire to contribute to systemic change on a broader scale.
Currently serving as a Project Coordinator in the Massachusetts Trial Court's Executive Office, within the Office of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion, Jessica aspires to lead through advocating for organizational change. Her mission is to inspire and encourage others to use their voices as catalysts for transformation, fostering a culture where leaders are cultivated and diverse perspectives are valued and embraced. In each step of her journey, Jessica remains dedicated to creating a more inclusive and equitable society.
Dr. Adeliza Olivero
Dr. Adeliza Olivero is a Designated Forensic Psychiatrist for the Massachusetts Department of Mental Health Forensic Services based in the Roxbury Court, an Attending Psychiatrist in the Psychiatric Emergency Department at Boston Medical Center, an Instructor for UMass Chan Medical School and a Clinical Assistant Professor in Psychiatry for Tufts School of Medicine. Dr. Olivero is a graduate of the University of Puerto Rico and the Ponce School of Medicine, holds board certifications in General and Forensic Psychiatry, and she is an active member of the Massachusetts Psychiatric Society, American Psychiatry Association and the American Academy of Psychiatry and the Law.
Ana Helena Lopes
Ana Helena Lopes has worked at the Office of Language Access of the Massachusetts Trial Court, first as a per diem interpreter and currently as a staff interpreter, for 17 years. She has obtained certificates in legal and medical interpreting, as well as paralegal studies, showcasing her multifaceted expertise in the legal field. She also has worked as simultaneous conference interpreter since 2011, was an instructor at the Interpreting Program at Boston University, and has been an active member of OLA’s Mentoring Program since 2018. In 2015, Ana Helena became a contractor with International Visitors Leadership Program of the U.S. Department of State, where she had the opportunity of interpreting for various DEIA Exchange Program, such as Promoting Diversity and Inclusion in Journalism and Social Inclusion and Minority Rights in the United States. Ana Helena is a proud mother of two children, Fernando and Catharina. Her dedication to her family and her community reflects her unwavering commitment to making a positive impact in both her personal and professional life.
Arnie Lucinda Stewart
Arnie Lucinda Stewart is the Deputy Chief Counsel of the Public Defender Division of the Committee for Public Counsel Services. She oversees the operation of public defender staff offices throughout the Commonwealth of Massachusetts.
Arnie Lucinda Stewart began her journey with the Committee for Public Counsel Services in 1997 as a trial unit staff attorney assigned to the Boston Superior Court Office. In 2009, Arnie was appointed as the Attorney-in-Charge (AIC) of the Boston District and Municipal Court office. She supervised, trained, and mentored attorneys, support staff, social service advocates, and investigators. In 2012, Arnie was chosen as the first PDD Managing Director for the Northeast Region now known as the Central Region. The Central Region includes all of the public defender offices in Suffolk and Norfolk Counties.
Arnie has served as a mentor to numerous colleagues and been an active participant in efforts to improve CPCS and the representation provided to clients. Arnie has served on various committees and has been extremely active in recruiting and hiring. Arnie is a leader in efforts to increase agency diversity and retention, helping to create training on management and diversity and being a founding member of the CPCS affinity group Public Lawyers of Color (PLOC). In addition to her law degree, Arnie holds a Master’s Degree in Conflict Resolution from the University of Massachusetts, McCormack Graduate School of Policy and Global Studies.
Christina Maryland
Christina brings a wealth of experience and expertise to her role as Deputy Director of Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion (DEI) at the Trial Court. With a BA from the University of Connecticut, an MBA from University of Massachusetts-Boston, and numerous professional certifications, she is well-equipped to lead initiatives aimed at creating and promoting diversity, equity, and inclusion within the organization.
In her capacity as a DEI and racial equity leader, Christina is a passionate advocate for creating a more equitable and inclusive workplace. She has a proven track record of leading organizational improvement in operations and decision-making processes while fostering a culture of equity and inclusion. Christina's dedication to creating more inclusive and equitable spaces extends far beyond her current role, as she strives to ensure that DEI principles are deeply embedded in all her work. Her goal is to leave a long-lasting positive impacts on the communities she serves.
Dr. Lara Guzman-Hosta
Dr. Lara Guzmán-Hosta is a forensic psychologist working in the Forensic Services Division of the MA Department of Mental Health (DMH). She was born and raised in Puerto Rico and completed her graduate work at the Carlos Albizu University, San Juan Campus. She is an alumni and former faculty of the Center for Multicultural Training in Psychology in Boston. Over the last 17 years she has worked across various public sector forensic settings in MA. Currently she is part of the Metro Boston Adult Court Clinic Team. Dr. Guzmán-Hosta is active in the American Psychology-Law Society where she chairs the Practice Committee and is a member of the Broadening Representation, Inclusion, Diversity, and Global Equity (BRIDGE) committee. She has co-authored articles on cross-cultural issues in psychological assessment and conducted international, national, and local presentations on cultural issues in forensic mental health practice. Dr. Guzmán-Hosta is also vice-chair of the town of Belmont MA Human Rights Commission, where she resides with her daughter, and her dogs Pepe and Raj.
| Date published: | March 26, 2024 |
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