Our Team
JOSH SPICKLER
Executive Director
Prior to joining Just City, Josh served as Director of the Defender’s Resource Network at the Shelby County Public Defender’s Office. He was a part of that office’s Special Litigation Team, which administers the Jericho Project, a nationally-recognized jail diversion program for people with serious and persistent mental illness and substance use issues. He spent several years in private criminal and insurance defense practices as well.
As an attorney in the criminal legal system, Josh saw that many people never get a fair shot at justice and was inspired, along with many others, to organize Just City. Today, he works alongside its staff, board, and many supporters to create a smaller, fairer, and more humane criminal justice system. Josh has degrees from Rhodes College and the Cecil C. Humphreys School of Law at the University of Memphis.
KATIE RAINES
Director of Development
Katie is a Memphis native with more than a decade of experience in nonprofit operations and fundraising. She began her career in Washington, D.C., working in a large fundraising office before returning to Memphis, where she gained valuable public policy and program experience at Community Alliance for the Homeless. Through this work, she connected with Just City and joined the organization in its early days, helping to shape its growth and impact.
Now serving as Just City’s Director of Development, Katie leads fundraising strategy, donor engagement, and long-term sustainability efforts. She works closely with supporters, foundations, and community partners in pursuit of Just City's vision—a smaller, fairer, and more humane criminal justice system.
Katie holds a B.A. in Political Science and a Certificate in Fundraising Management from the Lilly Family School of Philanthropy. She also serves on the Association of Fundraising Professionals (AFP) Memphis Board of Directors.
YONÉE GIBSON
Program & People Experience Manager
Yonée is a Bluff City transplant and loves her adoptive home as if she were Memphis-born and raised. Before joining Just City, Yonée worked in multiple Memphis-area nonprofits focused on addressing socioeconomic inequality and racial injustice impacting local families. Through counseling her students and families, she witnessed disparities in the Shelby County justice system. Now Yonée focuses her advocacy and volunteerism skills on bringing transparency and insight to courtroom proceedings, managing our Court Watch program and serving as Student Coordinator.
Yonée earned a Bachelors of Science in Interdisciplinary Studies (Linguistics and Educational Psychology ) from Mississippi State University and a certificate in Community Transformation from Memphis Center for Urban Theological Studies.
ASHLEY PETERSON
Program Manager
Originally from South Carolina, Ashley is proud to call Memphis her chosen home. She first came to Memphis for college and earned a Bachelor of Arts degree in Economics and Business. Upon graduation, she served with the AmeriCorps National Service program to address accessibility barriers in vision care and taxation for working families. Before joining Just City, Ashley served as the Program Manager for Impact America in Tennessee and co-chair of the organization’s inaugural Diversity, Equity, and Inclusion Workgroup. She is passionate about advancing racial equity by ensuring access to financial stability and a better quality of life to all Memphians. Ashley oversees Just City's Clean Slate Program.
LARAMIE WHEELER
Bail Fund & Advocacy Coordinator
Originally from California, Laramie moved to Memphis in 2011 to study music, earning her BA in Music Ministry in 2014. In 2020, she began her advocacy work by joining the movement for Pervis Payne and becoming a court watcher with Just City. After spending two full summers court watching in the Bail Hearing Room at the Shelby County Justice Complex, she joined the team at Just City as the Bail Specialist, overseeing the Memphis Community Bail Fund. Laramie believes that a just city is one that raises everybody up, does not punish, but rehabilitates, and gets to the root of any problem in order to meet the needs of the people. Laramie continues to court watch in her work with Just City, serves on the committee for Tennesseans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, and is a trained volunteer visitor at Riverbend Maximum Security Prison.
"All people are worth our time and effort. And all people deserve love, friendship, and rehabilitation."
KAYA LEWIS
Public Policy Fellow
Originally from South Dakota, Kaya moved to Memphis with the 2022 Teach For America cohort. She spent her first few years in Memphis as an elementary teacher, gymnastics coach, and youth coordinator. In 2024, she founded Kaya’s Kitchen, a grassroots effort to fight food insecurity in Memphis. In the last year, the group has organized several hundred free meals and provided free groceries to over 20 families. Kaya holds a Bachelor’s degree in African & African American studies from Louisiana State University. As a student activist, she was president of Tiger Prison Project- a student organization committed to educating on mass incarceration and mobilizing towards prison reform. She volunteered with groups like Decarcerate Louisiana and Louisiana Parole Project to support formerly incarcerated people in their reentry process. Kaya has joined Just City through the Leadership for Educational Equity (LEE) Public Policy Fellowship.
ericka debruce
Interim Chief Human Resource Officer
Ericka N. DeBruce serves as Just City’s Interim Chief HR Officer, bringing more than two decades of experience helping organizations build workplaces where people feel valued, trusted, and empowered. She has dedicated her career to creating environments where belonging and psychological safety are not only encouraged but embedded into the way teams work and thrive.
Throughout her career, Ericka has guided Fortune 500 companies, high-growth ventures, and mission-driven nonprofits through moments of change—whether scaling, restructuring, or reimagining culture. She is known for aligning people strategies with organizational goals, ensuring that equity, inclusion, and accountability are at the center of workforce transformation.
At Just City, Ericka applies this expertise to strengthen the organization’s people systems and culture, helping the team remain resilient and responsive as it grows. She believes that when employees are supported and trusted, they can fully contribute to advancing Just City’s mission of building a more just and equitable community.