Our Team
JOSH
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.
ericka
Interim Chief Human Resources 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.
KATIE
Director of Development and Board Relations
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 and Board Relations, 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
Director of People and Organizational Performance
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. Yonée formerly brought transparency and insight to courtroom proceedings through her work managing the Court Watch program. Now, as Director of People and Organizational Performance, she channels those same advocacy skills inward, building the people systems, hiring practices, and organizational culture that allow Just City's staff to do their best work in pursuit of justice.
Yonée earned a Bachelor 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
Clean Slate 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
Communications and Advocacy Manager
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. She joined the team at Just City in 2025 as the Bail Specialist, overseeing the Memphis Community Bail Fund, and now serves as the Communications and Advocacy Manager. In this role, she practices ethical storytelling to center the voices of those impacted by the system, challenges the jail system by advocating for improved conditions, and works to secure transfers for post-conviction individuals out of the jail.
Laramie is currently pursuing her Master's in Human Rights Practice. She serves on the board of Tennesseans for Alternatives to the Death Penalty, is a trained volunteer visitor at Riverbend Maximum Security Prison, and serves on the Shelby County Civilian Law Enforcement Review Committee (CLERC).
"All people are worth our time and effort. And all people deserve love, friendship, and rehabilitation."
KAYA
Court Watch and Bail Fund Program Manager
Originally from South Dakota, Kaya moved to Memphis in 2022 and has since dedicated her work to advancing equity and justice through community engagement and public policy. She holds a Bachelor's degree in African & African American Studies from Louisiana State University, where she served as president of Tiger Prison Project, a student organization focused on education, advocacy, and prison reform.
Before joining Just City, Kaya worked alongside organizations including Decarcerate Louisiana and Louisiana Parole Project, supporting formerly incarcerated individuals through the reentry process. In 2024, she founded Kaya's Kitchen, a grassroots initiative addressing food insecurity in Memphis that has organized hundreds of free meals and provided groceries to local families.
Kaya is an alumna of the Leadership for Educational Equity (LEE) Public Policy Fellowship and currently serves as Program Manager at Just City, where she supports efforts to build a more just and equitable legal system in Shelby County.