Our Board Members
Victoria Burton-Harris
Board President
Victoria M. Burton-Harris is a native of Flint and a graduate of Flint Southwestern Academy. She earned a B.A. in Political Science and African American Studies from the University of Michigan-Ann Arbor. She graduated from Wayne State University Law School in 2012. In 2014, Victoria opened a private firm in the heart of downtown Detroit specializing in family law and criminal defense at the state and federal trial court level.
After years of witnessing over-charging, requests for excessive bail, and prosecutorial vindictiveness, Victoria realized that her efforts to end mass incarceration as a “people’s lawyer” would never be sufficient. Effective change would require a transformation of the gatekeeper to the criminal justice system: the county prosecutor.
Victoria Burton-Harris currently serves as the Chief Assistant Prosecutor for Washtenaw County. Victoria was appointed to this position January 1st, 2021 by Prosecutor Eli Savit.
Annie Somerville
Board Member
Annie Somerville lives in Ypsilanti and was a member of City Council. She was recently elected to the Washtenaw County Board of Commissioners. and works as Chief of Staff to State Senator Jeff Irwin. Annie has worked on legislative campaigns since 2016. Annie graduated from Eastern Michigan University in 2018 after studying Political Science and Womens and Gender Studies.
Cormac Levenson
Board Member
Cormac Levenson has been learning about the intersection of farming and social justice for almost two decades. He worked with alternative schools in New Haven Connecticut, helping them develop mindful gardens. He is also the founder and current board president of Elm Village, an organization that focuses on supporting criminalized youth. He is a graduate of Harvard Divinity School and Duke University, but he learned far more in his years as a hospital chaplain and connecting with inmates from Scotland to California.
Justin Harper
Board Member
Justin has a heart for people in need. Harper brings twenty years of experience developing and mentoring youth and young adults through coaching and educating in the classroom. Justin currently works as Board Representative for Paraeduators for the Ann Arbor Public Schools District and is pursuing his special education teaching degree from Eastern Michigan University. His passions are improving communities, mentoring youth and changing lives. Justin is also on the steering committee for Washtenaw My Brother’s Keeper, the co-founder and director of CLR Academy, and a Board member for Mighty Oak Project and We The People Opportunity Farm.