Presenting the 2012 Election Candidates! Please see their bios and photos below.
President-Elect	Bryan Reicks
Vice President	Jen Foltz, Ross Todd
Secretary	Tennie Carlson
At-Large	Julie Brandt, Chad Cangas, Julie Vantiger-Hicks, Duane Worthy

President-Elect

Bryan Reicks has been employed with the D.O.C. for 16 years. He currently works at the Iowa Correctional Institution for Women (ICIW) as the Associate Warden of Security. Prior to that, he has held the position of Treatment Services Director at ICIW, Training Specialist at the Iowa Corrections Training Center (ICTC), Captain at Newton Correctional Facility, and Captain, Lieutenant and Correctional Officer at ICIW.   Bryan also worked part-time with the Newton P. D. as an auxiliary police officer for 8 years. During that time, he held the positions of Sergeant, Lieutenant, and Chief of the Auxiliary force.   Bryan was an ICA Board member and currently co-chairs the Training Committee with Todd Roberts. He has worked as an Auditor for the ACA for 5 years conducting accreditation audits throughout the country for correctional facilities, training academies and therapeutic communities. While working at ICTC, as the Accreditation Manager, Bryan worked to achieve it’s first Correctional Training Academy accreditation.   Bryan graduated Iowa Central Community College with an A.S. Degree in 1995 graduated from Simpson College with a B.A. in Criminal Justice Administration in 2007.     I decided to run for the office to stay involved with ICA and to support the direction the Association is moving with training and networking opportunities.   ICA has a solid history of providing a variety of quality training with not only opportunities for professional development, but also opportunities for personal growth. One area I would like to see this expanded is with a partnership between ICA and colleges/universities providing educational benefits to ICA members such as possible discounts or reduced tuitions. This provides an economical benefit to the ICA member as well as an increase in enrollment for the collage/university. ICA members have a wealth of knowledge and experience.  With staffing becoming a premium, staff are facing many challenges. If a person is facing a challenge, we can guarantee someone in our system can provide an answer or can offer advice on overcoming the challenge. ICA provides members the opportunity to network and take full advantage of this knowledge and experience and should continue to be the hub of this network. There are so many agencies both large and small that serve the same client-base and have the same goal as corrections of making Iowa a safer place to live.  The K2 training that ICA sponsored in March is a great example of this as it brought together institutional and CBC staff, county and municipal law enforcement agencies, other state agencies as well as smaller grant-funded community services. ICA should continue communicating and co-sponsoring events with these agencies. This will not only increase the network base, but also the possibility of increased membership.

Vice President

Jen Foltz is an Executive Officer in the Fourth Judicial District Department of Correctional Services.  She was hired in 2002 as a Residential Officer and was promoted in 2005 to Administrative Assistant.  Jen graduated Magna Cum Laude from the University of Nebraska with a B.S. in Criminal Justice in 2001.   Jen has been an active member of ICA since 2006 and is currently an At-Large Board Member.  Jen has been a productive member of ICA and has worked in various positions, including being on the planning committee for the Spring 2010 and Fall 2010 ICA conferences, lead member of the workshop committee for several conferences, assisting with the ICA award selection committee and CEU committee.  Jen is also the chair of the 2012 fall conference.    I am running for the office of Vice-President because I want to continue working for the ICA membership.  I have learned so much about the organization in my current board position and would like to be a part of the next generation of ICA.         My vision for ICA is to become more involved on the legislative level.  As members of ICA we have the opportunity to shape the future of corrections in Iowa.  I want legislators to know more about the dedicated and talented employees who work for corrections in Iowa and what we need from them to carry out our mission – safely.  I feel I have the ability to increase the influence and momentum previously generated by former board members, and would humbly appreciate the opportunity to represent ICA as Vice-President.

Vice President

Ross Todd is an Executive Officer with the First Judicial District Department of Correctional Services. He has been with the Department for over 20 years. His previous positions include: Probation/Parole Officer III for the Dual Diagnosis Offender Program, Residential Counselor, Field Services PPO, and Residential Officer. He has been a member of ICA since 1995.   Ross graduated from the University of Northern Iowa in 1988 with a B.A. in Political Science. In 1995, he completed his M.A. in Sociology at the University of Northern Iowa. His thesis project consisted of a study of probation revocation outcomes in Black Hawk County.   I have decided to run for the office of ICA Vice President because I would like to participate more in the mission of ICA. Several years ago I served on the ICA Board and found it to be an interesting and rewarding experience. I believe being ICA Vice President will give me an opportunity to be more involved in ICA operations, work with other professionals around the state, and share ideas that can benefit all of us.   My vision for ICA over the next few years is for ICA to continue to be recognized as an organization comprised of competent knowledgeable people working together to positively impact the citizens we serve. I believe ICA should continue to sponsor excellent training opportunities as well as social events that bring us together.

Secretary

Tennie Carlson Current employment & related experience: Second District-Probation/Parole Officer II, 11 years Fort Dodge Correctional Facility, 3 years Number of years in ICA and/or ACA: 11 years Previous ICA/ACA offices or committee work: Co-Chair of the Multi-Cultural Committee Co-Chair of 2010 Spring Conference Committee Member when Conferences in Second District Multi-Cultural Award winner 2009 Educational background: BS degree from Iowa State University in Family Services/Social work. I have decided to run for the office of Secretary because…I have been involved with ICA for several years.  I would like to take an additional leadership role in the decision making for the Association. My vision for ICA over the next few years… to represent our members and ICA’s mission in Iowa and across the country. Traditionally, our organization has sponsored a wide variety of activities. I believe the ICA should continue to sponsor or begin sponsoring the following activities to make our association stronger.  We are becoming well known to agencies that we provide excellent training at affordable pricing, enabling those from around the Districts to attend.  ICA realizes many of our members attend our conferences and trainings on their own dime.  We strive to make it affordable, informative and with some added fun! Although the criminal justice system is complex, there are ways it could be made more effective…Tennie believes in Team Work.  She would like to strengthen this concept to members which will strengthen our criminal justice.

At-Large	Julie Brandt began her correctional career at the Newton Correctional Facility where she was hired as a Correctional Officer when the new prison opened in 1997.  Julie became a member of ICA while working at the prison. At Newton Correctional Facility Julie was active in AFSCME as a steward and was also a hostage negotiator.  Julie left NCF in 2003 to complete her college degree and her substance abuse certification.  Julie went to work full time at the Substance Abuse Treatment Unit of Central Iowa in Marshalltown as the TASC Liaison for the 2nd Judicial District.  During this time Julie also completed her Bachelor’s Degree in Sociology at Grand View College (2004) in Des Moines and her substance abuse certification with the Iowa Department of Certification.  In 2005 Julie left SATUCI to return to the State and began working for the Fifth Judicial District at the OWI Facility at Fort Des Moines in the position of Community Treatment Coordinator.  Julie once again renewed her association with ICA and with AFSCME as a steward when she came to Fort Des Moines.  In 2008 Julie became the newest Community Treatment Coordinator at 2nd Judicial District in the Marshalltown Field Office when she took on the newly created Reentry Coordinator position where she has been ever since.  Julie remains active in the union as well as active in ICA attending conferences, ICA Woman’s retreats, and has even been a presenter at an ICA conference.  Julie maintains her substance abuse certification and at this time is an Advanced Certified Drug and Alcohol Counselor.    1.     I have decided to run for the office of At Large because I would like to take an even more active role in ICA.  I feel ICA is a great organization that offers training, networking and access to vendors and services for people who work in corrections and law enforcement.  I would like to continue to watch ICA grow, change and develop as the professional organization that it is.  I would also like to take a much more active role in the conferences and training ICA offers while learning how the organization works. 2.     My vision for ICA is to be viewed as a professional organization offering professional level training and support to corrections and law enforcement.  I envision ICA continuing and developing an ongoing positive relationship and collaboration with law enforcement and the courts.  I would love to see more people attend ICA conferences due to attraction to the trainings that are offered and I would love to see membership grow in the coming years through membership drives despite state budget issues.  I see ICA as an inclusive not exclusive organization and would like to see it advertised as such. 3.     I believe ICA should continue to sponsor trainings outside of the two big conferences, such as the recent K2 training.  I have attended the Woman’s Retreat through ICA Woman’s Issues Committee for over 10 years and believe  ICA should continue to sponsor that as it offers women a chance to network, obtain training as well as offering a place where women can help other women deal with the unique stressors of working in corrections as women.  I would like to see ICA sponsor trainings that can be brought into organizations as an in-service training during the work day as well.  4.     I believe the criminal justice system could be made more effective by keeping the focus on reentry and risk.  I believe we have great systems in place for determining risk for offenders to reoffend and I believe we need to use those to effectively treat offenders based on their risk score, which means not over treating low risk offenders and using our shrinking resources where they are needed the most.  I believe the prisons should be used as the last resort for offenders who cannot live in society without victimizing it’s citizens.  I think we would be more effective in the criminal justice field if we spent less time on punishment and more time and resources on community based corrections, home visits, drug testing etc, with the proper resources at our disposal.  I think the system would be more effective if the resources were  available in the prison for education, employment skill building, treatment, parenting, relationships, and substance abuse and if everyone who needed these skills were offered the opportunity to develop them.
At-Large	Chad Cangas has been employed by the DOC in institutional corrections for 14 years.  In that time he has worked with all security levels of offenders as well as special needs men and women, even helping to open a new facility whose goal is to provide a balance of treatment and security so those who are difficult to manage could receive much needed treatment. Chad holds an Associate of Arts degree from Southeastern Community College and is planning on continuing his education in the future. Chad has been a member of ICA, and as active a participant as has been possible for the past 7 years. 1.     I decided to run for the office of Member at Large because:  I believe that my experience in joining the treatment and security aspects of the institutions can help the ICA better serve its members by melding the community based with the institutional based consideration and help all members keep up with the changing trends in corrections. 2.     My Vision for the ICA over the next few years:  I would like to see us grow in membership and improve the knowledge and skills of all of our members. 3.     Traditionally, our organization has sponsored a wide variety of activities.  I believe the ICA should continue to sponsor, or begin to sponsor the following activities: While the Spring and Fall conferences are the heart of what the ICA does, I would like to see us offer more small trainings on a variety of subjects so that ICA can benefit more people, thus growing the membership and improving the members!
At-Large	Julie Vantiger-Hicks  If you’ve attended an Iowa Corrections Association Conference during the past 17 years, then I’m sure, at one time or another, you’ve been greeted by Julie Vantiger-Hicks at the registration desk who has devoted many hours to this organization in a variety of capacities.  She became a member in 1995 and immediately joined the Registration Committee in 1996, where she has been serving as co-chair since the year 2000.  Julie was first elected to the Executive Board in 2002 and 2004, serving as Board Member At Large.  From 2006 to 2008 she served as Vice President and since 2009 she has served as President Elect and President for the past three years.  In 2007 the Past President position was eliminated when the term for President was changed from a one to a two-year position.  Therefore, since Julie is the first president serving since that change was made, she would like to run for an At Large position to provide insight and continuity of knowledge as the Past President would have done in the past.  She believes strongly in the quality training ICA provides to its members and would like to remain active in the decision-making process which influences that training.  Julie is committed to seeing ICA progress as a strong organization and important resource for the corrections profession in Iowa. Julie is currently employed as a Probation/Parole Officer with the Seventh Judicial District and has been employed in Community Based Corrections for 20 years.  She attended Northeast Missouri State University (now known as Truman State) in Kirksville, Missouri, and graduated with a Bachelor's of Science Degree in Business Administration, emphasizing in Personnel Management and Office Administration.  Previously, Julie worked in the legal field as a Paralegal and switched to Corrections in 1992 working for the Eighth Judicial District Department of Correctional Services in Burlington, Iowa, for 14 years.  For the past 12 years, she also maintained her state certification as a Reserve Deputy with the Des Moines County Sheriff's Department.  Recently, she was nominated to the Board of Directors for the Make a Smile Foundation; and was also nominated by the President of the American Corrections Association to serve as Vice Chair of the Community Corrections Committee and member of the Membership Committee. Representing ICA in her capacity as President at several national ACA and APPA Conferences, Julie has had the opportunity to gather numerous ideas for increasing membership and promoting professional development.  Her vision for ICA is to continue providing topnotch training opportunities so our members can challenge themselves to reach their highest potential.  I would like everyone to think of their job as a career instead of “just a job”. Julie believes ICA should continue to sponsor all the traditional activities and persist in exploring the potential of working cooperatively with other organizations and neighboring states to co-host conferences, as we share many common goals with a wide variety of state agencies.  The wealth of knowledge gained from networking with other agencies and other states is vital to the future growth of Iowa Corrections.  Maintaining and developing partnerships will keep us competitive on a national level. Although the Criminal Justice System is complex, Julie believes the entire system could become more effective if employees throughout each Department stretching from the local Law Enforcement agencies, the Courts, Community Based Corrections and Department of Corrections gained a broader appreciation of each other's jobs.  Corrections has been and will continue to experience rapid growth with very limited resources, now more than ever, and it is paramount that we continue to work as a team to meet each other's needs and goals.  She feels ICA can play a valuable role in this process by continuing to provide a wide array of quality training at minimal cost, in addition to a network that brings us together for a common cause and helps us move in a positive direction.
At-Large	Duane Worthy is currently the Jail Administrator for the Des Moines County Correctional Center in Burlington, Iowa.  Duane received his Associates of Arts degree from Southeastern Community College in West Burlington, Iowa.  Duane started his career in corrections on April 01, 1979 as a third shift Correctional Officer and moved up the ranks.  In 1987 Duane was promoted to the position of Assistant Jail Administrator, then in 2001 promoted to Jail Administrator.  Duane has been a member of American Correctional Association/Iowa Corrections Association since 2002.  Duane is currently on the Iowa State Sheriff’s and Deputies Association Jails Committee.   Duane is one of the few members of ICA employed in county corrections.  We all deal with the same population, and have the same issues only on a different scale.  Duane is running for At Large Board member to bring the county perspective to Iowa Corrections Association.  ICA is a wonderful organization and keeps improving.  With the economy being the way it is, Duane believes expanding the information out to county correctional officers would be beneficial to both, county correctional officers and ICA.    As an administrator, Duane feels the best thing you can do is offer training to your employees, it is up to them to take the knowledge from that training and use it at work.  Duane felt the joint ventures that ICA has had with the Chief of Police Association and Iowa State Sheriff’s and Deputies Association were excellent and he would like to see additional joint conferences.   Duane believes the contacts that he has made with individuals from DOC and CBC have been invaluable.  We all have to work together to make the system run more efficiently.  Being a county correctional officer, Duane feels he can bring a different perspective to the board.