Our Team
The bedrock of a holistic defender office is an interdisciplinary team of passionate advocates zealously fighting by her side, committed to advocating for each client's most pressing legal and social support needs. Meet the team:
Elshaddai Ali
Elshaddai was born and raised in Stillwater, OK, graduating from Oklahoma State University with a degree in Political Science with a minor in Africana Studies. Throughout her academic journey, she served as an Associate Justice on the Supreme Court at Oklahoma State. Additionally, she served on various student and university committees such as the Multicultural Affairs Committee, Policy and Planning Committee, Curriculum Committee and Activity Fee Allocation Process Committee for the College of Arts and Science, and the Student Code of Conduct. While in her undergraduate career, Elshaddai worked as a Teaching Assistant for Lawrence Ware in his Philosophy of Race course.
Outside of academics, Elshaddai has a passion for economic and racial justice with a deeply personal connection to immigration issues as a first-generation American. Her passion lies in advocating for underrepresented and disproportionately marginalized groups, striving to elevate them to a level of equity that ensures fairness and opportunity for all Americans. In her free time, she loves to spend time with her family and watch her favorite tv shows and sports.
Kira Benton
Kira received her J.D. from Vanderbilt University Law School, where she was awarded the Damali K. Booker Award for legal activism. During law school, Kira served as the President and the Pro Bono Chair of the Vanderbilt Legal Aid Society and was a member of the Mock Trial Team. She participated in the Youth Opportunity Clinic and the Worker Advocacy Practicum and interned with Still She Rises, Tulsa and the African Court on Human and Peoples’ Rights Monitor.
Kira holds B.A.s in Anthropology and Economics with a minor in Community Engaged Emergency Management from the University of South Florida. Her thesis focused on the development of institutional resources in Tampa to support disabled applicants for naturalization seeking waiver of testing requirements. She is from Jacksonville, Florida.
Taylor Carter
Taylor was a double major at Northeastern State University in Tahlequah. She went on to receive 2 Bachelor’s degrees in Sociology and Criminal Justice. Taylor then proceeded to get her Master’s degree in Criminal Justice. While residing in Tahlequah, she volunteered at Help In Crisis doing various roles: on-call, volunteering at the shelter, participating in charity events held “Walk A Mile in Her Shoes”, etc. Taylor also served on Tahlequah Main Street Association.
During her time in college, Taylor started as an intern for a public defender in Tahlequah and eventually became the paralegal for the attorney, Angela Jones. Taylor then proceeded to work at Legal Aid Services as a paralegal. Once she and her husband moved to Tulsa in 2019, she was a paralegal for insurance defense before getting back into criminal/family law. Taylor also has experience working for public defense through the federal courts.
Taylor has a strong passion for defending those who cannot defend themselves, can’t be their own voice and correcting the judicial system. In her spare time, she loves attending various concerts with her husband, hanging with their dogs, hiking, playing disc golf, playing basketball, reading, working on house projects, watching hockey and football, and binge-watching true crime documentaries.
Alex Conlon
Alex received his Juris Doctorate from the University of Tulsa College of Law, with an emphasis in Oil, Gas, and Natural Resource Law in 2015. Prior to joining the Still She Rises team, he practiced Estate Planning and Family Law for seven years, and worked as a Mail Carrier for the United States Postal Service. He received Bachelor Degrees from Missouri Southern State University in Psychology and Theology. Alex is passionate about the need for access to legal representation for North Tulsa mothers, and aims to provide empathetic advocacy for his clients.
In his free time, Alex enjoys reading, spending time with his family, and collecting sneakers.
NANCY COPPOLA RENBERG
Nancy received her J.D. at the University of Tulsa College of Law. During law school she worked for Diversion Services as a case manager, Domestic Violence Intervention Services as an Advocate at their Women's Shelter, and interned at the Tulsa County Public Defender's Office. Prior to joining the Still She Rises Team she was in private practice for 19 years focusing primarily on Family and Criminal Law. She received her B.A. from the University of Florida where she majored in Sociology and minored in Women's Studies.
Niamh Creedon-Carey
Quinn Fields
Quinn graduated from the University of Tulsa College of Law, where he received the Order of the Curule Chair. During his time in law school, he took part in the Terry West Civil Legal Clinic and the inaugural semester of the Buck Colbert Franklin Legal Clinic. He completed legal internships with Still She Rises and ArchCity Defenders.
Prior to law school, Quinn worked in social services for public housing agencies in Tulsa and Oklahoma City. Quinn holds a B.A. in Biblical Studies from Oklahoma Christian University. He also completed an M.A. in Gerontology from the University of Central Oklahoma.
Quinn was born and raised in Tulsa, and has remained firmly rooted in Oklahoma. He is passionate about providing innovative advocacy for Tulsans facing complex challenges.
Victoria Fowler-Jackson
Victoria is an experienced advocate and North Tulsan. She has worked for Crossover Health Services serving the North Tulsa community and combating health disparity by providing resources and advocacy to patients in need. She also recently worked on Black Wallstreet with a primary goal of health equity.
Victoria is dedicated to working in North Tulsa to aid the issues her community faces. Her goal is to be the bridge that gives clients access to resources and understanding of what is going on around them. She wants to provide clients with a safe and inclusive environment while dealing with what could potentially be the scariest time of their life.
Bryna Frohock
Bryna was born and raised in Tulsa; she first got involved with her community in the Youth Services of Tulsa, volunteering and taking classes when she was young. She is a proud result of North Tulsa public schools, and attended college at Pacific Lutheran University where she earned degrees in Political Science and Communication. She was active in the Tacoma Mutual Aid Collective, and developed a firm passion for justice and decarceration. She previously worked for United Way’s 211 service, providing community resource information and referrals to her Washington community.
Jordan Gayle
Jordan, a Tulsa native, graduated from Morehouse College in 2018, earning a degree in Psychology. While at Morehouse, Jordan conducted scientific research both on campus and at the Georgia Institute of Technology, for which he has published work. Jordan began as a program fellow at the George Kaiser Family Foundation and prior to joining the Still She Rises team, interned at the Birth through Eight Strategy for Tulsa (BEST) initiative, a program focused on providing a seamless continuum of care and services for underserved families and their young children.
Josie George
Josie is a native of Oklahoma, born and raised in Claremore where she attended Rogers State University and helped manage her family’s business. She moved to Tulsa in 2007 where she worked as an administrative professional for two local businesses and most recently with a Fortune 500 company providing administrative and payroll support. Led by a strong passion for social justice and women’s rights, she joined Still She Rises in May 2022 as an Executive Assistant. She is excited to be here and looks forward to utilizing over 15 years of administrative experience to assist in furthering their mission.
Stephanie Heck
Stephanie Heck is a proud Okie, with deep roots in her community and a background in community mental health, crisis response, public libraries, higher education, and community and civic engagement. She is the Client Advocacy Supervisor in the criminal practice at Still She Rises Tulsa. Before becoming the Client Advocacy Supervisor, Stephanie was a client advocate at Still She Rises. In this role, she helped build out and define the role of client advocates in the office and in the community, working with legal teams on a full range of cases, including criminal, civil, and family matters from inception to trial. Stephanie is a member of the NLADA National Alliance of Sentencing Advocates and Mitigation Specialists, and uses her training in advocacy and mitigation to engage with system players in pre-and post-dispositional advocacy to improve client outcomes in all cases - from navigating clients through specialty courts to developing creative probation plans individualized to client needs, to crafting pretrial mitigation strategies. Stephanie is passionate about shining a light on the diffuse web of legal and adjacent systems harming clients and impeding their goals and lives.
Hayley Horowitz
Hayley received her law degree cum laude from Harvard Law School, where she was Editor in Chief of the Harvard Law and Policy Review. Before law school, Hayley received a master’s degree in politics from the University of Oxford and a BA from Williams College, where she graduated magna cum laude. Before joining Still She Rises, Hayley was an associate at civil rights firm Emery Celli Brinckerhoff & Abady LLP, where she represented clients in complex civil litigation matters and numerous class actions, including challenges to police and prosecutorial misconduct, prison abuse, wrongful conviction, employment and housing discrimination, and consumer protection violations. Before that, Hayley was an attorney with the ACLU’s Criminal Law Reform Project, where she worked through litigation and advocacy to reform excessively harsh and ineffective criminal justice practices nationwide. Previously, Hayley clerked for the Honorable John Gleeson of the Eastern District of New York and the Honorable Gerard Lynch of the Second Circuit, and was an associate at Jenner & Block LLP.
Admitted to practice in OK & NY
Rosa Hernandez Jimenez
Rosa (They/She) was raised in Tulsa, OK. Having spent the majority of her life in Tulsa, Rosa grew a passion for community organizing and social justice. In 2016 she began her advocacy journey with local immigrant led organization DREAM Act Oklahoma - Tulsa (now Dream Action Oklahoma). In 2018 Rosa received the Dan Allen Center for Social Justice’s Local Champion Award and in 2019 received DREAM Action OK’s Unafraid and Unashamed Award.
Rosa spends most of her time outside the office contributing to local mutual aid efforts, playing with her cats, reading and cross stitching.
Phoebe Kasdin
Phoebe received her J.D. from UCLA School of Law, where she was a student in the David J. Epstein Program in Public Interest Law and Policy. At UCLA, she was a Managing Editor of UCLA Law Review and Co-Chief of Production of the Criminal Justice Law Review. During law school, Phoebe participated in both the Youth & Justice Clinic and the Criminal Defense Clinic. She spent her 1L summer as a judicial extern to the Honorable Judge Stephen Reinhardt of the Ninth Circuit, her 2L summer as an intern with the California Appellate Project, and her 3L fall semester as a law clerk with the ACLU National Prison Project. Prior to law school, Phoebe spent one year as an Americorps Member at an elementary school and worked for two nonprofit legal services organizations. She holds a B.A. from the University of Wisconsin-Madison.
Erin Laine
Erin graduated from University of Tulsa College of Law with honor. During her time in law school, Erin served as an Articles Editor for Tulsa Law Review. Throughout law school, she represented clients before the Pardon and Parole Board with Project Commutation at Tulsa Public Defender, assisted clients with drivers’ license reinstatement at the Texas Fair Defense Project, and participated in the TU Immigrant Rights Project Clinic. Following her law school graduation, Erin worked at Legal Aid Services of Oklahoma defending tenants from eviction in Tulsa’s two most highly evicted zip codes.
Erin holds a B.A. in English from Austin College. She is originally from Houston, Texas but has made Tulsa her home.
Erin aims to make every client feel heard as they navigate complex systems together. She believes that every person deserves strong legal advocacy regardless of financial status. In her free time, she enjoys karaoke, long walks, and spending time with her friends and pets.
Peyton Lepp
Peyton received her J.D. from Columbia Law School, where she was a Max Berger ’71 Public Interest/Public Service Fellow. During law school, Peyton served as Editor-in-Chief for A Jailhouse Lawyer’s Manual and as President for the Native American Law Students Association. She was an advanced student in the Smith Family Human Rights Clinic, receiving the Jane Marks Murphy Prize for exceptional proficiency in clinical advocacy. Peyton completed legal internships at the International Legal Foundation and Still She Rises.
Prior to law school, Peyton worked in talent and operations at Teach For America’s Greater Tulsa office. She holds a B.A. in International Relations and a minor in Arabic from Stanford University. Peyton is a proud citizen of Cherokee Nation, descendant of Prairie Band Potawatomi Nation, and native Tulsan.
Crystal Lopez
Crystal started her journey when she made the choice to go back to school to receive her GED. Having completed her first mission, Crystal realized that she wanted to go further along. She enrolled at Rogers State University, earning a degree in Criminal Justice.
Crystal is passionate about being a voice for the Hispanic community, specifically to those individuals who have a language barrier. Her mission in life is to be able to truly make a difference in someone’s life. She has learned that while she might not be able to change the world, she knows that she can change an individual’s life, and by doing that, feels she has fulfilled her purpose in her career life. Crystal’s mantra is “Do not let your past, background, or upbringing define you. Always follow your dreams! If you have setbacks for whatever the reason, do not let that stop you from accomplishing your goals and dreams. YOU are worth it, and If I can do it, so can you
Crystal enjoys spending time in her own little backyard farm. With four goats: Bambi, Woody, Panda, and Boots, over 30 chickens (too many to name!) two ducks, Drake and Rhianna; who follow each other all day long, and her dogs- Daisy, Foxy, and Zeus.
Daphne Maeglin
Kelley Maricle
Kelley is a lifelong Tulsan who comes to Still She Rises with 20 years of experience working in social services in the Tulsa area. She has been recognized several times over the years for her work in the community; however, she is most proud that both of her adult daughters have chosen to follow in her footsteps and work in social and community services in the Tulsa area. Kelley ran a successful transitional housing program at the Salvation Army for 13 years, helping families navigate the complex systems necessary for them to become self-sufficient. Kelley is excited to join Still She Rises as a client advocate after being impressed with watching the way SSR supports clients over the years.
Shiva Musapeta
Born and raised in Tulsa. Shiva attended the University of Oklahoma and received a B.A. in MDS with an emphasis in Economics. In his time at OU, Shiva was a member of the OU Policy Debate team and also a Server at Scratch Kitchen and Cocktails. Additionally, Shiva interned and worked full time at Northwestern Mutual in Financial Planning prior to joining the SSR Team.
Margaret Reynolds
Margaret Reynolds was born and raised in Shreveport, Louisiana. She moved to Tulsa in August 1999 with her 3 children after graduating from Southern University Shreveport-Bossier, where she earned an Associate Degree in Paralegalism. Margaret has 4 grandchildren (2 girls / 2 boys) and 3 step grandchildren.
Before coming aboard with Still She Rises, she worked at the Tulsa County Court Clerk's Office for fifteen years as a minute clerk. Margaret spends a lot of time outside of the office, preparing meals and serving those in need around the Tulsa area. She just completed Ministry in Training classes and is praying to be able to serve people throughout Oklahoma by finding solutions that affect their opportunities while living here on a day to day basis.
Joslyn Rouse
Joslyn Rouse was born in Long Beach, California and raised in Hanau, Germany. She attended the Community College of Denver before coming to Tulsa in 1995. She was the first graduate of Women in Recovery. Prior to Still She Rises, she worked for seven years at Hudson Villas (an extension of the Tulsa Day Center) as the office manager. Joslyn's personal philosophy is that your past doesn't have to define your future.
Kristina Saleh
Prior to joining Still She Rises, Tulsa, Kristina was a criminal defense attorney at The Bronx Defenders. Kristina graduated from The University of Michigan Law School, where she was a Dean's Public Service Fellow. During law school, Kristina participated in the Criminal Appellate Clinic and the Michigan Innocence Clinic. Kristina’s legal internships were with the California Appellate Project and the Public Defender Service for the District of Columbia. Kristina also holds a Master's Degree in Social Work from the University of Michigan and interned at the Bronx Defenders and the Center for Forensic Psychiatry as a social worker. Prior to law school, Kristina spent two years as a Peace Corps volunteer in Thailand.
Jane-Roberte Sampeur
Jane is a career public defender motivated by a deep sense of commitment and passion for fighting for the freedom and dignity of marginalized communities that have been devastated by systemic oppression. Prior to joining Still She Rises, Jane served as the Coordinator and Staff Attorney of the Women's Pretrial Release Initiative at the Legal Aid Society (LAS) in New York City, where she developed and led a project designed to advocate for the release of women detained pretrial. Her prior experience at LAS also included defending individuals in parole revocation proceedings on Rikers Island and those accused of felonies and misdemeanors in criminal court. Through her trainings, policy work and service on state and city committees, she has been an active voice for reform and transformation within the criminal legal system. In 2022, The Legal Aid Society honored her with the Orison S. Marden Award in recognition of her excellence in practice and contributions to the organization.
In addition to her practice, Jane is passionate about educating the next generation of advocates and leaders. She previously served as the Program Director for the Intensive Trial Advocacy Program at Cardozo School of Law and has guest lectured at universities throughout the country. Jane is a 2009 graduate of the University of Connecticut School of Law.
Julie Shelton
Julie is a proud advocate for women’s rights and personal autonomy. Criminal justice was not her first career, but her passion for the science and study of human psychology, criminal justice reform, and constitutional rights are deeply rooted.
Julie was born and raised in Oklahoma, proudly educated in rural public schools, and grew up chasing adventures with her parents, sister, cousins, and best friends. This rural upbringing, and a family of intensely focused, hard-working Okie scientists, are what gave her the template for who she is today as a Fact Investigator for Still She Rises. She completed a Bachelor of Fine Arts with an emphasis in Digital Art in 2002 from Oklahoma State University, and enjoyed an exciting, 20-year career in Marketing. This career built a focused, creative thinking, and an endurance to never quit.
As time progressed, Julie felt a pull toward a higher calling as a public servant. With a lifelong passion for science, analysis, and criminal justice, she went back to her “Pokes” roots at OSU, and completed a Masters of Science in Forensic Science in the Spring of 2018. Through this education, Julie was presented with a realistic picture of deep racial, ethnic, and gender disparities within the criminal justice system, which led her to Still She Rises. In her legal investigation training, Julie has learned that everyone has a story to tell. Her position as an investigator is not only to gather the information from those stories, but to understand and connect with the stories to provide three-dimensional context for “why?” in an otherwise two-dimensional legal system that, in practice, is built for resolution, rather than encouragement and support.
Outside of Still She Rises, Julie is an avid reader and loves spending time with her immediate and extended family on adventures, ranging from the backyard to the other side of the world. Julie loves to travel and experience as many unique locations, cuisine, and people as she can. If a subject or location is unusual, avant garde, or even controversial, you’ll find her front and center, eager to know more.
Courtney Schrater
Courtney received her J.D. from Duke University School of Law. While at Duke, she worked in the Advanced Criminal Defense Clinic, Immigrant Rights Clinic, and Civil Justice Clinic. She also participated in the Just Sentencing Project, the Fair Chance expungement Project, the Government Public Service Society, the Mock Trial Board, and the Moot Court Board. During her summers, she interned with the Colorado Public Defender and the New Hampshire Public Defender. Courtney holds B.A.s from the University of Kansas, where she majored in Political Science and Economics. During undergrad, she interned with a criminal defense firm in Dublin, Ireland and participated in mock trial.
Tevin Talton
Tevin graduated from Oklahoma State University in Stillwater, Oklahoma where he played Division I College Football, trained as a hibachi chef, and began his IT journey. He received his BSBA in Management Information Systems with a focus in Information Assurance. Tevin has worked in the IT industry for 8 years, working in the Education, Finance, and Logistics industries. He is specialized primarily in Support and IT Analysis.
Tevin is a huge gamer who likes to build his own PCs and loves watching Football and Basketball.
LaNitria Turner
LaNitria began working for the Office of Capital Post-Conviction Counsel in Jackson, Mississippi in 2011. Prior to that she was a member of the U.S. Navy. LaNitria has dedicated much of her career to public service, mainly in assisting in the representation of the men sentenced to death in the state of Mississippi. She has experience working for criminal defense attorneys in private practice and has also worked for the State of Hawaii Attorney General's Office. LaNitria is currently completing her Bachelor's in Legal Science.
Martina Williams
Martina was born and raised in Tulsa where she was a graduate of Booker T. Washington High School. She received her associate degree in paralegal studies from Tulsa Community College and her Bachelor of Science in Legal Studies with an emphasis in Criminal Justice and minor in Business Administration.
Martina gained experience in the legal industry while working as a legal assistant for various firms in Tulsa. Prior to that, she worked in an administrative capacity in the healthcare industry.
Martina enjoys dancing, practicing wellness and crime shows. She is always eager to learn new things and loves spending time with her family, including her two children.
Martina is excited to be a part of the Still She Rises team where she can make a difference in the lives of Tulsa citizens by supporting, providing resources and advocating for our clients.
Lauren Wilson
Lauren is a Tulsa area native; growing up, going to school, and building 2 successful businesses here. She comes from a large family and is a twin, so she has never not been part of a team. She spent 20 years as a Master Hair Stylist and Color Correction Specialist. Lauren launched, and later sold, a delivery service, serving individuals as well as local businesses. She was the Grand Prize Winner of the 2011 TCC Entrepreneurial Launch Start Up Cup.
Lauren completed her paralegal and legal investigation studies at OSU. She spent 7 years on the Board of Directors of the Roe Fund with 2 years as Vice President; educating and advocating for reproductive justice and facilitating funding for low- and no-income Oklahoma women in need of reproductive services. She’s also spent time volunteering with Make A Wish and Iron Gate.
Lauren holds a fundamental belief in the inherent worth, dignity, and autonomy of every individual, and that we are all accountable to one another. She feels best about herself when she is in the service of others, especially women. One thing she knows to be true is that when you invest in women, they in turn invest in everyone else. By lifting up women, you lift up everyone around them.
In her downtime, she loves spending time with her family; specifically, her 7 nieces and 3 nephews. She’s obsessed with her main homegirl-her cat, Pip. She enjoys discovering new places and cultures, sewing, cross stitching, watching documentaries, listening to podcasts, learning new things, and living her best bookworm life!
Nikky Xiongxtoyed
Nikky received her J.D. at the University of La Verne College of Law, and graduated from Gonzaga University with her B.A. in Political Science and minor in Criminal Justice.
Through her internships at the public defender’s office, Nikky developed a passion for helping under-represented communities. In her free time, she likes to go fishing and traveling.
