Agency Leadership: Taking Care of our Greatest Resource

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Kristina Bryant, MBA, serves as a Senior Director at Rulo Strategies and has national experience as a court management consultant in justice systems. In addition, she serves as a Visiting Fellow at the Bureau of Justice Assistance focused on pretrial as part of the larger criminal justice experience. Ms. Bryant brings over 25 years of experience in community corrections as a Juvenile Court Probation Officer, Criminal Justice Planner, and Assistant Director/Interim Director of an adult pretrial and probation services agency. She has worked extensively with the judiciary, elected officials, and policymakers to improve justice policies and practices and to expand collaborative court diversion and intervention efforts. Ms. Bryant is skilled in system analysis, process and outcome evaluations, training, and leadership and has broad experience in drug policy issues. She is a trained facilitator in the Sequential Intercept Model and has facilitated cross-system information sharing and collaborations between justice and behavioral health partners for over a decade. Ms. Bryant served four years on the Executive Committee of a statewide organization after an additional five years in committee leadership positions to address legislation, training, standards, and quality assurance for probation and pretrial agencies. She has extensive experience in education and learning styles, teaching at the university level for seven years. Ms. Bryant has Master’s in Business Administration and received her BS in Criminal Justice with minors in Sociology, Psychology, and Business Administration.

Tyler Granberg is an Executive Officer with the Iowa Department of Corrections. He has nearly 19 years of experience in community based corrections. His current role consists of a variety of duties ranging from training and continuous quality improvement to drafting policy to implementing new programs. Tyler serves as the co-chair of the district Staff Support Team and participates in the new statewide Wellness Committee. He holds Bachelor of Arts degrees in Criminology and Sociology from the University of Northern Iowa. Throughout his career, Tyler has prioritized relationships at every level. He values building strong rapport with clients and fostering genuine relationships with coworkers. Tyler is a solution focused leader who gravitates toward helping others. He has worked closely with stakeholders to creatively enhance community safety and client success. He values every interaction as an opportunity to grow and have a positive impact on others. He is passionate about strategic planning and implementation of a culture of wellness across the state. In his free time, Tyler enjoys spending time with his family, traveling, camping and playing golf.

Dawn Hansen is a respected leader in the field of corrections, currently serving as the Field Services Manager at the Iowa Department of Corrections (DOC). With over 17 years of experience in the corrections system. Dawn's journey with the Iowa DOC began as a counselor in Newton Correctional Facility, where she provided direct support to inmates and played a key role in their rehabilitation and re-entry into society. Her commitment to helping others and her skill in building relationships laid the foundation for her career growth within the department. Throughout her career, Dawn has held various roles that have shaped her leadership style and honed her expertise in corrections. She has served as a Community Program Monitor, a Probation Parole Officer III, and a Field Supervisor for the Parole and Mental Health unit. Prior to her current role, Dawn was the Residential Services Manager, where she provided oversight over 20 residential facilities in Iowa. This position allowed her to demonstrate her strong organizational and leadership skills, as she was responsible for ensuring the smooth operation of these facilities and maintaining high standards of care and safety. Her ability to establish strong relationships with the residential teams and to conduct statewide meetings helped foster a collaborative environment among the facilities. Dawn's leadership and dedication were further recognized when she graduated from the American Probation and Parole Association's (APPA) Leadership Institute. Her graduating project focused on developing a wellness program for all state of Iowa Department of Correction employees, highlighting her commitment to employee well-being. This project not only exemplified her leadership skills but also underscored her passion for promoting health and wellness within the correctional environment. In her current role as Field Services Manager, Dawn continues to leverage her extensive experience to oversee the programming, probation, and parole services throughout the state. She is responsible for maintaining the high standards of service delivery and ensuring that the DOC's programs are effective in helping individuals reintegrate into society.

Tara Kunkel, MSW, has served as the Executive Director of Rulo Strategies since 2020. Before founding Rulo Strategies, Tara served as a Senior Drug Policy Advisor at the U.S. Department of Justice, where she led the implementation of the Comprehensive Opioid, Stimulant, and Substance Abuse Program (COSSAP). Under Tara’s leadership, the COSSAP program grew from a $27 million grant program in 2017 to $187 million in 2019. Tara also served as a consultant for the National Center for States for more than nine years leading, managing, and evaluating projects at all points in the justice system, from diversion programs, pretrial supervision, courts, probation, and corrections. Tara Kunkel began her career in the justice field, working for Chesterfield County, Virginia, as a Community Corrections Officer and Criminal Justice Planner. During this time period, she oversaw the development of the day reporting center and adult drug court. Ms. Kunkel has extensive experience managing and directing complex federal grants. She has also led national-scale initiatives at the federal level. Ms. Kunkel holds a bachelor’s degree in psychology from the University of Virginia and a master’s degree in social work from Virginia Commonwealth University.