Board of Directors

Dr. James H. Payton

CEO / Founder

Th.D., MA Liberal Arts, Doctorate of Theology. Previous Vocational Counselor; youth and adults with disabilities. CEO of Life Line Institute/Warfare Ministries Inc. Previous machine shop instructor for CA School of the Blind. Conducted family counseling for Mandela House for two years. Has worked 39 years in Industrial Management/Facilities Maintenance. Resides in Stockton, CA. Restaurant Owner/Cater for 20 plus years.

April Malone

Executive Director

Deputy Probation Officer. Supervise caseload of 30-50 male juveniles. BS - Business Administration, Minor in Real Estate Management, Cal State Hayward 1995. Certificate Non-profit Management, planned 2010, Cal State San Bernardino, Executive Director for Life Line Institute. Previous Substitute Teacher, Oakland Unified School District, 1998. Mentor, Cal State Hayward 1993-1994. Real Estate Broker license 2004. Realtor since 1997. Notary Public. Previous volunteer for Habitat for Humanity. Member of National Associations of Realtors and California Associations of Realtors. Member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority Inc. (A public service organization). Resides in Stockton, CA.

Miriam Royal

Miriam is an Account Manager at Hewlett Packard Company (hp) in Corvallis, OR. She has been employed with hp for approximately 6 years. She attended California State University, Hayward where she received a Bachelors of Science in Business Administration; and she went on to further her education by receiving a Master's of Business Administration (MBA) from the University of Wisconsin-Madison. Miriam is an avid community advocate for the youth. She has been involved in a variety of volunteer programs which has had a significant impact on the lives of young people: Oregon Northwest Black Pioneers, Board Member, SMART Volunteer, PRIDE Volunteer, Mentor to college age women at OSU, PSU and U of O, Leave No Child Behind Workshop Volunteer, Former Majestic Theater Board Member (2003-2006).

Eleanor Jackson

Unit Supervisor for Adult Investigations, prior Juvenile Investigations Supervisor, 1986-present. Previously supervised the Gender Specific girls program (Community Probation) and implemented/utilized sound community based programs, BA Criminal Justice, Sacramento State University 1976. Resides in Richmond, CA.

Carrie (Cat) Womack

Mrs. Womack received her Bachelor's of Arts degree in Organizational Behavior, with a Minor in Law and Gender Studies, graduating with honors from the University of the Pacific, Stockton, CA. She is married, and has one son.

Mrs. Womack is a licensed Notary Public and grant writer. She is the Chief Executive Officer of Womack Consulting, Inc., and supports nonprofit groups and county agencies with competing for grants. She has 40 years of experience in developing programs to uplift and assist in the advancement to socially, economically, and educationally help at-risk and previously incarcerated youth realize their dreams.

Cat is a current member of the following organizations: Franklin High School Volunteer Program, Correctional Workers Who Care, Black Women of Political Action, Black Advocates in State Service, Chicano Correctional Workers Association, Southern Poverty Law Center, Blacks in Government (B.I.G.), California Correctional Peace Officer Association (CCPOA), California Peace Officer Foundation (CPOF), Youth Policy Action Center, New Ways Innovations, and the NAACP.

Royce Brownfield Jr.

Biography to follow.

Fredrick Dabbs Jr.

Biography to follow.

Minnette Simmons

Life Skills/Anger Management Facilitator. BA in Sociology, Cal State Hayward 2004, MA Sociology, in progress. Anger management/violence prevention certificate, Alameda County Guidance Clinic 2002. Current Child Welfare Investigator, Contra Costa County. Previous responsibilities include organizing student study groups, community service projects.

Tia Jackson

Marketing/Outreach Coordinator for Life Line, BA, English, UC Riverside 2006, MS in Communications San Jose State University June 2010. 2008 Community Relations and Public Relations Intern, Oakland Raiders. Associate Publicist, Avid Exposure LLC, 2007-2008, Hollywood, CA. Gymnastics Instructor, Head Over Hills 1999-2002. Substitute Teacher, Moreno Valley, CA, 2006.