NARSOL elects officers, adds new board members
NARSOL is proud to announce its officers for 2025 and the new board member who have joined its ranks.
Organizational officers are Brenda Jones as executive director, Robin Vanderwall as board chair, and
Paul Shannon as board vice-chair. Sandy Rozek is secretary, and Philip Kaso has the position of treasurer.
Last year, when NARSOL announced the opening for applications for board members, among those who applied were three who each possessed skills and abilities the board was seeking. They were each uniquely qualified to hold the position of a NARSOL board member, and, as none of the current board were resigning, we voted unanimously to extend our number to twelve and seat all three of these outstanding candidates.
Amanda Littrel, like a significant number of other board member, brings the first-hand experience of having been incarcerated. Even during her 18 years of imprisonment, Amanda focused on personal growth and community service. She was a hospice volunteer, completed two apprenticeships, and continued working toward her degree. As an ambassador for the Iowa Consortium for Higher Education in Prison (I.C.H.E.P), she gained essential advocacy skills that would shape her future endeavors. In May 2023, Amanda earned her associate degree from Iowa Central Community College.
In January 2024, she joined NARSOL’s affiliated organization Iowans Unafraid. She was elected executive director in September 2024 and has helped the organization launch support groups for families and individuals on the registry, enhance community outreach efforts, and expand its board. Amanda also is engaged in her local LGBTQ+ community and a variety of other advocacy and community organizations.
Matthew Snell has been involved with NARSOL for quite a few years; as copy editor of the Digest, he is a valuable member of the Digest staff and now is also on the board of directors. As a seminarian, Matt is deeply engaged with nonprofit and ecclesiastical communications. He has experience as a grassroots organizer, a former intelligence analyst, and a teacher. Matt completed two deployments during his Army career; his teaching fields were Government and U.S. and World History.
Matt considers a pivotal moment in his life when he joined the small percentage of individuals who take criminal accusations to trial. After nearly three years of pretrial incarceration for an alleged sex crime, he was found not guilty. This experience inspired his dedication to advocating for justice-impacted people and pursuing criminal justice reform. Matt’s extensive experience with public speaking, lobbying, fundraising, and grant writing will serve NARSOL well.
As a returning citizen and advocate for criminal justice reform, Christopher Sparks understands first-hand what enables a person to succeed as well as the barriers that lead to failure. He frequently shares his experience as a panelist at criminal and social justice conferences, dispelling misinformation about persons with past sexual offenses and raising awareness of the damaging impact that the registry has on families.
Chris is a native Floridian and holds a Bachelors of Arts Degree in Theological Studies, is a married father of four, and has twenty years of experience as a successful business manager in the building fabrication industry. In his early adult years, a single decision changed the direction of his intended future, and he experienced a life of extreme restrictions placed on him by the criminal legal system. Determined to prove his value to the community, he sought out opportunities, built relationships with decision-makers, and became a top-level company employee and eventual supervisor responsible for the safety and well-being of his staff. Under Chris’ management, the company consistently exceeded annual sales projections and new business development goals. He brings that same drive, motivation, and vision to NARSOL, where his focus is on developing goals and projections for a NARSOL affiliate organization in each state. Chris also serves on the board of Florida Action Committee (FAC) where he oversees the research and legal team and mentors regional coordinators who are the membership leaders of the organization.
NARSOL’s new board of twelve is excited about 2025 and the strides that can be made toward impacting laws and practices that affect our supporters.
