Devon Adams
Co-Executive Director, Policy & Advocacy
He/Him
Devon is a Seattle, WA native who serves his community through Civil Survival as the Co-Executive Director of Policy and Advocacy. With over 20 years of leadership across organizations like the Black Prisoners Caucus, Concerned Lifers Organization, and Collective Justice, he has built bridges between prisons and communities, creating opportunities for transformative healing and meaningful partnerships. He is a graduate of Ohio University through the University Beyond Bars program, and also had the privilege to co-created and complete Collective Justice’s first restorative justice circle, HEAL (Healing Education for Accountability and Liberation).
A justice-impacted leader, Devon is driven by a simple commitment: people who are currently and formerly incarcerated deserve real access to resources, stability, and the power to shape their own liberation. His leadership blends lived experience, strategic innovation, and an unshakable commitment to building responses to harm that move beyond punishment and toward accountability, healing, and repair. In his role, Devon strives to bring a steady, values-centered approach to building durable power, creating lasting change across Washington State, and redefining what justice can look like for all of us.
Maddisson Alexander
Senior Attorney
She/Her
Maddisson (she/her) is a Senior Attorney with Civil Survival’s Reentry Legal Aid Project (RLAP). Maddisson works with individuals across Washington to mitigate the consequences of their involvement in the criminal legal system. Prior to joining Civil Survival, Maddisson was a public defense attorney in Portland, Oregon, and Seattle, Washington. Maddisson advocated on behalf of individuals navigating civil commitment, youth and adults facing misdemeanor and felony
charges, and children and parents subject to the child welfare system. Maddisson is a University of Oregon graduate who received her J.D. from the University of Washington School
of Law.
In her spare time Maddisson enjoys spending time with her partner and two dogs, Gordy and Peanut, trying new recipes, and learning how to knit.
Anthony Blankenship
Senior Community Organizer
He/Him
Anthony Blankenship is the Senior Community Organizer in the Policy and Advocacy Department. In his role at Civil Survival, Anthony helps to connect and empower people that have been impacted by the criminal legal system to build their collective and individual political power.
After facing discrimination in both employment and housing due to his criminal record, he began finding ways to use his experience of incarceration as a strength. Since being released from prison, Anthony has been working to undo the harms created by the criminal legal system and hold systems accountable to those they serve. He helped start an entrepreneurial program at Monroe prison, worked as a trauma-informed yoga trainer and fundraiser for Yoga Behind Bars, and most recently worked as a Coalition Organizer for ACLU of Washington.
Anthony holds a Bachelor’s in Political Science from the University of Washington, as well as a dual Master’s in Social Work and Public Administration from Arizona State University. In his free time, he can be found living his best life. He loves running, working out, occasionally riding dirt bikes or doing yoga, and imagining traveling the world.
Maria Canter
Paralegal
She/Her/Ella
Maria is a Paralegal at Civil Survival. She has a History degree from the University of Washington and has a background in working with marginalized communities.
Maria has roots in the immigrant farming community of the Yakima Valley. She is dedicated to empowering people and providing services to help folks overcome systemic barriers. In her spare time, she enjoys going to stand up shows and exploring the outdoors with her partner.
Laura Del Villar
Staff Attorney
They/Them
Laura Del Villar (they/them) is a Staff Attorney with the Civil Survival’s Reentry Legal Aid Project (RLAP). Prior to joining Civil Survival, Laura externed with the Public Defender Association, where they assisted with research and representation surrounding Blake. Laura also worked as a paralegal at the Lavender Rights Project and as a court clerk at both Seattle Municipal Court and King County Superior Court.
Laura brings a wealth of knowledge surrounding the criminal legal system and the severe inaccessibility and inequities it perpetuates. Funneling their frustration with this oppressive system into pursuing a law degree, Laura received their J.D. from Seattle University School of Law.
When not working, Laura enjoys playing the drums, cycling, and connecting with loved ones through food and nature.
Chelsea Dimas
Communications Specialist
She/Her/Ella
Chelsea (she/her/ella) is originally from Southern California, but her raíces are here in the Yakima Valley. She is a graduate of Sunnyside High School and of Pacific Lutheran University’s School of Arts + Communications.
Before joining Civil Survival in August 2022, Chelsea was part of the communications team for the Washington State House of Representatives, Democratic Caucus. She brings over 18 years of design experience, 15 years working in nonprofit + social justice communications, plus fluency in both English and Spanish. Additionally, she serves as a Commissioner for the Washington State Human Rights Commission and the Commission on Hispanic Affairs.
Her lifelong mission is to serve, fight for, and empower others. Chelsea’s work is focused on bridging language accessibility, cultural and socio-economic gaps as well as amplifying diverse voices through multilingual communications, inclusive storytelling, and design.
Chelsea was the first openly Queer, Indigenous Latina woman to run for State Representative in Central Washington in 2024. That same year, she became the first Democrat in 16 years to win in the 14th legislative district and is running again to win this seat pa’ la gente. She is extremely proud to be the daughter of Indigenous immigrants from Mexico (Nahua and Purépecha) and to come from a long line of hard-working campesinos.
When she’s not working to dismantle white supremacy and fighting for human rights (let’s be real—la lucha nunca para, the fight never stops), Chelsea devotes her free time to spending time outside as much as possible, collecting tattoos, dabbling in whiskey distilling, streetwear fashion, and all things music + art related. Chelsea and her partner call Sunnyside home—along with their 3 feisty “pupperonis,” two very sassy cats, and her countless plant babies.
Corey Guilmette
Co-Executive Director, Legal Services & Operations
He/Him
Corey is one of Civil Survival’s two Co-Executive Directors. Corey directs Civil Survival’s legal aid programs, which assist individuals across Washington in overcoming the collateral consequences of criminal convictions. He also directs Civil Survival’s operations, including finance, human resources, and IT. Corey’s first exposure to the criminal legal system came as a youth, when he was arrested for drug possession. He is a former Visiting Assistant Clinical Professor at Seattle University School of Law, where he supervised students in reentry law cases.
Prior to joining Civil Survival, Corey was the Legal Services Director at Purpose. Dignity. Action. (PDA). While at PDA, Corey led efforts to reform King County’s inquest process, which provides a public review of any death involving law enforcement. Corey represented families in inquest hearings and litigation before the Washington Supreme Court. Corey also represented clients with a variety of legal issues, ranging from eviction defense to employment advocacy.
Corey is a graduate from Wesleyan University. He went on to receive his J.D. from Yale Law School.
Marisa Kent-Guerra
Development Manager
She/Her
Marisa Kent-Guerra (she/her) is the Development Manager at Civil Survival, where she manages all aspects of the organization’s fundraising program. She believes that we all deserve equal access to opportunity, and is dedicated to supporting historically marginalized communities in their quests for equity – her passion for Criminal Legal Reform is heavily informed by this. She believes that in order to create long-term change, we must change the system.
Civil Survival’s multi-pronged approach to criminal legal reform and direct service resonated with her. The combination of policy and advocacy work aimed at systemic change, alongside direct services like legal aid and reentry support, aligns with her belief that both long-term reform and immediate relief are essential to serving the formerly incarcerated community.
Marisa brings a broad set of skills to this position, having worked in multiple areas of development, from administrative management to external fundraising. As a development professional, she has remained committed to transparency and equity in fundraising, and to using her skills to support underserved communities. Prior to the start of her career in Development, she attended the University of Texas, where she holds a Bachelor of Business Administration degree in marketing.
She originally hails from Texas, but has been in Seattle since 2017 and loves it. In her spare time, she enjoys dancing, reading, making art, and spending time with her wife and their dog, Colt.
Claire Mauksch
Staff Attorney
She/Her
Claire Mauksch is a Staff Attorney with Civil Survival’s Reentry Legal Aid Project (RLAP), where she represents clients who face collateral consequences stemming from criminal convictions. Claire is passionate about fighting for people who have experienced the inequalities and cruelty of the criminal legal system.
Before joining Civil Survival, Claire represented thousands of clients in misdemeanor and felony cases as a public defender at The Bronx Defenders. Claire also worked at The Bail Project, a national charitable bail organization. As Staff Attorney, she researched and coordinated the creation, launch, and management of bail fund sites around the country. As Assistant General Counsel, Claire advised leadership on risk management, compliance, and litigation. Her portfolio of work included local counsel management, information governance, and transactional matters.
Claire received her law degree from Georgetown University Law Center, where she was a Public Interest Law Scholar, and is licensed to practice law in Washington and New York. She graduated summa cum laude from Tufts University with a B.A. in History.
Outside of work, Claire enjoys hiking, reading, theater, and cooking. She is a remarried widow and an advocate for grief literacy. Claire lives with her husband and young children in Seattle.
Destiny Moreno
Staff Attorney
She/Her
Destiny is a Staff Attorney with Civil Survival’s Reentry Legal Aid Project (RLAP). Her experience with the justice system– shaped in part by having an incarcerated sibling– informs her advocacy for both individual clients and broader policy change.
Before joining Civil Survival, Destiny worked on appellate cases as a Rule 9 Licensed Legal Intern at the Washington Appellate Project. She also interned with the American Civil Liberties Union’s Criminal Law Reform Project and National Prison Project, as well as Columbia Legal Services. Prior to law school, she researched conditions of confinement at the Prison and Jail Innovation Lab and co-authored several publications addressing health, safety, and dignity issues experienced by people in custody.
Destiny earned her law degree from the University of Washington School of Law and is licensed to practice in Washington State. She also holds a Master’s in Public Affairs from the University of Texas at Austin and a Bachelor’s in Public Policy from the University of California at San Diego.
Cody Nagle
Staff Attorney
She/Her
Cody Nagle (she/her) is a staff attorney with Civil Survival’s Reentry Legal Aid Program. Born and raised in Seattle, she recently returned to the Pacific Northwest after nearly a
decade on the East Coast. She holds a law degree from Syracuse University College of Law and is licensed to practice in Washington State and the District of Columbia.
Cody’s passion for reentry and legal reform stems from her personal experience overcoming barriers to employment and housing as a result of her criminal record. Cody struggled with substance use disorder from a very young age and spent most of her teens and early twenties cycling through treatment centers and jails across Western Washington. She successfully completed Pierce County’s drug court program in 2012.
Since that time Cody has become acutely aware of the institutional and systemic barriers for people with criminal convictions. After struggling for years to find meaningful
employment, she became dedicated to helping others reclaim their lives after incarceration or mental health and substance use disorders.
Cody was one of the first people with felony convictions to serve in the Executive Office of the President under the Biden Administration. She worked as a policy and outreach
advisor in the Office of National Drug Control Policy, where she used her lived experience to advance drug policy reform and connect diverse groups to address the national overdose epidemic. Cody has also worked as a legislative attorney,
researching and drafting legislation related to drug policy and the criminal legal system.
In her spare time, Cody loves to travel and spend time outdoors with her husband and three kids.
Kelly Olson
Policy Manager
She/Her
Kelly Olson is the Policy Manager for Civil Survival. Kelly started as the Thurston County Game Changer leader in October 2018.
After leaving prison in 2007, Kelly used education and volunteering in her community to help rebuild her life. She graduated from The Evergreen State College in 2011 with a bachelor’s degree in liberal arts and an emphasis in communications and public policy. She graduated from the University of Washington’s Evans School of Public Policy in 2013 with an Executive Master’s in Public Administration. Prior to joining Civil Survival full time, Kelly was working for the state at the Washington Student Achievement Council, where she worked as a state regulator in postsecondary degree authorization.
Although Kelly achieved academic success and became a leader in her community through her volunteer work, some paid positions with nonprofit organizations, and interning at the Washington State Senate, she struggled to find a living wage job due to the collateral consequences of being formerly incarcerated. After a decade of struggling to survive in a society that consistently told her she wasn’t welcome, she realized it was time to advocate for herself, and all the others trying to rebuild their lives after incarceration. She has found her voice and is using her story to advocate for systemic change for all justice-involved individuals.
Kelly has been appointed by the Thurston County Commissioners to the Thurston County Law & Justice Council, serves on the advisory council for the Husky Post – Prison Pathways (HP3) at the University of Washington Tacoma, and What’s Next Washington’s Employment Advisory Council. Kelly also is involved with national organizations like Unlock Higher Ed and the Formerly Incarcerated College Graduate Network.
Sugam Soni
Senior Attorney
He/Him
Sugam is a Senior Attorney with Civil Survival. Sugam works to help people across Washington recover from collateral consequences of the criminal justice system. Sugam has worked on a wide range of legal services including criminal record vacates, remission of legal financial obligations (LFOs), clemency/pardon petitions and restoration of rights.
Before coming to Civil Survival, Sugam was a felony trial attorney for the Colorado State Public Defender’s Office. As a public defender, Sugam was responsible for managing an entire felony caseload from first appearance to disposition. Sugam first chaired 20+ jury trials ranging from misdemeanors to capital felonies. Sugam was also the crim-immigration liaison for his office, assisting fellow attorneys navigate immigration consequences following conviction.
Sugam received his juris doctorate from the University of San Francisco School of Law in 2016. He is currently licensed to practice law in Washington and Colorado.
In his spare time, Sugam enjoys spending time with his dog, visiting family and friends, and exercising or playing recreational sports.
Ruth Utnage
Reentry Resource Coordinator
She/Her
Ruth is first human being and a small business owner. She also happens to be a transgender woman who found her self-identity and values while serving a eleven-year sentence in Washington State prisons. She used her skills and advocacy to create positive change for LGBTQ prisoners, organize the state’s first-ever Pride event behind bars, and educate prison leadership about the needs of trans and gender non-conforming people. She also started an organization from prison that focuses on identifying why some people succeed against the odds, and how systems of incarceration and education can shift to support them. She has published several articles, delivered speeches and training seminars to diverse audiences. Ruth has facilitated many workshops and classes on self-awareness, mental health, gender, and coping with trauma.
She has a degree in Business Management and certifications in web development and small business management from Edmonds College, as well as multiple certificates from Toastmasters in motivational strategies, strategic relationships, and visionary communication. She is dedicated to using her experiences and skills to support change work and make a difference in the world.
In her spare time she enjoys coin collecting, learning Latin, learning about her family lineage, and is absolutely fascinated by quantum physics and mathematics.
Kale Vorak
Administrative Assistant
He/Him
Kale Vorak he/him is an Administrative Assistant to Civil Survivals Operations Manager. Kale brings a wealth of experience in all facets of the criminal justice system through personal lived experience. With a turbulent childhood and early adulthood Kale got to experience first hand all of the inequities and degradations that our state sanctioned systems of oppression had to dole out to folks in the name of justice.
Kale never let that system and its culture and practices define or control his actions and his morals. Moreover he never let them snuff out his enthusiasm and optimism about the future. With boundless energy and an ever ready smile Kale looks forward to contributing to and enabling Civil Survivals mission and values.
Outside of work, Kale enjoys fishing, hiking, running, and puttering around on his motorcycle weather permitting.
Cory Walster
Community Organizer
He/Him
Cory Walster is a Community Organizer for Civil Survival. He started with Civil Survival as a volunteer, was one of the original founding board members, and has led the Kitsap County Game Changer group since 2018. He is a father of two children, a son and a daughter, and he’s a registered member of the Oglala tribe of the Lakota Nation. Cory’s passion for this work stems from his own lived experiences with the systems of oppression and his incarceration in four of the Washington State prisons. After release from prison, Cory found himself as a single parent to his daughter and struggling to overcome the many legal restrictions and barriers for people upon reentry. However, he did not realize the power of sharing his story until finding others in Civil Survival to connect with and learned how to get before decision-makers and elected officials.
In addition, Cory is passionate about school push-out, and it fueled him to organize with others after his daughter was being suspended due to her mental health issues. His contributions to the work of Civil Survival are bountiful, but he is most proud of his position on the Central Kitsap School District Student Rights and Responsibilities Committee, where he was an integral part of redrafting the discipline code to keep children in a learning environment.
He is generous with his time and talents and is highly active with other groups and committees in the community. He values advancing racial equity in all of his work and building relationships with others who have been impacted by any systems of oppression.
Cory is also a skilled gardener in his free time and enjoys sharing his harvest with other activists and organizers.
Julie Wilson
Operations Manager
She/Her
Julie Wilson is the Operations Manager for Civil Survival Project, where she has served since November 2020. In her role, she helps ensure internal operations, financial processes, and organizational systems run effectively in support of the organization’s mission to serve individuals impacted by the criminal legal system.
Julie brings over ten years of experience in administrative and operational leadership, as well as a background in mental health counseling and nonprofit program management. She is passionate about criminal justice reform and expanding access to mental health care.
Julie holds a Bachelor’s degree in Psychology with a minor in Human Resources Management from Washington State University and is a Certified Nonprofit Accounting Professional (CNAP).
Outside of work, Julie is a proud mom and enjoys concerts, stand-up comedy, hiking, and quality time with her family.