Juvenile Court Judge-elect Tarik Sugarmon has assembled a transition team to assist him with recruiting leadership and assessing current operations in the juvenile system.

“The transition team aims to identify best leadership and best practices for youth and families facing the Juvenile Court System and reduce youth-related crime,” a press release reads.

Sugarmon is the first African American to be elected as Shelby County Juvenile Court Judge and will take office Sept. 1.

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His family has ties to juvenile court, such as his late father, Russell Sugarmon, who was the first African American Referee/Magistrate.

Another of Tarik Sugarmon’s ties to the court is attorney Ruby Wharton, who worked for Juvenile Court early in her career and gave him his first job as an attorney.

The leadership team includes:

• Kenneth May, former CEO of FedEx Office, chair of the March of Dimes' board of trustees and president and CEO of Topgolf International, Inc.
• Cardell Orin, executive director of Stand for Children Tennessee
• Rosalyn Nichols, pastor of Freedom’s Chapel Church, founder of A More Excellent Way and president of MICAH
• TaJuan Stout Mitchell, former Memphis City School Board member and Memphis City Councilwoman
• Stephanie Hill, Impact Associate with Slingshot Memphis
• Dottie Jones, founder and executive director for CoactionNet. She was formerly the Director of Community Services for Shelby County.
• Frank Smith, a businessman and philanthropist whose efforts include Barnhart Crane, Wiseacre Brewing and several other startup entrepreneurial businesses.
• Willie Gregory, Director of Global Community Impact for Nike
• Ruby Bright, Executive Director of the Women’s Foundation for a Greater Memphis
• Shadidah Jones, Black Lives Matter Memphis
• Mark Brown, Chief Administrative Officer, City of Bartlett

The leadership team will help identify the best talent for leadership roles in the juvenile court system.

Team members will also work with volunteer transition committees to assess current operations in each department in the juvenile court system. They will provide a report to Sugarmon and his executive staff within 30 days.

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Other committee members are:

• Natalie McKinney, co-founder/Executive Director of Whole Child Strategies, Inc.
• Bill Powell, former Shelby County Criminal Justice Coordinator
• Sybille Noble, retired Chief Contracting Officer at Memphis-Shelby County Schools
• Phyllis Aluko, Chief Public Defender for Shelby County
• Carnita McKeithen, Shelby County Public Defender
• Josh Spickler, Executive Director of Just City Inc.
• Raumesh Akbari, Tennessee senator representing District 29
• Mary McDaniel, retired FedEx Vice President
• Carolyn Jackson, Interim Chief of Safety and Security for Memphis-Shelby County Schools
• Tameka Greer, Chief Executive Director of Memphis Artists for Change
• Gale Jones Carson, Vice President of Community and External Affairs at Memphis Light Gas & Water
• Blake Ballin, attorney
• JB Smiley Jr., Memphis City Councilman
• Martavius Jones, Memphis City Councilman
• Kamilah Turner, attorney
• Mahal Burr, Director of BRIDGES Youth Action Center
• Charles Elliott, Vice President of Information Technology & Facilities at LeMoyne-Owen College, Managing Principal at National Infrastructure Group
• Florence Hervery, CEO of Case Management Inc.
• Robert Hill, retired Executive Director of Governmental and Legislative Affairs for Shelby County
• Angela Whitelaw, deputy superintendent, Memphis-Shelby County Schools
• Cheyenne Johnson, Memphis City Councilwoman
• Jane Venson-Talford, Human Resources Manager at Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis
• Gerald Thornton, Human Resources Director for Shelby County Government
• Janiece Johnson Lee, MICAH