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Welcome to 2026!
A Letter from AWEC President, Dr. Wendy Williams
Dear AWEC colleagues,
As we begin a new year, I want to extend my gratitude to each of you for the leadership, resilience, and integrity you bring to the field of corrections. The work we do is complex, demanding, and often unseen—but it matters deeply. Through your daily decisions, you shape not only institutions, but lives, systems, and futures.
A new year invites both reflection and resolve. As women executives in corrections, we are uniquely positioned to influence culture, policy, and practice. Our leadership is felt in how we mentor others, how we approach reform, how we center dignity and safety, and how we hold ourselves accountable to the highest standards of professionalism and humanity.
My challenge to our membership this year is this: be intentional. Be intentional about lifting other women into leadership. Be intentional about questioning practices that persist out of habit rather than evidence. Be intentional about using your voice—whether at the policy table, in your agency, or within AWEC itself—to move our profession forward.
AWEC is strongest when we actively engage with one another, share hard-earned lessons, and support innovation rooted in both experience and data. I encourage you to participate, contribute, and lead boldly in the year ahead.
Thank you for the work you do and for the example you set. I look forward to what we will accomplish together in the coming year.
With respect and resolve,
Dr. Wendy D. Williams
President, AWEC
Meet Your Executive Committee
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Dr. Wendy Williams – President
Dr. Wendy Williams retired from the Alabama Department of Corrections in 2024 after a 37‑year career, including more than a decade as Deputy Commissioner overseeing statewide facilities and the CERT unit. Previously, she led the agency’s training division for nearly 12 years and served nationally with the National Institute of Corrections. She began her career as a correctional officer at Limestone Correctional Facility, advancing through multiple security roles.
Wendy has held leadership roles with the Association of Women Executives in Corrections, including Vice President and President‑Elect. Dr. Williams holds degrees from Athens State University, Auburn University Montgomery, and a Doctor of Education from Nova Southeastern University. She lives in Athens, Alabama, and remains active in her community.
Kathy Kenney – President-Elect
Kathleen Kenney has worked in corrections for more than 26 years and is honored to serve alongside dedicated corrections professionals. She was appointed Interim Commissioner of the Kentucky Department of Corrections on June 1, 2019, after serving as a Consultant with The Moss Group, where she supported agencies in strengthening organizational effectiveness. Her career also includes 25 years with the Federal Bureau of Prisons.
Kathy served as Assistant Director/General Counsel for the Federal Bureau of Prisons for thirteen years. She earned her bachelor’s degree from The Catholic University of America in 1988 and her Juris Doctor from the University of Notre Dame in 1992.
Maria Shirey – Vice President
Maria Shirey was appointed Assistant Deputy Executive Director of the Utah Department of Corrections in December 2022 after leading Utah Correctional Industries since 2020. She began her corrections career in 2007 with the Washington Department of Corrections, where she became the agency’s first Internal Communications Manager and developed innovative strategies to engage more than 8,000 employees.
Maria joined the Utah Department of Corrections in 2016 as Public Information Officer, later becoming Deputy Director of UCI in 2018. She also serves as Vice President of Marketing for the National Correctional Industries Association and sits on the Board of Directors for the Association of Women Executives in Corrections.
Heidi Stewart – Treasurer
Heidi Steward has served as the Oregon Department of Corrections Deputy Director since April 1, 2019, following a 23‑year career with the agency that began in 1996. During her tenure, she redesigned the department’s cognitive intervention programs to align with evidence‑based practices and implemented a new case management model positioning counselors as active change agents.
Heidi also participated in two professional exchanges to Norway, studying the country’s principles of humanity and normality in corrections. She has since applied those practices to strengthen Oregon’s focus on employee wellness, family well‑being, and healthier institutional environments—resulting in notable improvements for both staff and adults in custody.
Kuma Deboo – Secretary
With over 35 years of experience in correctional administration, Kuma Deboo is excited about her new role as Secretary of AWEC. During her 22-year tenure with the Federal Bureau of Prisons (BOP), she rose through the ranks and retired as a Senior Executive Service Warden at the Federal Correctional Institution in Gilmer, West Virginia. Before entering corrections, she spent 15 years at the Social Security Administration.
Since leaving the BOP, Ms. Deboo has worked as a consultant for The Moss Group. Ms. Deboo earned a BA in Political Science from the University of Washington and a Master’s in Public Administration from the University of Southern California. She is a member of the Association of Women Executives in Corrections, the American Correctional Association, and Pi Alpha Alpha, the National Honor Society for Public Affairs and Administration.
Pelicia Hall – Immediate Past President
Pelicia Hall serves as Senior Vice President for Global Tel-Link (GTL), leading the company’s Government Affairs Division and overseeing legislative, regulatory, and policy initiatives across all levels of government. She was Mississippi’s first female Commissioner of Corrections, appointed in 2017, and previously served as Chief of Staff for the Mississippi Department of Corrections, Lead Counsel for the Mississippi Bureau of Narcotics, and Special Assistant Attorney General.
With nearly 20 years of legal experience, Pelicia is active in numerous professional organizations, including the Mississippi Bar Association, National Bar Association, American Bar Association, American Correctional Association, Correctional Leaders Association, and AWEC, where she serves as Vice President. A proud native of Shubuta, Mississippi, she holds a Juris Doctor from Mississippi College School of Law and a Bachelor of Arts from Alcorn State University.
Francine Perretta – Executive Director
Francine Perretta began her career as a Probation Officer in St. Lawrence County, NY, where she advanced to Senior Probation Officer, Probation Supervisor, and ultimately Director, serving from 1987 to 2010. During her tenure, she launched innovative programs that gained national recognition as effective rural models. In 2010, she became Deputy Commissioner of the Westchester County Probation Department, retiring in 2017 after 40 years in community corrections.
Francine has been an active leader in national professional associations, including APPA and NAPE, receiving the George Keiser Award in 2016 and the Richard Dan Beto Award in 2025. A founding member and past president of AWEC, she has served in multiple leadership roles and became Executive Director on May 1, 2017, bringing her extensive community corrections experience to the organization.
Judy Lambert – Chief Finance Officer Secretary
Judy Lambert began her career with the State of Tennessee in 1973 as an auditor with the Comptroller of the Treasury, specializing in corrections. She joined the Tennessee Department of Correction in 1977, where she held multiple fiscal roles before being promoted to Judicial Cost Accountant in 2000, managing a $195 million budget. She remained in this position until retiring in 2014 after more than 40 years of state service.
Throughout her career, Judy was active in the Tennessee Correctional Association, receiving the prestigious Charles Traughber Award. She serves on the finance committee of the Southern States Correctional Association and was appointed chief financial officer for its 2016 conferences. A member of AWEC since 2003, she served on the Executive Board beginning in 2006 and became AWEC’s first Chief Financial Officer after stepping down as Treasurer in 2015.
Share Your News With Us!
Do you have information, an event, or something you’d like shared in the AWEC Newsletter or on LinkedIn? Send it to info@awec.us for consideration!
The National Voice Committee has developed the association’s position on staff sexual misconduct and boundary violations in the correctional field. Talking points were developed for AWEC executives as guidelines for public responses when such misconduct occurs in an agency. Below are those documents along with existing policies from the American Correctional Association (ACA) and the American Jail Association (AJA) on women in corrections and staff sexual misconduct.