DeAnna Hoskins Is the First Formerly Incarcerated Person in U.S. History to Become a White House Fellow

Today the President’s Commission on White House Fellows announced that JustLeadershipUSA President and CEO and JustUS Coordinating Council founder DeAnna Hoskins has been appointed as one of the next 15 leaders — and the first formerly incarcerated person in the 57-year history of the program — to become a White House Fellow.

DeAnna’s trajectory — from serving a period of incarceration to Correctional Case Manager to founding Director of Reentry in Hamilton County, OH, to Senior Advisor for Corrections/Reentry Programs in the Obama administration to President and CEO of JustLeadershipUSA to now serving as a White House Fellow — is truly historic.

I look forward to bringing what I learn back to JLUSA and to the work of criminal justice reform in this country.

Among the previous 850+ White House Fellows are many who have gone on to serve in high-profile leadership roles, including Gen. Colin Powell, Gov. Wes Moore (Maryland), Elaine Chao (former Secretary of Transportation), Doris Kearns Goodwin (Pulitzer Prize-winning historian), and Dr. Sanjay Gupta (CNN correspondent). Also from the list of previous fellows, 46 went on to get elected to public office, and 74 went on to be confirmed by the Senate for various cabinet positions.

DeAnna Hoskins will be taking a sabbatical from JustLeadershipUSA in order to fulfill the requirements of this one-year fellowship. Vivian Nixon released this statement on behalf of the JLUSA Board of Directors: “JustLeadershipUSA is honored to send DeAnna Hoskins into the White House for this amazing fellowship opportunity, knowing her experience is her expertise that will bring insight and vision to discussions inside those hallowed halls, particularly as they pertain to policies that impact the formerly incarcerated and justice-impacted communities.”

DeAnna Hoskins said, “I am grateful to the board of directors of JustLeadershipsUSA and the awesome team that I have the privilege of serving alongside for supporting me as I take this sabbatical to serve in the White House for the next 12 months. I look forward to bringing what I learn back to JLUSA and to the work of criminal justice reform in this country. Onward!”