Wendy Tarr, Program Director, ARCH

Wendy has spent 20 years building and leading nonprofit organizations that engage faith and community-based organizations to stand with directly and marginalized impacted people to improve conditions and systems. She founded Accompanying Returning Citizens with Hope  (ARCH), a program under VOAN, to provide an avenue for faith-based partners to accompany individuals returning home from prison, and for returning citizens to advocate for changes in the justice system directly. The program has been growing and has received seed funding from the Catholic Foundation, various faith-based partners, and the County Commissioners through their competitive “Catalyst Grant,” focused on supporting local initiatives working on poverty-related issues. Wendy is skilled in program and leadership development, coalition building, fundraising, and public policy advocacy at state and federal levels. Wendy has focused her professional career in nonprofits active on worker’s justice issues, immigration, poverty alleviation, and criminal justice/reentry. Accomplishments include: appointed by Franklin County Commissioners to the Franklin County Reentry Advisory Board 2019 – 2021; Certified Facilitator, Getting Ahead While Getting Out, 2020; Certified Facilitator, Creating Lasting Family Connections, Marriage Enhancement Program, 2018; Certified Trainer, Healing Communities (Healing Communities USA), 2017; Certified Facilitator, Cost of Poverty Simulation (Think Tank Inc.),  2016. [email protected]

Vanita Nevis, Program Coordinator, ARCH 

Vanita coordinates with faith-based organizations to enhance their prison ministry and become involved in reentry programs. She provides administrative and "boots on the ground" support to those seeking assistance, connecting returning citizens and families with local resources. Prior to her work with ARCH, she was also the administrator for the Central Ohio Citizen Circle for eight years, a reentry support group in affiliation with ODRC. She is retired from the State of Ohio where she worked for over two decades in their Small Business Development Center and launched a program teaching reentry and entrepreneurship classes for incarcerated Ohioans called R.E.S.E.T.  [email protected]

Dana Davis, Business Network Manager, ARCH 

Dana is responsible for building a network of employers offering second chance employment. Dana helps employers find talented returning citizens who qualify for open positions; leverages new and existing partnerships to connect employers with resources, and counsels returning citizens directly in overcoming barriers as they return to the workplace. Dana comes to this position knowing firsthand the impact of incarceration and what it can do to a family. Her childhood and life experiences have fueled her passion & desire to help others impacted by incarceration. She has built strong community partnerships to align with the needs of the clients she serves throughout her 10 years of experience in the reentry field working in case management, program management, and workforce development. Prior to ARCH, Dana worked as a case manager with family programs at Alvis 180 and was also a program coordinator with Girl Scouts of Ohio’s Heartland managing the Bonds Beyond Bars program. She is an entrepreneur and has had her own businesses in the past, including a transportation agency that helped transport families to visit their loved ones at the prison. She has also previously worked in a staffing agency, helping many people with criminal records obtain employment. [email protected]

Harry Cox (MA/LCDCIII), Workforce Development Specialist, ARCH 

Harry provides workforce development training and supportive services to our employer partners. He is developing and leading ARCH’s workforce services at Café Overlook, a social enterprise in the downtown courthouse building in Columbus. Harry worked extensively in behavioral health with justice-involved individuals. After experiencing the justice system firsthand, he’s dedicated his life to helping others navigate similar challenges and experiences that he did many years ago. Harry has a B.A in leadership and Ministry/Substance Abuse Counseling from Ohio Christian University and a Master’s degree in addiction counseling from Grand Canyon University. [email protected]

C. Ray, Reentry & Workforce Specialist, ARCH 

Christina Ray (C. Ray) is a licensed social worker who was born and raised in Columbus, Ohio. Through her journey in recovery and incarceration, she found her passion and purpose in prison advocacy and reform. Ray obtained her BSSW from The Ohio State University in 2022 and her MSW and CDCA in 2023. She is currently working with ARCH Reentry in case management, employment readiness, and policy and advocacy work. Ray is also involved with other justice involved organizations such as Healing Broken Circle (HBC), The Ohio Prison Education Exchange Project (OPEEP at OSU), and The Returning Artist Guild (RAG). Ray is working with ARCH to assist returning citizens and working to create lasting meaningful changes to improve the American criminal justice system. [email protected]

Young Leaders & Volunteers

VOAN receives interns from OSU, Notre Dame, and Denison University throughout the year who assist ARCH -- bringing insight, creativity, and passion to our work!

Board Members

For information on our board, please click here.