ABOUT US

WEI is a multidisciplinary organization. Our team is comprised of more than a dozen social workers,
criminologist, public policy and other mental health professionals.

After years of working at premier university research centers with innovators and social scientists researching from multiple disciplines, the idea for the creation of Wellbeing and Equity Innovations (WEI) was born in 2021. Thanks to our team of researchers and practitioners, we saw the need for new, sustainable, and equitable change with a focus on human potential, and with the help of fellow board members, the vision for WEI came together.

LEADERSHIP

Carrie Pettus

Carrie Pettus

President|CEO

CARRIE PETTUS is one of social work’s leading experts on enacting data-driven solutions to criminal legal and justice reforms, Dr. Pettus founded WEI with her colleagues in order to speed the translation of data-driven solutions to practitioners, policymakers, and advocates. Her decades long career of intervention development and policy reform work facilitates racial and economic equity throughout the criminal legal and justice systems, from an individual’s first contact with law enforcement to their release from incarceration.

Dr. Pettus concentrates her actionable research work on partnering with communities and organizations to develop data driven programs, practices, and policies to enhance positive social support, respond to lifetime trauma experiences among justice-involved adults, treat substance use and mental health disorders, and generate overall well-being for those impacted by justice involvement. Dr. Pettus’ action-based work has broad policy impact and her prioritization of the rapid dissemination of research findings to policymakers, practitioners, and advocates ensures that data-driven innovations can be implemented in real-time.

Dr. Pettus is co-founder of the Smart Decarceration Initiative and the Promote Smart Decarceration network of the Grand Challenges of Social Work Initiative by the American Academy of Social Work and Social Welfare. Dr. Pettus is the chair elect of Social Work’s national Grand Challenges Initiative and a non-resident fellow with the Urban Institute. Prior to her leadership roles in action-based research, Pettus worked extensively as a social worker in varied mental health and corrections settings.

Dr. Pettus completed a Doctorate in Social Work from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. She holds a Master of Social Work Administration degree and Bachelor’s degrees in Social Work and Psychology, all from the University of Kansas.

Lindsey Lovel

Lindsey Lovel

Chief Strategy Officer

LINDSEY LOVEL serves WEI as the Chief Strategy Officer. Her role is to ensure that the mission and vision of the organization are brought to life. Lindsey works closely with a variety of stakeholders to ensure long-term sustainability and success of the organization as a whole. In close collaboration with CEO Dr. Carrie Pettus, she advises on funder relationships, community engagement approaches, communications strategies, and organizational operations.  

 Lindsey comes to WEI with nearly a decade of experience in the criminal justice field. Prior to joining the WEI team in July 2023, Lindsey worked at a leading philanthropy on the criminal justice initiative where she worked with leadership to manage a team of 30+ subject matter experts and over $200M in strategic grantmaking. Lindsey also worked at Manhattan’s leading alternative-to-incarceration direct service provider, advising on and managing several court service programs. Her combination of boots-on-the-ground experience within the criminal-legal system and her knowledge of the funder ecosystem makes Lindsey a driving force behind WEI’s strategic objectives and their execution.  

Lindsey is deeply passionate about finding creative ways to empower historically disenfranchised communities. She also enjoys traveling, reading fiction, and wine. She lives in Brooklyn, NY with her many houseplants and part-time Tabby Cat. Lindsey holds a Masters of Public Administration in Nonprofit Management from CUNY, Baruch College and an undergraduate degree in Philosophy from Georgia State University.  

OUR TEAM

Rachel Fulmer

Rachel Fulmer

Director of Pretrial & Law Enforcement Projects

Skye Henning

Skye Henning

Chief of Staff & Special Projects Coordinator

Jennifer Joseph

Jennifer Joseph

Senior Clinical Advisor

Jessica Le

Jessica Le

Project Director

Katie Morphonios

Katie Morphonios

Senior Data Specialist

Teisha Sanders

Teisha Sanders

Director of Equity & Cultural Advancement

Angelo Stabler

Angelo Stabler

Senior Projects Manager on Wellbeing Development

Sarah Tamburri

Sarah Tamburri

Trauma & Violence Interruption Projects Director