Staff

STAFF

Verónica R Cruz
Executive Director

Email: Veronica@RestorativeResources.org

Expertise: Retired Business Systems Analyst, The Superior Court of California, Sonoma County

WHY RESTORATIVE JUSTICE
AND WHY RESTORATIVE RESOURCES?
I believe that we are all connected and that our relationships are the most important and valuable assets within our community; Restorative Practices help us build and maintain positive relationships and live in a healthy, collaborative, constructive way.

Read more about Verónica

Verónica has lived in Sonoma County for 42 years and prior to moving here, she was a foster child in Lake County from the age of 6 to 18. She gained 32 years of valuable work experience in the Superior Court and the Office of the District Attorney, working to improve the criminal process as a legal clerk, courtroom clerk, supervisor, and finally as a Business Systems Analyst in the Court IT Department. She holds a Certificate as a Court Manager from the National Center for State Courts, West Virgina and earned a Data Analysis Certificate from Villa Nova University.

Justice within the Court has always been a central theme in Verónica’s life. It was a natural move after retirement to volunteer with Restorative Resources as a Board Member and later work in a directorship. Volunteering is also an important part of Verónica’s retirement where she serves or has served on the City of Santa Rosa’s Community Advisory Board, the Sheriff’s Latino Advisory Board, the Sheriff’s Community Roundtable for Equity, Engagement, and Diversity, Cinco de Mayo Festival Committee, and her neighborhood association.

Elizabeth Villaseñor Pesqueda
Circle Keeper & Case Manager

Email: Elizabeth@RestorativeResources.org

Expertise: BA in Sociology, Sonoma State University

WHY RESTORATIVE JUSTICE
AND WHY RESTORATIVE RESOURCES?
In my heart, transformations can only happen when we start to listen to one another and hopefully understand one another and working at Restorative Resources, my dedication and desire to bring restorative justice into our community has been strengthened.

Read more about Elizabeth

Elizabeth has been living in Sonoma County her entire life and over the course of that time, she has seen many injustices where she felt more needed to be done. Elizabeth believes that this starts with our youth and that Restorative Justice is one of the building blocks to healthy communication and relationships. In her current position, she is responsible for giving youth a space where everyone can feel safe and feel heard.

Elizabeth is an alumnus from Santa Rosa Junior College and Sonoma State University, where she received her Bachelor’s degree in Sociology. Prior to Restorative Resources, Elizabeth worked as an AmeriCorps VISTA with the City of Santa Rosa’s Office of Community Engagement and the Center for Community Engagement at Sonoma State University. She worked diligently towards building community cohesion and resiliency and engaging community members with partner organizations. Her body of volunteer work includes Harvest for the Hungry and the Petaluma Health Clinic.

Alcina Horstman
Restorative Conference Facilitator

Email: Alcina@RestorativeResources.org

Expertise: 20 years of social justice work and 8 years as a Restorative Practitioner

WHY RESTORATIVE JUSTICE
AND WHY RESTORATIVE RESOURCES?
Restorative Practices are the future in holistic healing from harm, and Restorative Resources offers an effective bridge for accountability and healing.

Read more about Alcina

Alcina Horstman has a four year Studio Arts Diploma and a BA in Humanities. She brings over 20 years of experience of social justice work in Boston, New York, and Bay Area communities, as well as 8 years of Restorative Practices experience.

Jane Weil
Programs & Training Director

Email: Jane@RestorativeResources.org

Expertise: Master’s in Social Work, University of California at Berkeley

WHY RESTORATIVE JUSTICE
AND WHY RESTORATIVE RESOURCES?
Restorative Justice and Practices resonate with my deep interest in social justice and provides a process for working with people to improve communication, heal harms, build, and rebuild relationships and community, and support the rights and interests of all members of the community.

read more about jane

Jane began her social work career providing Mental Health Services to children and families at a rural health clinic and in a high school’s dropout prevention program. After earning a Certificate in Conflict Resolution at Sonoma State University, she worked at Recourse as a mediator, and served on their Board of Directors. In 2009, Jane joined the staff at Restorative Resources as a Restorative Conference facilitator, case manager and trainer, working on grant projects, contracts, and private pay cases.

In 2019, Jane became the Programs and Training Director and continued to provide restorative services to referred and private clients and impacted parties; facilitate Restorative Conferences; facilitate conferences for those returning to school following expulsion or returning to the community after time spent in Juvenile Detention. She has provided trainings in restorative justice and practices to educators, administrators, and community members, and mentored those entering the field.

Emanuel "Manny" Morales
Circle Keeper & Restorative Trainer

Email: emjalisco2005@yahoo.com

Expertise: 6 years as a Restorative Practitioner

WHY RESTORATIVE JUSTICE
AND WHY RESTORATIVE RESOURCES?
Restorative Justice promotes principles that help humanize individuals that otherwise could feel undervalued, as well as promotes a healthier and more genuine way of being.

read more about Manny

Emanuel "Manny" Morales was born in Jalisco, Mexico. In 1997, at the young age of ten, he migrated to the United States to join his siblings in Santa Rosa. He lived in the Roseland Area and attended Roseland District Schools and then went on to graduate from Montgomery High School. In 2008, Manny earned an Associate Degree in Social and Behavioral Science from Santa Rosa Junior College. This concentration of study provided a solid foundation for working with young people and in 2014, he became a Restorative Specialist for the Santa Rosa City Schools. For nearly 6 years, Manny gained valuable experience implementing restorative practices and principles primarily in the middle schools as well as elementary and high schools. In a full circle, Manny returned to his own middle school, Lawrence Cook Middle School, for his primary assignment as a Restorative Specialist.

While simultaneously working as a Restorative Specialist, Manny joined Restorative Resources as Circle Keeper Facilitator and Trainer in 2019. He held circles at the Juvenile Justice Center at Los Guilicos where he was able to grow professionally expanding his restorative work with young people and making his work more purposeful as a restorative practitioner. Manny credits his own experiences in adolescence, which shaped his outlook on how to navigate early adulthood, to support and elevate young people as they navigate the social, educational, and political constructs of our society.