Our Team ~ Full Bios

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For the past 21 years Gale has worked tirelessly advocating and lobbying for changes in our criminal justice and prison system. Gale is routinely called on by national organizations, committees of the NJ Legislature, NJ Department of Corrections and the NJ State Parole Board to give testimony on a particular issue or bill. Gale Muhammad is known regionally as a mature, passionate, compassionate activist who helps the incarcerated and their families. Many problems arise between the incarcerated and their loved ones, and Gale counsels them all. For over 15 years, she has worked tirelessly advocating and effectively lobbying for change in the criminal justice system. She is frequently called upon to give testimony on particular issues and legislation by State and National organizations, committees of the New Jersey Legislature, the New Jersey Department of Corrections and the New Jersey State Parole to name just a few. Once married to a man who died in prison, Gale has countless years of experience working with both grass roots and grass top organizations throughout New Jersey, New York, Pennsylvania and Delaware. Among her areas of expertise are sentencing reform, prison health care, treatment of prisoners, parole issues, family reunification, housing and support for families. Her heart lies in giving voice to the voiceless and working with staff to improve prison conditions. She brings a unique perspective that combines the personal and the professional. A licensed Real Estate Agent with Century 21, she once worked for many years in the casino industry. Among her list of achievements are: Worked with families against mandatory minimums, helping to repeal the 1000 foot school zone. 

Gale Muhammad, contd... 

Member of the NAACP State Prison Project. Co-chair for New Jersey “Locked Up: Keys to Prison Change”, an International conference on issues of Re-entry and alternatives to prison to be held at the PA Convention Center in Philadelphia, March 30-31, 2007. She also is involved in creating “Justice Month”, a series of events in Philadelphia highlighting the works of grass roots organization working on prison change. She will be presenting “What About the Women?” at the conference. Member of the Planning Committee of the New Jersey Community & Correctional Working Summit. Participant in the series “Incarceration, Re-Entry & the Family” at the Rutgers School of Criminal Justice and the New Jersey Institute for Social Justice. Former member of the Atlantic City Criminal Justice Advisory Committee. Consultant for the NJADP, New Jersey Alternatives to the Death Penalty. Volunteer for the New Jersey State Prison for HAP, Hispanic Americans for Progress and NAACP (inside groups) Member of the New York based Nu Leadership Policy Group. Consultant to numerous organizations (Pilgrimage Outreach Inc. Faith Base Church). Consultant working with Bonnie Kerness, AFSC Prison Watch based in Newark NJ. Involved with Women in Support of Million Man March – Newark NJ. Consultant to Community organizing, Future Projects: Gale Muhammad’s vision of what’s necessary to prevent the high rate of recidivism with those coming out of prison include workshops for families to both document the issues around re-entry and also to give human faces to those in the struggle. In addition, she is working closely with PPRE-4 Evergreen-L3C to develop prevention programs as well as expanded services, especially housing, for those coming home from prison and their families. Human Rights, Social Justice Issues, Human Rights Watch

Tisha Barnes is a supportive housing professional with more than ten years of

experience in the field.  Before joining WWNG, Tisha worked at Greenhope Housing, a New York nonprofit that is servicing underserved populations with substance/mental health issues, where she served as Residential Director. Ms. Barnes also worked at Community Intervention Services as a Consultant for their Youth Services Programing. Introducing a Lifeskills curriculum that she created and implemented with successful

results. Ms. Barnes holds a master’s degree in Business Administration from the University of Maryland University College and her BA from the University of Maryland. She also has LHITC Certification and NYS Realtor License. Tisha is passionate about working with the communities we serve to teach our youth to avoid incarceration by using education.

Rudie Weatherman is an attorney licensed to practice in New Jersey and Missouri. He received his B.A. in political science from Columbia University, School of General Studies in New York and his J.D. from the University of Missouri, School of Law. A former Associate Attorney to the late William H. Buckman, Esq., Rudie operates a solo practice focused on civil rights and appellate advocacy. He has briefed cases before the United States District Court for the District of New Jersey, the Southern District of New York, and New Jersey’s Law Division, Appellate Division, and Supreme Court. On behalf of Women Who Never Give-Up, Inc, Rudie provides counsel on a variety of strategic legal questions, whether arising from pending legislation or ongoing litigation. In his free time, he enjoys skateboarding. 

Megan Coleman, Program Coordinator of Women Who Never Give Up, Inc., assists individuals that are currently and previously incarcerated by creating programs that allow for families to

receive justice both in our criminal justice and prison system. She works daily with the NJ Department of Corrections and other state agencies, legislative agents, families, and communities to seek justice for those that are voiceless within the carceral system. Megan has her BA in Criminal Justice from Rutgers University-Camden. She has co-authored an integrative review on the risk of family violence after incarceration. Her research interests in criminal justice include juvenile delinquency, community development, at-risk populations, and offender re-entry.

Uyen Nguyen brings over 18 years of marketing and communications experience. As a native of the Washington, DC metropolitan area, she has a deep knowledge and love for the Capital region, and its political dynamics. Her dedication to providing an extremely effective and creative approach and her expertise, is essential to her process and the results she provides. Uyen has a passion for business development, communications, marketing, brand strategy, and media relations. She enjoys focusing on these principles because it allows her to find connections and synergies between businesses, consumers, communities, and groups to create cohesive campaigns and diversified events.

Uyen has a devotion to non-profit organizations and enjoys supporting them no matter how considerable or modest the endeavor may be.  Her agency experience, professionalism, dedication, and knowledge are unparalleled as she continues to enhance and refine the team’s best practices and project protocols.

Uyen holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Business Administration, a minor in Fashion Merchandising and a culinary certificate in Sous-Vide from CREA, The Culinary Research, and Education Academy.