Daniel Buckley
Staff Attorney
As a Staff Attorney, Daniel Buckley represents wrongfully convicted clients seeking post-conviction relief by investigating and litigating their innocence claims.
Prior to joining GIP, Daniel worked as a public defender. He was with the Legal Aid Society’s Criminal Defense Practice in New York City for nine years, during which he worked at the Brooklyn and Manhattan Trial Offices and the Parole Revocation Defense Unit. He was then with the Post-Conviction Branch of the Commonwealth of Kentucky’s Department of Public Advocacy for two years. Daniel is a graduate of Fordham University School of Law and Georgia State University and is admitted as an attorney in Georgia, Kentucky and New York. He spends his spare time reading magical realism and historical and science fiction and wandering around in the woods tracking raptors and carrion birds with his hound dog, Georgia.
More InfoTiffany Bush
Pro Bono Coordinating Attorney
As Pro Bono Coordinating Attorney, Tiffany Bush is responsible for working with pro bono lawyers and legal professionals to assist in the screening stage of GIP cases, in order to evaluate those cases and advance them toward exoneration or other resolution.
Tiffany also works with the Conviction Integrity Unit (CIU) at the Fulton County District Attorney’s Office to identify cases with the highest chances of wrongful conviction and help advance cases through the CIU as appropriate. Prior to joining GIP, Tiffany worked as an associate at R. Gary Spencer, P.C., then as a prosecutor in the metro Atlanta area for nearly two years. Tiffany worked with state and local law enforcement, managing cases from the investigative stage through trial, and she successfully prosecuted numerous cases through pleas, trials, and alternative means of case resolution. Tiffany earned her Bachelor’s degree in Criminology from the University of Florida, before joining Teach for America and teaching kindergarten in Baltimore, Maryland. Tiffany went on to earn her law degree, as well as a Graduate Diploma of Comparative Law, from Louisiana State University in 2016. Tiffany is a proud member of Delta Sigma Theta Sorority, Incorporated and in her spare time, she enjoys coaching gymnastics, working out, traveling, reading, and eating delicious food.
More InfoLa Teisha Clements
Case Analyst
As a Case Analyst, La Teisha Clements provides support for case management, investigation, and litigation. La Teisha is responsible for collecting, organizing, and summarizing case related documents. La Teisha works with staff attorneys to conduct research and assist in hearing preparation.
Before joining GIP, La Teisha worked for the State of Georgia for eighteen years as an Investigator Specialist within the Office of Inspector General and with the Department of Juvenile Justice supporting attorneys with independent investigations, trial preparation and ongoing case management. She received both her undergraduate degree in Sociology and master’s degree in Human Services from Buffalo State College. La Teisha is passionate about social justice, criminal justice reform and believes public policy is the root to manifest change. In her spare time, she loves reading, traveling with her three daughters, and playing around in the kitchen with her teenage daughter making unique kosher meals.
More InfoIsabel Corngold
Staff Attorney / Case Coordinator
As Staff Attorney/ Case Coordinator, Isabel ("Izzy") Corngold investigates and litigates innocence claims, and provides oversight and strategic direction for intake and screening-stage cases and staff.
Prior to joining GIP, Izzy worked at the Mid-Atlantic Innocence Project for six years as a student intern and then backlog fellowship attorney. At MAIP she created and implemented systems which helped decrease the waitlist time by more than half. She also investigated and litigated innocence cases, several to exoneration or release from incarceration. During law school she interned with the U.S. Attorney's Office for the Eastern District of New York and the Public Defenders Agency in Anchorage, Alaska. Izzy is a graduate of the George Washington Law School, and Reed College where she wrote her senior thesis on best practices for ear-witness identification procedures. In her spare time, Izzy enjoys cardio dance classes and comedy podcasts.
More InfoMike Coszalter
Program Manager
As Program Manager, Mike Coszalter manages GIP's intern and volunteer programs. He also helps provide support for GIP's freed clients and works to plan events that raise awareness about wrongful convictions in Georgia.
Prior to joining GIP, Mike served as the Executive Assistant at the Full Belly Project - a nonprofit dedicated to poverty alleviation and global development through simple, sustainable technology. Mike earned his bachelor’s degree in anthropology from the University of North Carolina - Wilmington, where he honed his passion for social justice, human connection, and applied academics. Outside of the office, Mike is also an experienced dancer, hopeful artist, and proud parent of two adorable pups.
More InfoChristina Cribbs
Senior Attorney
As a Senior Attorney, Christina Cribbs analyzes wrongful conviction claims and develops strategies to best explore and present those claims, often through the lens of litigation.
Christina’s first experience working at GIP was as a legal intern in 2008 and she later returned to GIP as a Staff Attorney under a two-year grant-funded position, which ended in 2015. Immediately before rejoining GIP in 2021, Christina worked for over four years as a public defender handling direct criminal appeals for indigent clients across the state of Georgia. She filed over 50 substantive briefs and argued before the Supreme Court of Georgia and Georgia Court of Appeals on multiple occasions. She was successful in winning a new trial for several clients, including one client that had been convicted of murder. Christina also has civil litigation experience working on behalf of plaintiffs and defendants. She received both her undergraduate degree in criminal justice (2005) and law degree (2010) from Georgia State University. Christina and her husband are very involved in animal rescue and have fostered dozens of dogs over the last several years.
More InfoHayden Davis
Policy Specialist
As Policy Specialist, Hayden Davis researches, develops, and advocates for public policy that will help prevent and correct wrongful convictions, and provide justice for the wrongfully convicted in Georgia.
Hayden also identifies the significance of new legislation emerging nationwide, and works alongside other justice organizations and GIP's pro bono partners to drive practical, meaningful change. Born and raised in England, Hayden moved to Atlanta in 2017 and fell in love with the city and state. He received his bachelor's degree in Political Science from Emory University, and, passionate about criminal justice reform, originally began at GIP as a volunteer while still a student. Outside of GIP, Hayden is very interested in the power of social enterprise to solve problems, and even developed a proposal to use special traps to catch damaging, invasive lionfish off the coast. On weekends, he loves hiking throughout Georgia, enjoying the lush, green landscape.
More InfoShawna Floyd
Office Manager
As Office Manager, Shawna Floyd supports GIP through an array of administrative and executive support tasks and contributes her writing and design skills to our communications activities.
Before joining GIP, Shawna managed the office of a small business specializing in gardening and landscaping—and literally (and merrily) got her hands dirty as a gardener too. She received her Bachelor of Arts in English Literature/Creative Writing from Agnes Scott College where she graduated magna cum laude, Phi Beta Kappa as a single mother of two—phew! Shawna is a poet, writer, singer-songwriter and all-around creative. She identifies as “personality type A”: the “A” stands for Administrator and Artist.
More InfoClare Gilbert
Executive Director
Clare Gilbert is Executive Director of the Georgia Innocence Project. Clare is responsible for overseeing all aspects of GIP’s mission, including working with the board of directors and leading fourteen legal, operations, communications, development, and client services staff.
Since joining GIP as Executive Director in 2016, Clare has overseen the freedom and/or exoneration of five clients who served a combined 175 years in prison for crimes they did not commit. Clare also serves on the Executive Board of the Innocence Network, a network of over 70 independent innocence organizations across the world, where she chairs the Networks’ Membership Committee, and is a member of the Ethics and Best Practices Committee. Clare is a licensed attorney in Georgia and Washington, and is a graduate of the University of Washington School of Law and Vassar College. She has previously worked as a public defender for six years, as a public interest lawyer representing non-profit organizations, and as a policy lawyer at the Government Accountability Project. Clare also has the unfortunate distinction of working as a victim advocate in the Bexar County District Attorney’s Office, where she was part of the prosecution team that secured wrongful sexual assault convictions against four women now known as the San Antonio four (all exonerated in 2016). When not fighting wrongful convictions, Clare enjoys hiking and foraging for wild foods with her husband, two small kids, and very noisy beagle.
More InfoRon Grosse
Investigator
As an investigator, Ron Grosse works with staff attorneys in reviewing and evaluating innocence claims. Ron is responsible for examining and assessing cases, locating and interviewing witnesses, identifying and collecting new evidence where available, and assisting in case strategy.
Before joining GIP, Ron was a Special Agent with the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) for over twenty-eight years, assigned to the office in Columbia, South Carolina. Ron was a White Collar Crime investigator. Prior to the FBI, Ron spent seven years in the U.S. Army and is a graduate of the University of Maryland. Ron is married with three grown children and enjoys traveling, reading, hiking, and working out.
More InfoMatt Holbrook
Operations Director
As Operations Director, Matt Holbrook manages the organization’s finances, operations, IT and human resources.
Matt defines success in his role as creating a culture of organizational excellence, and developing tools and processes to form a solid foundation from which GIP can most effectively advance its mission. Matt joined GIP in November of 2016. He previously worked as business manager at a small contracting company, where he handled everything from customer relations to supply chain logistics. He obtained his bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of New Mexico in 2015, where he worked in the law library at UNM's School of Law. Matt is a sci-fi lover, contemporary board game enthusiast, and casual musician.
More InfoRaylynn Hughes
Intake Manager
As Intake Manager, Raylynn Hughes is responsible for assessing and responding to inmate and other requests for GIP’s assistance, and managing cases through our intake screening process.
Raylynn joined GIP in December 2016, thanks to generous support from GIP's Georgia Gives Day donors. Before coming to GIP, Raylynn worked as a Librarian and Continuing Education Services Coordinator for DeKalb County Public Library, in Decatur, GA. She received her Bachelor’s degree from Georgia State University and her Master of Librarianship from Emory University. Raylynn is fluent in Spanish. She picked up running as a sport when she previously worked as a manager at the Atlanta Track Club, and she still goes out for morning runs and weekend races.
More InfoMeagan Hurley
Accountability Counsel
As Accountability Counsel, Meagan Hurley represents people convicted of crimes they did not commit by investigating and litigating their wrongful conviction claims, focusing on those involving official misconduct.
Meagan also collaborates with GIP’s policy, communication, and IT teams to implement and track official misconduct reform efforts. Her position is partially funded by DBM Foundation to develop GIP’s expertise on official misconduct and conviction integrity & accountability. Meagan was a law intern at GIP from 2017-2019 and played a critical role in securing freedom for GIP and Southern Center for Human Rights client Johnny Lee Gates, who spent 43 years in prison (26 on death row) for crimes he did not commit. After graduating from Mercer University School of Law in 2019 and taking AL bar, she spent 2 years as GIP’s Alabama Fellow, helping create and teach AL’s first post-conviction law school innocence clinic, while ethically transitioning GIP out of AL case work by investigating claims of wrongful conviction and securing pro bono counsel for potentially innocent prisoners. While in law school, Meagan held positions with the Georgia Capital Defender Office, the Houston County Public Defender Office, and Mercer Habeas Project, in addition to GIP. She is licensed in GA & AL. Meagan earned her bachelor’s degree in Communications from Reinhardt University in 2014, where she currently teaches journalism and First Amendment courses as an adjunct. In between law school and college, Meagan worked as an award-winning newspaper reporter in GA & AL. A north Georgia native, Meagan enjoys spending her free time exploring the outdoors with family and friends.
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Blis Savidge
Communications Manager
As Communications Manager Blis is responsible for amplifying GIP’s work and message to advance GIP’s mission by communicating with the public and media as well as managing and creating content for all social channels.
Blis graduated from the University of Georgia with a degree in Digital Broadcast Journalism and a minor in Cultural Anthropology. She went on to work as an award-winning journalist (WXIA-TV, CNN, GPB) where she had the privilege of telling stories from around the world. One of those stories featured GIP client Sonny Bhradia. The story made such an impact on Blis that she decided to leave the news industry so she could play a more active role in fighting wrongful convictions. In her free time Blis enjoys traveling the world, fostering animals, and eating her way through Atlanta.
More InfoChristian Stegall
Community Engagement Manager | Development Specialist
As Community Engagement Manager, Christian Stegall manages GIP's volunteer program, speaker engagements, and assists with content creation for the organization. As Development Specialist, Christian oversees the standardization of donor data in GIP's databases and assists with donor stewardship.
Prior to joining GIP, Christian was the Kress Interpretive Fellow at the Hudson River Museum in Yonkers, NY where he was a 2x award-winning curator of his photography exhibition Through Our Eyes: Milestones and Memories of African Americans in Yonkers. Christian honed his museum skills at the Cooperstown Graduate Program where he earned a Master’s degree in Museum Studies in 2018. While there he interned for the National Baseball Hall of Fame and the National Museum of African American History and Culture. Both institutions still use a lot of his work and his research can be seen in the August 2018 edition of the Public Historian. Christian is a proud Morehouse Man, graduating Phi Beta Kappa with a Bachelor’s degree in History in 2016. In his free time, Christian enjoys making his favorite comfort foods healthy, all things Atlanta sports, and jamming out to his favorite tunes.
More InfoMichele Thompson
Development Manager
As Development Manager, Michele Thompson oversees GIP's fundraising efforts, securing critically needed support while connecting our community partners and donors with our mission.
Prior to joining GIP, Michele was the Donor Experience and Grants Coordinator for the Lawrence Humane Society, in Lawrence, Kansas, and currently produces a newsletter for the Maryland chapter of the General Federation of Women's Clubs. Michele calls both Maryland and Kansas home, and earned her Bachelor's Degree in Political Science from the University of Kansas. When she isn't helping the imprisoned innocent attain justice, Michele enjoys hiking, fishing, listening to her favorite audiobooks, and cheering on the Kansas Jayhawks during basketball season.
More InfoDestinee True
Intake Assistant
As Intake Assistant, Destinee True supports the Intake Manager with processing application-stage cases. Destinee is responsible for ensuring the proper processing, documentation, and filing of all correspondence between applicants and GIP.
Before joining GIP, Destinee worked as a training records specialist at a local law enforcement agency. She received her Bachelor's degree in History from Ashford University and her MBA in Public Administration from Columbia Southern University. Destinee and her husband enjoy hiking and biking in their free time as well as trying out every local coffee shop in every city they visit.
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