The people behind the coalition.
Utahns from the political, legal, and advocacy communities — joined by partner organizations and volunteers — working together on common-sense justice reform.
Darcy Van OrdenFounder & Executive Director
Founder and Executive Director for the Utah Justice Coalition. Darcy first took a criminology course her freshman year at Utah State University in Logan, UT, where she found her love and passion for reform work. She then headed to Virginia, where she received her bachelor’s degree in criminology from George Mason University. It was there that she first toured a local prison and became better educated about the death penalty — and changed her position to support repealing it, understanding how broken and costly the system is. Darcy interned in the juvenile justice system at a shelter for at-risk teens in northern Virginia before moving her family to Utah and becoming active in Utah politics in 2009 as a citizen lobbyist for fiscal accountability and transparency. She co-founded the Utah Tea Party movement, organizing citizens to become county and state delegates and elect fiscally responsible representatives. Over the years she has supported common-sense reforms to the criminal justice system, worked as a family-rights champion for those affected by CPS and the courts, and used her staffing and HR background to help citizens find jobs post-prison — forging partnerships with faith-based programs and corporate partners to support reentry.
Josh DanielsBoard Member
Josh Daniels is a policy analyst with the Utah-based Libertas Institute. He received his degree in political science from Brigham Young University and his law degree from the University of Houston. He has worked on a variety of state, local, and federal policy issues, and is a former senior aide to U.S. Congressman Pete Olson. He is a U.S. Marine Corps combat veteran of the Iraq war, where he worked transporting detainees across prisons in Iraq. He has worked in the juvenile courts, mentored at-risk youth, and volunteers with various organizations. He is a member of the national Right on Crime coalition and is passionate about criminal justice policy.
Nigel SwabyBoard Member
Nigel Swaby is an experienced entrepreneur and manager with knowledge in technology, real estate, mortgage finance, and marketing. He currently holds a Utah real estate license and serves on the Salt Lake Board of Realtors Government Affairs Committee and Commercial Alliance. He is active in his local community, serving as Chair of the River District Chamber in Salt Lake City and 1st Vice Chair of the Fairpark Community Council. He writes a quarterly column for The West View publication, and in his free time enjoys golf, travel, and college football. Nigel is very passionate about reforms to the criminal justice system to help people get a second chance at life and find dignity in work.
Nick MechamDirector of Criminal Justice Reform
Nick Mecham received his bachelor’s degree in political science from the University of Utah and his law degree from Ave Maria School of Law in Naples, Florida. While in law school, Nick clerked for the Hon. John Baxter of the Salt Lake City Justice Court as well as for the Salt Lake City law firm Callister, Nebeker & McCullough, and worked for the Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel in Fort Myers, Florida on criminal defense cases. Since law school, Nick worked for the State of Utah’s Division of Occupational and Professional Licensing as a legal analyst, co-authoring the State Construction Registry Rule, and assisted U.S. military veterans get home loans at Low VA Rates. Most recently, Nick worked as the Legal Services Developer for the State of Utah’s Division of Aging and Adult Services, developing education opportunities and coordinating with agencies and attorneys statewide to ensure seniors received the legal services they were entitled to.
Weldon AngelosDirector of Advocacy
UJC is excited to have Weldon Angelos as the Director of Advocacy. Weldon is a former music producer who worked with legends like Snoop Dogg and Tupac Shakur’s recording group. In 2004, Weldon became the national face of criminal justice reform after he was sentenced to a mandatory 55-year prison term for $1,000 worth of cannabis as a first-time offender. His cause was championed by Senators Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Mike Lee (R-Utah), celebrities, leading news organizations like the Washington Post, and even the Koch brothers, leading to an early release in 2016 after serving 13 years of his sentence. Since his release, Weldon has become a leading activist working with a bipartisan coalition of celebrities, lawmakers, business leaders, and the White House to make our federal criminal justice system fair for everyone. He successfully advocated for and helped pass the FIRST STEP Act, the first federal comprehensive criminal justice reform legislation passed since 1970. Weldon is also a public speaker and author, and is currently co-producing a feature documentary about the criminal justice system with Mark Wahlberg.
John and Chase HansenProject Empathy
John and Chase Hansen are a force to be reckoned with in their mission to assist the homeless and promote empathy in the community. This father and son duo founded Kid Labs to study homelessness and how to best assist those experiencing it through positive interactions like sharing a meal together and connecting one on one. They facilitate interactions with the homeless for other members of the community, including awareness sessions for corporate teams over lunch. In partnership with the Utah Justice Coalition, Project Empathy assists members of the community experiencing homelessness in finding housing and jobs, and hopefully staying off the streets for the long term. Reach out if you would like to book a lunch interaction with those experiencing homelessness.
Jessie CampbellLife on the Line
Jessie Campbell is an extraordinary individual who has overcome significant personal and physical challenges, including drug addiction and homelessness, and serves as an inspiration to all of those around him. He founded Life on the Line, using fishing as his therapy to move past his trauma and addiction. Now he helps other men get assistance to overcome their addictions, trauma, and challenges through fishing retreats that include people experiencing homelessness alongside corporate executives — making for an experience that lasts a lifetime. The Utah Justice Coalition is a proud partner with Life on the Line to serve those seeking compassion and peace. Reach out if you would like to book a fishing retreat with those experiencing homelessness.
Rees EmpeyCriminal Justice Associate
Rees Empey was born in Salt Lake City, Utah and grew up in Missouri. After graduating from high school in 2015, Rees moved back to Utah to earn a bachelor’s degree in political science with a minor in religious studies from Utah State University. While pursuing his degree, Rees interned with the Utah State Legislature and the U.S. House Natural Resources Committee, exit polled for the 2016 election, worked as a research assistant at Utah State, and studied abroad in Kunming, China. Aside from engaging in politics, Rees enjoys fishing, hiking, and reading.
Mike LevorsenPolicy Analyst
Mike Levorsen received his bachelor’s degree in political science with an emphasis in public policy from the University of Utah. He has interned for U.S. Senator Orrin Hatch in Washington D.C. and for former U.S. Senator Bob Bennett, and has been involved in politics since he was 18 — working as a citizen activist to defeat tax increases and hold Utah politicians fiscally accountable. Conservative and pro-life his entire life, Mike has supported criminal justice reforms in the past and is excited to help support these common-sense reforms in the future.
Maria HaysTeam Member
My name is Maria Hays, and I am a mother of three incredible children. I am majoring in clinical social work with a minor in psychology, and recently moved my children to Utah to finish my education. I chose to join the Utah Justice Coalition because I am living proof that people change. I am a recovering addict and a survivor of domestic violence — removing myself from both situations helped me develop a better understanding of what it takes to change lives around if the individual is willing. I believe in second chances by allowing individuals to not be viewed as the person they used to be. My goal is to give others like me a voice.
Salvador Ceja-MonroyIntern
Salvador Ceja-Monroy was born in Ogden, Utah and graduated from Ogden High in 2016. He attends Weber State University, majoring in political science and minoring in Spanish. He was first introduced to the Utah Justice Coalition in 2017 when he helped organize an event with them as a panel guest discussing the death penalty at Weber State, and is excited to work on criminal justice reforms.
Hugh BallouLeadership Consultant
Hugh Ballou is a transformational leadership strategist and corporate culture architect working with visionary CEOs, entrepreneurs, pastors, and nonprofit leaders and their teams to develop a purpose-driven, high-performance collaboration culture. With 40 years as a musical conductor, Ballou draws on the leadership skills used daily by the conductor to teach relevant leadership skills to leaders in business, church, and nonprofit organizations. In his work with social entrepreneurs and corporate executives for 30-plus years, he has developed comprehensive systems and strategies for empowering leadership that drives social change.