Four Multnomah County employees will be recognized this week for contributions to this community that go well beyond their official duties. They’ve spent their careers making the community a safer place and this week, the American Probation and Parole Association will formally acknowledge their work. The employees are Erika Preuitt, Deena Corso, Truls Neal and Leticia Longoria-Navarro.
Erika Preuitt
To her colleagues, District Manager Erika Preuitt, 48, is a powerhouse. She’s known for her vision, dedication and creativity when it comes to working for Multnomah County’s Department of Community Justice.
Preuitt was recently elected to be the president-elect for the American Probation and Parole Association (APPA) and will be recognized at an APPA ceremony in Los Angeles Wednesday July 15. She is the first African American president-elect serving the association. For the next two years she will serve on the executive committee under the current president, and then assume the chair once their term ends.
Preuitt says she is humbled by the opportunity to lead an organization that has made such a powerful impact on the community corrections field for the past 40 years. She is excited to interact with members and promote a national agenda that will continue to move the field toward excellence.
A native of Portland, Preuitt has spent more than 20 years working to change lives and helping communities thrive. As a parole and probation officer in Multnomah County for four years, she worked with high-risk men and women and people impacted by gang violence and involvement. She has served as a community justice manager for multiple units, programs and services in the Department of Community Justice for eight years.
For Preuitt, however her job is a mission. She says she is invested in people, strong communities and making a difference, a philosophy that has driven her throughout her career.
“We would always talk about ‘riding the waves of change,’” said Preuitt. “And I remember thinking, I’m not going to be the person that change just happens to, I’m going to be involved in the change, I’m going to have a voice in the change, I am going to ensure those impacted by the change have a voice.”
Today, Preuitt works as a district manager in the Department of Community Justice as well as serving as the secretary for the APPA executive committee. She has served on the executive committee for the past six years. She says she eagerly anticipates her presidency, hoping to continue to make a difference locally and nationally.
“I am blessed to have a job that’s meaningful and challenging,” said Preuitt. “There are barriers but I get to use creativity, determination and collaboration to overcome those barriers.”
Deena Corso
For as long as she can remember, Department of Community Justice senior manager Deena Corso, 48, has always had a passion for working with young people. This calling has been solidified over time as she has dedicated her life to serving youth and families as well as advocating for the community’s most vulnerable populations.
Growing up, Corso became quickly accustomed to taking charge of situations, having had to care for younger siblings while her parents worked long hours. She recognizes now that this role laid the foundation for the work she has pursued throughout her life.
Corso says that she didn’t even consider a career in juvenile justice until graduate school, where — along with getting her master’s degree in counseling psychology — she was introduced to the work of juvenile court counselors. Recognizing the influential role that juvenile court counselors have in the lives of delinquent youth, Corso decided to pursue a career in the field. She started as a juvenile court counselor before being promoting to a supervisor and then to a senior manager position.
This fall will mark her 24th year working for Multnomah County. But for the last five years she has expanded her commitment to the community justice profession by serving on a national level. After running for the position earlier this year, Corso recently was elected as secretary of the American Probation and Parole Association. She will be sworn in as a member of the APPA Executive Committee on Wednesday in Los Angeles and says that she’s excited for the new challenge.
When asked how she balances and prioritizes all of her work at the county with her obligations nationally, Corso replied, “There always seems to be more work to do than there is time to do it,” emphasizing that this reality should not be seen as a deterrent from committing to making a difference for youth, families and the community. If anything, she says, it’s motivation to stay focused and dedicated to the work.
“You just never know what kind of seeds you’re going to plant.”
Truls Neal
Truls Neal, 54, is no stranger to the field of community justice. A veteran corrections professional of 25 years, Truls first began his career shadowing a juvenile probations officer in Orange County, Calif., and immediately knew that he found his calling.
Since then he has gained experience in the field through a myriad of different roles, ranging from corrections counselor to parole and probation officer to department management. Through it all, Truls maintains the same beliefs: the work is nothing without recognizing that fear is the root of conflict and establishing a foundation of trust and commitment to the community is essential. This drive, say his co-workers, is what makes Truls an exceptional leader.
After moving to Oregon in 1992, Truls worked his way up the ranks to become the senior manager and division director of the Adult Services Division of Multnomah County’s Department of Community Justice.
And yet, he hasn’t stopped there.
Truls was recently elected to serve as a regional representative for the American Probation and Parole Association, where he will represent Alaska, Washington, Idaho, Montana and Oregon ensuring that the needs of the members in those jurisdictions are being represented by APPA board of directors.
Truls says that although the new role will surely present it’s own challenges, he has no plans of slowing down. His focus remains centered on making positive changes in the community he serves.
“I never had a plan,” says Truls of his career path. “I think [what’s] important to me is that I’m making a difference .and that it’s meaningful… Not every day is making a difference and not everyday is meaningful, but over a long term...my goal is to see people who are in our system change and become reconnected with community.”
Leticia Longoria-Navarro
At 29, Leticia Longoria-Navarro is making waves in Multnomah County’s Department of Community Justice. Working with the EPICS (Effective Practices in Community Supervision) Unit, Longoria-Navarro trains and coaches other parole and probation officers (PPOs) and corrections counselors - who are working directly with clients - in the EPICS case management model. She also works on numerous committees and networks within the county and across the state. Her devotion to her craft and helping improve the community she serves is being recognized not only by her colleagues but on a nationwide scale.
“Leticia seeks to assume additional responsibilities, looks for and acts on opportunities to continuously improve services, exhibits initiative and follow through, and uses innovative thinking,” says Alison Kinsey, community justice manager. “Leticia is a role model for all classifications within the Department of Community Justice and contributes far beyond what is expected in her position.”
On Sunday, Longoria-Navarro attended the American Probation and Parole Association’s (APPA) Annual Training Institute in Los Angeles, Calif. to accept the coveted Scotia Knouff Line Officer of the Year award.
According to the APPA’s website, the award is “given to a probation, parole or community corrections officer who has performed assigned duties in an outstanding manner and/or made significant contributions to the probation, parole or community corrections profession at the local, regional or national level.”
Longoria-Navarro has worked for Multnomah County’s Department of Community Justice since 2011, beginning as a parole and probation officer in the Sex Offender Unit where she worked with clients, then transferring to the EPICS Unit in December of 2014.
Today, she’s looking forward to the approaching award reception. “It’s provided a great opportunity to do some reflection and just kind of take it all in.”
