Helping Returning Citizens Build Lives of Purpose
Board of Directors
Christine Handy, Vice President
Author of Walk Beside Me, motivational speaker, model, breast cancer advocate and speaker, nationally recognized humanitarian, writer.
Arlene R Ustin, 2nd Vice President
Arlene describes herself as a humble, but firm, fearless and persistent activist, who hates
injustice and unfairness, especially when cast upon vulnerable populations. Her top
priorities are racial equity and equal rights for women. In 2012 she joined the LWVPBC
and currently works on three committees and was a member of its Diversity, Equity and
Inclusion Task Force. From 2012 until recently, she served on the board of the PBC
Chapter of National Organization for Women (NOWPBC) and was designated Feminist of
the Year in 2019. Currently she is Vice President at the state level of Florida NOW and
she’s in her ninth year as a leader of two Democratic precincts.
Arlene has also cofounded or served on several issue-based entities: Committee Against
Gun Violence, Partner Organizations Against Sex Trafficking, and the Haitian American
Culture Collaborative. Since 2020, she has devoted her energy to People of Purpose, Inc.,
a fabulous organization whose mission is to end recidivism by assisting Returning Citizens
(and their families and communities) pre- and post incarceration in their process of
reentering society effectively.
She is always registering voters and when it was possible gathered citizen-initiated
petitions (particularly, for Amendment 4 - the Restoration of Voting Rights for Returning
Citizens and the failed Ban Assault Weapons Now campaign).
Growing up in The Bronx, she earned a BA at Hunter College, NYC, did graduate studies in
Art History at Columbia University, and earned a MA in Education and a MA in Public
Health at UC Berkeley.
Alexandra Barry, Board Member
Alexandra Barry was born and raised in South Florida! A health enthusiast, storyteller, human rights activist, and die-hard advocate for domestic violence. She has survived domestic violent relationships, sexual assaults, institutional abuse as an adolescent, and now a homicide. Alexandra’s resilience really shows in her everyday life. She has taken tragic events and created a beautiful foundation. She is the founder of Siblings of Murdered Siblings.
James Barry was murdered on 11/17/16. He broke up with his ex-girlfriend and she went to James’s mothers’ home and stabbed him to death. Fled to Maryland. Eam was arrested within 48 hours of the crime. During this journey of grief, Alexandra realized how there are little resources and support for crime victims, especially siblings, cousins, and friends.
She created a safe place online using Facebook. Established a private group called Siblings Of Murdered Siblings. “SOMS” in the past two years has grown tremendously in fact it has grown
into an organization. We send out survivor care packages to those who have been impacted by homicide. We raise funds for those who need mental health services, we support petitions, we advocate for change and crime prevention.
Pamela P. Maldonado, Director
After living in outside the US for many years Pamela Maldonado worked as a Pediatric ICU nurse completing a Bachelor in Science in Nursing (College of Mt. St. Joseph, Cincinnati, OH) and a Masters in Teaching of Nursing (Columbia Univ., NYC).
She worked in nursing education before moving to Brazil. She is fluent in Spanish, conversational Portuguese and speaks some French. Since retiring she has been active in the League of Women Voters of PB County, serving on the Board and as Voter Services Chair for 5+ years.
Mark Schneider, Director
Mark Schneider is Professor Emeritus from Southern Illinois University.
He received his doctorate in sociology from Yale in 1985 and taught at Princeton and the University of Michigan before moving to Southern Illinois.
In retirement he has been active with the ACLU of Florida, currently serving as President of the Palm Beach County Chapter and as a member of the State Board of Directors and has been with the Speaker’s Bureau of the League of Women Voters since 2010.
He has been working with the Voting Rights Coalition of Palm Beach County on felon disfranchisement for the past seven years, as well as on other voting rights issues. He is retired and lives in Boynton Beach FL.
Abigail Langweiler, Board Member
Abigail R. Langweiler, Esq. is a criminal defense attorney who has dedicated her career to public defense. Beginning her legal career at a boutique civil litigation and criminal defense firm and training and working at the Miami-Dade Public Defender’s Office, Abigail now defends the indigent at the Office of Criminal Conflict and Civil Regional Counsel for the Fourth District of Florida. Abigail passionately defends clients charged with serious first-degree felonies, homicides, and death penalty cases primarily in Palm Beach County, focusing on creative defenses and centering on clients’ needs. Abigail’s mission is to preserve the rights of the down- trodden and expose their plight through zealous representation of her clients. Abigail is an alumna and advisory board member of New Leaders Council. She holds a BA in journalism from Ithaca College, where she also minored in politics, Spanish, and dance. A 2009 graduate of Nova Southeastern University Shepard Broad College of Law, Abigail highly values the skill set she honed while attending law school. Since 2018, Abigail has fought in the gun violence prevention movement as a local, and now statewide, lead in Moms Demand Action for Gun Sense in America. Abigail focuses on building relationships with community partner organizations that work to reduce violence and address its root causes.
Abigail lives in Boca Raton with her husband, Rob, and two young daughters, Stella and Olivia.
