Mandy Potapenko joined NIC as a National Programs Advisor in 2023.

Mandy brings a wealth of local practitioner experience having served the City and County of Milwaukee, Wisconsin for over 16 years. Throughout her career, Mandy has held positions in intergovernmental relations, law enforcement community relations, pretrial services, and victim advocacy.

For over half of her career, Mandy served as Executive Director of Milwaukee County's Criminal Justice Council, where she garnered recognition for her exceptional contributions in fostering interagency collaboration, spearheading community engagement initiatives, securing federal and private funding, and championing evidence-based policy initiatives. Mandy has also served on many local and national criminal justice working groups, contributing to the advancement and enhancement of justice system policies. Her extensive experience has positioned her as a respected voice in the field.

Known for her relationship-centered approach, at NIC, Mandy continues to leverage her expertise, by actively engaging in projects that advance best practices within the field of community corrections and enhance the effectiveness of local criminal justice systems.