Meet Our Board

Bobby Love is seasoned professional with over 23 years of dedicated service within the U.S. Federal Court system. In his role as a U.S. Probation Officer for the Northern District of California, he played a pivotal role in conducting thorough pre-sentence investigations, developing supervision plans, and facilitating rehabilitation and reintegration. As a Firearms and Safety Team Instructor, he contributed significantly to the training and development of staff, including the coordination of national conferences.  He is also the COO/Founder of Dynamic Development Consortium, where he has instructed seminars, served as a liaison between group homes and the justice system, and functioned as a corporate trainer. 

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Bobby holds Bachelors of Arts Degrees in Clinical and Counseling Psychology, as well as Religious Studies, from San Jose State University.

Crystal Sheffield is a social worker with the Eastern District Federal Defender’s Office in Sacramento. She joined the team at the Federal Defender’s Office in September 2015, as their first social worker. Crystal has worked to develop a program that provides resources and supportive services to clients, as well as an educational opportunity for social work students. 

Recognizing the need for better connectivity among reentry-focused agencies, Crystal organized the Sacramento Area Reentry Collaborative in 2017. The Reentry Collaborative consists of a diverse group of stakeholders who have a desire to serve those returning home from incarceration and their families. The monthly meetings provide education, networking, and connectivity among reentry providers throughout the Sacramento region.

Crystal holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Psychology, and a Master of Arts degree in Human Services Counseling from Liberty University.

Sachin Sharma is a Director of Product Marketing at VMware, where he leads product marketing for VMware Horizon, a multi-cloud desktop and app virtualization platform. He has over 20 years of experience in various marketing, pre-sales, IT consulting, and systems management roles. Since 2021, he has been involved as a mentor in the Alternatives to Incarceration Program (ATIP) which collaborates with A Curiae to help formerly incarcerated individuals with professional skills as they reenter the workforce. He holds degrees in B.S. in Computer Science and Engineering, and Economics from the University of California at Davis.

Emebet Aklilu, MPH, MSBH, is the chief of operations for the Diversity, Inclusion and Outreach Office at the UCSF School of Nursing. She is a well-organized and diligent individual with a successful background in developing culturally competent programming and employee engagement strategies within health care and higher education.

Her research is based in developing trauma-informed, culturally competent programs for niche groups. As an alumna and faculty member of the University of San Francisco, Aklilu has worked closely with a number of campus groups to explore the use of restorative justice in the reimagining of policing on campus. 

Ellen Leonida is an experienced trial lawyer specializing in white collar criminal defense and investigations and complex commercial litigation. With over 20 years of litigation experience, she has first chaired more than 80 jury trials in state and federal courts. She has also conducted internal investigations and counseled clients regarding government investigations and subpoena compliance. Ms. Leonida is a nationally recognized forensics expert, who has lectured on topics including DNA, digital forensics, and trial skills.

Ms. Leonida represents individual and corporate clients in a broad range of criminal matters, including trade secret theft, bribery, money laundering, and fraud. She represents clients in state and federal courts, in grand jury investigations, and in administrative proceedings.

Prior to joining Sideman & Bancroft, Ms. Leonida was the head of the impact litigation and white collar groups at a boutique litigation firm in San Francisco. She has also served as a Federal Public Defender in the Northern District of California.